Secret Santa Sack Indie Collab Swatches and Review

Hello Lovelies!  Today, I have swatches of four lovely polishes for you.  Back in the beginning of November I found an advertisement via Instagram for a Indie Secret Santa Sack, for an extremely reasonable price.  I love these kind of indie surprise collaboration sets, because it gives me an opportunity to try new polishes without any expectations.  The hard part is not knowing what you're getting and waiting to receive them.  This set came all wrapped up, ready for Christmas, and along with the polishes came a few extra goodies.  In fact, I felt kind of guilty opening these before Christmas but it's polish so I had to give in.

All the swatches you are about to see are applied over a DIY Elmer's glue peal off base, I use to make swatching go quicker, and are topped with Glisten & Glow HK Girl who were not contributors of this indie collaboration.  All photographs are taken indoors under daylight lamps.

 

This collaboration set was a pre-order and is no longer available for order as a collaborative set.  However, each polish is available through the independent indie polish makers.  I will list details for purchasing as well as links to each makers site along with the swatches, so that you too can enjoy these lovely lacquers too.

SuperChic Lacquer - Notions of Ariel

 

I was first introduced to SuperChic Lacquer over this past summer when I was lucky enough to win a significant giveaway through Instagram.  So, I was pretty excited to see this little lovely arrive in my set.

Notions of Ariel is a beautiful medium/dark teal jelly that is packed full silver glitter, violet iridescent pieces, tons of holographic shimmer, oh and did I mention 1/2 carat weight of genuine crushed diamond crystals.  That's right actual diamond crystals! 

This polish is so lovely, and has so many interesting facets that its hard not to just stare at it all day long.  In addition to the polish being absolutely gorgeous, it also has a very interesting texture because of all the little lovelies bits and sparkles.

I swatched this in two coats but because it is a jelly polish you can adjust the desired opacity by using more or less coats.

Notions of Ariel is available to purchase at www.superchiclacquer.com both for individual sale or as part of the Once Upon a Diamond Collection.  Individual full size 15ml bottles are $12 or you can purchase the full 7 piece Once Upon a Diamond Collection for $84 (prices do not include shipping and handling or applicable taxes). 

Sweet Heart Polish - All That Glitters

 

Next up is another brand that I have past experience with through other indie collaboration sets.  Sweet Heart Polish has not disappointed me yet, and I was just wowed by this stunner when I opened the wrapping. 

All That Glitters is a stunning pinkish beige shimmer polish full of tiny silver flakies.  Under some lighting I caught a glimpse of a slight coppery shine too, which gave it a sort of rose gold appearance.

This polish is perfectly elegant, and because it leans towards neutral tones it is perfect for any environment or occasion.  Even though this polish is soft it is still very sultry.

Swatched here with three very thin coats, though you can probably get away with two coats if you prefer slightly thicker layer applications.  The application was wonderfully smooth too.

All That Glitters is available for purchase through Sweet Heart Polish's Etsy store, and is part of the Black Friday Trio.  As far as I can tell this is not available for individual sale.  The three piece set are full size 15ml bottles and can be purchased for $28 (prices do not include shipping and handling or applicable taxes). 

Colores de Carol - Vintage Lights

 

This next indie brand is one that I have been oogling for a while now but have never had the pleasure of experiencing first hand, that is before now.

Vintage Lights is a clear base micro glitter polish.  The smaller pieces appear to be primarily silver and gold but is a holographic rainbow, sprinkled with slightly bigger hex glitter pieces in a variety of colors.

This polish is perfectly named, and looks exactly like Christmas lights.  The holographic shimmer makes this such an eye-catcher perfect for both accent nails and full manicures.

This swatch is one brushed on coat, topped with one sponged coat.  When working with clear base glitter polishes it's best to apply with a sponge so that you can maximize the glitter opacity without make the finish application too thick.

Vintage Lights can be purchased through Colores de Carol's bigcartel shop.  This is available for purchase as an individual full size bottle for $10 or as part of the 8 piece Winter/Holiday Collection which can be purchased for $72 (prices do not include shipping and handling or applicable taxes). 

