D & R Apothecary - Sand & Sea

I have a wonderful indie glitter polish from a new-to-me store on Etsy called D & R Apothecary. They mainly make soaps and lotions, but they began making nail polish not too long ago. I am in love with so many of their creations, and they are always putting up more!

The first polish I got from them is called Sand & Sea. It's such a beautiful color combination I'm surprised I haven't seen it before. This is a clear base with beautiful turquoise blue and deep metallic coffee brown glitters, in both hexes and bar glitter. I used two coats of it over China Glaze Man Hunt from the new On Safari collection, a rich cobalt blue creme.

I don't believe this particular one is available at the moment but there are plenty more to choose from. Go check them out if you haven't yet, their store is http://www.etsy.com/shop/DandRApothecary. Their mini polishes are $3.85 and their full size bottles are $8.50. I plan on getting many more of their creations in the future, they're awesome!

Collide with Mr. Bubble

Today I have a beautiful combo of lacquers to show you! First is the base, the gorgeous neon hot pink Collide from Illamasqua. I received this as an AMAZING gift from my fantabulous friend Landa (along with so many of my htf lemmings I almost pooped my pants when I opened the package!) Collide has an unbelievable formula that applies so easily you'd forget it was a neon. And it was opaque in two coats. Awesome and THANK YOU La-La-Landa!

I had been wondering what to layer the last polish I got from Lush Lacquer (you can see the others I got from them by clicking here) over and I decided that Collide was perfect. Mr. Bubble is a glitter polish with a clear base, micro pink matte round glitter, small white and blue matte hex glitters, medium matte pink hex glitters, and large white and blue matte hex glitters. This is such a fun mani!

I don't much care for some of the glitters that look like paper printed on a machine with the ink running low, like the color is almost pixelated? Makes it look kinda cheap, but it isn't on all of them and I can live with it. (Even though I have decided against purchasing glitters that I saw look like this in photos...) Regardless, I really like how this turned out! You can get Illamasqua at their website or on Sephora for $14. Lush Lacquer is sold on their Etsy store, minis are two for $9.50 and full size are $8.75. How do you like this combo?

Pretty & Polished - Phat Camp

Hi friends :) Today I have another Pretty & Polished glitter from her Summer Camp collection. This is called Phat Camp. I wasn't sure I loved it at first but when I saw Chalkboard Nails' swatch of it, I knew it had to be mine.

This has a clear base and is full of dark pink small round glitters, magenta purple medium round glitter, medium purple shards, and medium teal hex glitters. I layered two coats over a black crème. I wish I had put topcoat on for this swatch, regrettably you can see the bumpy texture. *shrug* This is a fab color.

Being a "phatty" myself, I love this polish ;) What do you think?

Pretty & Polished - Cheer Camp

I have been wallowing for a few days in a funk. As you may know, right now in Las Vegas the magic awesomeness that is the CosmoProf Las Vegas Conference is happening again. I went last year and it was so incredibly fun and exciting. I was all set to go this year, got my press pass all set, got a room at the Luxor with my blog bestie Jen the Polishaholic, and asked for the time off from work. However, due to circumstances beyond my control, I found out a while ago that I would not be able to go to the conference. And in a weird coincidence, Jen couldn't go either! I am so freaking sad and wishing I could be there so hard. I am trying to smile and read the girls' tweets and blog posts who are there and feel happy for them but it's hard, haha. I am going to have to double plan ahead for next year so I don't go through this anguish again! You can keep up with all the CosmoProf LV news via my friends', Beauty Judy and PolishGalore, blogs.

I tried to drown my tears in the beauty of a new polish, this gal is called Cheer Camp by indie seller Pretty & Polished. It's part of her Summer Camp collection. Being a cheerleader for five years during middle and high school was a huge part of my life and going to cheer camp every summer was some of the best times I've ever had. I had to get this for the name alone, but it is also just a beautiful polish.

Cheer Camp has a milky pale pink base with pastel pink and purple hex glitter and micro pink glitter. I used three coats. I got this in a mini and the glitter had already begun to sink when I got it in the mail but I let it sit upside down for a while and it was fine. It doesn't bother me but I figured it was worth mentioning.

You can get Pretty & Polished nail lacquers every so often when she restocks her Etsy store, but lately she has been doing pre-orders via her blog. Prices have varied a little so I won't list them here. Do you have any P&P polishes? How do you like them? I have Phat Camp from the same collection that I'll be showing you soon. Have a great week and to everyone at CosmoProf, TAKE A BILLION PICTURES FOR ME!!!

