The Holo Hookup December 2016 Swatches & Review

Hello holo lovers! I have four new holographic lacquers to show you today, that's right, The Holo Hookup is here again! The December 2016 installment of the monthly box is themed for Hollywood Bombshells, named for four powerhouse women of the silver screen. I'm all about old Hollywood glam style so I am totally here for this! The three founding brands Cupcake Polish, Glisten & Glow and Different Dimension are joined by guest maker Darling Diva Polish this month.

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color inspiration

Glisten & Glow Mae, for Mae West, is a black linear holographic with red and purple shimmers and silver galaxy glitters. Flawless formula, two coats. I really like Mae, she is hilarious and was one of the first female playwrights!

Different Dimension Audrey, inspired by Audrey Hepburn, is a hot pink linear holographic with added shimmers and microglitters. A very opaque, creamy holo. I used two coats but you can get full coverage in one. I have a special place in my heart for Audrey, her movies are some of my favorites and her beautiful philanthropic heart is still so inspirational to me.

Cupcake Polish Grace, named for Grace Kelly aka Princess Grace of Monaco, is a metallic silver gunmetal linear holographic. Great formula, almost covers in one coat, but I used two here. Dries super fast! I adore old movies so I have tons of love for Grace.

Darling Diva Vivien, after Vivien Leigh, is a burgundy holographic with gold shimmer and gold holo sparks. This has a little more of a jelly type of base, so it requires at least two coats for opacity. This is my first Darling Diva polish! I'm not as familiar with Vivien, except for Gone With the Wind, but she's definitely a bombshell.

This quartet costs $40 and will be available for pre-order on Monday, November 21st at 9pm EST through Monday, November 28th at 9pm EST on The Holo Hookup website. This month they are offering FREE domestic shipping and reduced shipping internationally ($5.00 off the normal international and Canada shipping rates) to celebrate over a year of The Holo Hookup! (November 2015 was the first box!) Let me know if you like the theme for this month! Are you interested in picking up this box?

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

OPI Brights 2016: Alice Through The Looking Glass Collection Swatches & Review

OPI is celebrating the release of Disney's Alice Through The Looking Glass with a new Brights collection! The shades represent the film’s mad, crazy, wonderful characters and their latest adventures. There are eight colors in the collection and one bonus special edition shade.

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Oh My Majesty! is an alabaster white shimmer with a pink/copper flash. This is a little sheer, but not terribly so. You could use two coats and still get a bit of visible nail line for a dainty, more natural look. I used three coats here for full opacity.

Fearlessly Alice is a bright cerulean blue crème. This is super pigmented and creamy, opaque in just one coat but I used two like usual. She is a stainer though, so be prepared to use at least two coats of base to protect your nail and be careful with removal to avoid your skin.

What's The Hatter With You? is a deep berry burgundy crème. This has a great formula, applies easily with full coverage in two coats. This isn't what I would call bright or summery, but it's still a nice staple color to have in your collection if you don't already have something similar.

I'm Gown For Anything! is a pale lilac leaning mauve crème. This gal was super opaque, it could be a one coater for some folks! I used two as I normally do. Maybe leans slightly thick, but pretty easy to manage.

Having A Big Head Day is a flashy bright red crème. Another great formula, covers great in one coat but with full opacity in two. I personally don't need one more red crème so I was a little disappointed in this color selection for this type of collection, but you might love it!

The I's Have It is a soft but bright powder blue crème. This one could run a tad streaky if you use a lot of pressure on application, but if you sort of float a generous coat over your nail, as I did, you can get full coverage in two coats. I don't understand the name of this polish and I don't know anyone else who does either, so if you know, would you tell me??

Mad For Madness Sake is a warm medium pink crème. This is bright but still kinda muted, and isn't very unique to the OPI family so this is another one I wasn't super excited to see in this collection. However, it does have a lovely formula and is opaque in two coats.

A Mirror Escape has a thin metallic gold base filled with chunky matte white microglitter pieces. Pretty easy to apply, opaque in three coats. I am not sure if this is intended to be a textured polish, but it dries with a good bit of it so you'll need a thick layer or two of topcoat to get it smooth. I don't care for this unfortunately, they seem to be coming out with one oddball shade in every collection they do lately. *shrug*

What Time Isn't It is being marketed as a "special edition" shade. It comes in a separate box with artwork from the movie on it. OPI describes this as a matte black with silver bar glitter. I found it to actually be a shiny grey crème, but the short silver bar glitter is definitely there. I think I am in the minority of those that enjoy bar glitters, so I like this polish but I don't know if it warrants an extra few dollars on its price tag compared with the other colors.

