Polish Pickup January 2021 Birthstones, Gems, and Minerals Swatches and Reviews

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Hi folks! I know, it's been a while, but it's that time of year where not a ton of new polishes are being released. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate. My husband and I spent it by ourselves which was the first time we've done that since we've been married. It's so sad we weren't able to see our families, and I hope vaccines become more readily available soonish. I can't wait for 2021, even though I know it will take a while to see any real changes. On a much lighter note, can you believe Polish Pickup starts this Friday? This month's theme is Birthstones, Gems, and Minerals which is near and dear to my heart. I used to be a soil scientist and there is a lot of overlap with minerals which are components of soil. New to PPU? If so, here's how it works:

Definitely join the Polish Pickup Facebook Group. You don't necessarily need to actively participate in the group, but it will give you a look at the polishes that will be available in the coming month. PPU themes are chosen by the people, often a few months in advance (brands need time to find their inspiration and test their polish). Any indie brand that has been around for at least a year can participate and each has their own specific inspiration picture and polish for that month. All you need to do is go to the Polish Pickup site during the pre-order window (the first Friday-Monday of the month) to make all of your purchases of these exclusive polishes. There's no need to pay for multiple shipping charges; since this is a pre-order, all polishes get sent to Polish Pickup and they send you the polishes you ordered. Yup, it's that simple. Oh, and shipping is a flat-rate of $3 to the US (more for international and they just had to increase the pricing to Canada). Recently they also opened a UK site which you can find here. Since all orders are pre-orders, shipping will take place about 3 weeks after the end of the pre-order.

PPU starts Friday, Jan. 1st at 11:00 AM ET and ends on Monday, Jan. 4th at 11:59 PM (but if a polish has a cap and sells out before the end of the pre-order, it's gone, unless you get lucky and the cap gets raised...which is rare) on the PPU website. The website is now open for wishlisting, so go check out this month's offerings STAT. Time for swatches!

Static Lacquer Nov. 2020 The Indie Lab Swatches and Review: Clockwork Angel

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Hi folks! Things have been quiet on my front, but things will be picking up again on the blog with the influx of winter/holiday shades being released in the near future. I've seen lots of upcoming Black Friday deals being promoted on social media, and I'm gonna do my best to be good this year. It's going to be a non-traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas for me; it's always been Thanksgiving with my family, and my husband's family for Christmas, and we will not be partaking in any get-togethers this year to keep everyone safe. I do hope you consider doing the same. This also means I'll be sitting at home shopping online which may be trouble. Tonight I have a shade from Static Lacquer for this month's The Indie Lab collaboration. This month's inspiration is Steampunk (!) and the store will be open from Nov. 21-26 so you still have a few days to decide what you will pick up. There are 18 different offerings this month, so do make sure to check them out. 

Static Lacquer Clockwork Angel (3 coats)

Inspiration: Cassandra Claire’s the Infernal Devices and Tessa Gray’s clockwork angel

Price: $12

Cap: No cap

I hope you're ready for some shifty goodness, because Stacy really brought it this month! Clockwork Angel is a blackened blue base with red/bronze/copper shift, holo pigment, gold shimmer and crystal flakies. This one looks like 3 polishes in 1 depending on the angle and lighting. I really don't think I have anything like it in my collection. I ended up using 3 thin coats for my photos, and it had a perfect formula. It dried with very minimal texture (just what you normally get with some flakies) and it was easy to remove. 

So what do you plan on picking up from the shop? I'll be back soon with a few more posts from some new and old favorites. 

*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*

Polish Pickup November 2020 Red Carpet Swatches and Reviews

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Hi folks! I've been such a bad blogger lately, and for that, I apologize. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a bit of the Covid blues right now. And with us losing an hour for Daylight Savings Time, I'll be driving to work and coming home in the dark. Boo! I truly hope things have been going ok with you. On a much lighter note, I've got several items for this month's PPU to share with you. This month's theme is Red Carpet which can be taken many different ways. New to PPU? If so, here's how it works:

Definitely join the Polish Pickup Facebook Group. You don't necessarily need to actively participate in the group, but it will give you a look at the polishes that will be available in the coming month. PPU themes are chosen by the people, often a few months in advance (brands need time to find their inspiration and test their polish). Any indie brand that has been around for at least a year can participate and each has their own specific inspiration picture and polish for that month. All you need to do is go to the Polish Pickup site during the pre-order window (the first Friday-Monday of the month) to make all of your purchases of these exclusive polishes. There's no need to pay for multiple shipping charges; since this is a pre-order, all polishes get sent to Polish Pickup and they send you the polishes you ordered. Yup, it's that simple. Oh, and shipping is a flat-rate of $3 to the US (more for international and they just had to increase the pricing to Canada). Recently they also opened a UK site which you can find here. Since all orders are pre-orders, shipping will take place about 3 weeks after the end of the pre-order.

