Tuesday, April 30, 2019

PPU Alert! Lantern & Wren Jailhouse

(Press samples ahead!)



Hello!


Today I have another Polish Pickup goodie for you, and this one is a stamping polish!! Take a gander at Lantern & Wren Jailhouse, a royal blue holo that covers in one coat and stamps beautifully:


Lantern & Wren Jailhouse

Lantern & Wren Jailhouse

Lantern & Wren Jailhouse

Lantern & Wren Jailhouse

Coverage: ONE coat!
Formula: Excellent application, and you can see it shows up over both black and white. The effect is more subtle over black, but it's definitely clearly visible. :)
Plate: The image I stamped here is from Lantern & Wren's City Life plate--which is also only available during Polish Pickup! I'll show that to you tomorrow, along with several full manis. Watch this space...

This polish was inspired by the little jails in the McDonald's playgrounds in the 80's--specifically, by the blue siren light at the top of the jailhouse sculpture. How fun is that?


Lantern & Wren Jailhouse


This beauty will be on sale during Polish Pickup's sale, May 3rd through 6th. It will sell or $12.00, and will have a cap of 200. So if you love holo stamping, set that alarm and grab it! In the meantime, come hang out with the Polish Pickup Pack for sneak peeks of upcoming awesomeness. :)


Big hugs,
M. xoxo

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Sunday, April 28, 2019

PPU Alert! The Lady Varnishes And The 80s Replied "I Know"

(Press samples ahead!)



Hello!


I'm back today with another beauty from May's Polish Pickup 80's theme: The Lady Varnishes' And The 80's Replied "I Know," a navy-blue-based multichrome polish that shifts through green and copper and purple, with a spray of royal blue glitter:


Supernatural Lacquer And The 80's Replied "I Know"

Supernatural Lacquer And The 80's Replied "I Know"

Supernatural Lacquer And The 80's Replied "I Know"

Supernatural Lacquer And The 80's Replied "I Know"

Supernatural Lacquer And The 80's Replied "I Know"
Coverage: 2-3 coats; I had full coverage with 2
Formula & application: Smooth and easy and perfect :)
Inspiration: I love the inspiration for this one--this is based on the scene in The Empire Strikes Back, where Leia tells Han she loves him, and he replies "I Know"--I think that's so clever, because yep, it's true, I love the 80's, and I'm pretty sure they know!

This is mystical and edgy and glowy, like a dragon's eye...yaaasssss...


Now, usually I have a little nail art to show you with the polish...but I'm going to have a special post for that this month, so stick around...




This beauty will be on sale during Polish Pickup's sale May 3rd through 6th. It will sell for $12.50, and have a cap of 130, so set your alarm and make sure you grab it before it's gone! In the meantime, check out The Lady Varnishes' other lovelies here, and come hang out with the Polish Pickup Pack to get sneak peeks of upcoming awesomeness.


Big hugs,
M. xoxo

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PPU Alert! Supernatural Lacquer Sight Beyond Sight

(Press samples and affiliate links ahead!)



Hello!


How has another month passed already?! It'll be May in a few days and I swear we just celebrated New Year's Day. I seriously can't keep up with how fast time is passing lately.


But, a new month means new Polish Pickup awesomeness, and this month's theme is the 80's! I love the 80's so hard--the music, the TV and movies, the big hair, the fashion...Okay, mostly the music and the movies...


So let's kick things off with Supernatural Lacquer's offering, which was inspired by the Thundercats--Supernatural Lacquer Sight Beyond Sight, a black jelly with teal-purple-red-gold multichrome shimmer, platinum silver flakes, and multicolored color shift flakes:


Supernatural Lacquer Sight Beyond Sight

Supernatural Lacquer Sight Beyond Sight

Supernatural Lacquer Sight Beyond Sight

Supernatural Lacquer Sight Beyond Sight


Supernatural Lacquer Sight Beyond Sight
Coverage: 2-3 coats; two worked for me, but I put on three to get maximum flakeage.
Formula & application: Smooth and awesome. :)

I don't think dressing goth started in the 80's, but it was definitely a big thing then, and this puts me right back into 80's goth--dark, but with that 80's campy bombastic edge.


This lovely will be on sale during May's Polish Pickup sale between May 3rd and May 6th. It will sell for $11.50, and there will be no cap, so you should have no problem grabbing it! In the meantime, you can check out Supernatural Lacquer's other beauties, and you can come hang out with the Polish Pickup Pack for advance looks at each month's themes, inspirations, and polishes.


