NeVerMind Polish All Hallows Collection 2019 Swatches and Reviews

*press samples*

Hi guys! Whew, Monday's are always crazy at work. Not much else is going on around here except for working out and having fun with polymer clay. The main issue I have with working out is having enough time in the evenings. After my hour commute home, workout, shower, and dinner, it's time to go to bed. There just aren't enough hours in the day! 

Tonight I have a brand I've never shared on the blog, but I'm not new to wearing their polishes. I've purchased several polishes from NeVerMind Polish through Polish Pickup, but I tend not to show the polishes I purchase through PPU because they are no longer available. I try and keep the blog for polishes people can get their hands on. The All Hallows Collection is a 4-piece set with shimmers, flakies, and an intense glow-in-the-dark topper. These will be available this Friday, October, 11th for $10 each. Also being released this Friday is Mattefy Me, a matte topcoat for $7.50. I added Mattefy Me to each of the polishes so you can see it with different finishes. Without further ado, let's get to swatches!

Starlight and Sparkles Polish Mythological Top Coats Swatches and Reviews

*press samples*

Hi guys! It's starting to be that busy time of year at work. People are buying pens and accessories for their friends and family and I have to put in some long hours. Speaking of fountain pens, that's how I was introduced to the maker for tonight's post. It just so happens that Issa from Starlight and Sparkles is a fellow fountain pen enthusiast, so we've become pen pals. She was also kind enough to send along some of her Mythological top coats, and did I mention that they contain unicorn pee (UP) and/or UP-sibling shimmer? Just look at that collage! I'm also happy to mention that she has sample bottles that hold a decent amount of polish! The mini size holds 7.5 mL while a full bottle is the normal 15 mL. Mini bottles can have brush issues, but these were very generously sized and I had no issues with applying them. I cannot hold off any longer, let's get a closer look. 

My Polish Pickup Picks From April 2018: Space

Hi guys! Tonight I'm doing something a little different. I made this little video about my Polish Pickup colors from this month. I don't have any swatches yet, but I went through each color and did a little description and video here. I wasn't planning on putting it on the blog, but I figured there's no reason not to. Oh, and please don't make fun of me for not knowing what scofflaw meant. Make sure to check out the Polish Pickup Pack Facebook Group for more information (May's theme is the 90s and I can't wait!). 

Darling Diva Bad Pick Up Lines Part Deux: Partial Review

Hi guys! I hope you had a good weekend! I went to that Origins event and I hope to review it next week sometime so stay tuned for that. Also, my birthday is this week, so I'm not sure how many days I'll be able to blog because I have family coming into town. With that said, I have a brand I've never reviewed before called Darling Diva. They recently released a 6-piece topper collection and I have 2 of them to show you tonight. The turnaround time was really good (especially since I ordered during a release) and it shipped within the 5 business day stated on the website. Without further ado, let's do this!

Polished for Days Positive Vibes Collection Swatches and Review: Elysian, Kalon, and Meraki

Hi guys! I'm finally getting back to normal after the holidays. I hope those of you with an extended weekend had a great one and bought all of the polishes on sale! I bought a lot, but with no regrets. I will probably add some pictures on Instagram as soon as they start piling in. Now I guess it's finally time to start Christmas shopping for real. Oh, and today's my dad's birthday, and I know he reads my blog so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD! Tonight I'm going to continue the Polished for Days Full Positive Vibes Collection with 3 more polishes. Follow me after the break for swatches and my thoughts.

Right on the Nail ~ What Nail Products Do I Use? What Products am I Loving?

A couple press samples  but mostly purchased by me

 From Left: 100% Acetone from Beauty Secrets, Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover, Heather's Hues Cutie-cle Oil, ELF Concealer Brush, Cuticle Pushers (2 types) 

Hi guys! Tonight I'm doing something different again. I've never sat down and talked about the products (i.e. basecoats, topcoats, cuticle care) that I've been using and loving lately. In order to have healthy and attractive nails, it all starts with cuticle care. I probably do a lot more than the average person, but I'm sure some bloggers are much more careful than I am. I work in science and use nitrile gloves on a daily basis. I also happen to wash my hands a crazy amount. Every time I take my gloves off, or touch anything in the lab, I have to wash my hands. If I'm not in the lab, I'm on the computer and nobody wants to have really greasy hand lotion or cuticle oils on their hands before getting on the computer.

