Monday, August 31, 2015

Bohemian Polish Moste Potente Potions Collection

*press sample*
 
Hello Muggles and Wizards alike! Today's post features a beautiful sampling of potions from Slug & Jiggers Apothecary  (Bohemian Polish) called the Moste Potente Potions Collection. This collection consists of 7 holographic potions, and I have them all for your viewing pleasure. I will also be talking about the amazing cuticle oil you see pictured below. This collection releases tomorrow, so be sure to check out all the potions here before sending off your owls to Slug & Jiggers.
This blogger package was the cutest, most thought out one I have ever received. Apprentice at Slug & Jiggers, Jennifer sent a letter with awesome descriptions of every potion. You can see it in the picture below. I'll be using her descriptions from the blogger letter in this post because they were just that great and so well written. Let's not delay any longer though. Let's see what beautiful creations have come out of Slug & Jiggers!!

(Moste Potente Potions Collection. I'll have a top coat review in a few days)

The first potion I have for you today is "Love Potion No. 9 3/4", which is a bubblegum pink holographic potion with iridescent flakes. Made with Amortentia in mind, this potion will make you fall under its spell with its smooth and sparkly finish. I can't get enough of pink and the iridescent flakes in this polish along with the holo make it that much more unique and beautiful. The formula on this one was good. I used three coats with top coat for my pictures below. I also stamped a 9 3/4 on my accent nail using My Online Shop plate .

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box)

(Outdoor Sunlight)

Next up is "Don't Mind The Steam", which is a magenta holographic potion with gold shimmer. Like Pepperup Potion, this bold potion will have you feeling fabulous in no time. Another gorgeous pink to add to my collection. I can see myself wearing this one over and over again. Formula on this one was great as well. I used three coats with top coat for my pictures. I also stamped my accent nail with My Online Shop plate . Stamping was not cooperating after this one, so I swatched the rest of the collection without stamping.

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box)

(Outdoor Sunlight)
 
Next up we have a little "Liquid Luck", perfect for when you need that little something extra to help you succeed. "Liquid Luck" is a warm golden-orange holographic polish with warm gold glitter. Like Felix Felicis you can do no wrong with this potion! I am loving this potion, especially for fall. Fall is my favorite time of year, right ahead of winter (I'm from Alaska, I actually prefer the cold lol), so I am so excited for fall manis! Formula on this was great. I used three coats with top coat for my pictures below.

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box)

(Outdoor Sunlight, not color accurate)
 
Next up is "Steal Your Face", which is a green holographic polish with green to red color shifting shimmer. Unlike Polyjuice Potion, you won't have to drink this potion to get the full shifty effect! I like this potion, however, I couldn't seem to see the shimmer very easily in this like I was thinking I would just by reading the description. I don't know why. Formula was good though. I used three coats with top coat for my pictures. My macro shots of this polish leaned more to almost a yellow, but the more color accurate is my full swatch.

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box, not color accurate)

(Outdoor Sunlight, not color accurate)
 
Next up is "Furry Little Problem Solver", which is the newest addition to the Slug and Jiggers cosmetic potion line! Inspired by Wolfsbane Potion, this bright blue holographic potion has iridescent flakes that bottle the moon and tame the wild werewolf within. I really love this potion! Blue is slowly starting to be one of my favorite colors to wear and this one will gets plenty of use! Formula on this one was a little bit thicker than the others, but I was able to get it opaque in two coats instead of three like the others. Two coats with top coat for my pictures.

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box)

(Outdoor Sunlight)
 
Next up is another favorite of mine from this collection (I think I have a few), "See No Dreams", which is a soft purple holographic potion with purple to blue color shifting glitter. You can rest easy wearing this potion without worrying about You-Know-Who or his masked goons finding you, but there's no need to take Dreamless Sleep. This purple is GORGEOUS!! I absolutely love it! Formula was great here as well. Again I used three coats with top coat for my pictures.

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box)

(Outdoor Sunlight)
 
Last of the potions in this collection is "Half-Life", which is a silver linear holographic polish with a metallic finish. Unlike the others on this list, Half-Life is not a potion at all but a cursed ingredient, unicorn blood. Drinking this gives the user a cursed existence, so settle for putting this on your nails and being a magical unicorn instead. This... Polish... Is... Amazing! A definte must from this collection. I am obsessed with linear holo and this one is perfect! Formula is great again, and I only needed two coats with top coat for my pictures below.