Big hugs,
M. xoxo

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Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Supernatural Lacquer Germanium & You're Flerkin Meowt! (Plus, my Day 3 Album Cover!)

(Press samples ahead!)

Hello!


Today we're gonna take a look at two new beauties from Supernatural Lacquer!


The first is Supernatural Lacquer Germanium, a lavender crelly-based polish with purple-red-blue multichrome shimmer:


Supernatural Lacquer Germanium

Supernatural Lacquer Germanium

Supernatural Lacquer Germanium

Supernatural Lacquer Germanium

Supernatural Lacquer Germanium

Supernatural Lacquer Germanium

Supernatural Lacquer Germanium
Coverage: 2-3 coats; I got full coverage with two, plus topcoat.
Formula & application: Excellent! Drying time is good, and oh, those micro flecks!
Cost: $12, no cap

Germanium is the 32nd element in the periodic table, and Stefanie chose the name because this polish celebrates her 32nd birthday! How cool is that!? This polish has a gentle multichrome shift because of the shimmer, which gives depth and magic to the shade. Love.


Next up is Supernatural Lacquer You're Flerken Meowt!, a raspberry jelly with a red-orange-gold chameleon shift, orange-pink-gold color-shifting flakes and orange-green chameleon glitters:

Supernatural Lacquer You're Flerken Meowt!

Supernatural Lacquer You're Flerken Meowt!

Supernatural Lacquer You're Flerken Meowt!

Supernatural Lacquer You're Flerken Meowt!

Supernatural Lacquer You're Flerken Meowt!

Supernatural Lacquer You're Flerken Meowt!

Supernatural Lacquer You're Flerken Meowt!
Coverage: 2-3 coats. I'm wearing three here, with topcoat.
Formula & Application: Beautiful!!
Cost: $11, cap TBD (this is a limited edition, so if you want it, snap it up!)

This is so bright and pretty and those flakes! Super sexy, like an adult version of the best princess dress ever.


So awesome, in fact, I used it to make my Day 3 mani for The Digit-al Dozen's album cover theme--inspired by Prince's Paisley Park:



Base Polish(es): Supernatural Lacquer You're Flerken Meowt!
Stamping Plate(s): Dixie Plates Reverse Stamping
Stamping Polish(es): Hit The Bottle Polish Midnight Pumpkin

If you're thinking my colors are a bit different from the album, you're right--I sorta wanted to do a mash-up of the Paisley Park concept and a Raspberry Beret feel. ;-) I personally think Prince would approve!


These polishes both go on sale April 19th, but are available to pre-order now in Supernatural Lacquer's shop now.


Big hugs,
M. xoxo

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Tuesday, April 16, 2019

The Digit-al Dozen Album Covers, Day 2!

(Press samples and affiliate links ahead!)



Hello!


Today is day 2 of The Digit-al Dozen's album cover theme, so all the ladies are doing manicures inspired by album covers.


One of the most iconic album covers of my childhood was Bruce Springsteen's Born In the USA--and as much as I wish I could do that tush justice on my nails, I can't, so again rather than recreate, I did an 'inspired by' look:


UberChic Beauty 28-01 over Zoya Sheri & Sia

Base Polish(es): Zoya Sheri and Sia
Stamping Plate(s): UberChic Beauty 28-01
Stamping Polish(es): Kaleidoscope by El Corazon White


I wanted a sort of tie-dye look with this gradient, and I think I achieved that, and I love how this pattern sorta looks like a cross between an American flag and fighter planes swooshing through the air. What do you think, did I capture the spirit of the cover?


Don't forget to check out the other ladies' album covers, linked below! :)


Big hugs,
M. xoxo

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Monday, April 15, 2019

Lantern & Wren Eggscellent Easter Plate :)

(Press samples and affiliate links ahead!)

Hello!


Today we're gonna take a look at Lantern & Wren's Eggscellent Easter plate! This plate is all kinds of Easter eggs, all the time:


Lantern & Wren Eggscellent Easter

Plate: Lantern & Wren Eggscellent Easter
Skill level: Intermediate, bordering on advanced
My thoughts: I love that there are three layers to this egg, so you can have your backround color and two other colors. They style of the images is whimsical, and the layers don't perfectly fill up all the space, which amplifies the effect. And those bunny ears!! So fun!


