Saturday, July 30, 2016

Great Lakes Lacquer August 2016 Limited Edition Swatches and Reviews

*press samples*


Hi guys! Sorry for the lack of Nibs & Nails this week, but it's just been a really hectic getting all of these giveaways together. All previous winners have been contacted, so if you haven't heard from me, you haven't won (yet). There are plenty more giveaways to come, so you still have a chance to be a winner (I mean, we're all winners here anyway, right?). In other blog news, I should probably let you guys know that I will be on vacation next week. Don't miss me too much! I try not to take many blog breaks, but it happens from time-to-time.

Great Lakes Lacquer will be releasing 3 limited edition polishes on August, 1st at 3:00 PM EST in their Etsy shop. While you're there, pick up my duo of Nibs & Nails polishes inspired by Diamine fountain pen inks for $15 (you save $1 that way). Shall we get started?








Great Lakes Lacquer I Left My Heart at Houghton (2 coats)

Mariah always done a bangin periwinkle color, and I Left My Heart at Houghton does not disappoint. It's a medium periwinkle crelly with blue sparks and tons of silver holographic flakes. You can't see the holo nature of the flakes in the pictures, but it is more noticeable in person anyway. I found it to be the sheerest of the 3, but that was intentional to showcase the flakes. You will be able to get away with 2 or 3 coats depending on the thickness of your layers. I'm a little heavy-handed, so I got away with 2 coats. I would recommend an extra minute or 2 between coats because I did have a little dragging which led to some balding on one or 2 nails. It reminds me a little of Pahlish's Hello Sweetie, but they aren't close at all (I think it's just the silver flakes that makes it seem similar). I don't know a lot about Michigan cities, but apparently Houghton is a lake in north central Michigan. Mariah says:

I grew up spending my summers and Christmas vacation up at Houghton Lake.  It's where I learned to swim and fish. It's also the place where I felt most at home.




Great Lakes Lacquer Shells and Sand (diffused LED daylight) (2 coats)



Great Lakes Lacquer Shells and Sand (direct LED daylight for holo effect) (2 coats)

What a summery color! Shells and Sand is a coral color with a light linear holographic finish. It seems like a good reddish holographic polish is hard to come by, and this fits the bill. I used to collect shells when I was a kid...it was pretty much my pastime while on vacation. I love the name of this polish, and now you know why. It has that beautiful coral color that you can see on the inside of a conch shell or on some of the interesting shells on the shoreline. Shells and Sand also had an amazing formula. It's so pigmented you could probably get away with 1 coat, but I did 2 out of habit. Mariah says it was inspired by:

A throw to the days of my youth playing in the sand, when every shell I found was special.




Great Lakes Lacquer The Water of Torch Lake (2 coats)

And finally we have The Water of Torch Lake which is a turquoise blue with blue to pink/purple shimmer and blue to green shimmer. Basically it's filled with tons of shimmer and I'm 100% ok with that. My vote is for shimmer polishes every single day. I had never heard of Torch Lake before, but after a quick Google search, I must visit it for a vacation. I grew up in northwest Ohio, but didn't really go to that many places in Michigan. Seriously, Mariah has given me a newfound appreciation for the beauty that can be seen in Michigan. The formula was similar to I Left My Heart at Houghton, but it was a bit more opaque. You will likely just need 2 coats, but wait that extra minute between layers just in case. Mariah was inspired by:

Known as the 2nd most beautiful inland lake in the world, we visited Torch last August with it's purple haze at sunset.  This year, I thought we could focus on the water.  And what beautiful water it is.  If you ever get the chance, you have to visit.  Not only is it beautiful, but the area around it is as well.

And there you have it! I love all 3 polishes, but I think my #1 pick would be The Water of Torch Lake. Again, these will be released on Aug. 1st at 3:00 PM EST and will go away on Sept. 2nd at 2:00 PM. Pricing will be as follows:

I Left My Heart at Houghton - $10
Shells and Sand - $9
The Water of Torch Lake - $9

Make sure to check out what Great Lakes Lacquer is up to on their EtsyFacebook, and Instagram pages as well.

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

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