Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Right on the Nail ~ Lilypad Lacquer Swatches and Reviews: Brace Yourself, Guilty Pleasures, and Jumping for Joy


Hi guys! It seems like summer just started, but the 4th of July is this Monday. It's crazy, right? The fall collections will be out before you know it. Tonight I have the final 3 polishes from Lilypad Lacquer. One of the polishes, Guilty Pleasures, is an exclusive color for the stockist Color4Nails. The other 2 are in the regular core collection, I believe. If you love flakes and/or duochromes, then this post is for you!


Monday, June 27, 2016

Right on the Nail ~ Lilypad Lacquer Swatches and Reviews: Black Pearl and Whimsy


Hi guys! Tonight I have a popular Australian indie brand named Lilypad Lacquer. There are several Aussie brands I've been aching to try, but the prices have sort of stopped me from purchasing. You can order from the Lilypad Lacquer site and pay for shipping from Australia, or order from their stockists. In the US, you can purchase them from Color4Nails to get around the waiting and higher shipping costs. Be aware that the cost per bottle is pretty high (likely to make up for the shipping and distributor costs) and retail for around $13-$14. To my surprise, Color4Nails ran a 50% off sale on Lilypad Lacquers a few weeks ago so I got these polishes for a steal! Tonight I'm featuring the holographic polishes I bought, and later this week I'll get to the flakie and duochrome polishes. Want to know my thoughts? Follow me after the break to learn more.


Friday, June 24, 2016

Right on the Nail ~ China Glaze Holiday 2015 Cheers Collection Swatches and Review: Don't Get Elfed Up



China Glaze Don't Get Elfed Up (2 coats)

Hi guys! TGIF! We finally made it to another weekend. I don't have many plans, but that's fine by me. As you can see from the pictures above, this polish was swatched a long time ago (just look how short my nails are...no, I haven't broken a nail-yet). I think it just somehow got lost in the shuffle because I think it's a gorgeous polish. I wasn't too thrilled with the rest of the offerings from the China Glaze 2015 holiday collection (*ahem* this is the only color I bought and it was months after it was released) and that's a shame because they usually are on point! Anyway, Don't Get Elfed Up is a blackened base with metallic teal flecks. It also shifts to purple at some angles, but I wasn't really able to capture it in pictures. I guess if you look at the bottle on the last picture you can see a little of the purple. After using another China Glaze brush last week, I noticed that I'm not used to the long and thin brushes anymore. It seems like lots of mainstream brands and indies have gone to the flattened brush, and I'm totally ok with that. The polish itself was really opaque and only needed 2 coats for full coverage. Overall, I had no issues with the formula. If you can still find it, I definitely recommend picking it up! 

The cheapest place to find China Glaze is through Transdesign for $3.25 each. Surprise, they still have this collection for sale! They also have the fall 2016 collection for sale, and guess what? They are bringing back the Crinkled Chrome finish. What do you think about that? You can also find them at your local Sally's Beauty Supply or Ulta stores where prices may vary. Get more info on China Glaze on their FacebookInstagram, or Twitter pages.

Right on the Nail ~ China Glaze Holiday 2015 Cheers Collection Swatches and Review: Don't Get Elfed Up



China Glaze Don't Get Elfed Up (2 coats)

Hi guys! TGIF! We finally made it to another weekend. I don't have many plans, but that's fine by me. As you can see from the pictures above, this polish was swatched a long time ago (just look how short my nails are...no, I haven't broken a nail-yet). I think it just somehow got lost in the shuffle because I think it's a gorgeous polish. I wasn't too thrilled with the rest of the offerings from the China Glaze 2015 holiday collection (*ahem* this is the only color I bought and it was months after it was released) and that's a shame because they usually are on point! Anyway, Don't Get Elfed Up is a blackened base with metallic teal flecks. It also shifts to purple at some angles, but I wasn't really able to capture it in pictures. I guess if you look at the bottle on the last picture you can see a little of the purple. After using another China Glaze brush last week, I noticed that I'm not used to the long and thin brushes anymore. It seems like lots of mainstream brands and indies have gone to the flattened brush, and I'm totally ok with that. The polish itself was really opaque and only needed 2 coats for full coverage. Overall, I had no issues with the formula. If you can still find it, I definitely recommend picking it up! 

