Alchemy Lacquers Review - Snowberry

* This polish was purchased by  me *

Hello my friends! I ended up taking the rest of the week off from blogging. The last post was surprisingly difficult for me; so between that and a couple migraines, I was out of commission for a bit. But, I am back and refreshed! Hope everyone had a great weekend. Anyone been keeping up with the Walking Dead? If so, what did you think of the season finale last night? 

So for today's pretty, I bring you another Alchemy Lacquer (sick of them yet? Didn't think so!) This lovely lady is called Snowberry

This gorgeous polish has a silver foil base with multiple sizes of medium blue holo hexes. All swatches show two thick coats plus fast dry top coat to speed up dry time. The finish to this was surprisingly smooth even without top coat.

Full sun

Check out the shiny foil goodness and the way it plays with the blue holo, gah, I lurrrrve it! This is not one of those polishes that needs full sun to keep it complex. Fomula was buttery smooth and easily spreadable. Seriously, perfection.

Well, that's all for Snowberrt, check it out the next time you check out Alchemy Lacquers at their shop, onInstagram, or on their Facebook! (However, the shop may be temporarily closed to prepare for the Spring line)

In Memorial- Rachel's Polish

Hold on to your seats my friends, this post will get a little personal. If stuff like this tends to make you uncomfortable, I suggest you skip this post.

Most of you know me as a blogger, some of you know me also as a friend. What pretty much no one knows is in 2007, I had an older sister that passed away from complications of longer term kidney disease. She was 27 and I was still in college. She passed away in July and that day is always hard for me. But you know what is harder? Her birthday. That day is today. While it is extremely difficult and still somewhat surreal to lose someone so young (my little sister was around 11 when it happened), I still thank God that I was able to experience what little time I was able to with her…. even if she was a butthead….. a lot…. like, A LOT. So today, rather than go through the day ducking my head and avoiding people as much as possible without being rude (that's not the way I want t o honor someone), I decided to make a polish in her favorite color, purple. As weird as it sounds, this color has become very important to me and is even going to be one of my wedding colors! So let's check out what I simply called, Rachel's Polish

This lacquer, as usual, started out with TKB Luster base. I followed it up by adding 2 small scoops of TKB EZB 82nd Avenue (a bright neon pink toned purple powder mica),  2.5 small scoops of TKB EZB College Blue (a bright neon mid toned blue powder pigment),  2 drops of thinned down TKB white nail polish colorant to help make the polish opaque, 3/4 of a small scoop of TKB Green Sparks! shimmer, and one small scoop of TKB Cherika Moon (larger particle shimmer which shifts from blue to purple to red to orange).

Couple things, this polish is definitely a bit more neon pink toned but my camera was having none of that. Also, at extreme angles, you could catch the shimmer shift to a badass neon pink but again, the camera was all NOPE. That being said, I definitely like the blue shimmer as it is. Swatch shows 3 coats w/ minimal VNL, plus top coat. Formula was partly between thick and thin and super easy to spread. Dry time was not tested due to the use of fast dry top coat but I did dent my nails about an hour later still (drat!). I love how I was able to combine the purple that my sister loves with the blues and the greens that I love. I think this polish turned out well and I intend to wear it when we go out to dinner tonight to her favorite restaurant!

Well, that's all for now! I hope you liked Rachel's polish, I'm sure she would have! See you around next time for more franken creations! But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Today's Supplies Are From:

* TKB trading

… Meh

I envisioned it. I made it. I wasn't crazy about it… Meh

This monstrosity started with TKB Luster Base. Next, 2 drops of TKB Black Nail Polish Colorant was added followed by 12-14 drops of Magic Diamond nail polish (a silver foil franken base). Then, I added 3 small scoops of TKB EZB 82nd Ave powder pigment (an almost neon pink toned purple color). Lastly, I added 2 medium scoops of Glitter Unique's .035 Blue-Green Iridescent Squares.