PPU starts Friday, Nov. 6th at 11:00 AM ET and ends on Monday, Nov. 9th at 11:59 PM (but if a polish has a cap and sells out before the end of the pre-order, it's gone, unless you get lucky and the cap gets raised...which is rare) on the PPU website. The website just opened up today for wishlisting, so go check out this month's offerings STAT. Time for swatches!

Polish Pickup October 2020 Animation: Swatches and Reviews

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Hi folks! It was indeed a manic Monday today. It was so manic that it feels like it should be Wednesday already. Tonight I've got 5 items from the October Polish Pickup which has a theme of Animation this month. I'm not going to lie, I must not watch many animated shows because I didn't know the inspiration for many of the products this month while going through my wishlist. That doesn't matter much to me; if the polish is pretty, I'm gonna buy it. New to PPU? If so, here's how it works:

Definitely join the Polish Pickup Facebook Group. You don't necessarily need to actively participate in the group, but it will give you a look at the polishes that will be available in the coming month. PPU themes are chosen by the people, often a few months in advance (brands need time to find their inspiration and test their polish). Any indie brand that has been around for at least a year can participate and each has their own specific inspiration picture and polish for that month. All you need to do is go to the Polish Pickup site during the pre-order window (the first Friday-Monday of the month) to make all of your purchases of these exclusive polishes. There's no need to pay for multiple shipping charges; since this is a pre-order, all polishes get sent to Polish Pickup and they send you the polishes you ordered. Yup, it's that simple. Oh, and shipping is a flat-rate of $3 to the US (more for international and they just had to increase the pricing to Canada). Recently they also opened a UK site which you can find here. Since all orders are pre-orders, shipping will take place about 3 weeks after the end of the pre-order.

PPU starts Friday, Oct. 2nd at 11:00 AM ET and ends on Monday, Oct. 5th at 11:59 PM (but if a polish has a cap and sells out before the end of the pre-order, it's gone, unless you get lucky and the cap gets raised...which is rare) on the PPU website. The website is currently open for wishlisting, so go check out this month's offerings STAT. Time for swatches!

Static Lacquer INK Quad 2020 Swatches and Reviews

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Hi folks! I bet you don't know what to think with a new post THREE days in a row, right? Are you sick of hearing from me yet? I hope not, because I have a Polish Pickup post coming up in a few days. I know, so many good polishes have been coming out! Tonight I have a quad from Static Lacquer which goes hand-in-hand with their September Polish Pickup shade, Early to Bed, Early to Die which is inspired by songs from Ice Nine Kills. This quad is available now for just $35 for all of them, or $11 each. Shall we get a little more acquainted with this set? 

The Charity Box Fall Festival September 2020: Static Lacquer Swatches and Review

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Hi folks! I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend. Honestly, I did the same thing I've done every weekend since March (not much). I'd say there was a bit more eating than usual though. Tonight I have one of the shades from this month's Charity Box. New to The Charity Box? Here's what they have to say about it: 

We are a monthly indie collaboration box hosted by JReine Cosmetics that donates a portion of each box to charity.  There is a new theme each month that is voted on in our Facebook group – help us shape future boxes and suggest your own favorite charitable organizations to be sponsored!  

Each month, the box contains at least 3 items created by indie makers, and the designated portion of proceeds from sales is donated to that month’s sponsored nonprofit organization.

This month's theme is Fall Festival and actually has a whopping 10 items instead of 3 and my wishlist definitely has a few items on it. From what I can gather, there will now be at least 10 different makers as they've grown over the past few months. The pre-order starts at 10 AM EST on Sept. 10th and goes through 11 PM EST on Sept. 19th. This month's charity is the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation and a percentage from each bottle sold will go toward Alzheimer's research at leading research institutes. Shall we get a close look at some swatches?

Static Lacquer Serenity (3 coats)

Price: $12
Cap: 75 bottles

website | Facebook Fan Group | Instagram

Static Lacquer's shade for The Charity Box is Serenity which is a deep denim blue holo base with loads of red/copper/gold UCC flakes and copper shimmer. I'm super happy that the linear holographic  finish didn't overpower the flakes which sometimes happens. The formula was perfect, and I ended up using 3 thin coats to really build up the flakes. Sometimes blues and teals can stain the nails, and I had no issues with it. It dried with no texture, and was a breeze to remove. There's just so much to love with this one! 

