Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Noodles Nail Polish Winter 2019 Collection Swatches and Reviews

*press samples*



Hi guys! It's been a busy week for the blog, and we're not done yet. Tonight I've got the Noodles Nail Polish Winter Collection to share with you. This is quite appropriate since so many people are experiencing the Arctic blast hitting the US this week. Please be safe, and make sure to take care of all your pets, too. The set consists of 5 crellies and 1 jelly polish (with a bonus re-release of last year's Eskimo Kiss...Natalie didn't have the recipe anymore, so she recreated it as version 2.0). These will release with the Valentine's Day duo on 2/1/19 at 6:00 PM ET on the new Noodles Nail Polish website. They will retail for $9.50 or $10 depending on the shade (I'll label each with the price below). Enough chatting, shall we get to the good stuff? 

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Noodles Nail Polish Valentine's Day 2019 Duo Swatches and Reviews

*press samples*


I'm back with another duo, this time for Valentine's Day. This won't be the last you hear about Noodles Nail Polish this week, because I still have the 6-piece Winter 2019 Collection to show you. This Valentine's Day duo will be debuting this Friday, February 1st at 6 PM ET in the brand new Noodles Nail Polish website. Natalie is well-known for her glitter crellies, and it just so happens that both of these are beautiful crellies. These will retail for $9.50 each, and will be sold individually. If they happen to sell out, they will be restocked. Shall we get a closer look? 





Noodles Nail Polish Daydreamer (3 thin coats)

Up first we have Daydreamer which is a pale pink crelly base with gold flakes, glitter, and shimmer. This is a soft shade, and I love pink and gold together. Since this one is more pastel-like, it was slightly streaky on the first coat, but built up well with the second. I went ahead with a third just to make sure everything was covered (bright lighting tends to show everything), but you'd be just fine with 2. It dries with a little texture from the glitter, so make sure to use a thicker topcoat to smooth everything out. It also dries with more of a satin finish from the pigment, so topcoat will help with that, too. 





Noodles Nail Polish Once Upon a Time (2 coats)

Once Upon a Time is a lavender crelly base with magenta, violet, and fuchsia hexagonal glitters, and fine silver flakes. This is Natalie in a bottle. If you've tried glitter crellies from other brands that were thick and hard to apply, please do yourself a favor and try one from Noodles. I think I'll wear this on my Valentine's date to IHOP (don't ask...yes, our tradition is to eat at IHOP on Valentine's Day). This is 2 easy coats, and it dries with some texture from the glitters. I often get asked what peel-off basecoat I use, and I use the UNT Ready for Take Off. Removal of glitter polishes is easy-peasy. 

Noodles ships extremely fast, so you shouldn't have a problem with getting them in time (as long as you're in the US, of course). I honestly don't have a favorite of the 2. Both of these are quintessential Valentine's Day shades, with a Noodles twist. Again, make sure to check them out this Friday at 6 PM. You can find out more about Noodles Nail Polish on their websiteInstagram pageFacebook page, and Facebook Fan Group.

*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*

Polish Pickup Famous Duos February 2019: Static Lacquer Lucky the Leprechaun and Feathers

*press samples*


Hi guys! If you are getting that arctic blast right now, please be safe! We've been really lucky here with just a little rain and lows in the 20s. I'm going to be a blogging machine for the next couple days, so expect to be hearing a lot from me. Tonight I have the final Polish Pickup (PPU) shades for January's Famous Duos. Static Lacquer stepped out and made 2 separate polishes for this month: one will be available in the PPU site, while the other will be available in the Static Lacquer website and will run concurrent to the PPU dates and times. PPU starts this Friday at 11:00 AM ET and will go through 11:59 PM ET Monday, February 4th. This month Stacy was inspired by Crowley and Castiel from the show Supernatural. 






Static Lacquer Lucky the Leprachaun (2 coats)  
PPU shade, $12
110 bottle cap

OoOo, what a vampy shade we've got for this month. Lucky the Leprachaun is inspired by Crowley, the King of Hell on Supernatural. This one is burgundy jelly base with a scattered holo flake finish. Stacy is the queen of the holo flakes, so I was happy to see them represented not once, but twice this month! This one is dark, but not so dark you'll think it's black. It had a really nice formula, and needed just 2 coats for full opacity (which was a nice surprise since it's a jelly). It dried quickly with no texture at all. 






Static Lacquer Feathers (2 coats) 
Static Lacquer website, $10
No Cap

Up next is Feathers, which is inspired by Castiel, an angel to the Lord on Supernatural. It's a bright blue crelly base with holo microflakes and copper shimmer. This is a really happy shade and I've been wearing it for the past couple days. This one also needed just 2 coats, and dried with no texture. Despite being a bright blue, I had no issues with staining. 

These 2 polishes are really different, but I love them both! Supernatural has been on forever, and there is a huge fan base. If you are a fan of Sam and Dean, definitely pick these up. Don't forget, Lucky the Leprechaun will be sold in the PPU site, while Feathers will be available in the Static Lacquer site. You can learn more about Static Lacquer on their websiteFacebookGroup, and Instagram pages, while you can find more about PPU on their Facebook page and website.