Swatches show two coats plus fast dry top coat. Formula was surprisingly easy. I was hoping for a rich purple foil with peekings of color shifting iridescence. I guess it's KINDA that but just….meh…. Lol.

Well that's all for today my friends, see you back next time with hopefully more promising prospects. But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Today's Supplies Are From:

* TIB Luster Base, Magic Diamond Nail Polish, Black nail polish colorant, and EZB 82nd Ave powder pigment: TKB Trading

* Blue-Green .035 Iridescent Squares: Glitter Unique

Alchemy Lacquers Unicorn Horn - Review

*Purchased by Me*

Manic monday my friends. Hopefully you had such a wonderful weekend, you aren't bothered by the start of another week. Maybe a little glittah to help you with your Monday? Today, I have Alchemy Lacquers Unicorn Horn to show you!

It is tough to pin down the colors in this beauty as there is pretty much every color ever in there (with some possible holo). All I know is this thing sparkles more than an effeminate vampire in broad daylight AND I LOVE IT. Swatches show two thick coats and while the macro does make it look like there is not enough coverage, it definitely did not look like that in real life. To the naked eye this thing is full coverage and gorgeous. Fast dry top coat was added to aid in smoothness. It was smooth after one coat of topcoat as the microglitters were small enough to keep from any major to coat eating. Formula was thick due to the serious glitter saturation but super easy to spread. There were no leveling issues.

Well, that's all for Unicorn Horn, check it out the next time you check out Alchemy Lacquers at their shop, on Instagram, or on their Facebook!

See you around next time for more awesome pretties, but until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Luck of the Irish **pic heavy**

I'm not normally one to make my polishes based on season or holiday. However, for this St. Patrick's Day we are picking up the torch our friends passed off of having an all green breakfast for St. Patty's Day Saturday (even though the holiday is actually Monday) complete with this amazing looking concoction. So, in order to properly commemorate our first green breakfast, I decided to make a St. Patrick's Day Nail Polish!

Because I knew I would be using this for a few manis, I went for broke and made a full size bottle. Proportions will be adjusted accordingly. I started off with 3/4 of a bottles worth of TKB Luster Base. Then I added 8-10 drops of Vanti805's Green Blend liquid pigment (this is a mid toned slightly yellow green) which I have cut with a bit of Luster Base and nail polish thinner and 4 drops TKB Black Nail Polish Colorant to darken up the base and prepare for the holo (which will lighten up a base color). Next, I added multiple drops (lost count!) of liquid Spectraflair size 14 holo pigment. Lastly, I added one small scoop each of TKB Gold Reflecks micro glitter and Shanira Sun (gold to green to blue shifting) glass fleck like powder. And now, I bombard you with photos!

Oddly enough this was the best macro photo I could get, I'm sorry!

Artificial light

Here is a shot of the polish in natural light, when I wasn't driving of course

If you enlarge this photo, you can see the glass fleck shimmer

Swatches show two easy coats with no clean up! I added one coat of top coat for shine and to help my lucky mani last. Swatches are actually a full 24 hours after my nails were painted and there is pretty much no tip wear. This polish throws fiery rainbows in the sun and the color shifting glass fleck keeps the polish from being too boring in low light. It's not a typical color for me to where, but I am absolutely and totally in love with it. I will wear this many times that is FO SHO.

Also a quick note, this is the first time I've really been able to play with the Spectraflair suspend in a base and it is fantastic. It comes with a dropette but I find that it wastes more product than I wanted so I prefer to pour it drop by drop directly from the bottle.

Well that's all for Luck of the Irish. What do you think? Do you have any special mani plans for St. Patty's Day? Anywho, hope to see you back next time for more polish awesomeness! But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Today's Supplies Are From:

* Luster Base, Shanira Sun, Gold Reflecks, and Black Nail Polish Colorant: TKB Trading

* Green Blend Liquid Colorant: Vanti805

* Spectraflair 14: Spectraflair4u

Robotic

Man, I'm having one of those sit down moments where I am at a loss for what to write. I just asked my fiancé for some help with the inspiration and he just told me to think of him, lol. This writer's block is kind of embarrassing… so rather than sit here and bask in my awkwardness, let's skip straight into today's franken!

