Monday, November 30, 2015

Literary Lacquers: 2015 Community Collection

Press Sample

Good afternoon, dear readers and happy Monday! For those of you that celebrated it, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week! My in-laws were visiting us for the week, and we were crazy-busy with projects around the house. We did have a delicious turkey-day meal, and there are still leftovers in the refrigerator. I'm sure I'm going to start gobbling soon!

For today's blog post, I have the new Literary Lacquers 2015 Community Collection to share with you. I have formed friendships with many people in the nail polish community, and I always look forward to seeing what my non-maker friends have up their sleeves. I have worked with Amy in the past myself a few times; it is always a delight! She has a gift at just knowing what you have in mind and brings it to life so beautifully. I could go on a long spiel here, but I know you just want to see the polish; let's get to it!
This year's Community Collection is made up of eight stunning nail lacquers. The ninth polish included in this photo is a gift with purchase, and I'll get to that at the end of this post. I hope you're ready for this! Let's do this!

A Sensible Rabbit
Taupey neutral shimmering holo with black microglitter designed with Cassandra Pio of Fierce Hearts Wildlife Rehabilitation and inspired by Watership Down by Richard Adams

Watership Down is a story of brains over brawn, the power of the underdog, compassion, and most importantly: rabbits. A Sensible Rabbit is inspired by Hyzenthlay, whose name is translated in the book as “fur that shines like dew.” She’s a no-nonsense doe who rises to the occasion when it’s her time to shine. The book might focus on the boys, but it’s a lady of a rabbit who really saves the day. I wanted a polish that mimicked a rabbit’s surprisingly complex fur, with enough sparkle to get me through a slog of a day, and of course Amy delivered. It’s a testament to my character that I love the same books I did when I was 11 as well as work in a field my childhood self would think is pretty awesome. I’m blown away by the support that Amy and the indie polish community have offered me as I get Fierce Hearts Wildlife Rehabilitation off the ground. You can follow my exploits, rabbit related and otherwise, on my facebook page.

I don't know if I can even find the words to describe just how much I love this polish. I sometimes feel overwhelmed with holographic polishes, but Amy and Cassandra have a way to add a little lagniappe- a little extra- to make an already pretty neutral holo polish into something amazing. The formula is fantastic, and I used two coats plus topcoat for these photos. The glitters do add a little bit of texture so top coat is definitely needed for a smooth finish.

Burning Slowly From the Inside Out

Orange-red linear holo with white and orange red flakies designed with Destany Pingle of Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom inspired by The Selection series by Keira Cass


My inspiration was my current literary obsession - The Selection novel series by Kiera Cass. The covers are just so amazing, and I've dreamed about the fiery red-orange of the cover of The Elite. Let me just say this - I'm not much of a romance reader. These books are fairly high in the romance department, but the dystopian drama fills it up, too. This series is kind of like The Hunger Games meets the Bachelor. The country has been torn apart by war, and from the ashes it has risen as a caste system, complete with a ruling monarch. When the ruling monarch's child is "of age," there's a competition of sorts. Girls from all over the land are chosen to compete to be the prince's wife. Let's just say I found myself wanting a Prince Maxon in my life! But the true star is the cover of these books. They are fabulous studies in gorgeous colors! My favorite is the cover of The Elite, which features a beautiful fiery red-orange gown (on our heroine) with a background of shimmery white holo-y goodness. And as for the name? It comes from this quote... “It wasn’t like I made his world better. It was like I was his world. It wasn’t some explosion; it wasn’t fireworks. It was a fire, burning slowly from the inside out.” - Kiera Cass, The Elite

I am admittedly not familiar with the inspiration for this polish, but I am blown away by how much this makes me think of fire! The flakes really make Burning Slowly From the Inside Out spectacular! The flakes do require just a little extra patience for application so you don't have them sticking off the nails. I didn't mind it at all, but it is something to keep in mind when applying this beauty. I used three coats plus top coat for these photos. The flakes add some texture so top coat is needed with this one as well.