Sea Lore Polish - Divinity Isle

I am sad to say that before the arrival this collab set I had never even heard of this indie brand, but I am so happy to be introduced to it.  I am amazed that I haven't been introduced to this polish brand sooner.

Divinity Isle is a phenomenal white crelly polish full of iridescent shimmer and a variety of glitter gold pieces.

I have been swooning over this polish since I've first laid eyes on it.  I consider this a perfectly balanced polish, the creamy white base is just the right opacity and the quantity and quality of the glitter are perfect.  I really can't express how perfect this polish is, I have tried other crellies in the past that were too chunky or too goopy and this one just blew my mind.

I swatched this in three thin coats to achieve this opacity.  The application was so incredibly smooth, that if I was blind I would not believe that it contains glitter pieces.  The glitter pieces are perfectly suspended in the base as well.  I have had this polish for about a week, and I have not had to shake it, mix it, or set it upside down.  I also love the shape of the bottle, its unique but not so different that it won't fit my polish shelving.  I honestly, can't say enough good things about this polish.

Divinity Isle is available for purchase (along with their other pretty polishes) at Sea Lore Polish's bigcartel shop.  This is sold in full size 15ml bottles for $10 or in 7.5ml bottles for $5.50 (prices do not include shipping and handling or applicable taxes). 

 

I am so incredibly happy that I purchased this indie collaboration set.  It was a great way to try some new polishes and to discover some new brands.  I was not disappointed with a single polish and know I will be using them all again in the future.  I hope you enjoyed these lovely swatches and found the review insightful.  Thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

 

 

 

Your Fellow Plebe,

 

 

Merry and Bright Christmas Nails

Hello Lovelies!  Sometimes it can be difficult to find new and interesting designs, especially when you want to do something themed, say for the Holidays.  Lately, I have been in a bit of a slump because I feel like so many Holiday nail art designs are over done, and I just don't want to keep doing what everyone else is doing.  Don't get me wrong, I love what I am seeing on others' blogs and Instagram feeds, but I also like to be different, even if only a little.  I decided to look to my Christmas tree to get some inspiration, and one particular bauble kept grabbing my attention.  So, I decided to use it as my inspiration for this nail art design...

Materials I used:
Basecoat - SuperChic Lacquer "Bring it On!"
White base polish - Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "White On"
Holo polishes - Glisten & Glow "Midori Sour," "Hpnotiq Hurricane," and "Sloe Gin Fizz"
Lou it Yourself Candy Swirl Vinyls
Small brush
Pueen image plate 10, 21, & 22
Fab Ur Nails XL stamper and scraper
Topcoat - Glisten & Glow "HK Girl"

I began with a clean white base polish.

On my pointer and my pinky, I created candy swirls using vinyls from Lou it Yourself (link above).  I purchased these vinyls a bit ago, but this is the perfect time of year to use them.  I was a little reluctant to use these vinyls because I have seen many other similar vinyls and they typically leave a blank space in the middle.  Most people use a gem or a dot to fill in this weird blank center.  These vinyls meet in the middle perfectly, leaving you with a near seamless candy swirl pattern, so if you want perfect candy swirls I highly recommend these vinyls.

To use these vinyls apply a quick drying topcoat over your base polish and allow to dry.  Place the vinyl, and trim slits in vinyl between the candy stripes (not pictured, sorry).  Fill in the candy stripes with desired polish, I used three colors so I filled in stripes across from one another to make this work properly.  To prevent pulling I removed parts of the vinyls as I filled in the stripes.  I plan to post a quick video to my Instagram account later today, that will help understand what I did a bit better.

On all my other fingers I randomly stamped a present, reindeer, and wreath in the same colors that I used in the candy swirls.  The holo polishes didn't stamp as well as I had hoped, and before I applied the topcoat, the images didn't appear holographic at all.  I would not recommend using these polishes for stamping to a stamping beginner, however, if you have some experience you may not have so many problems.

After a bit of clean up with some gentle acetone and a brush, I applied a quick drying glossy topcoat.  Applying the topcoat really helped the holo show in the stamped images.

