Hot pink!

So, I know it's the middle of winter and everyone is doing holiday colors, but I was in the mood to show you guys a gorgeous hot pink.  Let's take a look at my first Limited Edition Lynnderella that I purchased myself instead of receiving it as a gift: Don't Drink this Pink.

*I was not financially compensated for this post.  All items in this review were purchased by me for my own use.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.  For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy in the tab above.*

Color: Hot pink glitter jelly with hot pink holographic glitters.

Finish: Glitter Jelly – glitter in a colored jelly base.

Bottle / Brush:  Rectangle bottle – ribbed cap that is a little hard on the hands to open if you have sensitive skin.  The wand is the standard length, but the brush is a little too thin to pick up large / shaped glitter without fishing.  The brush's width is also an issue for spreading.  It doesn't fan out and pretty much requires you to dab polishes that are densely packed with glitter.

Opacity:  Medium – achieves opacity at three coats, but here I've worn one coat over OPI DS Signature which is a bright pink linear holographic.

Glitter Application: Medium – requires the dab method, but glitters are easy to extract and spread evenly.

Consistency: Thick – thick or it can be clumpy, but is easily remedied with some polish thinner.

Overall Ease of Application: Medium – applies well with minimal pooling, dragging, streaking, or balding.  Spreads well with the dab method.

Stampability: Not designed for stamping.

Dry Time: Quick – dry to the touch without smudging in under 3 minutes.

Overall Thoughts: Holy crap you guys.  This polish is just so INSANELY packed full of hot pink glitters that it just gobbed on super easily, but it's definitely one of those polishes that requires the dab method.  I was able to get the larger glitters out easily despite the brush being thin.  I did leave it upside down for a while before applying.  It's a perfect pairing with DS Signature, too.  The base color and the color of the glitters are exactly the same shade of vibrant pink.  The only thing that makes me sad about this mani is the fact that you can't really see the in your face holo of Signature.  This polish is a MASSIVE topcoat eater, so make sure you either use a generous coat of Gelous, Glitter Food, or Glitter Tamer before putting on your topcoat.  

Sadly, this LE has been discontinued, but you may occasionally find one on a blog sale.  If you do, you need to snap it up as quickly as possible.  It's just.  that.  good.  Seriously.  I purchased my OPI DS Signature on a dusty hunt from a local salon that was a treasure trove of amazing old polishes.  You can purchase Lynnderellas at their store here.  Follow their fan-run Facebook, Twitter, and IG pages.

*I was not financially compensated for this post.  All items in this review were purchased by me for my own use.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.  For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy in the tab above.*

Oldie but Goodie: OPI Liquid Sand The Impossible

Ok, I'm going to be dredging up a lot of photos that I took a loooooong time ago for the next month since I won't be painting my nails as often.  Some of these are from back before I moved in May, so there will be a different lighting scheme going on.  And of course, my nails were much longer and healthier back then for sure!  Either way, I hope that you don't mind the older photos, which also means older polishes, as I work through my No Polish November.  More details on that and a giveaway for those participating in the challenge will be up later this week.  Also, don't forget to get your donations for I Need a Lighthouse for my Depression Awareness Giveaway by 10/31!  Check out the info on what do do here, here, and here for instructions on how to pay with PayPal if you'd rather do that.  Ok, let's get into some polish, shall we?!

Tonight, let's take a look at OPI Liquid Sand The Impossible.  I have the mini bottle, which has a few distinct differences from the larger bottle.  Let's take a look!  Photos are with and without topcoat in indoor lighting.

*I was not financially compensated for this post.  All items in this review were purchased by me for my own use.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.  For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy in the tab above.*

 Color: Bright hot pink with small and medium hot pink hexes.  Leans more red/orange when topcoated.

Finish: Textured – a polish designed to be worn without a topcoat and to have a rough finish once dry.  Finish is gritty and almost sand-like.

Bottle / Brush: OPI Mini bottle – designed as a miniature version of the larger bottles.  The shorter handle and wand make it hard to handle.  The brush is also not as wide as the new pro-brush.