Free to Fly
Delicate lavender linear holo with blue iridescent flakies and green glass fleck, designed with Jennifer Zakroff and inspired by Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

"Too much tail. All that jewelry weighs it down. Like vanity. Can't nobody fly with all that shit. Wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down." - Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison

Wow! Just wow! While the base shade isn't quite my style, the blue flakes add a little something that makes me swoon over this polish. My camera had a difficult time capturing the flashes of blue, and it is more obvious than in these pictures. This is going to be the perfect polish for this spring! I used three easy coats plus top coat for these photos.

Leaves of Grass
Emerald green mega glitter linear holo designed with Alex Bacon-Leslie, longtime friend and Admin Extraordinaire of the Literary (&) Lacquers facebook group inspired by Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

Leaves of Grass is one of the great, iconic American poetry collections. Walt Whitman wrote about nature and exalted the material world, sensual pleasures and the human body. Each edition of the collection was different. When it was first published it only included 12 poems, but by the end of Whitman’s life it contained more than 400. Such an iconic work felt appropriate to lend its’ name to this gorgeous green polish. Leaves of Grass is a work that demonstrates the human condition, which resonated with me from the first time I picked up a copy. This iteration of the idea of “Leaves of Grass” is a sun-drenched meadow in a bottle.

I love this green polish! This is such a fabulous shade because it is perfect for the holidays but not too "Christmasy" that is can't be worn throughout the year. I also adore the inspiration for this polish, and I love the interpretation! I have no trouble with the formula to report, and I used three coats plus top coat for these photos.

My Favorite Day
Golden amber metallic linear holo designed with Jody Morris Feldman and inspired by Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Jody writes: It's one of my favorite quotes from Winnie the Pooh, which the father of my grandson had me read to him over and over again when he was a little boy. Winnie asks Piglet what day it is and Piglet answers 'it's today' to which Winnie says 'my favorite day '. I told my son, every time I read it to him, that every day with him was my favorite day, so now I know that every day with his son is his favorite day. Mushy, I know, but that's what grandparenthood has done to me.

Oh my, what a bronze beauty! This polish glows on the nails so beautifully! It makes me feel all warm and cozy inside, and it is a perfect interpretation of the quote! I love Winnie the Pooh and am a little sad my toddler isn't a fan. The formula of the polish was superb; I used two coats plus top coat for these photos.

Phizzwizard
Soft sea green linear holo designed with Traci Hatling of Newsie NailNovice, inspired by The BFG by Roald Dahl

 “Sophie peered into the jar and there, sure enough, she saw the faint, translucent outline of something about the size of a hen’s egg. There was just a touch of colour in it, a pale sea-green, soft and shimmering and very beautiful. There it lay, this small oblong sea-green jellyfish thing, at the bottom of the jar, quite peaceful, but pulsing gently, the whole of it moving in and out ever so slightly, as though it were breathing.”

Just the name of this polish makes me smile! I've not thought about The BFG in such a long time! I definitely need to pick up this and other Dahl books to read to my kiddos. Phizzwizard is a pretty shade; it definitely makes me eager for spring to arrive! The formula is fantastic, and I used three coats plus top coat for these photos.

Stinky Little Truck
Bright metallic silver scattered holo

Inspired by the Veronika Layne Hot Off the Press mysteries by Julia Park Tracey. This collaboration [Duo of Stinky Little Truck and Veronika, shown below] was the brainchild of blogger Michelle Chouinard of Lacquer or Leave Her who asked Literary Lacquers to create these colors in collaboration with Julia.

Michelle writes: In the Hot Off the Press books, Veronica Layne drives a biodiesel truck that runs off of vegetable oil; it’s an excellent alternative fuel, but can make your car smell like a vat of French fries. But really, that’s a small price to pay to keep the earth healthy, especially if you can look like this while you’re doing it. I love metallics and bling during the holidays, but have had difficulty finding a silver polish that has an elegant, sophisticated feel while still making my fingers sparkle and shine. The subtle linear holo and flecked finish in this polish satisfy my need for something that’s glamorous and special, without going way over the top.