*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*

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Polish Pickup Famous Duos February 2019: Noodles Nail Polish Life's Short, Talk Fast

*press samples*


Hi guys! Yes, I'm starting by talking about the weather again, but it's been all over the place. It was really cold (~30F...I know, it's not that cold) the last few days, and today it was 62 outside. Did many of you get snow? If so, how much? I have a couple more Polish Pickup (PPU) shades to share with you before next Friday's opening. I haven't described PPU in awhile so here goes:

First, definitely join the Polish Pickup Facebook Group. You don't necessarily need to actively participate in the group, but it will give you a look into the polishes coming in the coming month. Polish Pickup themes are chosen by the people, often a few months in advance (brands need time to find their inspiration and test their polish). Any indie brand that has been around for at least a year can participate and each has their own specific inspiration picture and polish for that month. All you need to do is go to the Polish Pickup site during the pre-order window (the first Friday-Monday of the month) to make all of your purchases of these exclusive polishes. There's no need to pay for multiple shipping charges; since this is a pre-order, all polishes get sent to Polish Pickup and they send you the polishes you ordered. Yup, it's that simple. Oh, and shipping is a flat-rate of $3 to the US ($5 for Canada and more for international). Last month they also opened a UK site which you can find here. Since all orders are pre-orders, shipping will take place about 3 weeks after the end of the pre-order. 

Tonight I have the Noodles Nail Polish shade to share with you. Again, February's theme is Famous Duos, and Natalie was inspired by the Gilmore Girls. You're going to hate me, but I've never seen it. I know! It's actually on my list to watch on Netflix, so I am going to watch it. The PPU store opens at 11:00 AM ET on Feb. 1st, and will close promptly at 11:59 PM on the 4th. The gorgeous crelly Life's Short, Talk Fast will retail for $11 and there will be a cap of 125 bottles. 






Noodles Nail Polish Life's Short, Talk Fast (2 coats)

Life's Short, Talk Fast is a dusty blue crelly base with various sizes of hexagonal metallic and holo aqua blue glitters and a tiny bit of fine white microflakes. If you've never tried one of Noodle's glitter crellies, you're really missing out. She's not in the running for The Indie Swatch's Best Glitter Crellies category for nothing (as well as 2 more categories). Make sure to go vote for your favorite brands of 2018 here and I hope that includes Noodles. Life's Short, Talk Fast applied perfectly in just 2 coats and dried with a bit of texture from the glitter. I'd recommend a peel-off basecoat or the foil method for easier removal. 

Yet another stunner from Natalie! This one is exclusive to PPU, so get your hands ready for next Friday. The website isn't quite ready for wishlists, but it should be soon. You can find out more about Noodles Nail Polish on their websiteInstagram pageFacebook page, and Facebook Fan Group while you can learn more about the PPU on their Facebook page and website. Have a great night! 

*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, January 21, 2019

Polish Pickup Famous Duos February 2019: Pepper Pot Polish Juicy & Boozy

*press sample*

Hi guys! I have no idea how it's almost February already. Polish Pickup/Indie Pickup is back with Famous Duos this month. Some brands are collaborating to create a duo, while others are making one shade inspired by a specific duo (for example, Brand A making a polish inspired by Sherlock Holmes and Brand B making a polish inspired by John Watson vs. one brand being inspired by Watson & Holmes). Hopefully this makes sense. The store will open at 11:00 AM ET on Feb. 1st and close at 11:59 PM ET Feb. 4th. Pepper Pot Polish was inspired by Mackenzie's favorite cocktail, Gin & Juice (gin + pink grapefruit juice (and a splash of blood orange, if available)). To be honest, I've never had gin and juice, but I love the Snoop Dogg song. To refresh your memory:


Can you believe it came out in 1994? Anyway, Pepper Pot Polish's Juicy & Boozy will retail for $11 and has a cap of just 100 bottles. 





Pepper Pot Polish Juicy & Boozy (2 coats)

You know I love orange polishes, so this one feels like it was made for me! Juicy & Boozy is a blood orange base with gold flakes and shimmer. It will lean a little more red or orange depending on your skintone and lighting. It basically applied itself in just 2 coats, and it dried with no texture. What more could you ask for? 

You need to add this to your wishlist this month. Just imagine how this will look during the summer when you get a bit more sun? It would also make a beautiful pedi color! With a cap of just 100 bottles, there's definitely a chance this may sell out next Friday. You can find out more about Pepper Pot Polish on their websiteInstagramFacebook, or Facebook Fan Group. If you're wondering what's with this whole Polish Pickup thing, make sure to check out the PPU Facebook page and website to learn more. Don't forget, shipping is just $3 for US orders and $5 for Canada orders. Oh, and if you are in the UK, there is now a new website for you! 

*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*

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Moonshine Mani Looking for Group Collection Swatch and Review: Leeeroy Jenkins!