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box)

(Outdoor Sunlight)
 
The last thing I have to talk to you about it the cuticle oil that I was sent with this collection too. I absolutely love it! It is scented EXACTLY like Butterbeer and I haven't been able to stop applying it to my cuticles. It really is my favorite scent ever and I wish more people made body products in this scent. I would buy them all! The oil comes in a rollerball applicator which makes it incredibly easy to apply. I think rollerball and doe foot applicators are my favorite when it comes to cuticle oil, so I will for sure be using this frequently, not just because it smells delicious, but because its easy. I also think I need a back up or two of it as well, because I KNOW I will be using it a lot! This oil soaks into your cuticles at an average time. Not too quick, and not too long where your fingers stay oily for ages. I've been using it non stop for two days and have barely used it up, so you don't need a lot of it either. In those two days, I have had some hard hangnails (Is there a term for those?) On my pointer and pinkie that just don't seem to be going anywhere, until I used this oil. They seem much softer already and I feel like they will be gone in another couple days with consistent use. I highly recommend this one! 

(Butterbeer Cuticle Oil)

Well what are your thoughts on the Moste Potente Potions collection? Which ones are your favorites? Let me know in the comments below! One more excerpt from the awesome blogger note for pricing info: "We anticipate the release of this potions kit to occur on September 1st, 2015 (8pm EST), and shall have it prepared to be owled to any of our customers who may purchase the potions. Each potion is priced at $9 USD, or approximately 15 sickles and 5 knuts, with the exception of "Half-Life", which will sell for $10 USD, or approximately 1 galleon. Please note that your customers may make a purchase of these items using the discount code WANDCORE to receive 20% off of their total." Do you see that?!?! Reading to the end pays off for you because now you also have a coupon code to use on this amazing collection! The cuticle oil will retail for $4.50 as well. You may purchase this collection and cuticle oil here. Also be sure to follow @bohemian_polish and like their Facebook page here to keep up with all things Bohemian Polish related. I hope you enjoyed today's post as much as I did. If you did, please subscribe via email or GFC before you leave! Until next time, happy polishing!

Instagram: @polishednshined
Twitter: @polishednshined
Facebook: Polished And Shined



















Saturday, August 29, 2015

Firecracker Lacquer My Heato, Mojito

Hello readers! Today's post is a short one, but its a good one! I have one gorgeous polish from a brand new to me indie polish, Firecracker Lacquer! Let me just say, I had the pleasure of meeting the maker of Firecracker Lacquer, Kendahl, at this years off site indie/blogger events at cosmoprof, and she herself is quite the little firecracker. Her brand name is simply perfect and so is she! I have a little bit of an indie Q&A to share with you all as well, so let's get to it!
 
How did you decide on the name Firecracker Lacquer?
Naming my brand was the hardest part about the entire process. I wanted something that sounded good when said aloud but also allowed for cute branding. I went back and forth on names for weeks, going through lists and narrowing down choices. Then Firecracker Lacquer came to me one day out of the blue, and as soon as I said it out loud, I knew that was it.
 
How long have you been in business?
I started selling in July of 2014, so just over a year.
 
What is currently your best selling product?
I think my most popular color currently is Forever With Me, a pretty purple holo. I also sell a lot of nail decor stuff.
 
What can we expect from Firecracker Lacquer in the future?
MOAR GLITTER! And holo. Probably lots of shiny, sparkly things
 
Other than your brand, what is your favorite indie brand? (polish, body products, or other)
This is an impossible question. Off the top of my head, I love Bohemian Polish, Sweet Heart Polish, Pahlish, Darling Diva... There are too many favorites! They are all my favorites!
 
I absolutely love her and cannot wait until next years cosmoprof already so that I can hang out with her more and take LOTS of pictures :-). Now let's get to this gorgeous polish of hers shall we?
 
Today I would like to share with you "My Heato, Mojitio", which is a mint polish with green shimmer and blue flecks. There is also a hint of holographic sparkle added to this beauty. This polish is no longer listed in the firecracker shop and I'm not sure if it will be returning. I am in love with this gorgeous polish though. I feel like I say this a lot, but I guess that's what happens when you're a lover of polish in general, I just can't help but love all the pretties I possess. The formula on this was great! Very easy application. No issues to report. I used three thin coats for my pictures below!   
 
