Review- Enchanted Polish Across the Universe (kickin it old school!)

Can I just start off by saying Hallelujah for Fridays and Amen for 3 day weekends? I am ready for 3 glorious days of rest.  I've decided to take a temp job as a pillow tester and first up are the ones on my bed. I know I know, I'm SUCH a public servant :) Anywho, the last polish I have for you in the oh-so-short indie review week is ancient in polish time. But, it's pretty much one of the polishes that started me into my polish hoarding shame spiral. So it holds a pretty special place in my heart! I bought this bad boy in mid-2012, before the explosion over Enchanteds really took over. Across the Universe is a multi-chrome polish that shifts from blue, to magenta, to purple, and even to gold at extreme angles all with a kiss of linear holo awesome. Check her out!

It's an oil slick in a bottle!

Macro, while gorgeous, does show that ridiculous cuticle flooding I managed to do. Ta-daaaa! lol

Now, I didn't swatch this with just Across the Universe. Rather, I put one coat of Across the Universe over an existing mani of Sally Hansen Insta-Dry in Blazing Blue (a gorgeous blackened navy blue with subtle shimmer) to help bring out the color shift. Not only that, but I turned it into a skittle mani by using these two colors and throwing in some striping tape. Check it out!

The next few photos were taken with my Iphone to try and showcase the color shift

Now contrary to what my photos would have you believe, the color shift is very very apparent; especially over the darker base. The holo added just enough sass and the polish completely glows in the sunlight. It is truly breathtaking. I kept finding reasons to hand people things all while making sure my nails were on top so as to properly showcase my mani's full potential, lol. Now as for the formula, it is sheer and thin. It can be built up on it's own but I prefer to layer it. Also, be careful because it will flood! But to me it is entirely worth it for the end result! It dries super smooth and dry time is average. Top coat does not seem to dull the holo.

Now given that this polish is from such an old collection, it is not available now. So please don't hate me, but how could I not share this with you?!

Well that's all for today ladies, I wish you all a safe and happy Labor Day weekend and I will see you back next week with some spankin new franken creations! But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Review- Mentality Rapture

Hump Daaaaaay! My mom is coming into town this weekend so chances are that I will be tidying up the house and running around like a lunatic until she gets here. Haha! Does anybody else have any fun plans for Labor Day? Do share!

Speaking of sharing, I have a new to me indie brand. Mentality polish was a brand that I discovered while reading Valiantly Varnished. I fell in love immediately with Tempest after seeing Ameerah's swatches on her blog. I strolled on over to the Mentality site and threw Tempest and another polish, Rapture into my cart. Rapture is what I have to show you today

Seriously, how unique is that finish?

Now, check out the holoooooooo

Rapture is described as a sparkling coppery red holographic polish and that doesn't seem to encompass everything that this polish is. It's a linear holographic polish with fiery copper micro glitter. It shines in low light and sunlight because of the holo and the glitter. Formula was fabulous and swatches show two coats with quick dry top coat. It did dry down to a somewhat of a textured finish so if that's not your thing, I suggest top coat. I absolutely fell in love with this polish. I can honestly say that I have nothing like it.

What do you guys think? Have you tried the Mentality brand yet? Well loves, I will be back on Friday with more indie awesomes! Until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Check out Mentality at their Big Cartel Shop. Rapture can be purchased here. Mentality is also on Facebook

Review- Ninja Polish Color Changing Garnet

Hello ladies! Hope everyone is having a good week. I don't know where my head has been, I definitely thought it was Monday. Oh lawdy. I am looking forward to that long Labor Day weekend because, clearly, I'm off my rocker.  It's also possible that I'm a little off kilter from this polish that I'm about to show you today (how's THAT for a segue?!?). I was checking out Ninja Polish awhile ago and came upon Color Changing Garnet. This polish is from the Facets Collection and it's described as a gemstone that shifts "magnificently from a green to gold to red" As if the name enough didn't have me (I'm a die hard Florida State University fan and one of our colors is garnet!), I checked a couple blog swatches and I was totally sold. When I got it in the mail, it was on my nails THAT NIGHT. Check out how gorgeous this nonsense is

That's a macro shot of it on my pointer finger. Stick a fork in me I'm done

And knowing the busy body that I am, I did a super simple tape mani and taped off a double accent mani.