Deborah Lippmann - Believe

I have a beautiful metallic lacquer to show you today. Deborah Lippmann created this polish with the inimitable Cher! This excerpt from an interview with Deb explains the story behind the polish: "I was doing Cher’s nails for her tour and she had been layering four colors to achieve a look she had in mind. We were waiting forever between coats, so I said, maybe we should put this entire concept into one bottle. That’s how “Believe” was born. The color is silver and gold. It’s fantastic onstage and goes with everything she wears."

I freaking LOVE this color. It's not thick and gritty like super metallics can be, it applies as smooth as a crème. The color is rather unique, a warm toned silver/gold hybrid with the slightest teeniest glint of pink (I'm talking almost invisible, but I swear to Cthulhu it's there!). This is two coats. This is amazing, pictures do it no justice. Plus it's so wearable!

I got this from a swap a while ago (I think haha), it's an older "edition" because new bottles say "Deborah Lippmann" on the bottle and this says "Lippmann Collection". But it was re-released in one of two sets that Lippmann collaborated on with Juicy Couture during last year's holiday season that included two new polishes. I would've loved to have gotten that set, called Precious Metals, as it contained a gorgeous metallic pewter called Jewel in the Crown, but if I recall they were kind of expensive. If you have it and don't like it, send it to me! :D Anyway you can purchase Believe from www.lippmanncollection.com for $16. RUN don't walk and get this gorgeous babe!

BB Couture - Six Shades of Grey Collection

There is a new collection out from BB Couture! They have taken a cue from a popular book series and put out the Six Shades of Grey collection. I personally love grey, it's chic, uber wearable, and a great alternative neutral. These six lacquers have varying tints and finishes, so you're sure to find your perfect match.

This is Smoke, a paleish concrete grey crème with pewter flecks. This is a great shade that I feel is nicely neutral but with a little spice. This is two coats.

Here comes Starry Starry Taupe! This is a mushroomy grey brown with lots of silvery white glitter. I don't think I totally love this one, but it is an interesting addition to my collection. This is two coats.

Shaded Ash is a very green leaning grey with very fine hidden silver shimmer. I love this, it reminds me of a really greyed out pale camouflage. It applies like butter too, two coats.

This is Briquette, a really interesting charcoal with a teal tint and silvery glass flecks. This is totally unexpected and I can't think of anything I have close to it. The glass flecks remind me of bits of salt :) Also two coats.

Next we have Grey Matter, a silver grey with large chunks of silver shimmer giving it a very metallic look. I wasn't sure how I felt about this until I saw it illuminated in full sun, and I decided it is freaking gorgeous. This is two coats.

And last is Puce, which I thought was the name for a bright green color, but I researched and it can also mean a purpleish brown, differing between the UK and the US. Anyway, this is a dark shade of greyed brownish purple. I love the delicate silver shimmer in it and it also has glitter bits in red, gold, and green that make it pop. This is two coats.

You can get these from www.BBNailPolish.com or from www.OverallBeauty.com now! Any of these calling to you? And I haven't read the books this collection name is inspired by, but it's on my list to download ;)

Products provided for review.

Pink, Berry, and Coral Red

It's no secret that I love pinks. There's something about that salmon hue that I just adore. Dark pink, neon, corals, berry tints, I don't know, those blush colored lacquers just call to me. Out of my four helmers, my pink drawers carry the most polishes. Here is one of the newest pinks I have, Temptation from Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure line. It's a shade from the Spring Tracy Reese line. I would describe it as salmony coral pink crème. This is two coats.

A variation of pink is berry. This is Torrid Bloom, an older Sally Hansen polish also designed by Tracy Reese. This came out in Fall 2008. I saw a swatch of this on a blog back when I first started blogging, but for the life of me I can't remember which one it was, and I've wanted it ever since. I scored it in a swap a while ago :D This is two coats. The formula is thin and kind of a weird texture, almost like vinyl. Oh well, I freaking love this.

This isn't necessarily a pink shade, it's more in the red family. However, if you asked me my favorite shade of polish EVER? It would be coral. This is Eyeko Coral Polish "For Resort Nails". I love this orangey red crème. It really flatters my skintone and applies like a dream. This is two coats. I know Eyeko doesn't have nail polish on their website for purchase right now, but I hope they get back in the lacquer game one day.

What is your favorite shade of polish? The one (or three haha) colors that you find yourself buying over and over. Le sigh. I hope I get some sunshine here soon for swatching. I have lots of new polishes to show you! Stay tuned for the China Glaze On Safari collection, BB Couture's 6 Shades of Grey collection, and lots of indie glitters :)

Some of the products in this post were provided for review.