If you're interested in possible dupes for these colors, my friend Karen over at BeautyGeeks has a bunch of comparison photos on her review HERE. This collection is available now wherever OPI is sold, such as Ulta, Sally Beauty Supply, and professional salons, for $10 each. Special edition shade What Time Isn't It retails for $14.95.

What do you think of this collection? I do like all of the shades, save the gold which isn't my personal style, but I admit I was hoping for something a little more exciting for this collection. Especially considering how groundbreaking the first Alice collection was in 2009. What say you?

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

Color4Nails Presents Cupcake Polish & A England Duos Swatches & Review

Happy Valentine's Day friends! I'll be celebrating by relaxing and catching up on my DVR'd TV shows haha. What are you doing today? I've recently gotten a few sets of polish to swatch and review from the online nail polish stockist Color4Nails and I wanted to share them with you :)

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One of my newer favorite indie brands, Cupcake Polish, has released an exclusive duo for the Color4Nails store! This is a one time run of these shades, so they will not be restocked when sold out.

Cupcake Polish Bitter Almonds is a badass gunmetal grey linear holographic with gold shimmer and metallic silver shards. Um, can I just tell you that my jaw DROPPED when I saw this in person? It's incredible in real life, pictures cannot do it justice. Great formula, very easy to put on. Two coats for full coverage.

I included a shade picture because you can really see the shards in all their glory!

Cupcake Polish Unrequited Love is a glamorous burgundy linear holographic with added berry colored shimmer and metallic silver shards. Another stunning color! This formula was just as fab as Bitter Almonds, but I noticed this one did take a tad longer to fully dry. Two coats here as well.

And a shade pic...

Next I have some new shades from UK brand A England! I've really like this brand for a long time, but haven't gotten any of their colors in the last few years, not sure why! These are both part of their Heavenly Quotes series.

A England Sparks Divine is an antique gold-tan scattered holographic with a crazy shimmery quality to it. Applies very smooth and evenly. I only needed two coats for full opacity. This also dried very shiny so you don't even need a top coat if you don't want one.

A England Whispering Waves is a turquoise metallic scattered holographic with a pink flash. This was incredibly opaque, a one coater but I did two here. The formula was a little thicker but in a good way. You may see slight brushstrokes due to the metallic finish but I don't think they detract from the beauty of the polish at all.

These shades are all available now from the Color4Nails website. The Cupcake Polish colors are sold individually for $14 each or as a duo for $27. The A England shades are both $10 each. What do you think of these holo stunners? I'm in l-o-v-e!

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

Native War Paints Valentine's Day 2016 Goodbye, Good Riddance, Good Night Collection Swatches & Review

Another Valentine's collection! This one is more themed to my sensibilities though, Native War Paints' six piece V-Day offering is called Goodbye, Good Riddance, Good Night and it's inspired by breakup songs! I've never been a romantic-type so I can dig these babies more than if they were named after love songs haha.

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Native War Paints Love Hurts is a vibrant orchid purple filled with red shimmer. This formula was on the thin side but not difficult to work with at all. I've been impressed with all of the NWP shimmers I've tried because of their easy of application! Complete coverage in two coats.

Native War Paints You Oughta Know is a robust blue-toned red with gold and red shimmer. Another thin but easy formula, no issues. Two coats. Dries a little dull so you'll want a top coat for shine. This is my favorite song out of the bunch, love Alanis Morissette!

Native War Paints Go Your Own Way is a pinky lavender polish with gold and red shimmer. The shimmer in this was very sunken so I had to shake it really well and leave it upside down for a while before I applied it to get the true color. This one also seemed to have a heavier smell than the other polishes, not sure why. Covered well in two coats, dries matte.

Native War Paints Falling in Love (is Hard on the Knees) is a vibrant pink with a coral tone paired with red shimmer. This applied like a dream and was opaque in two coats. This might be my favorite in the collection! Also dries on the matte side.

Native War Paints Since U Been Gone is a medium rosy pink with red and gold shimmer. Another excellent formula, applied smooth and easy and covered in two coats.

Native War Paints Love Stinks is a dark polish that is a red but leans towards brown, a mahogany type of shade. The red shimmer in this is subtle, but it's there giving the vampy color a hint of sparkle. Great to apply, almost a one coater but I used two here. Dries with a dull finish, but not quite as matte as the others.

These shades are all available now on the Native War Paints website for $8.50 each or $45 for the full collection. There also mini bottles available for $5 each. (Side note: the bottle pictured is not permanent, the shape/cap will still be the normal one on the polishes purchased on their website.) Do you like this type of collection? I think it's great to have a cohesive element to each shade! Which is your favorite? What are you planning on wearing on your nails for Valentine's Day?