Moonshine Mani Leeeroy Jenkins (3 coats)


Hi guys! Long time, no blog. I was in Philly for 4 days for work and it was a whirlwind trip. It was cold and windy, (no surprise there) and snowed a bit on Saturday night (again, no surprise). Most of the snow ended up falling in Virginia, so we were able to get back to NC on time because it warmed up a bit on Monday before we headed back. Tonight I have a brand I've never featured on the blog before named Moonshine Mani. It's a newer brand by Phoebe Moon, and features a wide variety of colors and finishes. If you aren't a member of the Facebook Fan group, definitely join, because there are monthly exclusives available. 

Tonight I have Leeeroy Jenkins! from the Looking For Group Collection which is inspired by World of Warcraft (WoW). I've never played, but my husband was into it before we met. Apparently it's extremely addictive and you can spend a ton of time playing. Leeeroy Jenkins! is a silver linear holo base with aqua/gold metallic flakes and orange/pink/green/gold chameleon flakes. It was the metallic flakes that really compelled me to buy this one. You can definitely use this as a topper, or on its own like I did in 3 coats. The photos show a little visible nail line, but that's mostly due to the bright lights. It applied well, but I had to tap down a few rogue flakes that decided to stick up off the nail. If you use this as a topper you won't have that problem. 

I don't have any polishes with this flakie combination in my collection, and I love it. I can't wait to add more Moonshine Mani polishes to my collection soon. Oh, I should mention that you can create your own 3-piece ($32) or 6-piece ($65) bundle to save yourself 10%. You can find out more about Moonshine Mani on their website, Facebook Group, and Instagram pages. 

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Zoya Winter Holos Trio 2019: Swatches and Reviews

*press samples*

Hi guys! Tonight I've got the newest Zoya trio which features their famous scattered holo flakie polishes. These are available now, and Zoya has a special going on as seen on their Instagram. 

New Year...New HUE! 

This year, keep up with those healthy resolutions by switching to our Big10Free formula!
Get ANY 4 Zoya shades FREE!* Use Code: HUE19 at www.zoya.com.

Be sure to tell all the nail polish lovers you know! They do not want to miss out on this. *Just pay promotional shipping & processing charge of $15 or completely on us for orders over $50. Ends 1/21/19. Limit One Per Customer. 

I don't know if I need any right now, but this is a great deal. Four Zoya polishes for just $15! One of the polishes in the trio was previously released in the Bridal Bliss 2018 collection, so I won't be showing a full swatch again (you can see my review here). 



Zoya Cadence (2 coats)

Up first is Cadence which is a watermelon pink base with that scattered holo flake finish. The holo stands out more in person...unfortunately there was no sun out while I was swatching these. I needed just 2 healthy coats for full opacity, and it dried with no texture. The formula was perfect on all 3 polishes, too. 



Zoya Everly (2 coats) with Brighton on ring finger (2 coats)

I wore this mani during the holidays, and I just loved it! Everly is a bright red base with the same holo finish. I'm not normally one for red polishes, but bring on the holidays, and I'm all over them. This is 2 easy coats and it was also easy to remove. 

Zoya Brighton (2 coats)

And here is a macro photo of Brighton for good measure. This is a nude base with the scattered holo finish. I'm always surprised this goes well with my skintone, but it does! This is one that may need a third coat, depending on your application. I used 2 thicker ones, so I got away with 2. 

Definitely check these out when you pick out your 4 for the Zoya sale. You have until the 21st, so you have some time. Zoya polishes retail for $10 and you can find out more about them on their websiteFacebookTwitter, or Instagram pages. Keep an eye out for them in your local Ulta store if you want to see the bottles in person before you buy.

*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, January 4, 2019

California Lovin Indies Jan. 2019 The Horsetail Falls: Static Lacquer and Necessary Evil Polish

*press samples*


Hi guys, TGIF! I'm really loving these short work weeks, so I'm going to be very disappointed next week. Tonight I've got the next installment of the California Lovin Indies Collaboration box where Stacy from Static Lacquer works with other indie brands in the great state of California. I've noticed how many brands come from California, so I think this is a wonderful way for brands to join forces. This month features Tamara from Necessary Evil Polish. The duo goes on pre-order Monday (Jan. 7th) at 8 AM PST through Jan. 14th at 11:59 PM PST in the Static Lacquer website. This month's inspiration is a phenomenon that happens for one week out of the year, usually the first week of February, in Yosemite National Park. For this week, as the sun rises, Horsetail Falls catches fire. At least that's what the sun causes it to look like. 


I had no idea this happened, and I'm so jealous of anyone able to see this! Apparently conditions have to be perfect for it to glow (and it only occurs for about 10 minutes), but imagine how amazing it would be to see and photograph it. The box will be $20 + shipping for the duo, and it will include a holographic Helmer decal. Since this is a pre-order, items will begin shipping 2-3 weeks after the pre-order ends. Shall we get a closer look at the set?