Opacity: Medium – achieves opacity at three coats.  First coat is streaky, but builds well with subsequent coat.  Here, I've done three coats to ensure full coverage for photos.

Glitter Application: Easy – Spreads evenly without much manipulation.

Consistency: Medium – applies easily and doesn’t flood the cuticles.

Overall Ease of Application: Medium – applies well with minimal pooling, dragging, streaking, or balding.  Spreads well without much manipulation.

Stampability: Not tested for stamping.

Dry Time: Long – dry to the touch with minimal smudging in over 8 minutes.  This is my only problem with this polish.  It takes FOREVER to dry.  I think part of that is due to the fact that I'm used to instant gratification with quick dry topcoats, and Liquid Sands are typically worn without a topcoat.  It's not a deal breaker, but it wasn't awesome when I dinged it pretty badly 15 minutes after painting.

Overall Thoughts:  The first thing you'll notice is that the mini bottle's brush is a lot thinner than the standard bottle's wide brush.  Couple the thin brush with the smaller handle, and you get a bottle that's relatively more difficult to handle.  While that was irritating for sure, it didn't completely kill my opinion of this polish.  The second thing you'll notice is that the mini bottles don't contain the cute stars that are in the full sized bottle.  Now that made me sad.  When I started seeing swatches with the stars in it, my heart sank.  I totally would've gotten the big bottle if I had known it had stars that weren't present in my mini!  Ahh well.  C'est la vie!  Otherwise, I really enjoyed this polish.  Dry time was a huge miss for me, but the fact that it's textured means that you couldn't tell that I dinged pretty badly on my ring finger since I was able to manipulate the polish to cover the ding.  Boooyah!  I also really enjoyed this polish with a topcoat.  Tomorrow, I'll show you what it looks like with a glitter topper.  Hint hint: it's hot.

This polish came out last year, but you should still be able to find these where OPIs are sold.

*I was not financially compensated for this post.  All items in this review were purchased by me for my own use.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.  For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy in the tab above.*

ECOPOLO Summer Mani Challenge: Summer Floral

See?  I told you I'd be quicker about getting this week's challenge mani up!  Here's the weekly breakdown:

Well, these didn't turn out as nice as I was hoping.  Don't you hate it when you get an idea in your head but you simply just cannot execute it?  I was attempting to do hibiscus flowers using this tutorial from thatleanne. But yeah, it totally didn't work out.  At all.  I don't know how many times I redid this stupid mani, but I finally decided that what I came up with would just have to do.

I did a mini skittle mani on my thumb, index, and pinkie nails using China Glaze Hawaiian Punch, Zoya Yana, and Zoya Myrta.  Then, I painted two accent nails with Cult Nails Tempest and added my dotted on flowers using Hawaiian Punch and Yana. I used Zoya Myrta to create the pistil, but, as you can see, they were way too thick.

I'm sure I'll eventually get to a review of the three polishes I haven't reviewed yet, but I'll give a quick and dirty blurb about each polish just in case you're curious.

Hawaiian Punch is a gorgeous vibrant red with flashes of pink making it lean more towards a hot pink.  Application was easy, no clumping, pooling, streaking, or dragging.  I used three coats.

Yana is a gorgeous corally pink that actually WORKED on me!  I don't typically do well with Zoya cremes. They either streak like mad or refuse to dry, but Yana was perfect.  Application was super simple and required almost no cleanup.  This is three coats.

Tempest is a gorgeous white that achieves opacity in one thick coat or two coats if you're striving to keep bubbles and shrinkage to a minimum.  Application is a little more tricky than the other two.  If you want opacity with one coat, you have to do three quick swipes without going over parts that have already been painted, otherwise you'll get bald spots.  This is one thick coat and one thin coat.

You can read my review of Myrta here.  It's the old format, but I think you get the idea.  I used two coats because I nicked it a little and wanted to make sure I covered that bit up.