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

The Trouble With Valentine's 2016 Collaboration Trio - Cirque Colors, Lacquer Lust and Serum No. 5

Awesome indie brands Serum No. 5, Cirque Colors and Lacquer Lust have gotten together again to collaborate for a trio of polishes in a box with an "anti-Valentine's Day" theme, called The Trouble With Valentine's! This box features three limited edition luxury shades "brimming with anti-Valentine's Day sentiments". I can't stand Valentine's Day so I was stoked to hear about this theme idea!

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I wasn't able to get sun swatches on my nails for the post this time, but I did get a rare moment of sun (on a work day haha) to snap this photo of the shades on a nail wheel in the sun so you can see how they look in full light.

The swatches below are taken indoors with artificial light.

Serum No. 5 Single’s Awareness Day is a dusty plum purple with copper holographic sparks and subtle iridescent flake shimmer bits. And bonus, like a lot of Serum No. 5's polish, it glows in the dark (it glows a lovely blue shade, but sadly I couldn't capture it). Opaque in two coats, easy formula to apply. Dries on the matte side and slightly gritty, so a top coat is a must.

Lacquer Lust Unloved Unicorn features their signature silver holographic microglitter with an added mix of larger red, purple and black glitter in hexes and squares. This is stunning and a polish I can see myself wearing a lot! Fabulous coverage in only two coats. Top coat really brings out the fire in the holo and smooths the glitter.

Cirque Colors Karma Sutra is a sparkling burgundy made with pure-silver coated micro flakes. I'm loving all the metal flakies we've had in the last year from indie brands, so this is already ahead of the pack for me, but that sexy deep color just sends it over the edge! A little thicker but not difficult to apply, basically opaque in one coat, but I did two. Dries slightly dull, so I recommend a top coat here too.

This box will go on sale for $32 on Friday, January 22nd on all three brands' websites - 12 pm EST on www.cirquecolors.com, and 12 pm PST at www.lacquer-lust.com and www.serumno5.com. The box always includes lovely wrapping and an extra treat, this time it's heart shaped lollipops! Be sure to let me know if you're planning on picking this collaboration box up! It's a fun and cheeky theme and the polishes are all excellent. :)

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

KBShimmer Birthstone Collection Swatches & Review

Hey there! Today I have another indie collection to show you that will launch on January 1st, this one is from KBShimmer. They have created a Birthstone collection inspired by each month's traditional, modern, or alternative birthstone, in a new finish for them - a metallic style filled with micro-small metallic flakes and holographic sparkle.

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All these shades have pretty much the exact same formula, easy to apply with full opacity on two coats. Most of them have a tinted base color, but one is in a clear base. I didn't really have to scrub to get these off, they are easier to remove than a traditional glitter, but there can be sparkly bits left behind on your skin if you're not careful. These are pictured without top coat, but you only need one layer of top coat to get a completely smooth finish.

Garnet is a deepened brownish red for January. This is a cool interpretation of the garnet stone, more brown than I would have expected, but it works beautifully.

Amethyst is a rich red toned purple for February. Super gorgeous!

Aquamarine is a pale blue for March. This is very lightly tinted, but definitely a blue, as you'll see compared to the silver of the next shade.

Diamond is a bright silver in a clear base for April. BLINGTASTIC!

Emerald is a rich grass green for May. Greens are a weakness of mine, and this is fabulous!

Black Pearl is a dusty black toned shade for June. Love the twist on the pearl, having a dark version. Slight greenish tone which makes it even more complex.

Ruby is a bright cherry red for July. Not my favorite shade of red, but very flattering.

Peridot is a pale lime green for August. This was a surprising favorite of mine, nice and unique.

Sapphire is a rich navy leaning blue for September. Reminds me of a night sky full of stars! Incredible!

Pink Tourmaline is a vibrant pink for October. This would be lovely in any month, so girly!

Citrine is golden yellow for November. I liked this naturally because I love gold, it feels so luxe!

Blue Topaz is an icy blue for December. Beyond sparkly!

These will be available on Jan. 1st on the KBShimmer website. They will retail for $8.75 per bottle. As a special treat, they are holding a special Birthstone Promo: "12 lucky buyers will win a birthstone jewelry piece purchased from JewelryTV. For each month’s polish purchased between 01/01/2016 and 01/08/2016 grants you a chance to win a corresponding birthstone jewelry item as pictured in the listing. Contest open to purchases made on KBShimmer.com only." More details on their site.

