Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Noodles Nail Polish Summer 2019 Collection Swatches and Reviews

*press samples*


I hope you're not sick of me yet! I know there was radio silence from me for several weeks, but I'm back with a vengeance. Surprise, Noodles has a new collection releasing Thursday, August 1st at 5 PM EST. It's a 6-piece set full of classic Noodles goodness...which you know means glitter, glitter, and more glitter! All polishes will retail for $9.50 each. Also releasing on Thursday is a brand new prototype which I do not have to share with you, so you'll have to stop by the Noodles website to check it out. Natalie usually has one big Black Friday sale a year, but she is bursting at the seams with polish, so most polishes (minus the new collection, of course), will be discounted. Not all final stock polishes will be on sale, but most will be. No code will be needed, and the discount will be reflected on the website. Woot! This is going to be an extremely picture-heavy post, so let's get into this. 

Static Lacquer August 2019 Polish Pickup/Indie Pickup At the Carnival: Off to Neverland

*press sample*


Hi guys! The last PPU shade I have to share this month is from Static Lacquer and Stacy was inspired by this amazing photo she took while at the San Diego Fair. Apparently this same swing ride used to be at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch, hence the name. Off to Neverland will be available this Friday at 11:00 AM EST through Monday, August 5th at 11:59 PM EST (unless this one sells out...which it might) on the PPU site. And I almost forgot to mention that Static Lacquer has a magnet with this month's polish. You may be used to the smaller magnets available from Static Lacquer, but this month Stacy tackled a new, larger single magnet. Don't worry, I have some comparison photos so you can get a better idea of the size. 





Static Lacquer Off to Neverland (3 coats)
Price: $12
Cap: US 75 UK 25

Wow, what a bright beauty! My friends and family are used to me wearing some crazy nail polishes, so it takes a lot for them to comment on my nails. Can you believe I got 3 compliments while wearing this one? I mean, this one isn't subtle. Off to Neverland is a neon watermelon pink base with holo flakies, orange/pink/gold crystal flakies, and green shimmer. While it has lots of extra goodies added for dimension and interest, the bright base really steals the show. It does dry slightly dull from the neon pigment, so make sure to add a shiny topcoat. The formula was great, and I used 3 thin coats to cover my VNL. 

(oops, when I opened the package the packaging for the magnet was on the end and got cut...sorry about that!)


(This photo really shows the shimmer and flakes in Off to Neverland)



Static Lacquer Off to Neverland Magnet 
Price: $4.50
Cap: US 30 UK 10

As you can see, this month's neodymium magnet is several times larger than the ones previous released. It's slightly larger than a quarter, and has a diameter of ~1". I immediately put mine on a Helmer, but they can easily be used on refrigerators, whiteboard calendars, or in the office. 

This one has a cap of just 75 bottles, so there is definitely a chance this could sell out. If not all the bottles available for the UK sell out when the pre-order closes over there, they will be added back to the US site for everyone to have a second chance. The site is currently open for wishlisting, so make sure to add this one and put your order in early. 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*

Starlight Polish August 2019 Polish Pickup At the Carnival: Sun Down, Lights Up

*press sample*


I told you I was going to be spamming you with lots of posts this week! If you need a little refresher on PPU, make sure to check out my post from earlier this evening. The shop opens this Friday at 11:00 AM EST and closes at 11:59 EST on Monday, August 5th. This month's inspiration was "At the Carnival" and I am very impressed with the creativity the makers showed this month. Several went outside the box, and I'm loving it. Issa from Starlight Polish always sends along a little blurb about the polish in her own words, and I always love that addition. Here is what she has to say about this month's polish:

"Starlight Polish Sun Down, Lights Up is inspired by that magical moment in the evening, during or after sunset, when it’s finally considered dark enough to turn on the nighttime lights for the rides and booths.  When you’re a kid, nighttime makes everything more of an adventure than it is in the daytime.  For a kid who loved night and loved the dark like I did, being at a fair or carnival that late, seeing that moment when the lights all turn on, it’s a little bit of magic all its own.  And at a carnival, daytime is fun and happy, but at night, it feels like anything could happen – like you’re in a world just a little removed from real life.  I loved (and still love) that kind of thing. "

Come on, who can't relate this?! Everything was better at night...somehow the food tasted even better (is that even possible?), the twists and turns seemed faster, and the prizes seemed bigger.