Lastly, I tried out a new quick dry topcoat last night, and it left me with mixed feelings...  Nubar Diamont isn't as thick as Seche Vite or HKGirl, and it doesn't have the same strong smell, either.  It dries super fast and really hard like SV but without the shrinkage and bubbles SV is known for, which is what I've been looking for.  However, it didn't dry shiny.  Take a look up there at my macros of Hawaiian Punch and Yana.  Go ahead.  I'll wait.  Yeah, those would be brush strokes.  Ugh.  I'm not sure if it's just that Diamont doesn't play well with Zoya and China Glaze, or if maybe I allowed the brush to touch the paint, which was mostly dry at that point, and it mixed the paint with the topper?  I'm not sure.  It also smeared the art a little even though I waited  a good 10-15 minutes after painting them to add the topcoat.  So yeah, I'm still going to experiment with Diamont, but I'm a little disappointed with the outcome as of right now.  I received this little baby from a friend who has a huge refill bottle.  I've always wanted to try it out, but I didn't want to commit to a full size bottle in case I hated it.

You can purchase Zoyas at salons or beauty supply shops like Ulta.  You can purchase Cult Nails at their online store here.



What's your favorite summer flower?

Wear Test: Living in a material world, and I am a...

*Press Sample*  Material Girl!  Tonight we're going to take a look at my last Darling Diva polish, Material Girl, and see how it fairs in my durability test!

First up, though, is the finale of my getting to know you questionnaire asked of Darling Diva's creative genius, Carrie!

5) How did you become interested in creating your own polish line? 

 Its a drug, seriously. I started out hand mixing stuff because I didn't see what I wanted or I couldn't get what I wanted and people started to ask if they could buy.

6) Tell me 3 fun facts that people wouldn't ordinarily know about you.  (Hobbies, interests, history, etc)

Fun? What is this word fun? ;) Well I am a hockey heuer. Go Wild <sob>, I am super addicted to Redbull, I have a desk full of toys. Hello Kitty, Sponge Bob, Backyardigans lol.

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of Darling Diva Material Girl for review purposes.  All other polishes in this review were purchased by me for my own use.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy in the tab above.* 

All of the photos interspersed throughout the review portion are from day one.  The wear test info will start on day two.

Color: Bright pink with silver, fuchsia, and hot pink hexes and dots in various sizes, including GINORMOUS.

Finish: Glitter Jelly – glitter in a colored jelly base.

Bottle / Brush: Round bottle – the brush and wand are the standard width and length.  Easy to control and manipulate.

Opacity: Medium – achieves opacity at three coats.

Glitter Application: Easy – Spreads evenly without much manipulation.  The base to glitter ratio, however, is such that you won't get a whole lot of glitter on your brush at first.  Instead, it's best to use a few coats to get the desired glitter coverage.  Here, I've used two coats over Lumina Lacquer's I Want You and three coats alone on my ring finger.

Consistency: Fluid – thin but flows easily from the brush.  Thickens up over time as you work on your mani.

Overall Ease of Application: Medium – applies well with minimal pooling or streaking.  Spreads well without much manipulation.

Stampability: Not designed for stamping.

Two coats of Material Girl over Lumina     3 coats of Material Girl alone

Dry Time: Long – dry to the touch with minimal smudging in over 8 minutes.

Overall Thoughts: I have been blown away by the Material Girl collection, for sure.  They have all been stunners and mostly easy to use, aside from my user error on Lucky Star.  Material Girl was no different!  Application was easy, and the effect was nice.  HOWEVER, I'm a moron and tried a new topcoat that refused to dry.  So, I added another layer...  That also refused to dry, but I went to bed and prayed for the best.  Then, I woke up, and it was shrink city.  Womp womp!  Plus, it was all dull from never really drying.  So, I added a coat of Liquid Lacquer's No Time quick dry top coat, and it was finally shiny and dry.  However, it was crazy thick and the shrinkage damage was already done.  I feel like those factors have skewed the test results, unfortunately.  So, let's see how it held up despite yet another one of my blunders.