(Indoor Light Box)
 
(Indoor Light Box Macro)
 
Well what are your thoughts on this polish? Do you own any Firecrackers? If so, let me know which are your favorites in the comments below! Make sure to follow @firecrackerlacquer on Instagram and like their Facebook page here to keep up with all things related to Firecracker Lacquer. If you're looking to purchase any other polishes you can do so in their shop here. I hope you enjoyed today's post. If you did, please subscribe via GFC or email over there on the right hand side of your screen. I would greatly appreciate it! I've still got plenty more polish to share with you guys and I'd hate for you to miss out! Thanks so much for reading! Until next time, happy polishing!
 
Instagram: @polishednshined

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Girly Bits What Really Happened In Vegas 2015

Hello readers!! Today's post features the 2015 edition of the Girly Bits What Really Happened In Vegas collection. This year I felt a little more involved and a little more "known" than I did at last years after hours cosmoprof event. It made it more fun to mingle instead of being so super nervous. However, with two kids and a hubby at home, I didn't get a chance to experience all of the fun this year, so along with my review of this collection, I will post the inspiration for these polishes as told by the maker of Girly Bits, Pam. There's also a little get to know the indie Q & A with Pam as well. So, let's get to the fun!

 
This is Pam & I at last years Sparkle & Wine event. Its an awful picture of me, but Pam looks good! I really wish I would have gotten a picture with her this year. My picture taking skills are still seriously lacking at these events lol.
 
How did you decide on the name Girly Bits?
Years ago I used to belong to several nail and make-up forums, so I started a blog so that I could post pics etc without spamming my facebook friends. I wasn't sure what to call the blog but since it was all little bits of girly related things, I decided to go with Girly Bits. As I transitioned into a polish maker I was once again looking for a brand name that would encompass more than just polish, so it made sense to just stick with the name I had already chosen for my blog.
 
How long have you been business?
My first collection launched in September 2011.
 
What is your current best selling polish/product?
The top selling products for the last three months are Julia and Defying Gravity. The top selling products for this year so far are Julia and Snafu. The top selling products of all time are A Stripper Has Been Sleeping In My Bed and Dick In A Box.
 
What can we expect from Girly Bits in the future?
My head is always spinning with more creative ideas than I will ever have time to implement, but in addition to pushing the creative limits of polish, you will see an expansion in my own handmade products (nail care products, lotions, scents), more nail polish collaboration sets, as well as some of my favorite products from other brands, and a variety of nail art products. I currently carry two brands of nail vinyls, I am launching the Uber Mat by Uber Chic Beauty August 298th, and between now and Christmas, you will see several other VERY exciting products that have been in the works for some time now.
 
Besides your brand, what is your favorite indie brand? (polish, body products, or other)
I am a huge fan of Elevation Polish and ILNP
 
I don't know about you, but I loved getting to know a little bit more about Pam and her brand. I'm super excited to see what things she has in store for us in the future too. If you haven't had a chance to snag the Uber Mat by Uber Chic Beauty, I highly suggest you swing by Pam's shop and grab one tomorrow! I am in love with mine! Now, that we know more insight into Girly Bits, let's get to the polish!
 
First up is this years addition to the What Happens In Vegas Ends Up On *insert social media* series. This year it all ends up on Snapchat! WHIVEUOS is a light silvery lilac linear holographic polish with holographic micro glitter. This is such a gorgeous shade of purple. I absolutely love it! The formula on this was great! I used two coats with top coat for my pictures. This LE polish will be available for pre-order for 72 hours only! Beginning tomorrow, August 28th at 3:00pm EST until Monday, August 31 at 3:00pm EST. Orders containing WHIVEUOS will begin shipping on Friday, September 4th. So make sure if you want this polish to get to the shop and pre-order yours before Monday!

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box Macro)
 
Next up is "Downtown Funk", which is a rosey pink crelly, filled with gorgeous gold shimmer, holographic micro glitter and gold micro glitter. I really love how delicate and pretty this polish is. Its so sparkly in person too! formula was great and easy to apply. I used two coats with top coat for my pictures. Here is Pam's description for the inspiration behind this polish.
 
"The second of two off site Indie related events in Vegas brought indies, bloggers, and stockists together to Ooohh and Ahhh over all the gorgeous products displayed beautifully (and creatively!) by various brands. It was held at a slightly off-strip boutique hotel which was beautiful and comfortable, and a handful of brands called it home for the week as well. While I'm sure the rooms were *ahem* 'clean' some of them did possess a certain questionable aroma, which definitely makes you wonder what kind of debauchery had taken place previously."