The first step in cuticle care is to push back your cuticles. I do this about once a week, but unless you're taking macro photos of your hands, you don't need to do it this often. I had a love affair with Blue Cross Cuticle Remover which comes in a huge jug at Sally's Beauty Supply, but the one thing I didn't love about it was how watery it was. To get around this problem I started using Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover which is a gel formula. I push my cuticles back with 2 different types of cuticle pushers shown above. The larger scoop one is fairly new to me and is now a staple. You can find these products anywhere from your local drugstore to Target. After I push my cuticles back, I apply cuticle oil. I used to love the oil from the indie brand Northern Star, but they have been closed since December from persistent illness. Heather's Hues has a great oil called Cutie-cle Oil that is not too greasy, and is still very moisturizing! You can get it in several different containers, and I've been enjoying the click brush for easy application.

The last 2 products in the picture aren't actually good for your cuticles, but if you need to easily fix any mistakes in you have in your manicure, definitely use 100% acetone (any brand) and not anything just labeled acetone or polish remover. I've found that the ELF Concealer Brush to be a perfect size for swiping around my cuticle area and it's only $1! Other indie brands have brushes you can use, but I can't vouch for them. I think I stocked up on these brushes last year so I have about 4 of them. Of course, use more of the cuticle oil after you use the acetone as well.

Left to right: Zoya Naked Manicure Glossy Seal Top Coat, Heather's Hues Top That Topcoat, ACI Gelous Nail Gel, UNT Nail Lacquer, JINSoon Power Coat

Oh topcoats and basecoats. Everyone has their own favorites, and body chemistry can make something I love chip on you like crazy. Your mileage may vary in this department. If you wear glitter polishes often, or you just like to change your color every couple days, then UNT Ready For Takeoff peel-off basecoat is for you. No more glue-based peel-off basecoats for this gal! It's a little pricey ($10), but it's totally worth it for me. I've also been using the JINSoon Power Coat basecoat as an extra little treatment for my nails when I don't feel like using the peel-off basecoat. If you asked me what product I've used the most bottles of over the years of blogging, I can easily answer ACI Gelous Nail Gel. You can use it as a basecoat or a topcoat, but I think it's most often used over glitter polishes to smooth them out. I'm weird because I don't really mind the texture of glitter on my nails.

And finally, I will discuss topcoats. Seche Vite used to reign as the best quick-dry topcoat, but people found it to get really thick halfway through a bottle, and then there's the whole shrinkage problem. I used Poshe for a couple years when I first started blogging (and I still love it today!), but other brands have impressed me in recent years. A few popular indie brands have their own topcoats, but several aren't 3 or 5-free. I've made the conscious decision to be at least 3-free when it comes to basecoats and topcoats since I use those pretty much every single day. Heather's Hues makes a great topcoat called Top That that is 5-free and dries pretty quickly and doesn't dull holo polishes (it also claims not to smear nail art, but I don't really do art very awesome). Zoya also has a newer topcoat from their Naked Manicure line that works well with most polishes, especially Zoyas. I totally forgot to add INM Out the Door Fast Drying Top Coat to the pictures! I believe this is exclusively found at Sally's Beauty Supply. Did you happen to make it to the end of thif ? I didn't mean for this to be so long, but hopefully there was a little bit of info that is helpful to you! None of the links in this post are affiliate links, so click as you please.

Right on the Nail ~ Polish 'M Glitter Topper Prototypes Swatches and Review: Prototypes 12, 18, and 19

Hi guys! Yesterday was my birthday and it was a pretty dreary day around here. Once 30 hits, birthdays aren't really as exciting anymore, am I right? Tonight I have the last 3 glitter prototypes from Polish 'M that feature very different glitters. Unfortunately, I think only Prototype 18 is currently available for $6 so make sure to check that out. There are still many polishes still on sale at Polish 'M. Pictures anyone?