On to the manis! For my first, which I already showed you in another post, I wanted to do a play on an Easter egg hunt. For this mani I used the smaller egg images:

Lantern & Wren Eggscellent Easter over Lantern & Wren Midnight Glow
Base Polish(es): Lantern & Wren Midnight Glow
Stamping Plate(s): Lantern & Wren Eggscellent Easter
Stamping Polish(es): I made the grass with Moonflower Polish Apple and El Yunque; Kaleidoscope by El Corazon Pink, Mint & White; Girly Bits Cosmetics Eggplant One On Me, Forget Me?! NOT! Sally Hansen Blue Away

My favorite part about this mani is the pair of bunny ears in the grass!


For my next mani, I wanted to turn my nails themselves completely into Easter Eggs, so I used the larger images, and I only used two of the layers, since I was already counting the base polish as one color:

Lantern & Wren Eggscellent Easter over pastel skittle
Base Polish(es): Lantern & Wren Illuminate, Moonflower Polish Apple & Mango, Sally Hansen Racing Rose
Stamping Plate(s): Lantern & Wren Eggscellent Easter
Stamping Polish(es): Lantern & Wren Illuminate, Moonflower Polish Apple & Mango, Kaleidoscope Pink & White, and Sally Hansen Lightening and Racing Rose


You can find this plate on sale now in Lantern & Wren's store, and if you live in the US, there's definitely time to receive this before Easter--her shipping is lightning fast!


Big hugs,
M. xoxo

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Sunday, April 14, 2019

UberChic Beauty Cultural Harmony plate (Plus The Digital Dozen Does albums: Day 1!)

(Press samples and affiliate links ahead!)

Hello!

Today we're gonna take a look at UberChic Beauty's Cultural Harmony plate, which has awesome patterns to use on their own, or to combine with other images:

UberChic Beauty Cultural Harmony

Plate: UberChic Beauty Cultural Harmony
Skill level: Beginner
My thoughts:  If you're a beginner, this is a great plate to start off with--you almost can't go wrong with most of these patterns. Then, as your skills grow, this plate will grow with you. You can play around with multiple colors of stamping polish on an image, or little bits of reversed stamping. And if you're already an advanced stamper, these images will also help you get extra miles out of your other plates.


Okay, on to the manis! For the first look, I wanted something simple and dramatic:

UberChic Beauty Cultural Harmony over Sally Hansen Beet, Pray, Love
Base Polish(es): Sally Hansen Beet, Pray, Love with Miracle Gel Matte topcoat
Stamping Plate(s): UberChic Beauty Cultural Harmony
Stamping Polish(es): Moyra Silver


For the next mani I wanted something springy:

UberChic Beauty Cultural Harmony over Sally Hansen Out of this Pearl

Base Polish(es): Sally Hansen Out of this Pearl plus Miracle Gel matte topcoat
Stamping Plate(s): UberChic Beauty Cultural Harmony
Stamping Polish(es): Moyra Silver and Kaleidoscope by El Corazon White


For the next mani, I wanted a subtle pattern that would play up the beautiful colors in this multichrome base:

UberChic Beauty Cultural Harmony over The Lady Varnishes Don't Worry, It'll Blow Over
Base Polish(es): The Lady Varnishes Don't Worry, It'll Blow Over
Stamping Plate(s): UberChic Beauty Cultural Harmony
Stamping Polish(es): Girly Bits Cosmetics Eggplant One On Me and Forget Me?! NOT!



For my final look, I wanted to use the images on here that had a jungle feel to me...This month the Digital Dozen's theme is album covers, and when I started to do my manis for the theme, I realized quickly that it's a really hard theme--because most album covers are the artists, or people doing something. So I'm going to interpret the theme as not so much as recreations of album covers, but manis that pay homage to the theme of the album or a particular song. For this one, I'm going with the song Bungle In The Jungle by Jethro Tull, which was one of my favorite songs when I was a very little girl:


UberChic Beauty Cultural Harmony over Moonflower Polish Lemon and Apple
Base Polish(es): Moonflower Polish Lemon and Apple
Stamping Plate(s): UberChic Beauty Cultural Harmony
Stamping Polish(es): Moonflower Polish Apple and El Yunque


What do you think of this plate? Any favorite images? Also, don't forget to check out the other Digital Dozen Album Cover manicures, which I'll like below, once I get the linkup! :)


Big hugs,
M. xoxo

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Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Topcoat--Over Gorgeous Colors!

(Press samples and affiliate links ahead!)

Hello!


Did you know that Sally Hansen has recently added a matte topcoat to their Miracle Gel line?


