Lacquer or Leave Her!

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Review Shinespark Polish Falling Leaves Collection + glitter polishes

(Some polishes purchased by me, some press samples)

Hello!

Today we're going to take a look at something guaranteed to show you a silver lining in the end of summer--a gorgeous collection of fall holos, along with two bonus glitter polishes. I'm talking about Shinespark Polish's Falling Leaves collection, five holographic polishes that capture the magic of fall in both their colors and the way they play with light, along with two of Shinespark's fall glitters.

Let's jump right in with the lightest of the bunch, Shinespark Harvest, a soft mustard-yellow holo:

Shinespark Harvest

This is not a typical yellow--it's like gold and yellow had a beautiful baby, and it's perfect for fall. One of my traditions, before they closed it, was a visit to the local corn maze every year. This holo is the color of ears of corn and dried cornstalks. It's maize and hay. It's the smell of the dirt and the corn while you try to find your way out and the smile on the scarecrow that watches you go the wrong way. It whispers fall, and I adore it.

This is three coats; like many holos, the polishes in this collection dry fast, so I recommend three fast, thin coats rather than thicker coats. They dry to a wax-type finish; I'm wearing a coat of Seche Vite on all of them in these pictures.

Next up is Shinespark Pumpkin Spice, a muted pumpkin-butterscotch orange:

Shinespark Pumpkin Spice

This is pumpkin patches and pumpkin pies and most importantly of all, pumpkin-spice lattes. This is your jack-o-lantern and the bag you carry trick-or-treating. It's the tablecloth on your Thanksgiving table, and of course it's vibrant leaves falling from the trees. It's the season in a bottle with a sparkle of holo that plays with the changing fall light.

This is three coats, and I'd call this (and Harvest above) a medium linear holo with scattered holo effects, as well.

Next we have Shinespark Hot Cocoa, a light chocolate brown holo:

Shinespark Hot Cocoa

This is coming home from the pumpkin patch to a warm house. This is the candy you get, or give, on Halloween night. It's hugs from your family and cozy evenings watching an old movie together in front of a fire. This will function as a neutral for you, but with some shine and sparkle to give you those magic happy fingers.

This is two coats, and this also is what I'd call a medium linear holo, with plenty of scattered sparkles.

Next we have Shinespark Autumn Sky, a periwinkle blue holo:

Shinespark Autumn Sky

This is blue skies when the threat of rain is in the air, or as twilight sets in while you're waiting for your haunt to start. The dusty blue captures the way the light changes during the fall days, and the way the ocean shimmers differently on those cold days.

This is the strongest linear holo of the collection; I also found it to be a bit touchier to work with than the others; I had some patchiness on the first and second coats, but it evened up on the third. Definitely work with thin, fast coats.

And for the final holo, we have Shinespark Evergreen, a sage-meets-grass green holo:

Shinespark Evergreen

I didn't expect this to be my favorite of the collection, but the minute it hit my fingers, I fell in deep, deep love. Don't get me wrong, I love every polish in this collection--but this one is like a polish soulmate for me. I love that it's the perfect shade of green for fall--not the grass green of summer and not the emerald of winter, but a muted sage that has an earthy, soulful feel. It captures the magic of those last days before winter takes over, when there is still some green left waving goodbye. It's a flattering shade, subtle in exactly the way most greens aren't. And, the holo flash is a medium-strong linear with scattered lights, as well. Completely amazing.

As beautiful as holos are, polish fanatics cannot live by holos alone. To capture the more whimsical side of the season, check out Shinespark Jack O'Lantern, a super-squishy orange jelly with gold circle glitters and black holo hexes:

Shinespark Jack O'Lantern

This polish is just plain fun. I love the shade of orange she chose, more of a burnt tangerine than a super bright pumpkin, and I love how the two types of glitters work together to look like a deconstructed jack-o-lantern. Of course it goes without saying that this is the perfect polish for Halloween, and lends itself to fun and simple nail art.

This is something between two and three coats--let me explain why. Any polish that has large circle glitters is going to require some fishing. So what I like to do is fish out a circle glitter for each nail, then brush on the orange base and the little glitters. I do the same for the second coat, but I apply the base a little more thickly to get it nestled evenly around the glitters. I finish off with some topcoat, and voila!

Last but certainly not least, we have Shinespark Gilded Rose, a rose gold holographic glitter polish that can be used either by itself or as a topper; since she has pictures of the polish by itself on her site, I decided to show it to you as a topper:

Shinespark Gilded Rose over Jack O'Lantern

Seriously, just look at that sparkle!!

Shinespark Gilded Rose over Jack O'Lantern

This is one quick, easy coat of Gilded Rose of Jack O'Lantern--check out how much radiant sparkle it gives without changing or obscuring the polish below it. This is the rose gold equivalent of China Glaze's Fairy Dust, and I have no problem saying it's a must have for nail fanatics. I only have a mini bottle, but will be buying a full bottle with my next order, because I never want to run out. I couldn't keep my eyes off of my nails when I was wearing this, and I can't wait to slap it onto anything and everything this Christmas season especially.