Right on the Nail ~ Zoya Spring 2016 Petals Collection Swatches and Reviews Part II

*press samples*

Hi guys! I had last-minute dinner plans with a visiting scientist so tonight's post is going up a few hours later than usual. I have the last 3 polishes from the flower-inspired spring collection from Zoya to share with you, so shall we get started?

Right on the Nail ~ Julep Nail Polishes Swatches and Reviews: Lillian and Hartleigh

Julep Jillian (2 coats)

1 coat Julep Hartleigh over 2 coats Julep Lillian

This just shows how far behind I am on the Julep polishes I know. The colors I'm showing are from the February It Girl Maven Box (!!!). I used the polished called Lillian for both swatches because Hartleigh is a seasonal glitter topcoat which came as a free gift for Valentine's Day. Lillian is an alabaster pink creme that unfortunately comes with the usual Julep formula. Since it is so white, I should have expected this (white colors are notoriously difficult...as are yellows). You must use thin coats, if it is possible (you may need to add some thinner) and allow an extra couple minutes between coats. I do love seasonal polishes, so I'm a fan of Hartleigh. It's a glitter topcoat with large red hearts, medium matte white hexagonal glitter, and small holographic glitter. You do have to fish for the hearts and then dab then on, but I was expecting that.

Right on the Nail ~ SinfulColors Summer 2015 Street Fusion Collection Reviews and Swatches: Maroon Fine and Fuji Fuji

*press samples*

SinfulColors Maroon Fine (2 coats)

SinfulColors Fuji Fuji (1 coat) over 2 coats China Glaze UV Meant to Be

Hi guys! I went to see David Venable from QVC last night, but unfortunately my seats were a bit crappy. It was outdoor seating, and they ended up letting people in really early. It was still fun, but I have no good pictures of it.

Tonight I have a couple polishes from one of the SinfulColors summer collection called Street Fusion. The first color is called Maroon Fine (cute name!) which isn't really maroon if you ask me. I think it's more of a burnt orange color with orange and pink shimmer. It's not my favorite color, but that's just a personal preference. The formula was extremely smooth in just 2 coats. I found the real winner here was Fuji Fuji which I wasn't expecting. It's a silver hexagonal holographic glitter in a clear base. It is very glitter dense without the application issues that come with a dense glitter polish. This would look great over any creme polish and I have it over a new China Glaze color called UV Meant to Be. Oh, and notice how there are no bubbles? Yay!

You can find this collection now at your local Walgreens, Rite Aid and other mass retailers for only $1.99. Make sure to look for sales that only make them $0.99. Also check out SinfulColors on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

*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*

Right on the Nail ~ Polish 'M Spring 2015 Collection Swatches and Review: Sip of Summer

Polish 'M Sip of Summer (2 coats) over China Glaze Too Yacht To Handle

*press sample*
Guess who's back?! I know, I'm a terrible blogger. I should have had some posts ready to go before my trip, but I was just too busy before and during my time away. And of course I received around 25 polishes the day before I leave. I have the new Zoya, Sally Hansen and Gelish collections to start swatching. Please stay tuned for new colors soon.

I have another of the Polish 'M spring colors to show you tonight. Sip of Summer is a glitter topcoat with a mix of matte pastel glitters in hexagonal, triangle, and star shapes in a clear base. I found it best to keep the polish upside down for at least 30 minutes before trying to apply this one. Despite it being full of glitter, I found it fairly easy to apply with medium glitter density. I did end up with a few bubbles, but you can't really tell with how much is going on in this polish.

You can find Polish 'M on their store, Facebook, Instagram, and Facebook Group (which I am a part of!).

*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*

Right on the Nail ~ Pretty Woman Polish Review and Swatch: Tis the Season

Pretty Woman Tis the Season (2 coats) over 2 coats wHet Opulent

*press sample*

I'm still sick. Blah. Sorry for the sporadic posting, but I've been traveling, have had family in town, and been sick. It's been a good and bad break so far. 