Make sure to set your alarms for the sale tomorrow morning. What do you think? Which ones are you picking up? If you want to see photos of other shades that will be available, make sure to join The Charity Box Facebook Group before the box opens. Stay safe out there! 

*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*

Polish Pickup September 2020 All Hallows Even Swatches and Reviews

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Hi folks! I know you're shocked at the amount of posts this week. Tonight I've got 4 of the Polish Pickup items to share with you. New to PPU? If so, here's how it works:

Definitely join the Polish Pickup Facebook Group. You don't necessarily need to actively participate in the group, but it will give you a look at the polishes that will be available in the coming month. PPU themes are chosen by the people, often a few months in advance (brands need time to find their inspiration and test their polish). Any indie brand that has been around for at least a year can participate and each has their own specific inspiration picture and polish for that month. All you need to do is go to the Polish Pickup site during the pre-order window (the first Friday-Monday of the month) to make all of your purchases of these exclusive polishes. There's no need to pay for multiple shipping charges; since this is a pre-order, all polishes get sent to Polish Pickup and they send you the polishes you ordered. Yup, it's that simple. Oh, and shipping is a flat-rate of $3 to the US (more for international and they just had to increase the pricing to Canada). Recently they also opened a UK site which you can find here. Since all orders are pre-orders, shipping will take place about 3 weeks after the end of the pre-order.

PPU starts Friday, Sept. 4th at 11:00 AM ET and ends on Monday, Sept. 7th at 11:59 PM (but if a polish has a cap and sells out before the end of the pre-order, it's gone, unless you get lucky and the cap gets raised...which is rare) on the PPU website. Guess what next month is?? PPU Rewind! Each brand gets to bring back a shade (or product) from a previous month for the PPU website, and a different color they can sell on their website if they're interested. 

The website is currently open for wishlisting, so go check out this month's offerings STAT. Time for swatches!

Static Lacquer 2020 Stained Color Theory Collection Swatches and Reviews

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Guys, remember years ago when OPI came out with their Sheer Tint set back in 2014? Here's a photo of them to refresh your memory: 

I know some people had issues with them changing color over time, and I'm so excited that Stacy from Static Lacquer is coming up with her version of sheer tints in primary colors to make any color you can imagine. Let your imagination flow while using these for your watermarbling, dry brush art, or reverse stamping. These will be available this Friday, May 8th at 5 PM PST (8 PM EST). Not just that, there's also a gorgeous silver holographic shade that can be used as a topper or base. Each polish will retail for just $8 each, or get the quad at a discounted price of $32 + shipping. Let's get a closer look at these. 

Static Lacquer 2020 Sunset Trio Swatches and Reviews

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Hi guys! Tonight I'm back with the first of 2 posts for a couple trios from Static Lacquer releasing this Friday, May 8th at 5 PM PST (8:00 PM EST). The first trio is full of shifty shades inspired by beautiful sunsets. These will retail for $11, or get the trio with a discount for $37 + shipping. Shall we go ahead and look at some swatches? 

Polish Pickup January 2020 Written in the Stars Swatches and Reviews

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Hi guys! Long time, no blog! If you celebrate Christmas, I hope you had a great one. I traveled to my husband's family up in Maryland and it was a great one. I will be visiting my family this week for New Years. We tend to visit my family for Thanksgiving, and the husband's family for Christmas Eve and Day. I say this every month, but I can't believe Polish Pickup is coming up this weekend.
This month's theme is Written in the Stars, and some makers have really thought outside the box this month. Some were inspired by their zodiac signs, so some makers may have the same sign, but they interpreted it in a completely different way. New to PPU? If so, here's how it works:

Definitely join the Polish Pickup Facebook Group. You don't necessarily need to actively participate in the group, but it will give you a look at the polishes that will be available in the coming month. PPU themes are chosen by the people, often a few months in advance (brands need time to find their inspiration and test their polish). Any indie brand that has been around for at least a year can participate and each has their own specific inspiration picture and polish for that month. All you need to do is go to the Polish Pickup site during the pre-order window (the first Friday-Monday of the month) to make all of your purchases of these exclusive polishes. There's no need to pay for multiple shipping charges; since this is a pre-order, all polishes get sent to Polish Pickup and they send you the polishes you ordered. Yup, it's that simple. Oh, and shipping is a flat-rate of $3 to the US ($5 for Canada and more for international). Recently they also opened a UK site which you can find here. Since all orders are pre-orders, shipping will take place about 3 weeks after the end of the pre-order.