The cheapest place to find China Glaze is through Transdesign for $3.25 each. Surprise, they still have this collection for sale! They also have the fall 2016 collection for sale, and guess what? They are bringing back the Crinkled Chrome finish. What do you think about that? You can also find them at your local Sally's Beauty Supply or Ulta stores where prices may vary. Get more info on China Glaze on their FacebookInstagram, or Twitter pages.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Right on the Nail ~ Morgan Taylor Summer 2016 A Very Nauti-cal Girl Collection Swatches and Reviews Part II

*press samples*


Hi guys! It has been business as usual around here lately. My lab has some outreach projects next week with high school students, so I've been a bit busier than usual at work. Oh, and in my off time I've been trying to finish up season 4 of Orange is the New Black. Anyone caught up already? Tonight we're going to finish up the summer collection from Morgan Taylor. I just so happened to get their fall collection in the mail last week so I've been swatching those. I love fall colors, but I'm just not ready to think about them yet. Anyway, let's see the final swatches and reviews!


Monday, June 20, 2016

Right on the Nail ~ Morgan Taylor Summer 2016 A Very Nauti-cal Girl Collection Swatches and Reviews Part I

*press samples*


Hi guys! Did you have a good weekend? It was pretty quiet around here, which is always appreciated. We went to see Central Intelligence (not life-changing, but it was cute) and took Scraggles to the dog park. Tonight I have the first of 2 posts featuring the newest Morgan Taylor polishes. It's a 4-piece collection with 3 cremes and 1 shimmer polish inspired by all things nautical. Are you ready?



Morgan Taylor Catch My Drift (2 coats)

Up first is a blurple creme called Catch My Drift. You know me, I'm a sucker for blues. In real life the color is a little darker than the pictures above, so be aware of that. I found the formula to be a bit thin and watery, so make sure to remove all excess polish before applying to the nail. That being said, I only needed 2 coats for full coverage. 



Morgan Taylor Girls Love Buoys (2 coats)

Girls Love Buoys is a bright pink creme. I wouldn't call it a neon pink for summer, but it's still fairly bright. I probably have some other pinks similar to it, but it's still a great staple polish. The formula was much easier to work with compared to Catch My Drift, and it only needed 2 easy coats.

Morgan Taylor polishes can sometimes be hard to find, but you can finally buy them online without a license from Loxa Beauty for $9.00 each (hint, some of the polishes are on sale for as low as $4.25). The collection was also released in mini bottles, and you can buy the set of 4 for only $15. You can keep up with Morgan Taylor on their FacebookTwitter, and Instagram pages as well.

*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*

Friday, June 17, 2016

Right on the Nail ~ Polished For Days Swatches and Reviews: Effulgent, Kitakyusha, and Santorini


Hi guys! TGIF! Tonight I have a new brand on the blog. Honestly, I don't know a ton about Polished for Days, except for that they had a Memorial Day sale and I thought the polishes looked beautiful. I ordered on May 30th and it shipped just a couple days later. Since I didn't know a lot about the company, I ended up buying just 3 polishes to test the waters. Follow me after the break for my opinions...

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Right on the Nail ~ Heather's Hues Swatches and Reviews: Mama's Favorite Rose Bush and Sticky Sweet Candy Apples


Hi guys! I can't believe today is Wednesday because the week is just flying by! Tonight I have the last 2 polishes from Heather's Hues to share with you. The first comes from the Flowers for Mother Collection which was released for Mother's Day while the second is another color from the County Fair Collection (I reviewed 2 polishes from this collection on Monday). Follow me after the break for more information and swatches!

Monday, June 13, 2016

Right on the Nail ~ Heather's Hues Summer 2016 County Fair Collection Swatches and Reviews: Ferris Wheel Rides at Dusk and Funnel Cake!


Hi guys! My parents were in town for part of last week and this weekend so I missed my usual post on Friday. Sorry! Most of Saturday was spent spending all of our money getting new bookcases and storage at Ikea. I didn't get a new Helmer, but ended up with a wide Alex instead. Any opinions on it? I haven't started filling it yet, but I'll keep you guys updated. I should also mention what a sad weekend it was for all Americans. This senseless act was done to a group of innocent people having fun at a club. The members of the LBGT community I know are some of the most selfless people around. Nobody deserves to have this happen to them, especially the members of the community who are most often persecuted for their sexual orientation. My thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy...and there are lots. 

On a much lighter note, I have a few polishes from the Heather's Hues County Fair Collection which was released a few weeks ago. I am a part of the Facebook Group Heather's Hue-t-pies, and I recommend the group wholeheartedly. Heather is very active and involved in the group, and she is just a great person to interact with. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, she also posts sales in there periodically. I purchased these polishes (and a cuticle oil she calls Cutie-cle Oil) on late Sunday night before Memorial Day. She shipped them on Tuesday since Monday was the holiday, and I received them on Wednesday. Can you say great turnaround time? Follow me after the break for some swatches and reviews of the 2 colors I have to share. 