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box Macro)

(Outdoor Sunlight Macro)
 
Next up is "Blue Ribbon Cankles", which is a bright blue jelly with lots of holographic micro glitters. Blue jellies give me life. Seriously. I don't know what it is about them, but I'm obsessed. This one is very sparkly with all the holo micro glitter. Formula was great with easy application. I used two coats with top coat for my pictures. Here is Pam's description of the inspiration for this polish.
 
"Travelling + heat + lessthan comfy shoes + being over tired + a drink or two can certainly do a job on the feet as far as water retention goes. Let me tell you, we had some prize winning cankles happening. I am pretty sure there was not one of us who had anything less than an honorable mention. Once those shoes came off, they were NOT going back on willingly."

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box Macro)

(Outdoor Sunlight Macro)
 
Next up is my favorite from the collection, "Up All Night To Get Lucky", which is a melon coral crelly with gold shimmer, flakies, and holographic glitter. *picks jaw up off the floor* This color is absolutely stunning and Pam did an amazing job with this one. Formula on this one was great as well. Two easy coats with top coat for my pictures. Here is Pam's description of the inspiration for this polish.
 
"After lounging by the pool at the hotel of Downtown Funk til the wee hours of the morning we needed to get some food in out bellies. Directly across the street from the hotel was an all-night eatery called Mr. Lucky's, so a few of us (including me trooper of a husband) headed over there for late night nibbles and pancakes. At 4:30am we decided we had better head back to our rooms since we still had a long day ahead of us."

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box Macro)

(Outdoor Sunlight Macro)
 
Next up is "It Was The Fireball", which is a beautiful red linear holographic polish. I think I need more reds like this in my collection. Even if its only on your nails, red has a way of making a girl feel sexy, and the holo in this polish makes the polish itself sexy. I love it. Formula was great on this one as well. Two easy coats with top coat for my pictures. Here is Pam's long, but awesome description of the inspiration for this polish.
 
"Preparing for, attending and/or displaying at two events that are across the country for most, where we wanted everything to be perfect, can certainly create a lot of stress. It's difficult to plan an event, or a table scape for showcasing your products in a space you have never seen. You plan for months. You mock-up your display, and change your mind a million times. You double and triple and quadruple check the list of supplies you need and try and anticipate hiccups. You pack the majority of the product and display items and ship them to the hotel ahead of time, and pray they arrive on time and in one piece. You hope you didn't leave too much to have to take with you on the plane, and you REALLY hope the TSA doesn't blink at 50 pounds of nail polish in your suitcase. You scramble around once in Vegas to try and pick up any last minute needs, then mock up your display in your hotel room ONE more time, just in case. Of course there were items and products that were forgotten at home, or left at your hotel, but you pull yourself together and proudly display your products and are in awe at the beauty of all the other displays and products there. The gifting suite is seriously buzzing with ooohs and ahhhs, and hugs and laughter, and LOTS of selfies. The Indie events are by far my favorite part of the entire weekend, even with all the stress. Once the evening winds down everyone relaxes a bit and we kick off our shoes and just chill with each other enjoying the space, the food, the drinks, the new friends, the reunions with old friends, and the success of the evening. Did I mention that we enjoy the drinks? Soeone, who shall remain un-named, happened to have a glittery holo flask of Fireball in her purse. And someone else who shall also remain un-named happened to taste it. Several times. The aforementioned person kept us quite entertained, and we will just blame it on the Fireball."

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box Macro)

(Outdoor Sunlight Macro)
 
Lastly is the one with the funniest inspiration, and I wish I was there to witness this in person. You'll see what I mean. This is "The Shaft", which is a bronzy brown holographic polish with a metallic finish and bronze flakes. This one is a stunner and I don't think my pictures do it justice at all. While they still look gorgeous, this is just one of those polishes that is even more beautiful in person. Formula was great here as well, as I used two coats with top coat again for my pictures. Here is the hilarious description by Pam of the inspiration for this polish.
 
