1. What is your favorite nail polish finish (eg. Crème, crelly, glitter, etc.)?
This is a hard question for me because while I like them all, my affection for them usually comes in phases haha. Like for a while I'll be into holographics exclusively, then I only want to wear jellies, then it's all about the glitters. It seems like I'm wearing crème shades more often than the other finishes lately though, so I'll go with that haha. But it seriously varies all the time.
2. What is your favorite “ugly pretty” shade?
I have a great fondness for polish colors that people say are "ugly pretty". I love things that are not typically beautiful. Hands down, my favorite of these has to be China Glaze Zombie Zest. It came out in the China Glaze Awakening collection for Halloween in 2010 (best Halloween trio ever?) and I've loved and worn it every year since. I even managed to score a back-up bottle from my friend who went to IMATS this year, yay! It's a swampy olivey green jelly with gallons of golden shimmer/glass flecks that shift to a turquoise blue in certain lights. Insane. (I'm pretty sure this made it on a few of the original tag creators' lists too!)
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3. Which polish in your collection is the most sentimental to you?
It has to be Rescue Beauty Lounge Kellie Gonzo. This is the polish I created with the, now retired, Rescue Beauty brand. It was such an exciting event and milestone in my blogging career to create a polish, especially with such a prestige brand. This is a bright sunny coral with orange and silver glitter bits. It's also the polish I've gone through the most of, luckily I have a back-up bottle or three!
4. If you could go back in time to buy any collection, what would it be?
If we're going for a full collection, hands down has to be China Glaze OMG. These were kind of the first ultra linear holographic collection seen from a mainstream brand and boy do they impress! I have managed to track down a lot of them, but I don't have the full collection (or full bottles of the ones I do have!). But my all time biggest polish lemming has to be Urban Decay ID. It's a sheer jelly polish that shifts from orange to pink fire. I don't know if I'll ever get a hold of it, but if I do I would cherish it forever! Also, Chanel Jade because I can't pick just one thing.
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| image via china glaze |
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| Image via Scrangie.com |
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| Image via Lextard @ Flickr.com |
5. What is your go-to “all occasion” polish?
Sally Hansen Pacific Blue original. This polish is a bright but slightly dusty cobalt blue crème with a perfect one-coat formula. I love this color and think it's very wearable, but the biggest reason it's my all occasion polish is because it's so damn easy and fast to put on! I will never understand why Sally Hansen chose to reformulate this polish and completely change it. I know some might think a blue isn't appropriate for "all occasions", but since I'm a simple kind of girl, there aren't many times I would feel inappropriate wearing a blue nail polish.
6. What items are essential to your nail care routine?
The most important part of my nail care routine is cuticle oil. I am NEVER without it. I've spoken at length about my cuticle woes before, if you're interested you can read some of the posts here, here, and here. Next is a great base coat, I basically always have a base coat on. Keeping my nails "sealed" with some kind of polish, especially when my hands are in water, has just about 95% fixed my peeling edges. Top coat is also a necessity, I don't remember the last time I wore a full manicure without it.
7. What is your favorite “newly discovered” brand (indie or mainstream)?
This was also a tough question because I have found so many great ones recently, but I have to choose Nine Zero Lacquer. This is the brand created by Jess of JessFACE90 (one of the collaborators of this tag too). I have been lucky enough to be able to swatch for her and I haven't disliked one of her shades yet! Being a nail vlogger/swatcher herself, she knows what's good so she uses that experience to create beautiful shades with great formulas.
8. What is your go-to “bad ass” color (the color that makes you feel sexiest or most badass)?
I love a mega bright, in your face, unapologetic neon shade. It makes me feel like I'm a tough betch who can wear whatever I want, damn all who might be offended haha. Maybe that seems silly, but it's seriously how I feel when I wear neons. An example is Formula X Danger Zone. How hot is that??
9. Indie or mainstream?
Usually I have a good mix of both that I pick to wear from, but these days I've been wearing (and blogging about) waaay more indies. I just find their selection to be so much more varied and unique than mainstream, which is kind of understandable, but still. And with the sheer number of indie brands out there that are producing such good products, it's hard not to want to buy everything in sight!
10. Which brand’s collections do you look forward to the most?
It has always been China Glaze for me. Out of the mainstream world, they have always been the ones to take chances instead of playing it safe when it comes to color and finish. They don't always get it 100% perfect, but who does? I've loved them since I started blogging and I don't see that changing any time soon.
Please please do this tag if you want, it's so fun! And if you don't have a blog or YouTube channel, let me know your answers in the comments! See ya again soon!
❤ Kellie
Some of the products mentioned were provided for an honest review.