I love how completely and utterly obvious the color shift is in this polish. The micro glitter simultaneously adds depth and to the overall shift effect of the polish. I DIE. Formula was not bad, a tad thin for me but definitely not unworkable. Dry time was decent and the finish was actually relatively smooth. Swatches show two coats on the pointer and pinkie finger over black and one coat on the middle and ring finger over black.

So, what do you guys think? Do any of you have color changing garnet? Do you looooooove it? Well, that's all for today my loves. I've decided to dedicate this week to indie reviews as I am piling up on swatch photos. Since I am a tad behind with posting I will be back again tomorrow with more indie awesomeness. But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

Oh yeah, and, GO NOLES!

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Color Changing Garnet be purchased here and keep up with Ninja Polish on Facebook

Drugstore Digits- Blueberry Muffin

Well, the time has finally come. We have reached the end of our Drugstore Digits Series *tear* I was pretty stoked with how it went overall, what do you guys think?? Hopefully you learned some new stuff from both myself and the awesome guest posters!

So today's final drugstore polish comes to you entirely from Essie. I filled a mini bottle half and half with Essie Rock the Boat, a gorgeous slightly dust sky blue with silver micro shimmer and Stroke of Brilliance, a grey pulling blue glitter topper. What was created reminded me so much of a blueberry, that I didn't even try to fight it and called it Blueberry Muffin.

Gaaahhh I love the juicy blueberry goodness! It reminds me of a different take on the speckled polish. Either way, I love it. Swatches show three coats. It dried surprisingly smooth but I put quick dry top coat on because I don't like it when polish keeps me waiting. It was streaky on the first coat but easily evened out by the second. The glitter was a breeze to spread on the nail. 

Well, this concludes Blueberry Muffin and our Drugstore Digits Series. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Have a great weekend and see you back on Monday for some more new creations! But until next time, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

I bought Rock the Boat from Target and Stroke of Brilliance was received in a swap package. But I know it was sold both at Target and CVS.

Drugstore Digits- Sands of Time

Hello my loves and sorry about the late post. I've been feeling not so awesome and tonight is the first time I've felt well enough to post. So, I will still keep it short and sweet for tonight. But fear not my dear readers, there will still be a post tomorrow to wrap up the series!

So anywho, today's polish is pretty simple. I filled about 1/3 of a mini bottle's worth of China Glaze Angel Wings, which is a super dense holographic gold microglitter topper.  I then followed it up with a little bit more than 1/3 of a bottle's worth of Essie Adore-a-ball which is a sheer white based pink crelly (great for jelly sandwiches!) I shook it up and checked it out and was entirely disappointed. I was hoping for a sheer white(ish) polish with holographic gold microglitter. Yeahhhhhhh, that didn't happen. The polish was almost dirty brown looking. Since I figured I had nothing else to lose, I went for broke and topped the bottle off with Essie Lady Like, a dusty rose cream. I'm not entirely sure what I was hoping for by that point but what I did create was a nude cream polish with gold holographic microglitter. I called it, Sands of Time.

Swatches show two coats which dried down to an almost gritty finish. Therefore, I added 2 coats of Sally Hansen Insta-Dry. Formula was pretty easy, not streaky, and self leveled well. The holo was gorgeous when the light hit it just right!

Well that's all for Sands of Time ladies, see you tomorrow for the final polish in out Drugstore Digits Series! But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

* I bought the China Glaze from Sally's Beauty Supply, Adore-a-ball came from Target, and Lady Like  was included in a previous Birchbox

Drugstore Digits- Guest Post From Michelle of Break Rules Not Nails

Hi ladies! Hope everyone is up at em this morning ready to start a new week! Today I have another guest post for you! This time it's from the uber talented Michelle at Break Rules Not Nails (seriously, check out her Pieta mani, it's insanely detailed * I die)

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Hello out there in Lacquerland, thank you to Becca for inviting me to guest post. Today I have for you I textured franken that I've made using Xanthan Gum. I bought a cheap $1 blue polish, as you do, but it was just too thin to be good for anything, or so I thought. I saw a tutorial on youtube where by adding Xanthan gum to thin polish you can make it thicker. Not meaning to discredit the person or her method, but this did not work for me. Some of the gum must have dissolved as the polish did become thicker, but alot did not and the result was a polish that looked like it had sand in it. Yuck, I thought, who wants that?!! This was before I knew about textured polishes. So I put said polish away in disgust and thought I'd tip it out later and use the bottle. Then came the arrival of textured polishes, I finally bought one and loved it. So I tinkered with the bottle again, added some glitter, (dark and light blue), some drugstore glitter polishes (in a clear base), some more xantham gum and some dark purple nail polish. Here is what I came up with, I shall name her...."Blue it" 