Lush Lacquer - Slime Time

Hiiiii there and hello :) I have another beautiful nail polish to show you today, an indie polish from Lush Lacquer called Slime Time. I really love unexpected glitters and this polish really takes chances. This has "a very bright neonish green base with a great mixture of glitter... iridescent small glitters and white and gold squares are used throughout. It also has blue and green glitter that make it vibrant." I freaking love the square glitter.

macro

These indie polishes tend to be on the thick side normally. I would say this is a good two coats overall, using the dab method. This is my favorite of the three Lush Lacquer polishes I have and if I used polish more than once, I would consider buying a full size bottle. You can buy this from their etsy store, minis are $4.75 (though it looks like you can only buy two or more at a time of those) and full size bottles are $8.75. Shipping does take longer than I would like, but I can be understanding when it's from indie sellers as they're usually one/two person operations. What do you think of this slimer?

Sheswai - f*ckyeah

Sheswai has come out with a brand new limited edition nail polish color for summer. This color is named something explicit so fair warning, if profanity offends you, please stop reading this post.

fuckyeah
It is with a smile and a wink-of-the-eye that we happily introduce the newest addition to our Sheswai collection of lacquers.
The tones in this color are hard to describe but rest assured once this sexy magenta-fuschia-violet surprise hits your tips you’ll be saying…fuckyeah.

This is a fabulous vividly bright purple polish that is perfect for summer. The name itself is really reason enough for me to own it. I have a bit of a sailor mouth so it cracks me up. I also just really like the polish, this brand has a great ideology and the bottle design is amazing. The color applies really nicely and it's opaque in one coat, though I used two here. I also applied a topcoat as it dries a bit matte.

This is available now at SheswaiBeauty.com (as long as supplies last) for $16. What do you think of this saucy lady? I know some of you gals will be getting it just for the name :D Oh yeah, hope you don't mind my ultra-nubbins. I had just shortened them and then proceeded to break a nail. I can't stand my nails being different lengths, so chop chop! Hope you have a great weekend all!

Products provided for review.

OPI - Dazzled by Gold

Hi folks! I wanted to show you the mani I wore for my birthday this year, one of my all time favorite polishes, OPI Dazzled by Gold. It was an Ulta Exclusive for Holiday 2009. I had picked it up on a whim at the time, not fully grasping the rarity that it would gather at the time. It is a very sought after polish with lacquerheads so I feel lucky to have it.

This polish has that awesome foil/glitter finish that is so awesome, it's like the glitter pieces are pounded into flecks that meld together in the polish. The rich gold color is simply gorgeous, not that it's hard to get me to love a gold polish haha! There are actually two shades of gold in this, one more copper and one almost champagne. I've posted about this one in the past, but it was back when my pictures were horrific so I won't link to it. This is three coats.

Anyway, yeah this polish makes me happy and I LOVE GOOOOOOLD! Have a nice day :)

Some Random Lemmings Fufilled

Hi there folks! I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for new places to shop for nail polish, both online and brick & mortar shops. A while ago I was approached by BeautyStopOnline to review some polishes from their store. I got a few polishes I had been wanting for a while but had not gotten the chance to pick up anywhere else. These aren't necessarily "hard to find" polishes but their stock is varied and they carry some older polishes from Essie, Orly, and China Glaze.

First is China Glaze Oh How Street It Is, from their 2009 Summer collection Kicks. I am in love with this collection and will be in rapture when I complete my collection. This is a super sexy hot reddish orange jelly crème that really pops. Fantastic formula, no issues and it dries surprisingly shiny! I'm so obsessed with orange these days. And believe it or not, I was before the Pantone color of the year was announced haha :) Two coats.

Next is Essie Sand of a Beach, cute name and beautiful polish. This is an older Essie that I had my eye on for a while, so I'm glad I finally have it. I can't find a release date for it, so if you know please tell in the comments. The color is a sheerish sandy beige with heavy iridescent pink shimmer. It reminds me slightly of Demure Vixen from Essie, but this is definitely a nude while DV is lavender. The formula was thin and a bit bubbly, in need of TLC application wise. This is three coats.

And last is Orly Coquette Cutie from the Pin Up collection of last summer. I completely bypassed this collection when I saw it in stores but had regretted it after they disappeared from shelves. I am happy to have snagged this baby, a bright/medium slightly coral pink crème. I really wanted this because it's beautiful and slightly dorky, but it reminds me of "croquet" and that reminds me of one of my favorite movies "Heathers". Silly I know, but the heart wants what it wants ;) Two coats, thick but manageable formula.

So if you're like me and always poking your nose about for new ways to spend your money, check out BeautyStopOnline, they have some great deals on polish! Do you have any of these pretties? How do you like them?

Products provided for review.