This polish is very similar to the one from Monday in the way it was made. I started out with TKB Luster base and then added one medium scoop of Coastal Scents Antique Silver powder mica. Next, I added 3 small scoops of TKB Turquoise Tweak (Reflecks micro glitter). Finally, to help give it more dimension, I finished the polish off with 3/4 of a small scoop of Coastal Scents Crystal Blue (a white larger powdered mica with medium blue interference).

It's totally silver but then BAM, blue!

The Reflecks were spectacular at adding a bit of sparkle and a TON of dimension to the polish. I also real like that it pulled the antique silver color slightly blue. Swatches show two thick coats plus one coat of fast dry top coat. Despite the microglitter, the polish did dry surprisingly smooth. Top coat was just used for the speeding up process. The polish was easily spread and it self leveled on it's own. No pooling or dragging! 

I know we are getting out of the season of dark colors but I can't help it, I just love em :) Well that's all for today my friends! See you next time for more franken awesomeness! But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Today's Supplies Are From:

* Luster Base and Turquoise Tweak Reflecks: TKB Trading

* Antique Silver and Crystal Blue micas: Coastal Scents

Gilded Plus I'm Part of a Surprise Birthday Giveaway!

Hello my loves! I am so happy to see you, even if its at the beginning of another week! I enjoyed having some girl time over the weekend. Which was AWESOME for everyone except my wallet….. my wallet is still crying. Did anyone else do anything exciting?

Let's get into today's franken and then I will introduce you to the awesome giveaway I am taking part in! Gilded might be a bit of a give away of what this polish is about, but just in case there is any question…

This polish starts with TKB Luster base (about 3/4 of a mini bottle's worth).  Then I added 3 drops of TKB Basic Yellow Jellie colorant (which had been thinned out with polish thinner to make for easier mixing). Finally, I added 3 small scoops of TKB Pinky Pink Reflecks micro glitter, one small scoop Coastal Scents Bordeaux Glitter (a dark wine red color), and 2 medium scoops Coastal Scents 24 Karat Gold Mica (which is more of a yellow/orange antique gold mica powder)

The base of this polish is definitely an orangey tinged gold color. However, the Reflecks and glitter add dimension to the polish and help it look more multifaceted and interesting. Swatches show two coats plus fast dry top coat.  There were no issues with the formula. This is not the most flattering on my skin tone, but I dig the concept!

Well, that's all for today's franken so let's get into the giveaway shall we? I am super stoked to be part of Liesl Loves Pretty Things 2nd Blogaversary Giveaway! 2 years is a pretty big accomplishment and I am so happy to see Liesl's blog growing everyday. The giveaway will be open internationally and is open until March 24th. There are TWO winners for this giveaway and the prizes include a $25 gift card to Color4Nails or a $25 gift card to Cult Nails. Be sure to note the rules, enter ASAP, and go wish Liesl a happy blogaversary! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today's Supplies Are From:

* Luster Base, Basic Yellow Jellies, and Pinky Pink Reflecks: TKB Trading

* Bordeaux Glitter and 24 Karat Gold Pigment: Coastal Scents

Golden Coral

Betcha can't guess what today's polish looks like based on the post title. THAT, my friends, is creativity at it's finest. Consider yourselves lucky that I'm sharing it with you. Lol, who am I kidding? That's terrible. Hopefully you can make it past the name long enough to check out the actual redeeming qualities of this beauty! Of course, I could play it off like a Golden Corral restaurant joke, but Lord knows that place is NOT funny…. *shudder*

I started this polish off with TKB Luster Base. I next added one drop of TKB Basic Red Nail Polish Colorant to tint the base a red jelly color. Finally, I added 2 medium scoops of Glitter Unique's Rose Gold micro flakies and one medium scoop of TKB Gold Reflecks. When all was said and done, I created a pinky red coral with gold micro flakies!