PPU starts Friday, January 3rd at 11:00 AM ET and ends on Monday, January 6th at 11:59 PM (but if a polish has a cap and sells out before the end of the pre-order, it's gone, unless you get lucky and the cap gets raised...which is rare) on the PPU website.

The website is currently open for wishlisting, so go check out this month's offerings STAT. Time for swatches!

Polish Pickup December 2019: Winter is Coming Swatches and Reviews

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Hi guys! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving yesterday! It's always nice to be around family this time of year. Have you taken advantage of any Black Friday sales so far? I've definitely made a few purchases, but I'm doing good pacing myself. If you are interested in seeing this year's Black Friday sales, go check this link as you have through Monday for most brands. 

PPU is doing things a little differently for December. Instead of starting on the first Friday of the month, PPU will start Monday, December 2nd at 11:00 AM ET and end on Friday, Dec. 6th at 11:59 PM (but if a polish has a cap and sells out before the end of the pre-order, it's gone, unless you get lucky and the cap gets raised...which is rare) on the PPU website. I believe they are trying to get things out before the holiday break. I have 3 polishes to share with you this month, so make sure to check the site now to start your wishlist. 

Polish Pickup November 2019: Fairy Tales Swatches and Reviews

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Hi guys! I've got three PPU shades to share with you tonight. Can you believe it's almost November?! I've been so bad about doing Halloween manicures this year. Does adding glow-in-the-dark topcoat to all polishes count? This month's theme is Fairy Tales, and I think my collage above really demonstrates how diverse the polishes are this month. New to PPU? If so, here's how it works:

Definitely join the Polish Pickup Facebook Group. You don't necessarily need to actively participate in the group, but it will give you a look at the polishes that will be available in the coming month. PPU themes are chosen by the people, often a few months in advance (brands need time to find their inspiration and test their polish). Any indie brand that has been around for at least a year can participate and each has their own specific inspiration picture and polish for that month. All you need to do is go to the Polish Pickup site during the pre-order window (the first Friday-Monday of the month) to make all of your purchases of these exclusive polishes. There's no need to pay for multiple shipping charges; since this is a pre-order, all polishes get sent to Polish Pickup and they send you the polishes you ordered. Yup, it's that simple. Oh, and shipping is a flat-rate of $3 to the US ($5 for Canada and more for international). Recently they also opened a UK site which you can find here. Since all orders are pre-orders, shipping will take place about 3 weeks after the end of the pre-order.

PPU starts Friday, November 1st at 11:00 AM ET and ends on Monday, Nov. 4th at 11:59 PM (but if a polish has a cap and sells out before the end of the pre-order, it's gone, unless you get lucky and the cap gets raised...which is rare) on the PPU website.

The website is currently open for wishlisting, so go check out this month's offerings STAT. Time for swatches!

Polish Pickup October 2019: Urban Legends Swatches and Reviews

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Hi guys! OMG, can you believe it's October already? It feels like yesterday it was July, am I right? Polish Pickup is coming up this weekend, and this month's inspiration is Urban Legends. There are sooo many urban legends out there, so I am super interested in seeing where makers go with this one. In case you're new to PPU, this is how it works: 

Definitely join the Polish Pickup Facebook Group. You don't necessarily need to actively participate in the group, but it will give you a look at the polishes that will be available in the coming month. PPU themes are chosen by the people, often a few months in advance (brands need time to find their inspiration and test their polish). Any indie brand that has been around for at least a year can participate and each has their own specific inspiration picture and polish for that month. All you need to do is go to the Polish Pickup site during the pre-order window (the first Friday-Monday of the month) to make all of your purchases of these exclusive polishes. There's no need to pay for multiple shipping charges; since this is a pre-order, all polishes get sent to Polish Pickup and they send you the polishes you ordered. Yup, it's that simple. Oh, and shipping is a flat-rate of $3 to the US ($5 for Canada and more for international). Recently they also opened a UK site which you can find here. Since all orders are pre-orders, shipping will take place about 3 weeks after the end of the pre-order.

PPU starts Friday, Oct. 4th at 11:00 AM ET and ends on Monday, Oct. 7th at 11:59 PM (but if a polish has a cap and sells out before the end of the pre-order, it's gone, unless you get lucky and the cap gets raised...which is rare) on the PPU website. I have a whopping five PPU shades to share with you this month, so I decided to combine these into one post. Go ahead and hit that button to see these beauties. 