"If you have ever stayed at the Luxor in the pyramid, you have most likely ridden the elevator. That is one of the oddest feeling elevators I have ever been on. It goes up and down on the diagonal, since it's in an actual pyramid shaped building. Elevators can feel weird in the belly to begin with, but add a sideways motion to it and it really sends you for a trip. Several of my friends happened to be in the elevator with a lovely elderly couple, ad they had to use everything they had to contain themselves when they overheard the man say to his wife 'Can you fell it Margaret? Can you feel it going sideways? The shaft is going sideways."


(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box Macro)

(Outdoor Sunlight Macro)
 
Well, what are your thoughts on this collection? My favorites would have to be "Up All Night To Get Lucky" and "Downtown Funk". This collection releases tomorrow at 3pm EST in the Girly Bits shop here. For a limited time, if you order all five of the 2015 Vegas polishes, you can save $1.00 off each bottle. Don't forget to pre-order WHIVEUOS while you're there as well. You've got to have a complete Vegas collection after all. Make sure you follow @girlybitscosmetics on instagram and like their facebook page here to make sure that you keep up with all things Girly Bits. I hope you enjoyed todays post as much as I did. Until next time, happy polishing!

Instagram: @polishednshined
Twitter: @polishednshined
Facebook: Polished And Shined














Monday, August 24, 2015

Dazzle Glaze Sailing Excursion Collection

*press sample*
 
Hello readers! Today I have a new to me brand to share with you all, and that's DazzleGlaze. I was contacted by Candace, the creator to swatch her new collection for you all to see and I was happy to help. The first thing I noticed when opening up these polishes was the super pretty logo. I love it. So Candace sent me the Sailing Excursion Collection which will be releasing Saturday August 29th in two different locations. http://www.dazzleglaze.com and also etsy.com/shop/radiantlyvivacious . This polishes have thinner brushes than most of the indies are using lately, but I had forgotten how much control I have with a smaller brush. I didn't have to do too much clean up on any of these because of that. Thinner brushes are still okay in my book! Let's not delay any further though, let's get to the polish!
 
 
First up is, "Captain of the Catamaran", which is a beautiful red shimmer polish. I love this red! Its going to be perfect to use in some Christmas time mani's. The formula on this was really easy to work with and I love the way this one looks on the nail. I used two coats with top coat for my pictures.

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box Macro)
 
Next up is "Sea Shanty", which is a teal shimmer polish. This one was my favorite because I love teal. Its a mermaid thing ;-) Formula on this one was also good and easy to work with. I used two coats with top coat for my pictures.

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box Macro)
 
Next up is "Blue Sky Marina", which is a light sky blue creme polish. There wasn't anything extra to this polish, just a really nice sky blue creme polish with a good formula, also easy to apply. I used two coats with top coat for my pictures.

(Indoor Light Box)
 
The next polish is "North Star Compass", which is a blue crème polish with blue to purple shifting shimmer. The shimmer in this polish was really hard to capture as it didn't translate to the nail like I had hoped from looking at the bottle. I took a bottle macro so you could see it. The formula on this one was good as well and also easy to work with. I used three coats with top coat for my pictures.

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box Macro)

(Bottle Macro To Show Shimmer)

  The last polish I have to share with you today is "Between Wind & Water", which is a white crème polish that has micro flakies in it. You can see the flakies in the bottle, but again, they didn't translate as well to the nail as I had hoped so I took another bottle macro to show them to you. This being a white polish, I did still need three coats to get a full coverage without any streaks. That's not a deal breaker for me though because most of the time I use three coats on a lot of my polishes. Its a very nice polish that could be used for a great base for nail art.... which I totally had planned to do some, but let's face it, with a four month old that's hard to do. Especially one who has wanted to be held constantly the last week, which isn't his normal lol. Again, three coats with top coat for my pictures.

(Indoor Light Box)

(Indoor Light Box Macro)

(Bottle Macro To Show Flakies)
 
So all in all, my first impression of DazzleGlaze is great. Formulas on all of these polishes were consistent and easy to apply. I have no complaints other than the last two polishes being harder to capture the added sparkles. If you'd like to purchase the Sailing Excursion Collection, again, they are releasing on Saturday August 29th and can be purchased from  http://www.dazzleglaze.com and etsy.com/shop/radiantlyvivacious Also be sure to follow  @dazzleglaze on Instagram. Also like their Facebook group here . Candace informed me that she sometimes does special pre-orders and limited editions there, so you don't want to miss out on that! I hope you enjoyed today's post! Let me know in the comments below which ones are your favorites! Until next time, happy polishing!
 
Instagram: @polishednshined