Lucky Lacquer Indie Polish Swatches and Review with Bonus Interview

I am so excited about today's post because I finally got my first set of indie polish and I had an opportunity to interview their maker. I have been ogling beautiful indie polishes that are posted all over the Internet but have been reluctant to make the leap into the indie world.  An opportunity arouse that I couldn't refuse so I took the plunge.

I discovered Lucky Lacquers through Instagram and have been drooling over the lovely bright 5-free creme polishes for weeks . She ran a promotion that made it so much easier for me to cave, so I purchased the entire Fleur series.   I am not disappointed even a little with the quality, the color, or the service I have received with my Lucky Lacquer purchase.

Before I place my order, I contacted the owner, Aruna, and we communicated back and forth a bit before I finalized my order. She was always courteous with her responses and very quick with each communication. Her caring responses gave me the feeling that she really values her customers which made me confident with making the purchase.

My first surprise came when I received my purchase, it was so cutely packaged. Each bottle was boxed, and most had hand tied ribbons as well. I felt like I was receiving a gift! I almost didn't want to take the bottles out of their boxes but of course, I had to and couldn't resist using them for very long.

In addition to the adorable packaging the bottles themselves are slightly unique. What I like about Lucky Lacquer bottles is that the bottles are an interest rectangular shape that makes them different than most but are still easy to store and display. The the Lucky Lacquer logo labels are simple and chic and fit the bottles perfectly. These bottles are 12 ml bottles choke full of beautiful opaque goodness.

I'm sure by this point your on the edge of your seats waiting to see these lovely polishes, right?  So, on to the swathes...All the swatches you will see on this blog post are done with two coats, though some of these colors, especially the darker shades only really needed one coat. The photos are taken under 75w LED daylight bulbs and are not filtered. They are also shown without a top coat of any kind.

First up is the soft pink "Fleur Rose". This pink shade has a slightly coral hue against my skin tone. It is a very easy color to wear and is great for just about any occasion.

This gorgeous pink is "Spring Charm" it is both rich and warm and just makes me long for spring time.  It is so cheery and inviting, I want to wear it all the time.

Lovely, lovely "Lavender"! This is a beautiful medium tone purple that leans just a little on the deep side. I'm not a huge fan of purple shades but this really compliments my skin tone.

"Teal We Meet Again", this color is absolutely amazing! It is a deep teal green with the most fantastic formula. This was opaque with one coat but I applied two for good measure. I think this makes a great fall shade because of its richness.

This medium green shade is "Mint Daisy". To me it's kind of a hunter mint shade that is strangely warm (in a good way). This is a great color for the coming seasons and I already plan on featuring it in some of my holiday nail art designs.

This bright, pastel, neon green is "Bells of Ireland". Is this not just the most eye catching green you've ever seen? This is great for accenting a design or wearing on its own, it really is a gorgeous color.

Say hello to "Dahlia". This lovely polish is a purple shade that has pink tones to it. I consider this a fuchsia color. It is so pretty, especially in person.

This little cutie is perfectly named, "Sweet Pea". This is a light, neon pink with just a touch of peach. I wore this over the weekend and I got many, many compliments on how wonderful it is.

In most collections I have acquired there is one polish that surprises me. In this collection "Alpine Phlox" was the surprise. In the bottle this polish appears to be a soft grayish, pinkish, purple but when I applied it, it took on a whole different life. Against my skin this appears to be more of a soft pale pink. This is the most gentle color in the group and its just perfect. It's great for wearing to work, or family outings, or anytime really.

Saving my favorite for last, "Forget Me Not". This is an awesome light, neon blue. I've said it a gazillion times before and I'll say it again, I'm a sucker for blue  shades, and I am head over heels in love with this color. Like a few of the other shades in this collection I already instead to use this polish in upcoming holiday nail art designs.

So, there you have it the complete Lucky Lacquer Fleur series. If I was to use one word to describe this collection it would be, perfect! The formulas are rich and creamy, the opacities are strong, and the colors are phenomenal. I was also surprised at how quickly the polishes dried without the use of drying drops or top coats. They dried much quicker than other polishes I have experience with. I also really like the width of the applicator brush, it is nice and wide, and if there is one thing I have learned it is that a wide brush equals quicker application.  I am so impressed with my Lucky Lacquer polishes that it will be hard for me to look at name brand polishes the same.

Since, Aruna, the maker of Lucky Lacquer was so kind I felt we should all to get to know her and her business a little better, and asked her for a small interview. To my excitement she agreed!  Here is that interview:

Q :When did you start Lucky Lacquer?

A: The idea of Lucky Lacquer polishes began earlier this year in April 2014. After months of hard work, I officially released the Fleur Series, my first collection, on October 1, 2014.

Q: What was your motivation to start Lucky Lacquer?