In all honesty,  this didn't turn out exactly as I had imaged, primarily because the stamping isn't opaque as I was hoping.  I do, however, really like the color combo and the unique aspect for a Christmas design.  Plus, they match my Christmas bauble quite well, don't you think?

I hope you enjoyed this merry and bright Christmas nail art design.  Thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

Your Fellow Plebe,

 

 

Minion Decals - Lady Queen Beauty Review

Hello Lovelies!  This weekend, we had a Minion Movie party for the Blu-ray/DVD release.  It just so happens that I was sent some really cute Minion water decals from Lady Queen Beauty for review.  So, what better time to try them out, am I right!

These adorable little water decals are Item #NA0761.  They come in 11 different styles, this is Pattern BLE1862. 

 

Sadly, because I was busy putting the party, I didn't have a great deal of time and failed to take independent photos of the application process.  However, these water decals are no different than any others.  Start with a clean dry base, I used China Glaze "New Birth" for my base polish.  Trim the decal, in this case I choose the three little singing Minions.  Then after removing the protective covering, submerge the decal in water for 10-20 seconds.  Remove the decal from the water, slide it from the backing and apply to your nail.  For smoother placement of the decal I recommend you moisten the surface of your nail with a bit of water, I simply dip my finger in water before applying the decal. (If you would like to see step-by-step pictures of this process checkout this post: http://ilovemanicures.blogspot.com/2015/11/floral-water-decal-lady-queen-beauty.html.)

 

Because Minions love bananas I freehand painted bananas on my pinky finger over a base of Glisten & Glow "Blue on Blue" (which I recently purchased) with acrylic paints and a small brush.

I was never a big advocate of water decals, but I am quickly discovering their true value.  These water decals fit the theme of the party perfectly.  They are so easy to use, that it took me a fraction of the time it normally takes me to do a full freehand nail art design.  In fact, I was so busy setting up for the party, that if not for these decals, my nails would have been very boring.

So in short, do I recommend these water decals?  Yes, yes I do!  Besides who doesn't love cute little Minions?!  Okay, maybe not everyone loves Minions but Lady Queen Beauty has a huge variety of water decals, they're sure to have something you'll like.  As a tip for those newbie nail artists like myself, I suggest that you begin with small decals such as these Minions before trying a full nail water decal.  The smaller decals are easier to place, so they're great for plebes like me.

While you are checking out the water decals at Lady Queen Beauty be sure to checkout their Daily Deals and Special Price items for the most affordable nail art supplies. Keep up with Hot Sellers and the latest Top Trends too.  Plus, Lady Queen Beauty continuously adds more new and exciting nail art products on a regular basis, so don't forget to take a look at their New Arrivals.  In addition to the great priced items, you can also use my code: QJXS15 for 15% off.  On top of that Lady Queen also offers a rewards program, which allows you to earn points for purchases and product reviews (on-site) giving you even more ways to save.

I hope you enjoyed this nail art design and found the review insightful.  Thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

 

 

Your Fellow Plebe,

 

Textured Cable Knit

Hello Lovelies! This week's WNAC2015 prompt is Christmas Sweater. I've always liked fuzzy cable knit sweaters in neutral colors. However, I don't use gel and I've never worked with acrylic. So, I decided to try to make my own 3D texture.

Materials I used:
Basecoat: Yellowstopper
Essie 'Wrap Me Up' Cashmere Matte
Baking Soda
Dotting tool

I began with a solid base of matte polish. I used matte polish because I don't own any shiny sweaters.

 

I mixed a small amount of matte polish with baking soda. Using a dotting tool, I created a cable knit pattern. I had to layer this in some places to give it the dimension I wanted.

Once, I was satisfied with the pattern, I applied another layer of the matte polish to help smooth out the texture slightly.

Though the pattern is imperfect and a bit rough, I like the realistic feel of the overall design.  I hope you too enjoyed this design, and if you want to do 3D nail art without gel or acrylic I recommend you try the baking soda method. I've also heard of some people using flour to achieve the same thing. I'm curious if anyone has tried thismethod for 3D nail art? Thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

 

Your Fellow Plebe,