This was my first franken, and I learned quite a few things. For example, you need room in your bottle if you are going to keep putting more in it! I had to tip out polish quite a few times. While bigger glitters work well, fine glitters and shimmers go to waste, as the texture of the polish does not allow these to shine through. Glitter also makes the polish thicker, so in the end I had to thin the whole lot down! Its also useful to know when to stop, to know when it can't go much further without getting too thick and gluggy. Here are the products I used to create "Blue it". Cheap blue craft glitter, China Glaze "Glacier", Satin polish-no name, You polish -shade 015, TT nail lacquer-16 and some Essence express dry nail drops. Some random shimmers and sparkle that I bought online. Compared to the OPI textured polish that I bought this is a little grainier, but I like it all the same. 

Research on xanthan gum is that it is secreted by a bacteria and it is used to thicken, emulsify and stabilize foods. I put some in water and it is amazing how little is needed to obtain a thick gel like substance. I have done some of my own experiments using household products. The gum doesn't dissolve in vinegar, olive oil or acetone. It dissolves in solutions with ph of 7 or less, nail polish has pH of 9. It is also used to thicken concrete and mud for drilling! I hope you have enjoyed my post and my first frankening adventure, it was fun to create and to share it with you. I bought the Xanthan gum at a health food store and as you can see it was not too expensive. I used maybe a 1/4 tsp to create this polish. I have another post coming up of a white textured franken. Thanks again to Becca for having me. xxx

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I have tried to make a textured once, and it was nowhere near as awesome as Michelle's. I love it, thanks Michelle! Make sure to check her out over at Break Rules Not Nails for more awesome manis!  Well my loves, are trucking right through our last week of Drugstore Digits; see you back on Wednesday for great drugstore creations! But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Drugstore Digits- Love, Actually (What Loves Me Not Probably Should Have Been)

Hello my loves and happy Friday! This week seemed to pass it an exhausting blur! I have no intentions of letting up anytime soon as I let a friend talk me into a cardio twerking class tonight. Oh yes you read that right. Good Lord help me lol!

Anywho, today's franken is the brainchild that came from seeing a post from the lovely Melissa at Lacquer Reverie and Clare from Perfectly Painted  reviewing Sally Hansen Loves Me Not. This polish is stinkin awesome in the bottle, inky purple base with gorgeous duochrome glass fleck. But unfortunately, that polish couldn't man (woman?) up and decided to go and hide the glass fleck when on the nail (seriously, the NERVE of some polish!). So I took my cue from that and created my own version using Sally Hansen Insta-Dry in Uptempo Plum, a blackened purple base with gorgeous purple shimmer and Essie Shine of the Times, an oh so infamous topcoat of color shiting flakie goodness. I filled a mini bottle's worth about 3/4 full with Shine of the Times and then proceeded to top it off with Uptempo Plum. I called this creation Love, Actually... because it's better than Loves Me not *na-na-na-na-boo-boo!*

Oh, the glorious colorrrrrrssss!

Color Shift!

While it's not glass fleck Like Loves Me Not is, I love how apparent the flakies are in that gorgeous purple base. The shift is super obvious in that too! Swatches show 2 thick coats, however, be careful,  the coats will drag if you don't give them a couple seconds! Self leveling was not an issue. Well that's all for today! Hope you have enjoyed the first week of Drugstore Digits! See you back next time for more awesome frankens and maybe even another guest post! ;) But until next time, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

I got the Sally Hansen from Walmart and Essie's Shine of the Times from a swap. I hear it might be hard to find. I know they can be found on Google. You can also check out the Revlon Moon Candy Polishes but I cannot vouch for those flakies. I have, however, seen them in Drugstores as recently as last week!

Drugstore Digits- Guest Post from Kate of Kate Kreatez!