Anyway, Pretty Woman polish is a newer brand that has quite the variety of gel polishes, regular polishes, nail kits, etc. Tonight I have a glitter nail topper called Tis the Season which is holiday themed with green, red and white glitters. It applied very well and it was very easy to spread the glitters on the nail. Did I mention it was oh so festive?

Their polishes are $7.99 each on their website, and you can find more information on their website, Facebook, and Twitter  pages.

*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* 

Rainbow Honey July 2014 Mystery Bag Swatch and Review: Deep Heart Sea

Rainbow Honey Deep Heart Sea (2 coats) over 2 coats Rainbow Honey 488nm

Happy Labor Day! I spent the day driving, but I'm back in NC and ready to get back to some major swatching . As you can see, I'm back to July's Rainbow Honey Mystery Bag, and September's bag will be here before you know it. I WILL get ahead at some point. Deept Heart Sea is a blue jelly base with neon glitters and white hearts in purple shimmer. It's quite intense for sure. The formula is quite thick due to the glitter, so the best way to apply it is the dab and place the glitter where you want it. I think if you add thinner, the glitter would sink. Anyway, it's still a fun glitter topcoat! 

JINsoon 2014 Fashion Week Polish: Kookie White

JINsoon Kookie White (2 coats)

*press sample*

Let me start out by saying that I really liked the Veronica Mars movie and you should definitely go see it. I also stopped at Bath and Body Works and hoarded the $3 Wallflowers they had on sale (Garden Strawberry is my husband's favorite scent ever right now). I hope you had a nice weekend as well. 

If you're looking for a mod polish, look no further than Kookie White from JINsoon's Fashion Week collection. Is it a white? A grey? A blue? Well, it's a bit of all of those in creme form. As I keep reiterating, the application and formula was great. They also sent on their basecoat and topcoat to try out, and I was very impressed. I wore this manicure for a few days and had no chipping. I also used it on other brands and they also seemed to stand up well. The basecoat is very quick to dry to a matte finish while the topcoat is quite thick like Seche Vite and just as shiny while also being a quick dry formula. While reminding me of Seche, I did not have any shrinking or whole nails of polish popping off randomly like Seche. Well, that's all I have from JINsoon. What did you think? If you liked what you saw, you can get them from their online website or from your local Sephora store.

*This polish was 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*

Valentine's Day Manicure

Verity Valentine (2 coats) over 2 coats Jamberry Cardinal

Happy Valentine's Day and I hope you are having a happy start to the weekend! I just have a quick manicure to show you. I already posted Jamberry's Cardinal, but I decided to add a polish called Valentine (how appropriate) from a brand called Verity. You may have never heard of Verity because, until recently, I hadn't either. I found it at my local beauty supply store and they all go for $1.50! How could I resist? It has pink hearts with smaller red and silver square and hexagonal glitter. I found it was really easy to get the hearts out, but the dab method was definitely the way to go. Overall, I really liked this manicure, and despite it not being true "nail art," I found it was a whimsical mix for this day. I did a quick Google search of Verity and you can find some polishes, but they seem to go for a bit more money. Check some random beauty supply stores in your area to see if they have them. If not, check them out online at Beauty Clutch. Has anyone used this store? They seem legit and they have good prices. 

SinfulColors Holiday 2013 Sheer Lustre Glitter Collection Swatches: Glittery In Pink and Top Me Off

SinfulColors Glittery In Pink (2 coats) over Sally Hansen Teal Tulle (2 coats)

SinfulColors Top Me Off (2 coats on all but middle finger with 3) over 2 coats Butter London Trout Pout

*press samples*

I have 2 polishes from the second SinfulColors holiday glitter collections called Glittery In Pink and Top Me Off. Glittery in Pink is a really light pink with 2 sizes of hexagonal glitter. With the base I used, it looks almost coppery to me which is cool. It's simple, but with the right base color, you can have a really nice manicure. The glitter density was medium and I have 2 coats shown above. The positive is that you don't have to dab this one on and just use regular brush strokes. 