Starlight and Sparkles Sun Down, Lights Up (2 coats)
Price: $11
Cap: US 200 UK 20

Sun Down, Light's Up is a deep blue base with blurple to red shifting shimmer (which mostly appears blue to purple), holo flakes, clear holo glitter, and different shades of UCC flakes. Don't worry, the flakes and glitter don't really add any texture, so a thin glossy topcoat will smooth everything out. Swatches show 2 thicker coats, so you may need a third if you use really thin ones. I love the inspiration, and I love how the base resembles the "nighttime" sky with the holo particles reminiscent of a starry night, and the multi-colored flakes being those bright lights of the ticket booths and rides. This is so well done and a beautiful shade. 

Again, make sure to pick this one up this Friday at 11:00 AM EST for $11. This one is the epitome of a carnival and I think everyone can relate to the inspiration. You can find out more about Starlight Polish on their websiteEtsy pageInstagramFacebook Group, and Facebook page while you can learn more about 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*

Noodles Nail Polish August 2019 Polish Pickup At the Carnival: Carnivale

*press sample*



Tonight I have the first of 3 posts on August's Polish Pickup (PPU). Have you heard of PPU? If not, you're really missing out on some beautiful and exclusive indie polishes! Here's how it works: 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 at the polishes that will be available 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). Recently 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

PPU starts this Friday, August 2nd at 11:00 AM ET and ends on Monday, August 5th at 11:59 PM (but if a polish has a cap and sells out before the end of the pre-order, it's gone, unless you get lucky and the cap gets raised...which is rare) on the PPU website. This month's inspiration is "At the Carnival" and can you believe I've never been to a true carnival with clowns and stuff? I mean, I've been to the fair which has "carnival rides" and the amazing food that is terrible for you, but nothing with animal acts, etc. The PPU website is currently open for wishlists, and I can tell it's going to be a bad month for my wallet. Shall we go ahead and get a closer look at Natalie's shade? 











Noodles Nail Polish Carnivale (3 coats)
Price: $12
Cap: US 100 UK 15
Inspiration: Costumes at the Venice Carnival

This is one of those polishes that needs lots of photos, trust me. Carnivale is a light blue holo base with blue/purple/pink shifting shimmer, large silver flakes, silver glitter, and blue/purple/pink color-shifting flakies. The first thing that jumps out at you are the silver flakes, and they are striking. The purple and pink shimmer and flakes are a bit more shy, and show up best in low light, which is why I showed so many photos to try and capture that purple/blue glow. It was slightly sheer, but built up well in 3 thin coats, and applied easily, like all my Noodles. I would be sure to wrap your tips to make sure none of the silver shards lands on the edge of the nail, because that will drive you nuts (it's not just me, right?). It has some texture from the larger flakes, so use a slightly thicker topcoat to completely smooth this one out. 

You can pick this one up this weekend, but with a cap of just 100 bottles, you may not want to wait too long to put your order in. You can find out more about Noodles Nail Polish on their websiteInstagram pageFacebook page, and Facebook Fan Group while you can learn more about 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, July 29, 2019

Static Lacquer August 2019 Indie Positivity Group Custom: Pinery Ruins

*press sample*


I know. I KNOW! You probably thought I was gone forever. While my mini-vacation from blogging wasn't planned, I really needed it. I had some health issues come up, and it was vital for me to take some time to focus on myself. I'm sure you can all understand and relate. With that said, this is going to be an extremely busy week of posting. I have several PPU shades that will be available this weekend, as well as a brand new collection from Noodles! Woot! 

Tonight I have a group custom by Static Lacquer that will be available throughout the month of August. The nail polish community has had its fair share of drama over the years, and to bring back some wholesomeness and positivity to the community, the Indie Positivity group was formed. A group custom is available each month from a new guest maker, and Static Lacquer is up for August with Pinery Ruins. The group voted for a picture from the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and Pinery Ruins is named after the ruins of the Pinery Butterfield stage coach station at the base of the mountain. Pretty cool, huh? It will go on sale on August 1st at 5 PM PST and will be available through the end of the month in the Static Lacquer website. It will retail for $10, but will be reduced to just $8 with a discount code that will be announced on the Indie Positivity Facebook Group page, so make sure to join the group. 





Static Lacquer Pinery Ruins (3 coats)

Pinery Ruins is a candy apple green jelly with green to gold shimmer, a splash of holo sparkle, and various colors of UCC flakes. When I showed my husband this one, he immediately claimed it looked like a candy apple with sprinkles on top. Stacy is the queen of the holo+ucc flake combo and she killed it with this one. I used 3 thin coats for the photos above, but you may be able to get away with 2 if you use thicker coats, or have short nails. It applied easily, and dried with very minimal texture that smoothed out with a thin topcoat. 

Don't forget, this one will be available this Thursday at 5 PM PST, so join the Indie Positivity Group to chat with awesome people about polish, without the drama (and to get this beauty for just $8 this month)! You can find out more about Static Lacquer on their websiteFacebookGroup, and 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*