This is my first experience with Shinespark, and I'm impressed. The colors in the holo collection are nothing short of fall magic, the glitter crelly is fun and happy, and the topper is stunning. It's not often I can say I love absolutely every polish I get for review or even order for myself, but you'll be prying each of these polishes out of my cold, dead hands!

You can find the Shinespark Polish shop here; you can also keep up with them on Facebook and on Twitter.

Happy polishing!
M.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Dupe or No Dupe: Zoya Janel vs. Zoya Rekha

(Press sample; affiliate links)

Hello!

When I was digging through my box for Zoya comparisons to do with the Focus & Flair collections, I came across another deep red Zoya creme that looked kinda similar to Zoya Janel, so I decided to better do a cop post...

Take a look at Zoya Janel (from the Focus collection; see my full review here) vs. Zoya Rekha:

Zoya Janel vs. Rekha

So what's the verdict--dupe or not dupe? Wow, is this one close...you can barely tell in the first photo, but in the second one you can see it's a no dupe by a nose. Rekha is a teeeeny bit lighter and a big warmer. In some lights this difference was very hard to see, in others it was clearer--but in either case, these are pretty darn close.

So do you need both, and which one should you buy? Far be it from me to get in the way of an addiction, but I'd say no, you probably don't need both. If warmer tones look better on you, go for Rekha. If you prefer a cooler feel, get Janel. Either way, take that money you saved and spend it on a different Zoya beauty, there's plenty to choose from.

Happy polishing!
M.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Before & After: UberChic Beauty 3-02 over SinfulColors Feel The Vibe (Or, Feel the Flowers)

(Press sample; affiliate links)

Hello!

Are you getting out there an enjoying the last lingering days of summer? I think I have a mani that will keep you in the summer spirit for a few more days...

I started with SinfulColors Feel The Vibe, a muted-yet-happy orange creme:

SinfulColors Feel The Vibe

Then I pulled out my beloved UberChic Beauty 3-02 from their collection 3 (click here for my full review):

I stamped with Sally Hansen Rapid Red, and then filled in the center of the suns with Sally Hansen Mellow Yellow:

Feel the flowers

With their happy summer vibe

Keeps you feeling happy and alive. :)

What I love about this look: I love the combination of colors that look warm and happy with the flower/sun pattern. I love that it's a pretty easy mani because the wavy lines mean you don't have to worry about perfect placement, and you can use only one sun on the index finger if you're worried about lining them up.

What I'd do differently next: I think I'd use a slightly brighter yellow next time, or stamp the flowers in yellow and dot them in red if I wanted more contrast between the colors.

Thanks for stopping by--Happy stamping!
M.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Before & After: Zoya Savita + Born Pretty Store BP-59

(Press sample; affiliate links)

Hello!

Today I have a quick before & after for you inspired by this month's theme in The Nail Challenge Collaborative: Pets. I have the perfect plate for this theme sitting by waiting to be used, so I had to pull it on out!

I started with a base of Zoya Savita, a gorgeous deep purple matte with pink flecks:

Zoya Savita

I pulled out Born Pretty Store plate BP-59:

Born Pretty Store BP-59

Since of my pets 4 are cats and one is a dog, I thought it was only fair to start with a kitty manicure...I adore all the kitties on this plate, but the kitty up on the wire was just calling to me. So I stamped using Sally Hansen Lively Lilac, on my ring finger and thumb. And I asked myself, why would a kitty be up on a wire like that? Because he's chasing something, of course...so I added a lavendar fimo butterfly on my pinkie for him to chase:

Kitty on a wire

Topcoat finished the whole thing off; I love Savita in the matte form, but I also love how the amazing flecks come out when you put topcoat over it. And I love these cute kitties!

I did a video review of this plate along with several other Born Pretty Store plates, which you can see here:

As always, you can use my code to get 10% off of your non-sale purchase at Born Pretty Store:

Happy Stamping!
M.

An InLinkz Link-up

Friday, September 4, 2015

Review: Barielle Hot Chic collection for Fall 2015

(Press sample)

Hello!

It's definitely that time of year--summer is coming to a close and fall is sneaking up on us. And with that comes my yearly confession--I prefer fall to summer. Yes, I know that's just crazy talk and most of you normal people out there want to smack me. But in my defense, this year has been brutal in California, and the closer we get to some rain, the better.

And, most importantly--it means I have more fall polishes to show you, Barielle's Hot Chic fall 2015 collection, with five new polishes that make me year for that chill in the air.

Let's start with one of my favorites from the collection, Born 2-B Naughty, a green-leaning teal creme that goes almost to hunter green in some lights:

Barielle Born 2-B Naughty

This is two coats, but if you're careful this could be a one-coater. The formula was great, and application was a breeze. I'm a San Jose Sharks fan, and this polish is close to their most recent teal; it's definitely close enough to wear to games, and even if it weren't, I still adore the smoky blue-green of it. LOVE.