Photos show the polish as a little more orange toned than it really is. But this thing is gorgeous! Oh, the feels! There is this gorgeous soft gold shifter coming from the reflecks and the microflakies add some awesome dimension. Swatches show two coats plus fast dry top coat. Formula self leveled like a boss and there were no problems with dragging or balding. Such a lovely juicy color for when the weather warms up! What do you think?

Well that's all for Golden Coral! I hope you have a wonderful safe weekend! See you back next time for more creative genius! Heh.

But until then, remember to always keep it classy and creative

xo

Today's Supplies Are From:

* TKB Luster Base, Basic Red Nail Polish, and Gold Reflecks: TKB Trading

* Red-Gold Micro Flakies: Glitter Unique

Graphite and Gemstones

Hello my lacquered lovelies and happy humpday, what whaaaaaat! Not that you've asked for an update, but we've started the beginning phases of planning the wedding and so far we have settled on a cruise in mid 2015. I've never been on a cruise wedding so I'm super stoked! Have you ever been on one? It almost seems ridiculous to talk about a cruise with all that polar nonsense going on, but a girl can dream right?

Enough of my babbling…. for now, let's check out today'd franken!

I started off with 3/4 of a mini bottle's worth of TKB Luster Base. Then, I added one drop of TKB Black Nail Polish colorant to help tint the base. Next I added 2 medium scoops of Glitter Unique's GUn Metal Micro Falkies. Finally, I added 2 medium scoops of YouMix Glitter's Mad for Matter Mix

Teeeeeeny tiny flakies!

It's like a little glitter party on mah nails! The gun metal color of the base acts as a perfect contrast to the matte multicolored glitter. Swatches show three coats which were buttery smooth. Formula was manageably thick and easily spread. The mani was topped off with one coat of Glisten & Glow HK Girl top coat.

What do you think?

Well that's all for today. Hope to see you around next time for more franken adventures! But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Today's Supplies Are From:

* Luster Base and Black Nail Polish Colorant: TKB Trading

* Gun Metal Micro Flakies: Glitter Unique

* Made For Matte Mix: This mix is from YouMix glitters however, the shop is temporarily down :(

I bit the Bloglovin' Bullet!

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We'll Never Be Royals

Hello my dears, hope everyone has had a wonderful start to their week. I'm going to try and keep this post relatively short as I've been battling a migraine for awhile. That being said, bet your are wondering what kind of franken could possibly have spawned a name from a lyric like Lorde's "Royals"? The answer is this one

I also want to apologize as I'm not entirely sure what was going on with my brain when I was photographing. I'm missing a couple of my normal shots. 

Anywho, after having the standard 3/4 of a bottle of TKB Luster Base, this polish started off with a brand new colorant that I found from an Etsy shop called Vanti805 and it is a liquid polish colorant called Violet #2 Breeze Color Base. Please be aware when looking through the shop, that some of the colorants are formulated to be much more concentrated than others. For example, the Breeze Color Bases are better for making jellies and are not meant to make opaque polishes. So, I added 6 drops of Violet #2. I finished the polish off with one small scoop of Bronze Reflecks. Easy peasy.

One coat over China Glaze VIII (kicking it old school!)

Swatches of the polish alone shows three coats plus one coat of HK Girl top coat and there is still VNL. So if that bothers you, this jelly will obviously be a layering polish for you. Despite the glitter, the polish dried smoothly. While the formula was easy and self leveled well, I found this polish…. I dunno, boring? It needed a new dimension of maybe smaller shimmer or larger glitter, but I think it just seems unfinished as it is now. I love the idea and that gorgeous royal purple color, but I don't think I could wear this again without spicing it up. What do you think?

Well that's all for today my loves! Hope you have a fabulous day and I will see you later for more franken pretties! But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Today's Supplies Are From:

* TKB Luster Base and Bronze Reflecks: TKB Trading

* Violet #2 Breeze Color Base: Vanti805