How do you make silver polish more awesome? By adding more silver, of course! I love that there is plenty of sparkle to make this polish dazzling while holding back just enough that it still looks classy. This is the perfect shade to wear with your little black dress for your holiday celebrations! I have no issues to report with the formula, and I used two fabulous coats plus top coat for these photos.

Veronika
Violet linear holo with a smattering of tiny holo flakies

Inspired by the Veronika Layne Hot Off the Press mysteries by Julia Park Tracey. This collaboration [Duo of Veronika and Stinky Little Truck, shown above] was the brainchild of blogger Michelle Chouinard of Lacquer or Leave Her who asked Literary Lacquers to create these colors in collaboration with Julia.


Julia writes: I see this as the perfect choice for the character of Veronika Layne, who is a kind of goth-hippie. She’s a tree-hugger and an eco-warrior, who has tattoos, body piercings and loves her sexy lingerie and her black and white cat. Purple nails? Yes, please!

What a gorgeous purple! The base shade alone is stunning, but when the light hits your nails just right, you see extra flashes of purple from the purple microflakes. It truly is a glorious combination; I am in love! In true Literary Lacquers fashion, the formula was fantastic, and I used two flawless coats plus top coat for these photos.

I love every single shade in this collection; these ladies did good! Each polish has a little something that makes them spectacular, and wallets will be crying out after this collection launches! You can certainly pick up gifts for your favorite lacquerista this holiday season from this collection alone. Just don't forget to include yourself!

Speaking of gifts, Amy is offering a gift with purchase!

Give My Heart
Gift with purchase Inspired by In the Bleak Midwinter by Christina Rossetti

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

While this polish is gorgeous in the bottle, I was not prepared for how much it blew me away when on the nails. It just came to life on the nail, and the rosy coral glow just took my breath away. This polish needs to be renamed to Take My Heart because it certainly did just that! The formula was fantastic, and I used two coats plus top coat for these photos.

The 2015 Community Collection launches at the Literary Lacquers Etsy shop here December 1st at noon mountain time. That's tomorrow!

Gift With Purchase Terms and Other Holiday Promotions

Give My Heart is only available as a free gift with purchase. Purchases of $24 minimum will receive a free 5 mL mini bottle. Purchases of $48 and up will include a free 15 mL full size bottle.

For orders over $75, use code 2015HOLIDAY for free domestic shipping or 2015INTERNATIONAL for $7 off international shipping.

All promotions are good from 12/1/15 at noon mountain time through New Year's Day.


What colours do you have your eye on?

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!


Tuesday, November 24, 2015

le polish Monthly Mystery Bag: December

Press Sample

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Good afternoon, dear readers! I hope you are having a wonderful week! For today's blog post, I have the pleasure of sharing the December Monthly Mystery Bag from le polish. If you love getting a surprise every month, this bag is for you! Each month you purchase, you will be sent a full sized seasonally appropriate polish in addition to a hand-care or beauty item. Monthly bags ship on the 3rd of the month, and in order to be eligible, you have to purchase your subscription by the end of the previous month. Subscription choices include 1 month, 3 month and 6 month options with more savings the larger the subscription. Now that I have filled you in on the details, let's check out what will be in December's Monthly Mystery Bag! My lucky readers are getting a peek into the bag, so if you prefer a mystery, read no further!

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The December le polish Monthly Mystery Bag is about preparation for the upcoming New Year festivities. Each bag will include a polish and a glitter nail mani fizzy. 