If you don't already know about the Miracle Gel line, the concept is it's longer lasting polish that cures with sunlight rather than needing a special light the way gel polish normally does. You just need two coats of a Miracle Gel color (no basecoat), and then Miracle Gel topcoat. Up until now, there's only been one topcoat option--shiny. But now you can choose between shiny and matte.


Matte looks are so en vogue right now, I was really excited to try this out and see how it worked. I can't do gel polish because I have to change my polish so often, but when I am able I do like to get a couple of extra days with Miracle Gel, and having the matte option is a cool possibility...so let's take a look and see how it works!


They sent me six colors to test the topcoat with--to be clear, these colors are all shiny on their own, so any matte effect we see will be due to the topcoat only. 



Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Matte Top Coat


So let's take a look! First up is Sally Hansen Apollo You Anywhere, a bright coral creme:

Sally Hansen Apollo You Anywhere

Sally Hansen Apollo You Anywhere

Sally Hansen Apollo You Anywhere


Sally Hansen Apollo You Anywhere
Coverage: Two coats, plus Miracle Gel Matte topcoat. If you have ridges, you might need three coats.
Application & Formula: This is the only color I tested that I had a little bit of pull and less-than-smooth application. But, the topcoat made all of the residual stuff disappear.

This color is so bright IRL, it's nearly neon! If you're a coral/salmon lover, this is the one for you. :)


Next is Sally Hansen Beet, Pray, Love, a dark mauve creme:

Sally Hansen Beet, Pray, Love

Sally Hansen Beet, Pray, Love

Sally Hansen Beet, Pray, Love


Sally Hansen Beet, Pray, Love
Coverage: Two coats plus matte topcoat. You might need three if you have deep ridges.
Application & Formula: Gorgeous, with really good dry time.

This is a great looks-good-on-everyone, goes-with-everything shade, and it looks so chic with the matte topcoat!



Next we have Sally Hansen Can't Beet Royalty, a gorgeous maroon creme:


Sally Hansen Can't Beet Royalty

Sally Hansen Can't Beet Royalty

Sally Hansen Can't Beet Royalty


Sally Hansen Can't Beet Royalty
Coverage: Two coats + matte topcoat; you may need 3 if you have deep ridges.
Application & Formula: Excellent!

This color! THIS COLOR! So vampy and sexy, and the matte just makes it even more so! Love.



Then we have Sally Hansen Mauve-olous, a light mauve-rose creme:


Sally Hansen Mauve-olous

Sally Hansen Mauve-olous

Sally Hansen Mauve-olous

Sally Hansen Mauve-olous

Coverage: Two coats + matte topcoat. You might need 3 if you have ridges.
Application & Formula: Good, with a little pulling that evened out on the second coat.

(Is it weird that I hear Billy Crystal everytime I look at this name??)
This color is almost a neutral--definitely a very wearable pink. Pretty and feminine.


Next is Sally Hansen Out Of This Pearl, a champagne shimmer:


Sally Hansen Out Of This Pearl

Sally Hansen Out Of This Pearl

Sally Hansen Out Of This Pearl


Sally Hansen Out Of This Pearl

Coverage: Two coats + matte topcoat
Application & Formula: Excellent.

OMG, I love how this looks with the matte! Very classy. I'm going to wear this all summer long...


And last but not least, we have Sally Hansen Wine Stock, a deep wine purple creme:


Sally Hansen Wine Stock

Sally Hansen Wine Stock

Sally Hansen Wine Stock


Sally Hansen Wine Stock

Coverage: Two coats + matte topcoat; you might need 3 if you have deep ridges.
Application & Formula: Excellent.

Ohhhh yeeesss. Vampy and gothy and darkly sexy, this polish brings out my inner rocker chick. Love this so hard!


But most importantly, what do I think about the matte topcoat? I'm really impressed by it. I have no time for matte topcoats that only give a slight matte look, and I'm happy to report this gave hard-core matte finish in no time flat, knocking off one step if you want Miracle Gel staying power with a matte finish.


Not only that, but I also tested this over regular polish, and directly over stamping (I'll show you these looks next time) and I didn't have any problems--no streaking, fast dry time, full-on awesomeness.


So how long does the Miracle Gel mani system keep you mani alive? For me, I get an extra couple of days when I use Miracle Gel than when I use regular Sally Hansen polishes. So I do feel this is a good option when you want a bit more wear, as well.


These are on sale now, anywhere you by Sally Hansen products, and of course on Amazon. :)


Big hugs,
M. xoxo

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