Hello my loves! I thought it would be fun to incorporate some guest posts in the Drugstore Digits series to help give you some perspective and fresh ideas from a mind other than my own. The first is Kate from Kate Kreatez!.
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Hi guys! I'm Kate, and this is my drugstore Franken! :) 
To make the base color, I mixed Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Breezy Blue, with the nameless dark blue from the Kiss - Nail Artist Paint&Stencil kits. Then for the shimmer and fleck glitter, I added in Spoiled - My Saturn Broke Down. (Spoiled is considered a drugstore brand right? I consider it one, so I just took a shot and went with it. LOL :p) 
I really like the way it turned out! It's like a shimmery sky-blue/aqua. I only wish my camera would've picked up the shimmer and glitter better on my nails, it's much more sparkly in person! You can see the shimmer a lot better in the bottle-shot.
I think if I had to name this, I would call it Moonstone. I'm not really sure why, but that's what it reminds me of. I like it! :)

~Kate, http://katekreatez.blogspot.com

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Thanks Kate! I love the bright blue, it blends so well with the iridescent glitter! Make sure to check out Kate Kreatez! (especially her Zoya Phoebe and Liberty mani, so stinkin gorgeous!) Well ladies, see you on Friday for more super awesome drugstore creations, but until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Drugstore Digits- Creme de Glitter

Hello my loves and welcome again, to a new installment of the Drugstore Digits series! The series this go around will last for 2 weeks. During these two weeks, posts will be made using frankens made entirely from easy to find drugstore polishes and/or materials. I also have a couple guest posts for you this go around so I am pretty excited!

So let's get to our first polish shall we?

Today's franken is super simple, I took a mini bottle and filled it halfway with China Glaze Glitter All the Way (a super dense glitter with small red, green, gold, and purple micro glitter and larger green metallic hexes) and topped off the remainder of the bottle with L'oreal Creme de Mint (a medium yellowed toned bright green jelly). What I created was a pretty sweet green jelly chock full of glitter!

Ermagherd glerter! 

This polish is so fun! Glitter All the Way came from a past China Glaze Holiday Collection but I find that the addition of the purple glitter prevents it from only being able to be used during the holiday season. In my opinion, this polish had Mardi Gras written all over it! Formula was super easy and swatches show two coats plus one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dry. I love that the jelly was translucent enough to show the glitter swimming in the green base but dense enough to be opaque in three coats. What do you guys think?

Well that's all for today! See you next time for more awesome drugstore creations!

Today's Supplies Are From:

I bought my China Glaze from Sally's Beauty Supply a couple months back and my Creme de Mint from CVS. When all else fails, eugooglize it!

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So until next time my loves, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Pink Phantom

We've made it to the end of another week my friends! Hopefully we've all made it in one piece? I do have a small announcement and I figured I'd just go ahead and get it out of the way first. Next week will begin two whole weeks worth of Drugstore Digits! I'm super excited to bring this back and for those of you not familiar, Drugstore Digits is where I make frankens comprised entirely (or almost entirely) of polishes that can be found in your local everyday drugstore or supermarket! I definitely have some cool stuff planned!

Moving on, so today's polish I decided to name Pink Phantom, for reasons I will explain in a sec. But I tried to google something super awesome and found this

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Apparently those little guys that Pac-Man tries to avoid are ghosts, or PHANTOMS. Who knew? I'm not sure what exactly I thought they were in the first place (squid?), but I've officially been schooled on some knowledge. Anywho, back to the polish! I started out with 3/4 of a mini bottle's worth of TKB Glamour base. I then added one small scoop of Misfits on 8th Pink Neon pigment. I followed it up with one good sized scoop of fine orange shimmer which I purchased from a retailer which is no longer selling franken products (bummer). Finally I added another good sized scoop of Misfits on 8th Pink Glow Pigment. Check out why I call it Pink Phantom

Peekaboo! Orange shimmer!

I thought this was a great angle to see how glowy the orange shimmer was in the pink base!

Now the reason I called it phantom....

Tadaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.........aaaaaaaa!!

Swatches show 3 coats plus one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dry (which doesn't effect the glow at all). My nails were charge for about 30-45 seconds. Be aware, I have found that glow pigment does tend to thicken up your base a bit so be careful! The formula was very easy to work with despite being a little thick.  It wasn't difficult to level and I don't think the dry time would have been to terrible either. I love how glowy the polish is even when the glow pigment isn't charged up! Seems like a fitting polish to have towards the end of summer. We have already all been seeing the Fall vamps that have been coming out.

Well that's all for today ladies, see you next week for the beginning on another absolutely admittingly awesome Drugstore Digits series! But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Today's Supplied Are From:

* TKB Glamour Base

* Misfits on 8th Pink Neon Pigment

* Misfits on 8th Pink Glow