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Right on the Nail ~ Zoya Summer 2016 Sunsets and Seashells Hydrating Cream Lipstick Swatches and Reviews: Candy and Mellie

*press samples*


Tonight I have swatches of the 2 new lipsticks from Zoya which were released with their Sunsets and Seashells collections. I don't normally review makeup, but I'm still a bit of a lipstick junkie. It's really hard to go to Sephora, Target, the drugstore, etc. without looking at the new lip colors (and, of course, the polish offerings, but that's a given). I've tried the Zoya lipglosses previously (they are called Hot Lips), but these are my first Zoya lipsticks The lipsticks come housed in a black plastic bullet that isn't winning any awards for packaging. I mean, it works, but it's not very luxe. I shouldn't complain because these retail for $12 each. 

Also, the lipstick doesn't actually come to a point, it's just slanted on one side. I find it harder to apply around my cupid's bow because it doesn't have the usual point to it. Zoya calls these a Hydrating Cream Lipstick, and I'd agree with that. I wore each of these colors for a full day and had no issues with dry lips. I often go for matte finishes, which are drying, because I find they last longer and need fewer touch-ups.  

Zoya Candy (with packaging)

Zoya Candy

Candy comes from the Sunsets portion of the collection and is a bright pink creme lipstick. To get an opaque lip you will need a few swipes of this one (I would call it a semi-sheer lipstick.) While bright, I found it to be a really wearable color, even for those of you who don't like a bold lip. It isn't transfer-resistant, so you will need to reapply after lots of drinking or eating. 

Zoya Mellie (with packaging)

Zoya Mellie 

Mellie comes from the Seashells Collection and is more of a cool-toned red-pink creme. Overall, it needs fewer swipes for full coverage and also has an extremely creamy formula. Personally, I like this one a little better, but I'm a fan of both of them. 

Again, these retail for $12 each and are available now on the Zoya website (I'm not sure if these will be available in any retail stores.) You can find out more about them on their websiteFacebookTwitter, or Instagram pages.

*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*

Monday, June 6, 2016

Right on the Nail ~ China Glaze Fall 2014 All Aboard Collection Swatches and Review: Lug Your Designer Luggage



China Glaze Lug Your Designer Luggage (2 coats)

Hi guys! I had a great time at the Raleigh Pen Show this weekend. Somehow I only came home with 1 pen, but my husband more than made up for that. Tonight I'll be focusing on a tried-and-true mainstream brand instead of any new polishes from indie brands. Lug Your Designer Luggage comes from the China Glaze All Aboard Collection (from back in 2014!) and is a cool-toned brown creme with tons of gold flakes. I've never owned any designer luggage, but if I had the money, I'd rather spend my money on designer handbags or shoes. Based on the colors of this polish, I think it is inspired by Luis Vuitton luggage, which I'm not a big fan of honestly. To each their own though! I think it's a really interesting polish, but I found the formula to be a bit watery in the 2 coats I used.

The cheapest place to find China Glaze is through Transdesign for $3.25 each. Surprise, they still have this collection for sale! You can also find them at your local Sally's Beauty Supply or Ulta stores where prices may vary. Get more info on China Glaze on their FacebookInstagram, or Twitter pages.

Friday, June 3, 2016

Right on the Nail ~ Zoya Summer 2016 Sunsets Collection Swatches and Reviews Part II

*press samples*


Hi guys! TGIF! Summer is definitely upon us because it has been well into the 90s already. I can't believe we're at the end of the summer collections already. I know I said it last week, but I'm really happy Zoya brought back the PixieDusts. Anyway, shall we get started? Follow me after the break for my oh-so-insightful thoughts.


Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Right on the Nail ~ Zoya Summer 2016 Sunsets Collection Swatches and Reviews Part I

*press samples*

Hi guys! I can't believe it's Wednesday already. Short work weeks for the win! The pen show I was talking about actually starts tomorrow and I am so excited. My husband is the one more into fountain pens, but I've become quite fond of them over the years (and some of the awesome people who go to the shows)! I haven't mentioned it in awhile, but check out his blog for some interesting ink and pen reviews (he also makes videos on Youtube). Tonight I have the first part of the Zoya Sunsets Collection which features 6 bright cremes that only need 1 coat.  Follow me after the break to see if this rang true.