What do you think of this collection? I am head over heels! Very cool interpretation of the birthstones. I love that there is the same finish in every color, letting you pick your favorite shade or birth month. These are also perfect for gift giving! My favorite has to be Blue Topaz, but Sapphire, Diamond and Peridot are also tops!

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

China Glaze Holiday 2015 Cheers Collection Swatches & Review

Happy Monday everyone! China Glaze has put out a twelve piece holiday collection for 2015 called Cheers! This collection is filled with festive colors perfect for creating party-ready manicures! Or even if you're a homebody like me, you can still enjoy your holiday nails in the comfort of your own home haha.

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Image via China Glaze

Don't Get Elfed Up has a black jelly base filled with large metallic shimmer bits in deep teal that has a slight duochrome to blue and purple. This applied a little sheer on the first coat but build up on itself nicely in only two coats. This is the type of China Glaze polish that give me heart flutters, such an excellent shade!

Ugly Sweater Party is a pinky-red jelly with tons of metallic and holographic hex glitters in varying sizes in silver, purple, and pink. This had a good formula. It was a little thick but not as much as the other two jelly glitters in this collection. A little light on coverage though, this is three coats. You will need a thick top coat to smooth out the glitters in this. I didn't know if I would dig this at first glance, but I really like it!

Mix And Mingle is a warm purple. The consistency of this one is somewhere between a crème and a jelly; it was thin and unfortunately runny. This is three coats. It dried very shiny and is a lovely color, but I bet there is something similar in the China Glaze line that has a better formula. You can see on the side of my nail where it's sheerer than the other because of the runny consistency.

Coal Hands, Warm Heart is a black jelly with medium holographic silver hex glitters, smaller indigo metallic hexes and a sprinkle of silver bits. This one was quite tricky to apply. I found it very thick but runny at the same time. It needed three coats and it was bumpy and lumpy looking. I needed two coats of thick top coat to make it smooth. I would definitely layer this over an opaque black crème if I wore it again.

Wine Down For What? is a muted deep wine red crème. Good formula, a tiny bit runny but not as bad as the purple. I needed three coats for full coverage. This is also very shiny! I am loving this shade lately and the shade name cracks me up.

Brand Sparkin' New Year has a purple jelly base packed to the brim with holographic and metallic glitters in large, medium and small sizes. Talk about a party in a bottle! I love the finished look of this but found the formula thick and gummy. I had to dab it on in places to get it to apply evenly. This is two coats with a thick layer of top coat.

Son Of A Nutcracker is a orangey pinky vibrant red shimmer with a pearlized finish. I wasn't sure what to think of this from pictures, but when I saw it in real life I actually really like it. Seems much more orange indoors than out in bright light. This had a thin consistency and was a touch brushstrokey, but definitely not terrible. Three coats.

Break The Ice is a super cool holographic silver shard glitter in a clear base. I was blown away by the look of this baby in the bottle. I've been wanting something like this for a while now. I layered it over Mix and Mingle. This is very heavy on the base so I got minimal flakes out on the first layer. I went in with a heavier hand for another and ended up with a lot of clear base on my nail, which bubbled. I might try to sponge this on the next time I wear it, I hear the sponge helps absorb some of the liquid to get a nicer result.

Peppermint To Be is a pretty holiday red shimmer. This has a sprinkle of glistening glass fleck shimmer bits in it which really pumps up the wow factor. A lovely formula, one of the best in the collection. Two coats here.

Bring On The Bubbly is mix of various sizes of bright metallic and holographic light gold hex glitters in a clear base. I layered one coat over Wine Down For What? and it had excellent glitter payoff. The base seemed very thin and a little runny, but other than that I didn't have an issue with this. I love the combo of these polishes, perfect for the holiday season!

I Soirée I Didn't Do It is a blue-green glitter in a slightly tinted teal base. I thought this would build up easily but it really didn't. Pretty sparse because of the thin formula. This is three coats and you can still see the spots without glitter around the edges. Another one I would layer over an opaque color next time.

Better Not Pout is a vivid berry magenta lustrous pearl. Comes off a little metallic but without super noticeable brushstrokes, unless you overload your brush. Another one that was on the runny side. This is two coats.

You can pick these up now at your local Sally Beauty Supply or Ulta store. They are also sold online at various retailers. Tell me what you think about these party worthy colors! My favorite has to be Don't Get Elfed Up, followed by Son Of A Nutcracker and Ugly Sweater Party. I think I would've like most of the colors more if they had better formulas though. Are you picking any up of these for the holidays? Do you have any special holiday parties to go to this year?

Talk to you again soon!

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.