A: I have always wanted to start my own business. I started selling nail accessories and after a lot of research to grow my business, I decided to start making polishes.

I chose all-natural cuticle oil and 5-free nail polish because I wanted to give my customers what I would only use myself.

Q: Why the name Lucky Lacquer?

A: The name "Lucky" has personal significance to my husband and I from our childhoods.

Q: Do you have any kind of background as a nail artist or technician?

A: No. I am learning nail art as I go along. A friend of mine got me started on nail polish and designs back in college and I have been drawn to it since.

Q: Besides Lucky Lacquer do you have another career?

A: I have a Bachelors of Science in Biology and I am currently going for my Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. This is currently my only career besides being a mother to my husband's two wonderful sons.

Q: Where do you get your color inspiration?

A: From my followers, friends, and family. I asked around for a while and picked the colors everyone liked. I love bright colors, so the Fleur Series had it all.

Q: Of your polish creations, do you have a favorite?

A: If I had to pick one, it would be Alpine Phlox.

Q: Do you have a favorite nail artist(s)?

A: Laura Merino of @lauramerino12 and Yasmeen (@sloteazzy). They are extremely talented and I always look to them for inspiration of all kinds.

Q: Do you have a favorite polish type? (ie creme, glitter, holo, etc)

A: I love cremes. I do love glitter as well but I detest removing it from my nails!

Q: What can we anticipate in the future with Lucky Lacquer?

A: A lot more collections based on what my customers like. I am introducing glitters for the holiday season to join as sets with the Fleur cremes. I am also looking into more scents for my all-natural cuticle oils.

The indie maker behind Lucky Lacquer, she's just as lovely as the polishes she makes!

It looks like we have some wonderful things to look forward to with Lucky Lacquer. I recommend you checkout Aruna's store http://luckylacquer.storenvy.com if you haven't already. These polishes would be great to add to any collection and they'd also make great gifts too! You can use coupon code: Crystal for 10% off purchases in her store. There are some restrictions on this code so make sure to read the product description in the store.  Oh, and for all my international ladies (and gentlemen) they'll ship outside the United States, so you can get your hands on these lovelies too!

I hope you enjoyed these love swatches along with the insightful interview. I'm sold on Lucky Lacquer and I hope you'll love them as much as I do.  Thanks for stopping by, see you next time. 

Your Fellow Plebe,

Think Pink Galaxy Nails

For this week's #whatruwearingwed post I decided to do my weekly Think Pink nail art design for Breast Cancer Awareness month. I have never done Galaxy nails before and I thought they would be a great tribute to those that faced breast cancer and did not survive. According to nationalbreastcsncer.org, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death of women. Of the estimated 220,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States approximately more than 40,000 will not survive. So, let's all take a moment and remember those that are no longer with us...

On to the nails...

Materials

Base and top coat

Black polish

3 or more shades of pink polish

White polish

Makeup sponge

Small brush or dotting tool

I started this design off with my favorite metallic black polish Revlon 'Black Star' appropriately named for galaxy nails.

To create the galaxy affect you'll need small pieces of sponge to layer your polishes. I simply ripped piece from a makeup sponge I had. I found the smaller the pieces I had the more control I had. Of course, the smaller the pieces the harder they are to hold so you'll most likely want to use tweezers to hold the sponge pieces. I ended up ripping the pieces in this picture in half or in thirds.

For my first layer, I used Zoya 'Dot'. This first color is a very pale cream, because I am going over black I had to do four layers. You want to apply the layers very thin to get the galaxy affect. I blotted my sponge on a paper towel before dabbing it on my nail. This helps to avoid blobs and smudging.  Simply use the small sponge pieces and dab and area of your nails, you want the layer to be semi opaque but loose so that the base color shows through slightly.

For my next layer I used Sephora by OPI 'What Aura Gonna Wear?' With this layer you want to keep the color mostly centered of your previous layer. Leave some of the previous layer showing around the edges.  I did two layers of this darker pink.

For my last galaxy layer I used Sinful Colors 'Glass Pink'. This polish is a mostly transparent pale pink sparkly polish. I used it primarily for the sparkle. I dabbed this layer over both of the previous layers but not over the entire nail. I think adding a sparkly or metallic polish really lends to the galaxy look.

To complete the look I used Sinful Colors 'Snow Me White' with a small brush to place small dots and star burst in and around my galaxies. After a little clean up I added my favorite top coat like (almost) always.

This nail art design is awesome and so incredibly easy. That means it's great for newbies and it's easy to do on both hands. I am so glad I finally got to try this nail art design and I'm sure I'll be doing it again.