Items Used for Wear Test: 
Originally, I hadn't intended to wear Material Girl, a glitter, as my wear test from Darling Diva, but it just happened that way. I'm pretty sure that this polish would've lasted longer than the 3 days had I worn a normal tried and trued topper instead of branching out to something new. 

Here's what I used this time:

• 1 thin coat of Duri Rejuvacote
• 1 thin coat of Orly Bonder on top of the Duri
• 2 coats of Lumina Lacquer I Want You on all but ring finger
• 2 coats of Material Girl on all but ring finger, which is 3 coats alone
• 2 coats of Miss Sporty Discotheque UV topcoat
• 1 coat of Liquid Lacquer No Time

Day Two:
Other than shrinkage, there's only one little chip on my thumb, which was actually a screwup on my part.  Otherwise, no problems with chipping.  Just stupid shrinkage.  Ugh.

Day Three:
Finally have my first proper chip on my thumb.  As you can see, it broke a little, so I think that's why I got a chip.  I also broke my middle fingernail, so I had to remove Material Girl before it got worse.

So, there you have it!  It performed better than most of my glitter jelly manis, and it probably would've been way better had I not screwed the pooch and use an unknown variable.  The color is so rich and saturated, it just glows.  I mean, not literally, but it's one of those polishes that definitely catch your eye.  

You can purchase Darling Diva's Material Girl collection soon!  I'm hearing in a week or two!!  Keep an eye on her Facebook and Twitter for news and updates on its release.  You can purchase Darling Diva Polishes at her store, Llarowe, Mei Mei's Signatures, and Norway Nails.

So, what do you think of the DDP Material Girl collection so far?  Which is your favorite?

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of Darling Diva Material Girl for review purposes.  All other polishes in this review were purchased by me for my own use.* 

Purple Sparkles!

This is going to be interesting...  Let's take a look at three different polishes tonight!  A-England Elaine, Sonoma Nail Art Sonoma Sunset, and a Polish Bar prototype that became Berry Shimmer.  I'm going to attempt to do this in as much order as I can, so I hope it doesn't get too convoluted!

*I was not financially compensated for this post.  All items in this review were purchased by me or swapped for by me for my own use.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.  For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy in the tab above.*

A-England Elaine

Color: Deep purple

Finish: Crème – a flat polish that finishes smooth with full opacity.

Bottle / Brush: Square bottle – long cap with standard size wand.  Average application with standard brush.

Opacity: High – opaque at two coats!

Glitter Application: N/A

Consistency: Medium – applies easily and doesn’t flood the cuticles.

Overall Ease of Application: Easy – applies well without pooling, dragging, streaking, or balding.  Spreads evenly and smoothly.

Stampability: Not tested for stamping.

Dry Time: Medium – dry to the touch with minimal smudging in 3-8 minutes. Overall Thoughts:  Elaine is the perfect purple creme.  It applies with ease and looks beautiful and smooth without any manipulation.  Just a perfect, creamy, vampy purple that looks great on its own as well as with glitters layered on top.  I purchased my A-Englands at Llarowe.

Sonoma Nail Art Sonoma Sunset

Color: Clear base with purple, periwinkle, gun metal, and fuchsia hexes

Finish: Glitter Top Coat – glitter in a clear base to be worn as a top coat.

Bottle / Brush: Round bottle brush – both the wand and the brush are standard width and length.  Easy to control and manipulate.

Opacity: Glitter topcoat – not designed for full opacity.

Glitter Application: Impossible – pools at the cuticles, difficult to spread the glitters evenly, leaves large bald spots unless you apply more than one coat.  You have to be careful because if you try to get enough glitter on your nail with just one coat, it will pool and bulge unevenly on one side and bubble when dry.  The glitter to base ratio is off.  This is two coats.

Consistency: Super thin – runny and floods the cuticles easily.

Overall Ease of Application: Hard – pools at the cuticles.  Does not spread well without massive manipulation.

 Stampability: Not designed for stamping.