Glitter Nail Mani Fizzy
After a tough day, you deserve a little relaxation time. Fizzies are the perfect way to do just that. Drop the fizzy in a sink or bowl full of warm water and watch it spring into action! The fizzing action will delight you as the moisturizing oils soften and soothe your dry skin and cuticles. A dazzling finger shaped fizzy to match your New Year's Eve manicure in Sweet Honeysuckle scent. Perfect to prep for your big night out!

I managed to break my mani fizzy into tiny pieces after snapping this photo. I *could* place the blame on my toddler and cat, but I'll take responsibility for it this time. At least I was able to get a cute photo of it in the previous picture! It certainly does look like a finger, and I love the sparkled flakies at the "nail"! I'm a big fan of soaking my hands to give them some tlc, and I do like that even if a fizzy breaks, it is still perfectly useable. My toddler actually LOVES soaking his hands with me so I use a fairly large tupperware for both our sets of hands. This one is nicely moisturizing and I enjoy the honeysuckle scent. While I don't like most floral scents, honeysuckle is one I do love and reminds me of when I used to pick them when I was a little girl.

Polish
10, 9, 8...
A New Year's Eve Celebration in a bottle! A black crelly packed with shimmer and gold confetti glitter. It's like being there when the ball drops!
When I think of New Year's Eve celebrations, I usually think of the classy black, gold and silver decorations, and I am happy that Allison, the mastermind behind le polish, decided to stick with this colour palette. 10, 9. 8... is a pretty black polish filled with these amazing gold glitter pieces. The gold pieces do get a little lost on the nails slightly if the black polish base covers them, but it does make for an interesting manicure. The gold glitter pieces are a little bulky so I needed a few coats of top coat to help smooth my nail down. The polish went on pretty easily for me although you do need a little extra patience with the gold glitters. They can stick off of the nails depending on your application technique, but it is easy to either push them back up onto the nail or just remove the strays that stick off. I have it shown here with two coats of polish plus a two coats of topcoat.
I like the overall look of this polish, although it was a little sad to see the gold confetti glitters covered up so much. I think this would probably look better if I layered a single coat over a black base to really let the golden glitters and shimmer shine. Even in the slightly muted state, I still got a lot of compliments on my nails when I wore this out, and it is a fabulous choice to wear while you ring in the new year.

If you are interested in the December Monthly Mystery Bag, now is the time to get your subscription order in*! One month is only $13 and comes with two products to pamper yourself with to end out this year. The mystery bags ship out on the 3rd of the month. If surprises aren't for you, over pours of the products from the bags are listed on the le polish website on the 12th of the month to allow subscribers ample time to receive their products. Overpours of polish and excess bath and body products are in separate listings when they are available.

I am really excited to be introduced to a new indie brand, and I like that there are full mystery bags* that are affordable for a nice treat for yourself or your loved ones. I'm eager to see what all else Allison creates for le polish!

What do you think of monthly mysteries? Do you like surprises?

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!

*Update: After this month's mystery bag, le polish will be taking a break from creating mystery bags. There may be more in the future, but December will be the last for the time being.




Friday, November 20, 2015

ellagee: The Holiday Wishes Collection

Press Sample

Good morning, dear readers! This week seems to have drug on forever, and I am so glad today is Friday! My in-laws will be arriving later today and will be spending time with us all next week leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday. My boys adore them, and I am excited to see their faces when they arrive.

For today's blog post, I have a beautiful collection by ellagee to share with you. The Holiday Wishes Collection is a five-piece collection with a special sixth colour that is a limited edition bonus shade added to all purchases of the full collection during Black Friday weekend only.
This gorgeous collection boasts holographic nail lacquers in holiday colours but with a softer vintage feel. It reminds me of Christmases of yesteryear, especially those from the old A Christmas Carol and A Christmas Story films. Let's check out the colours, shall we?

Hearth and Home
A sparkling rose gold / soft copper with intense linear holographic shimmer

It is impossible to pick a favorite polish from this collection, but Hearth and Home is definitely in my top five picks (see what I did there?)! It is a fabulous choice for when I want to wear a very toned down colour that isn't nude! I enjoy true bright golds, but this softer version has stolen my heart. The formula was fantastic, and I used two coats for these photos.