Static Lacquer September 2019 Polish Pickup and Indie Pickup Magic and Alchemy: Dark Mark

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Happy Labor Day! I had a pretty relaxing day all things considering. I was super busy last weekend in San Francisco for work, so a quiet weekend was exactly what I needed. Tonight I have the final PPU shade to share with you, this time from Static Lacquer. PPU starts this Friday, Sept 6th at 11:00 AM ET and ends on Monday, Sept 9th at 11:59 PM on the PPU website. This month's inspiration is Magic and Alchemy, which seems to have quite the variety of themes and shades available. This month Static Lacquer has a polish for PPU and a new product, a cuticle balm, for Indie Pickup. 

Static Lacquer Dark Mark (2 coats)
Price: $12
Cap: US 200 UK 50

Dark Mark is a blackened green base (leans slightly olive) with green microflakes and a holo finish. It's a beautiful shade that is very fall-like. It was very opaque and needed just 2 coats for full opacity. It dried quickly with no texture and applied flawlessly. Another positive is that it is very easy to remove, too.

Static Lacquer Cuticle Balm in Dark Mark
Price: $4
Cap: US 50 UK 25
Scent Notes: Top: Citrus, Sea Salt, Ozone, Saffron, Middle: Plum, Cardamom, Clove, Incense, Sandalwood, Base: Amber, Dark Musk, Patchouli, Smoke

I'm going to be honest with you, when I first saw the scent notes, I had no idea if I'd like it. When you start throwing in things like incense and patchouli, I start to get scared. I'm happy to report that this is delightful! I cannot distinguish individual notes, but it's definitely a warm scent (likely from the amber and musk) with a bit of ozone that hits the back of the throat (in a good way). It's by no means super perfumey, either. The ingredients for the balm are as follows: 

coconut oil, sunflower wax, shea butter, mango butter, coco butter, jojoba oil, avocado oil, argan oil, sunflower oil, vitamin e and fragrance oil

I don't use coconut oil on my face, but I find it great for the body. You can definitely tell from looking at it that it contains coconut oil. It warms up quickly and nicely moisturizes without being overly greasy. I've been using it every night since receiving it, and it's now a go-to before applying lotion. 

Definitely a couple homeruns from Stacy at Static Lacquer. Don't forget, the website is now open for wishlists, so you can quickly order what you're interested in, and not miss out on any items with a low cap. I'll be ready at 11:00 AM EST this Friday to get my order in. Thoughts? You can learn more about Static Lacquer on their website, Facebook, Group, and Instagram pages, while you can find more about PPU on their Facebook page and website.

*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*

Static Lacquer August 2019 Polish Pickup/Indie Pickup At the Carnival: Off to Neverland

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Hi guys! The last PPU shade I have to share this month is from Static Lacquer and Stacy was inspired by this amazing photo she took while at the San Diego Fair. Apparently this same swing ride used to be at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch, hence the name. Off to Neverland will be available this Friday at 11:00 AM EST through Monday, August 5th at 11:59 PM EST (unless this one sells out...which it might) on the PPU site. And I almost forgot to mention that Static Lacquer has a magnet with this month's polish. You may be used to the smaller magnets available from Static Lacquer, but this month Stacy tackled a new, larger single magnet. Don't worry, I have some comparison photos so you can get a better idea of the size. 

Static Lacquer Off to Neverland (3 coats)

Price: $12

Cap: US 75 UK 25

Wow, what a bright beauty! My friends and family are used to me wearing some crazy nail polishes, so it takes a lot for them to comment on my nails. Can you believe I got 3 compliments while wearing this one? I mean, this one isn't subtle. Off to Neverland is a neon watermelon pink base with holo flakies, orange/pink/gold crystal flakies, and green shimmer. While it has lots of extra goodies added for dimension and interest, the bright base really steals the show. It does dry slightly dull from the neon pigment, so make sure to add a shiny topcoat. The formula was great, and I used 3 thin coats to cover my VNL. 

(oops, when I opened the package the packaging for the magnet was on the end and got cut...sorry about that!)

(This photo really shows the shimmer and flakes in Off to Neverland)

Static Lacquer Off to Neverland Magnet 

Price: $4.50

Cap: US 30 UK 10

As you can see, this month's neodymium magnet is several times larger than the ones previous released. It's slightly larger than a quarter, and has a diameter of ~1". I immediately put mine on a Helmer, but they can easily be used on refrigerators, whiteboard calendars, or in the office. 

This one has a cap of just 75 bottles, so there is definitely a chance this could sell out. If not all the bottles available for the UK sell out when the pre-order closes over there, they will be added back to the US site for everyone to have a second chance. The site is currently open for wishlisting, so make sure to add this one and put your order in early. You can learn more about Static Lacquer on their website, Facebook, Group, and Instagram pages, while you can find more about PPU on their Facebook page and website.

*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*