Thursday, December 31, 2015

My 20 Most Loved Indie Shades of 2015

Good morning, dear readers! I can't believe that it is the end of the year and tomorrow starts a new one! While some of the days have been long, the time has just flown by for me. I'm eager to see what 2016 brings!

For today's post, I wanted to share my most loved indie polishes from this past year. It's definitely not easy to narrow it down when there are so many gorgeous shades to choose from, and this list consists of the polishes I wore most often and/or for the longest. Being a blogger, I don't get to wear polishes for long, so if I wore something more than two days, it had to be special. I hesitate to say "best" as there were so many stunning polishes and my mood and attire choices often dictated what I was feeling. There are certainly many polishes I absolutely love that didn't get much wear time this year for one reason or another, so please keep that in mind as you read this post. Some of these I have already reviewed and I will include the link to the original review while others are making their debut on my blog. Without further ado, here are my most loved 20 indie polishes of 2015!

Doomfire
Baroness X
Doomfire is making her stunning debut on my blog today! This is a Limited Edition shade that was created exclusively for Baroness X fans in the corresponding Facebook group. I definitely recommend checking out the group and enjoying some Baroness X chit chat!

Help Me Obi-Wan Kenobi, You're My Only Hope
It was love at first stroke with this ethereal shade, and I can see if being a popular one for me in 2016 as well. This photo just does not do it justice. Here is the original post.

I Know
Another Star Wars inspired shade? You betcha! This whole collection is phenomenal, but the glitter accents in I Know is what made me add it to this list. My review can be read here.

Space Time
This photographed a little more green than it is in real life, although my skin tone does seem to emphasize the green-lean of this teal shade. Between the base, the shimmers, the flakies and the glitters, there is so much sparkle going on with this beauty!

Arboreal
If you would have told me a year ago that I would be putting a creme on my list of most loved polishes, I probably would have thought you were crazy. Since its release in the Creme a la Mode box, I can't seem to get enough of this gorgeous shade and buttery smooth formula.
Review here.

Fear is the Path to the Dark Side
Oh look, another Star Wars shade! Don't hate; I am The Jedi Wife, afterall! Of course I seemed to have selected the Dark Side. It's the combination of red, magenta and orange glitters in this polish that won me over. My review is here.

Gilded Garden
There is something about this vintage gold polish that kept calling me back. Gilded Garden was my most worn neutral shade in 2015!

High Priestess
I love a great shimmer polish, and this strawberry red is scrumptious! I also have a particular fondness for the inspiration, and the design of this polish was very well executed.

From Far and Wide
Exclusive to Harlow & Co, From Far and Wide quickly became my go-to shade whenever I wanted a touch of aquamarine on my nails. It is such a peaceful shade, and it makes me think of the ocean every time I look at it. My original review is here.

Sequins of Events
Rose gold bling in a bottle? Sign me up! It may be another shade that release late in the year, but I've certainly enjoyed the sparkle this holiday season!

A Sensible Rabbit
I was a little unsure of A Sensible Rabbit based on the description of taupe with black microglitters, but it looks fabulous of the nails! It is a fantastic neutral shade and part of a collaboration from the 2015 Community Collection reviewed here.

Salt and Sweetness
An Addicted to Holos box exclusive, this is certainly a shade to keep an eye out for in a destash! Those glass flecks against the base really make me weak at the knees! My original post can be read here.

Veritaserum
Fleck, flecks, and even more flecks! AHHHH! I've been dazzled by all the flecks in this truth serum Harry Potter-inspired polish. My review is here.

Fritillaria
I'm sure it comes as no surprise that an orange-leaning coral is on my list, but it is the subtle flashes of gold that make me swoon for this beauty! Review here.

What a Terrible World
This flake topper was part of the April duo by Pahlish, but I found myself wearing it over so many other polishes this past year instead. As much as I love these types of flakes, I only like them in moderation, and this topper had the perfect density for my taste. I especially loved it over blue as shared on my blog previously here.

Pumpkin Spice Girl
I have to give orange some more love with this Pipe Down This Love is Bliss box exclusive shade. October is such a wonderful month for me because there are so many beautiful orange polishes released, and this glittered beauty stole my heart.

Nose So Bright
I have a certain affinity for red jelly polishes with interested glitters or flakes, and Nose So Bright feels like it was made just for me. Of course I know it wasn't, but I'm going to say it is anyway. This is part of the holiday collection I reviewed here.

Furiosa
I found myself drawn towards slate blue-greys more so than bright blues this past year, and Furiosa was certainly a hit for me. It's those gunmetal and silver flecks, you guys, I just can't resist them!