Dry Time: Long – dry to the touch with minimal smudging in over 8 minutes. Overall Thoughts:  I think I'm just not in love with Sonoma's formula and consistency.  I love her glitter combinations, but every glitter topper I've tried has had a glitter-to-base ratio that leans heavily in favor of the base.  That's even after storing it upside down for quite a while and rolling to mix it!  I almost always have to use at least two coats to get the glitter coverage I want.  It's really pretty, though, and I love the effect over Elaine.  You can purchase Sonoma Nail Art polishes at her Etsy store.  Follow Michelle on Facebook for news on restocks and new additions to her line.   Oh, and so you know, she has polishes listed right now!  That's a bit of an anomaly.  If you want some of her pretties, get over there stat!

The Polish Bar Berry Shimmer

Color: Clear base with hot pink and purple hexes, squares, and shreds.

Finish: Glitter Top Coat – glitter in a clear base to be worn as a top coat.

Bottle / Brush: Round mini bottle – wand and brush are just long enough to reach the bottom of the bottle.  However, the fact that it’s a mini makes application a little tricky.  Requires a steady hand to apply evenly without pooling.

Opacity: Glitter topcoat – not designed for full opacity.

Glitter Application: Easy – Spreads evenly without much manipulation.

Consistency: Medium – applies easily and doesn’t flood the cuticles.

Overall Ease of Application: Easy – applies well without pooling, dragging, streaking, or balding.  Spreads evenly and smoothly.

Stampability: Not designed for stamping.

Dry Time: Quick – dry to the touch without smudging in under 3 minutes. Overall Thoughts: If you haven't tried out the Polish Bar, you should.  This is one of my favorite glitter toppers, and I'm sad I only have a mini!  I received this beauty in a hand-made polish swap I participate in every couple of months.  The consistency is perfect.  Unlike other glitter topcoats, it isn't clumpy and it doesn't pool or bulge.  It's bright and fun and goes well with Elaine topped with Sonoma Sunset.  The holo bits shine brightly and make this polish seriously bling-tastic.  Absolutely gorgeous!  You can purchase The Polish Bar polishes from her Etsy shop.  Also, follow Janice on Facebook for news and updates.

Which is your favorite glitter topper?

Dollish Polish Dark Elf

This is going to be a quick post as I'm working diligently on updating my blog sale!  I am hoping to have it up tonight, so check back tomorrow.

*I was not financially compensated for this post.  All items in this review were purchased by me for my own use.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.  For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy in the tab above.*

Color: Pink base with pink, purple, and orange fine glitters.

Finish: Glitter Jelly – glitter in a colored jelly base.

Bottle / Brush: Tall skinny round bottle with average brush – long cap with standard size wand.  Some of these brushes come bent.  Average application with standard non-bent brush.  Picks up glitter decently, but it isn’t the best.

Opacity: Medium – achieves opacity at three to four coats.  Probably best over undies.  I have it layered over itself in my swatch shots.

Glitter Application: Medium – requires the dab method, but spreads evenly.

Consistency: Medium – applies easily and doesn’t flood the cuticles.

Overall Ease of Application: Medium – applies well with minimal pooling, dragging, streaking, or balding.  Spreads well with the dab method.  Doesn't shrink or pull back.  Doesn't thicken like many other glitter bombs.

Stampability: Not designed for stamping.

Dry Time: Medium – dry to the touch with minimal smudging in 3-8 minutes.

Overall Thoughts: Dark Elf is one of those polishes that makes you realize why you love indie polish.  It spreads well, isn't too gritty, isn't topcoat hungry, and sparkles like mad.  If you love OPI's Absolutely Alice, in my opinion, Dark Elf is the pink version of AA.  It applies well using the dab method without much trouble.  The only bad part is removal.  Since it's such a densely packed glitter, you'll either need to use some felt or the foil method for removal.

You can purchase Dollish Polish at Dolly's store and on Llarowe.  Follow Dolly on Facebook and Twitter for news and updates.

What's your most sparkly polish?