Health and Comfort
A sparkling royal blue with intense linear holographic shimmer

There are blue holographic polishes, and then there is Health and Comfort. I've see a lot of blue holo shades, but something about the vintage twist on this shade really sets it apart from the rest. I used two flawless coats for these photos.

Happiness and Love
A sparkling rosy coral with intense linear holographic shimmer

I LOVE Happiness and Love! This softer red shade is so beautiful! There are so many classic bright red shades this season, and Happiness and Love is a refreshing change. I had no issues with the formula- it applied nicely for me; I used two coats for these photos.

Family and Friends
A sparkling purple with intense linear holographic shimmer

I hope everyone has "Family and Friends" as glorious as this shade! I wasn't sure how I would feel about a vintage purple hue, but I dig this! The formula was great, and I used two coats for these photos.

Peace and Joy
A sparkling sea green with intense linear holographic shimmer

Peace and Joy is definitely another favorite from this collection. I love all things that remind me of the ocean, and this fabulous blue-green shade is perfect! The formula was fantastic like the rest of the collection,; I used two coats for these photos.

Customers that purchase the full five-piece collection shown above over Black Friday weekend will receive the bonus shade, Holiday Wishes 2015.

Holiday Wishes 2015
A sparkling silver with intense linear holographic shimmer

I definitely need more silver polishes in my collection! It's a shade that always seems to fly under my radar, and I put on something like Holiday Wishes 2015 and I wonder how that is even possible. This shade is amazing! It is only available as a limited edition gift with purchase of the full collection Black Friday weekend, and you don't want to miss out! The full collection is strikingly beautiful, and I definitely encourage picking all of these up for your collections!


The Holiday Wishes Collection launches Friday, November 27th at 12am CST on the ellagee website here.

What do you think of the vintage twist on the classic holiday shades? What are your must-have colours?

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Born Pretty Store: Assorted Stud Set

Press Sample

Good afternoon, dear readers! What's this? A post on a Thursday? I generally don't post on Thursdays, but since I missed my normal Monday post, I wanted to get one up today. Let's get to it!

I have this box of assorted silver studs from Born Pretty Store to share with you today.
These are the assorted studs found in the wheel. The numbered scale bar is in centimeters; each small tick mark is a millimeter.

I had a fairly elaborate look planned with these studs, or at least some of them, but unfortunately it didn't work out as planned. I intended to use the rectangular studs to create a cool pattern on my nails. The problem I encountered is that the studs were just too rigid and could not conform to the curvature of my nails. This wouldn't be an issue if I was going to use them the long way down the center of my nails, but alas, that was not the plan and I had to table the idea. I can use attachments like studs on my nails as long as they stay down, but once they start coming off the sides, it drives me bonkers! Let's check out the final look I ended up with.
I was inspired by this beautiful ruby and diamond braided ring, and I originally wanted to at least loosely mimic the braiding with the studs. Since that was a no-go, I opted to create a pattern on my accent finger with polish and use the little hexagon studs on the remaining nails instead. While this is not what I originally planned, I think it is really cute so I'm happy with the final look.
The direct link to purchase this package of studs can be found here.

Other Products Used:
Cupcake Polish: Just Sleighing Around
Zoya: Trixie

Check out Born Pretty Store for all your nail art needs. You can save 10% off full-priced merchandise with discount code QWL91.


What do you think of this look? What would you do with these studs? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!






Disclaimer:  The products reviewed above were provided to me for my honest and unbiased opinion. All thoughts stated are entirely my own and are based on my use of said products.  I love receiving feedback from my readers, and any comments left here are the express opinions and/or property of the individual authors.  Therefore, I, the author of this site, cannot be held responsible for the opinions held by others.  I reserve the right to remove any comments that I find to be harmful, unnecessary, or not constructive for other readers.




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