Rotten to the Carmeled Core
I enjoy thermal polishes from time to time, and when I do, I like my nails to remind me of caramel covered apples. I may be drooling and craving one now as I write this post now that I've seen this photo. Review here.

Oct. 21, 2015
Who would have guessed that one of my favorite polishes from this year is a frosty lilac? It's a colour I often admire on other skin tones but dislike on my own, but when I saw this beauty, my response was IDGAF if it works on me or not. This is an awesome polish released for Back to the Future day and needed to be included in my list. My original review is here.

Bonus Shades
I have to mention these two shades because they got so much love from me this year, but I didn't include them in my original list of twenty above because they were both polishes designed in collaboration with me for my blogiversary. I felt like it would be cheating to include them in my list of twenty for that reason, but I'm not leaving my babies out in the cold!

Cast From Stormhold
Dark, moody and fleck filled, Cast From Stormhold is one of my favorite shades of all time! You can read up on the details of my inspiration here.

Let's Do This!
Orange? Check! A phrase I use often on the blog? Yep! This is certainly me in both colour and name! My original review can be read here.

This concludes my list of most loved indie shades in 2015, and what do you know, it wasn't all orange! Haha! I'm looking forward to seeing the beauties that my favorite indies release next year! I also have a list of indies that caught my attention this year that I need to try!

What do you think of my list? Are any of them your favorites? I'd love to hear your top picks!

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













Wednesday, December 30, 2015

You Polish: Alice Inspired Nail Decals

Press Sample

Greetings, dear readers! I hope this post finds you well as 2015 is quickly coming to a close! I wish I could say things were great here, but I am still really sick and now both my kids are ill. It's been rough going, but hopefully it means we can all start out the New Year healthy! I did want to get this post up quickly today before the launch, so let's do this!
I love using decals in my nail art, and I was so excited to hear that Lauren of You Polish had created a sheet inspired by Alice in Wonderland. It's a story I enjoy greatly, and I had the pleasure of introducing my toddler to the old Disney film this week. The sheet is filled with decals of the Cheshire cat, the rabbit, his watch, the Mad Hatter, teapots and teacups, and of course, Alice herself. I wanted a fun and lighthearted look to go with these decals; check it out!
Ahh! I'm loving these! I had so much fun creating this look, and I think I need to plan a Queen of Hearts mani some time soon!

The Alice inspired decals just launched on the You Polish site here. There are other really cute decals and stencils at the shop so check them out while you're there. You can also save 10% off your purchase with discount code jediwife10.

Other products used (in order of nail from left to right)
Literary Lacquers: Breathing Dreams Like Air
Octopus Party Nail Lacquer: Malibu Stacy's Mom
Fair Maiden Polish: Fire Frost
Superchic Lacquer: Crystal Blue Persuasion and Dumb Luck
China Glaze: Liquid Leather
Indigo Bananas: Sequins of Events

Back to bed for me so I can get over this cold! Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!




Monday, December 28, 2015

Reflections on 2015: Nail Art

Good morning, dear readers! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and for those that celebrate Christmas, I hope it was filled with family, friends and fun! The universe decided I needed to get sick one more time this year, and I am currently at home getting a lot of rest while I recover. Thankfully it waited until after Christmas and only came on yesterday; I'm hoping for a speedy recovery!

I am amazed that 2015 is almost over! It has been a hectic year between buying a house, moving, having another baby and two surgeries; I'm definitely planning on taking it easy in 2016! My husband and I often joke that "big" things only seem to happen to us in odd years, so hopefully the trend continues! On the blog front, 2015 saw an increase in nail art from previous years. I definitely have fun expressing my more creative side, and I suspect there will be a fair bit of nail art in 2016! For today, I wanted to share some of my favorite looks from this past year. I'll include the links for the original post if you want to check out the details on what I used and how I created the looks. Let's do this!





















It has definitely been a fun art-filled day, and I'm looking forward to seeing what inspires me next year!

What looks are your favorites? Is there anything you want me to attempt next year?

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





















Friday, December 25, 2015

Gingerbread People Nail Art

Good morning, dear readers, and Merry Christmas to those that celebrate! I'm spending time with my family today, but I wanted to get my post up featuring my gingerbread people nail art. Check it out!

To create this look, I used Gunpowder Lacquer Rebel Moon and Girly Bits Cosmetics Hot! Hot! Hot! for my base shades. I used wavy vinyls by KBShimmer and a bow charm from Born Pretty Store on my accent nail. To create my gingerbread people's faces, I used Zoya Purity, Willa and Amal.

My gingerbread lady needs a little help with her eyeliner and mascara, and someone suggested she's been drinking too much eggnog- I have to agree! Ha!

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









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