Cirque Nail Lacquer

Back again with a new brand to show you friends :) Cirque nail polish is a new "indie" brand that strikes me as a tad more professional than others, more along the lines of Cult Nails and BB Couture than the brands we see on Etsy. (Not saying one is better than the other, sheesh, just different) I was impressed by the creative design, color options, and website when I first heard about them from a few of my favorite bloggers, Nails and Noms and The Polished Perfectionist. I had to order from them and try the goodies for myself of course.

Cirque is an artisanal line of hand-blended nail polish made in New York.  The name Cirque, meaning ring or circle, represents the color wheel and the endless color possibilities in the continuum.  Creator, Annie Pham, sought to develop colors that transcend those of conventional brands by experimenting with unique pigments and raw materials.  The debut collection, Dark Horse, is a 12-color arrangement that is diverse in its hues and finishes -- similar to the creative energy that abounds New York.

My first pick is Ophelia, a glitter polish with multisized and shaped icy pale periwinkle glitter with pink and green shimmer in the clear base. I really thought this looked like a glitter Lynnderella would put out. And since I'll probably never get my grubby hands on one of those, I had to snatch this up. Freaking beautiful. I did try it on it's own but it's more of a layering polish. Here it is as a (sort of?) gradient layer over Nails Inc. Baker Street which I showed you the other day.

Three coats, alone

My other choice for my initial order is French Roast, a brown and bronze glitter polish that reflects bits of gold, copper, and red. BEAUTIFUL. This is three coats, it applies nice and evenly, no application troubles. I am cooking up a good layering combo for this guy next. This swatch has a top coat as it dries quite matte.

You can get Cirque nail polish on their website http://www.cirquecolors.com/ for $12-$16. I know they also sell at a New York street fair if you're in that area. What do you think of Cirque? I expect lots more of this brand of polish to make it's way into my helmers soon haha :)

Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolors Collection

This collection came out for the holidays last year, Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolors. 14 great colors inspired from/created by the Kardashian/Jenner women. I don't know much of anything about the ladies, but I have to say these polishes are pretty fantastic. Sorry I'm just getting around to swatching these now, but better late than never eh?

First up is one of my favorites in the collection, It's All About the Glam. It's a white translucent shade with tons of twinkly white shimmer glitter. Amazingly beautiful. Three coats here.

Kim-pletely in Love is the same type of polish as the previous one, only in a pale pink shade with duochrome shimmer bits. Beautiful but a bit streaky. Three coats.

This is called All Kendall-ed Up, a bright saturated hot pink crème. This is not unique but it's a great basic and essential color to have in your collection. Two coats.

Kourt is Red-y For a Pedi is an uber bright coral red. This one has a fab jelly crème finish. Another not super unique polish but absolutely gorgeous. Two coats.

This is Hard-Kourt Fashionista. Dumb name, sorry. This is a deep dark chocolate brown crème. Two coats.

This is called Sealed With a Kris, again terrible name. I suppose they tried every way possible to sneak in their names huh? Jelly wine red. This is beautiful in person, I liked it better than I expected. Three coats.

Khloe had a Little Lam-Lam is a deep dark teal. Very pretty and flattering, though in this photo it washes me out a bit. I'm not even going to comment on the names anymore *rolls eyes* Two coats.

This one is called My Empire...My Rules. This guy is a mousey taupey grey. Awesome formula, two coats. (I hate this photo because of the fugly thumbprint on the bottle. Eww.)

Glitters yay! This is Rainbow in the S-Kylie, a dupe for OPI Rainbow Connection. Multi-colored, varying sizes of hex shaped and round glitter. This is three coats.

Here is a stunner, Listen To Your Momager! This polish is a bright navy blue with gallons of bright blue metallic shimmer. Much prettier than some of the other metallic shimmery blues I've seen from NOPI. Two coats here.

Wear Something Spar-Kylie is a reddish pink base with lots and lots of silver glitter pieces, small and micro. Really lovely. This is three coats.

This is Disco Dolls, a glitter bomb that is definitely unique to my collection. It's an orangey gold microglitter with larger round multicolored glitter accents. I can't say I love this one but it is definitely unique. Three coats.

Follow Me on Glitter (ugh) is kin to Disco Dolls, in a smokey silver shade. The base is somewhat tinted which is nice, it makes it easier to get opaque. There is heavy silver microglitter and those round multicolored accent glitters. This is three coats.

And last is Kendall on the Katwalk. Name not withstanding, this is probably my favorite glitter in the collection. The main color of glitter, slightly larger than the microglitters, is lovely jewel tinted blue. There is a rich sea green secondary glitter in there along with the teeniest hints of purple. This is three coats.

I don't know if they still sell all of these regularly in stores, but you might be able to snag a few in Target or CVS, etc. I'm sure you wouldn't have trouble finding them online. Do you have any of the polishes in this collection? I'm gonna try never to get this far backed up on a collection again haha. Still love me?

Products provided for review.