I hope you enjoyed my #whatruwearingwed nail art design. I'd love to see what your wearing today, you can head over to my Facebook page and post your pictures there. Or if you prefer Instagram, post your pictures with the above mentioned hashtag and tag @polish_plebe. While your there like/follow me or follow me by clicking the "Join this Site" icon on the top right hand side of the screen or through Google+, Bloglovin, and/or Pinterest. Enjoy the rest of your week, thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

Your Fellow Plebe,

   

Witchicure

I have been looking for an excuse to do a green and purple combination nail art design and when I was looking over my new Halloween image plate from bornprettystore.com and noticed the little witch, I thought what better theme than a witch theme manicure. So I created these witch skittles using a variety of techniques…

Materials
Base and top coat
Purple, 2 shades of green, & gray polish
Black nail art stripper
Stripping brush
Sponge
Image plate and stamp
Nail Vinyls
Glow in the dark polish (optional)

Witches Cauldron

On my thumb I painted a bubbling witches cauldron. For my base color I used China Glaze 'All Aboard' (from the All Aboard collection). I then topped that with two coats of Sinful Colors 'Glow in the Dark'.

Using a black nail art stripper I drew a half circle at the tip and filled it in.

Then using a green cream polish, in this case Zoya 'Tilda' (from the Tickled collection), and a stripping brush, I filled in a small portion of the black cauldron. The shape is almost and lens shape.

To make the witches brew bubble I used a dotting tool and dotted Zoya 'Tilda' above the brew and Zoya 'Stassi' (from the Bubbly collection) in the brew to give it texture.

Witches Hat

On my pointer I painted a very simple witches hat. I started out with my purple base color again and again topped it with my glow in the dark polish.

I then used my black nail art stripper and drew a very narrow (close to the tip) curved line and filled it in to the tip to create the brim of the hat.

Using the same nail art stripper I then drew a triangle atop the brim.

Then using my green cream polish and a stripping brush I drew a stripe along the brim and the base of the hat.

Witch Face Silhouette

On my mid finger I hand drew the silhouette of a witches face. I started with a base color of Zoya 'Stassi' and topped with my glow in the dark polish.

Then using a thin stripping brush and black polish I drew three lines somewhat horizontally from the side of my nail. These will be the brim of the witches hat, her nose, and her chin.

I then very carefully filled in that side of the nail, and created the contour of her face complete with a wart on the crook of her nose and her chin.

Witch Flying Across the Moon

On my ring finger I decided to use my stamped image of a witch flying on her broom stick. I started with a gray base color, China Glaze 'Five Rules' (from the Giver collection). I gave the moon a very slight amount of texture by taking a very small piece of sponge and dabbing a very small bit of a dark metallic purple over the surface. For my metallic purple I used China Glaze 'Choo-Choo Choose You' (also from the All Aboard collection). I then topped this with my glow in the dark polish.

I created the outline of the moon by using a thin stripping brush and my purple polish used on my thumb and pointer and traced the edge of my nail. Because my tips are squovals I had to curve the lower corners a bit more than the uppers, to create the round moon shape.

I then applied my witch stamp using bornprettystore.com image plate QA26 item #5689 and their black stamping polish item #1381 . Remember if you purchase from bornprettystore.com use coupon code: CREATEX31 for 10% off your purchase.

Witch Stockings

For my pinkie I did a simple stripe design representing witch stockings. I started with my sparkly Zoya 'Stassi' and topped with my glow in the dark polish and a coat of quick drying top coat.

After waiting for my base polish(es) to dry I applied to straight nail vinyls from nailvinyls.com horizontally across my nail. I cannot stress enough how important it is to wait for the polish to dry before applying vinyls or tape. Also keep in mind that the more layers of polish you have the longer it takes for it to dry even with a quick drying top coat.

With my vinyls in place I painted my purple polish over top and then quickly removed my vinyls.

I topped all my nails with a quick drying top coat once I was complete with the designs. I really love this spooky design and the purple and green combination. I'm particularly fond of the witch on her broom flying across the moon, especially in the dark when it glows.

I hope you enjoyed these witchy skittles, thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

Your Fellow Plebe,

Zombie Hands in the Moonlight Nail Art

This week's Blogger Braggers challenge color is yellow. So, I decided to create a yellow moonlight scene. Of course, it's Halloween themed, well because I love Halloween of course.  And what better theme than zombie hands for Halloween?  Well there is no better theme I can think of...

For my yellow I used my favorite yellow, Sinful Colors 'Let's Meet'. I used this on my pointer, mid, and ring finger. The remaining fingers I painted solid black using Nabi 'Black' polish.

I then used a black nail art stripper to create this ghoulish graveyard scene complete with zombie hands.

Oh and I made it a glow in the dark manicure by adding Sinful Colors 'Glow in the Dark' polish. I applied this over the yellow before painting my scene in black.

I love zombies just as much as I love Halloween and I'm super excited to have accomplished an interesting glow in the dark manicure. I hope you enjoyed this show n' tell of my little moonlight scene. Thanks for stopping by, see you next time. 

Your Fellow Plebe,