Next up is Barielle Harley D, an espresso brown with a golden-brown shimmer:

Barielle Harley D

This is two coats; the formula was a titch on the thin side. I had some patchiness with the first coat and it was still a little thinner than I expected on the second coat; that's not tip wear on my nails, the light just paled out the edge of the polish a bit, so if you're going to be in bright light, you might want to use three coats to be safe. Otherwise, I love this polish--the color make me want to spend the day sitting in a cafe sipping a mocha and chewing on chocolate-covered espresso beans. The shimmer makes it pop, while still being excellent for a fall neutral with sass.

Next up we have Barielle Orange U Jealous (there was a typo on mine, so yours might say Orange U Lealous), a gingery-pumpkin with an orange shimmer:

Barielle Orange U Jealous

This is two coats, no problems with formula or application. This polish is fall in a bottle--pumpkin-spiced lattes and jack-o-lanterns and fall leaves. This is a shade that will look good on almost everyone, and will look good with almost every fall outfit you have. I'll be getting a lot of wear out of this one, for sure. :)

Next we have Barielle Secret Desire, a sultry grape shimmer:

Barielle Secret Desire

This is two coats; this polish also was a little patchy on the first coat, but the second coat covered well. This is the sort of purple I love for Halloween; it's bright enough to have that fun Halloween vibe, while still being sexy. In brighter lights, there is a blurple duochrome element to this, shown in the second picture. Ah, blurple...why are you so lovely??

And to finish off the collection we have Barielle Sheer Nonsense (love the name!), a super-light-gray-almost-off-white creme with slight hints of pink:

Barielle Sheer Nonsense

If you're like me and you look like death warmed over when you wear pure white polish, this is an excellent option for you. A beautiful, professional neutral, this is also an excellent base for nail art techniques like lead-lighting if you want to stay away from that bright white. This is two surprisingly easy coats--light gray and white cremes are notoriously patchy and chalky, but this one was a dream.

All in all, I think this is a thoughtful, solid collection that covers a lot of ground in five polishes--several very versatile polishes that can function as neutrals with your fall wardrobe, along with muted pops of color when you want more zing.

You can find these polishes on Barielle's website and everywhere else Barielle is sold.

Happy polishing!!

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Before & After: UberChic Beauty 3-01 over SinfulColors Ice Blue (or, Bombay Bluetiful)

(Press sample; plates purchased with a discount)

Hello!

Today I have a mani I absolutely adore, made with my new UberChic Beauty collection 3 plates, because I couldn't wait to get my little hands all on them!

I started with a base of SinfulColors Ice Blue, a shimmery soft blue-purple:

SinfulColors Ice Blue

I chose two images from plate 3-01 to stamp with, the first two from the left in the second row down:

UberChic Beauty 3-01

I used the reversed-stamping techique; I stamped the images with China Glaze Passion, and then colored them in on my stamper with Sally Hansen Lively Lilac and In Prompt Blue:

Bombay Bluetiful

Oh, man, I cannot say enough about this manicure. This is such an intricate look, the images have such beautiful detail to work with. I feel like this is the dress a beautiful princess would wear in an awesome Bollywood production, and I'm not gonna lie, I wish I had that dress, or at least a skirt with these colors and pattern. Soooo pretty. :)

Hope you love it as much as I do! Happy stamping,

M.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Dupe or No Dupe: Zoya Aggie vs. China Glaze Rare And Radiant (a Chanel Peridot dupe)

(Press sample; affiliate links)

Hello!

It's been forever since I've done a Dupe-Or-No-Dupe post! When I first saw Zoya Aggie from the new 2015 fall Flair collection, it pulled my mind back to the Chanel Peridot dupes that were popular a while back--it looked similar but not completely the same, so I thought I'd put it to the test.

I don't own Chanel Peridot, but I do own one of the dupes: China Glaze Rare And Radient. So I pulled it out and had a look:

Zoya Aggie vs. China Glaze Rare And Radiant

In the bottle, you can see that the duochrome around the edges has similar colors to it, although there seems to be more brown in the Zoya--but is that just due to the bottle shape? Let's see:

Zoya Aggie vs. China Glaze Rare And Radiant

As you can see, while these two are similar polishes, they are definitely NOT dupes. Aggie has more, deeper brown, while Rare And Radient is more of a gold; they both show a similar flash around the edges, but it takes over more with Rare And Radient, while it creates more of a contrast with Aggie.

So do you need both? In my opinion, these are different enough that I'm glad to have both. I'm not a huge fan of wearing gold as my base polish, and while I love RAR, I'll be very happy to have a more brown-based duochrome with the green flash.

What do you think? Different enough to own both, or not?

Happy polishing,
M.