Top Me Off is the second polish and it was a bit more troublesome. As you can see, it has very fine microglitter of purple/blue and holographic particles. I had some troubles keeping the microglitter in line, and you can see a few scattered around my cuticles. I used 2 coats on all of my fingers except for my middle finger where I made it opaque with 3 coats. This was not intentional. You have to be careful not to load the brush with too much polish because you can get the glitter to stick in 1 area which is what I had a problem with. Smooth thin brush strokes should solve this problem, but I guess I was in a hurry and just slapped it on without being careful. Otherwise, this is a really pretty polish. 

If you're not into bar glitter, the Sheer Lustre Glitter collection will be more your style. You can find these at your local Walgreen store for $1.99 right now. You can also follow SinfulColors on Twitter or their Facebook page to find out more information.

*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*

Sally Hansen Holiday 2013 Bling in the New Year Collection Swatch: 3, 2, 1derland

Sally Hansen 3, 2, 1derland (2 coats) over 2 coats Wavy Blue

*press sample*

Perfect timing showing you what Wavy Blue can look like as a base color. 3, 2, 1derland is a glitter topcoat with 2 sizes of blue and green hexagonal glitter in a clear base. I like this, but unfortunately the blue gets a little lost in the background in the photos that didn't happen in real life. It reminds me a little of mermaid scales, right? The formula was the exact same as Fa La La Lavender and needed 2 coats to get good glitter payoff. I like this one enough, but I think I like Fa La La Lavender better. I guess this reminds me of all the blue/green polishes that came out a few years ago (Zoya's Charla, etc...) which is why I wish they added just 1 other color to this. It's still a nice glitter, but I'd still wait for a sale to buy it.

*This polish was 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*

Sally Hansen Holiday 2013 Bling in the New Year Collction Swatch: Fa La La Lavender

Sally Hansen Fa La La Lavender (2 coats) over 3 coats Clam Up

*press sample*

I got a flu shot today and boy did it knock me down. I have a fever and aches, but I'll be ok; it's just really annoying.

I meant to show Fa La La Lavender yesterday when I showed Clam Up since I used it as the base color, but I completely forgot. It comes from one of the 2 holiday glitter collections Sally Hansen released this season. It contains small and large hexagonal glitters in pink and purple colors. Yes, it sounds really 80's, but as you can see, it's just a fun glitter that would look good for a New Year's Eve party. The brush doesn't deposit as much glitter as you'd expect, so I had to use 2 coats as shown above. I'm glad the large companies are bringing out new glitters and this one is great. The Complete Salon Manicure line is a bit expensive for a drugstore polish, so I'd wait for a sale before picking this one up.

*This polish was 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*

Sally Hansen Triple Shine Collection Swatch: Clam Up and Topcoat Review

Sally Hansen Clam Up (3 coats)

*press sample*

When I got the chance to try out some of the Sally Hansen Triple Shine polishes, I decided to try 3 different finishes: an opalescent, a creme, and a shimmer. To be honest, I picked polishes that might be difficult, but that was just to really test this new product out. Up first is Clam Up which is a light pink opalescent polish that is beautiful, but really sheer. I applied 3 really thick coats (I'm surprised it didn't bubble up) and it barely covers the nail. With so many coats, it made the application a bit difficult, but if you don't mind visible nail line, then the formula shouldn't be a problem for you. I do really like that these bottles have a separate cap like Butter London and Illamasqua polishes, but I hate the mop-like brush. Does anyone else hate the thick tapered brush Sally Hansen has? Just me? Overall, I think this is really pretty, but you need to have some patience. 

Now on to the topcoat...I'm not sure why they were trying to have a new topcoat because the point of these is a shiny polish on its own. I'm one of those people that cannot be bothered with non-quick drying topcoats, and this is not a quick dry topcoat. In other words, it may help with the shine, but I don't care because nobody got time for that.

*This polish was 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*