Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah!

I'm currently spending time with my family, but I wanted to show you my Thanksgiving and Hanukkah manis!  I'm not Jewish and don't celebrate Hanukkah, but I wanted to do a mani to say Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate it!  Get ready for a crap ton of pictures!

First, for my Thanksgiving mani, I did a jelly sandwich using one of Lynnderella's Thanksgiving Twinset polishes Punkkin Pie in between layers of Colors by Llarowe Coconut.  Then, I attempted a pond mani using stamps from Red Angel plate 121 sandwiched in CbL Coconut and Elevation Polish Cascade.  For stamping, I used Essie Good as Gold, Essie Penny Talk, and China Glaze Passion.

The idea in my head was lacking in execution.  Coconut is technically a jelly, but it's a bit too opaque for jelly sandwiches and pond manis, unless you're using super beyond sheer layers, which I even attempted to do. Cascade was a perfect polish to work with as it wasn't too thick, streaky, or hard to handle.  It also handled the pond mani quite well!  

All of the polishes I used for stamping are metallics, so they stamped really well with great image pickup and transfer.  The Essie Mirror Metallic collection is my go-to non-Konad special polish for stamping.

Punkkin was a bit of a surprise because it has a bit of a yellowish tint to the base, which comes out strongly since I used it over and under white.  Like most Lynns it's a thick glitterbomb packed to the gills with all sorts of colors, sizes, and shapes of glitters including some really sweet hearts!  It definitely requires the dab method, but almost all of her gorgeous polishes do, so I'm used to it.  You can get Colors by Llarowe at Llarowe's shop, Elevation at her store, Lynnderella at her store, Essie and China Glaze at Beauty Supply stores and drug stores, and Red Angel plates on Amazon.

Next is my Hanukkah mani!  Let's take a look at Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Ma'oz Tzur by Candlelight, which is a black polish with a purple flash and a rainbow of micro-flakies.  I wanted to go with a nontraditional color combination that wasn't the normal silver and blue you usually see for Hanukkah.  Ma'oz Tzur is a liturgical poem traditionally sung during Hanukkah after lighting the festival of lights.  The thought behind this color scheme is to capture the flickering of lights in the darkness.  This is two coats with one coat of Gelous and one coat of KBShimmer's Clearly on Top.

Dry time is typical, and it goes on smoothly without clumping despite being packed full of pigments.  Ma'oz Tzur by Candlelight is a limited edition from my Holiday Limited Edition Collection and is currently up on my store right now.  Don't forget, I'm having sales all weekend, and Ma'oz Tzur will be a part of that sale!

So, what do you have on your nails for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah?  I hope everyone who celebrates has  happy and safe holiday!

Naked November: Week 3 Progress and Giveaway Announcements (x2!)

Alright, this will be a quick post since I'm getting to it so late!  I just wanted to check in with you guys on the progress of my Naked November Challenge!  So far, the results have been really very good.  

I've also determined, after some experimentation, that I'm going to have to use my Lush Lemony Flutter pretty much exclusively from now on.  Something in the other products is causing the skin around my nails to get tough, tear, and flake.  It's been something that I've had to deal with my entire life, and it's been a constant source of annoyance for me when it comes to editing my photos.  I don't edit out imperfections, so I have to make do with what I have.  

After just a few days of using Lemony Flutter as my only cuticle balm, the skin around my nails have made a remarkable recovery.  I, stupidly, took the photos below just after washing my hands, so the skin around my nails don't look as nice.  I promise you, though, they look amazing now!  I can't wait until this Sunday when we can look at the month in review!  Ok, here's what I've got going on now.

As you can see, the most damaged parts have grown out completely or are almost gone.  Even on my thumb, there has been remarkable improvement.  The moral of the story, I guess, is that your nails do in fact need a break.  I'll be incorporating a few days a month into my routine from here on out!

Ok, so now let's get down to the giveaway fun stuff!  The first giveaway coincides with the Naked November Challenge.  All individuals who took and posted daily photos PUBLICLY on their social media pages with tags #nopolishnovember #nakednovember @blueeyedlawyer will be entered into a random drawing to win a pretty awesome prize that includes: a glass file from Sephora, Lush Lemony Flutter, and 1 polish of the winner's choice from my Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Winter Collection!  You can't just add all of your photos at the end of the month, they must have been taken AND POSTED throughout the month to qualify for entry.  So far, I know of only 1 person who has been doing this challenge with me, but there may be a few others who just need to send me their links!  I'll choose a winner on Sunday 12/1.

The second giveaway is going to be all about the New Year!  I'll have more details next week, but I will say that my prize is going to be crazy ridiculously awesome and worth over a pretty penny.  :)  There are a few makers and other bloggers that will be joining me in this giveaway, so keep your eyes peeled for an announcement at the beginning of December!  Oh, and here's a sneak peek at one of my prizes...

Have a happy Tuesday!  Safe travels to anyone making any Thanksgiving treks this week!

Comparison Thursday: Pale Pink Indie Holos

First thing's first.  I'm selling grab bags again!  I've lowered the price to $25, which includes domestic US shipping, PayPal invoice fee, and 7 polishes.  Contents of the grab bag will be 7 polishes consisting of 2 full size drugstore brands, 1 mini (either indie, drugstore, or salon), 2 full size salon brands, and 2 full size indies.  THESE BAGS INCLUDE HTF AND DC INDIES AND EACH BAG WILL HAVE AT LEAST 1 HOLOGRAPHIC!  The DC polishes are ones that came out last year that have been discontinued for a very long time.  Those will be going first, so grab one while you can!  I will be accommodating with color and finishes, but I can't tell you which polishes are available or let you choose the polishes that will go into your bag as that's too time consuming.  Please email me at wishesofablueeyedgirl@gmail.com for inquiries.  Please include your paypal address as well as your favorite/least favorite colors and finishes.  For more information, check out my blog page: http://wishesofablueeyedgirl.blogspot.com/p/blog-sale-or-swap_17.html.

Ok, now that the shameless plug is out of the way, let's get down to the comparisons!  I've chosen Enchanted Polish September 2013, Enchanted Polish J'Adore, and Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer We Saved the World, I Say We Party! (aka Buffy) from the Once More with Feeling Collection.  Let's take a look at how they compare below.

As you can see from the bottle shot, the colors are quite different.  Buffy is a more greyed out pink that leans lilac.  September is a rose, and J'Adore is a super pale and dainty pink.

The rainbow effect is minimal in J'Adore to almost non-existent.  It's relatively strong in Buffy, but this lighting doesn't showcase it very well.  September, however, is the most brightly rainbowed.  Yes, rainbowed is now a real word...

As for application, Buffy was very easy to work with and only required two coats.  There isn't any dragging or balding like with so many other holographics.  You also don't need to use an aqua base.  September comes in second in terms of application.  It was also a two coater, but it was a bit thick in comparison.  Lastly, J'Adore is just so sheer that it required four coats, which means that it took forever to dry.  The consistency also wasn't all that great as it was also a bit thick.

So, there you have it!  You can purchase Enchanted Polishes at her store as well as several e-tailers.  Follow Chelsea at her Facebook and IG for news and updates on releases.  My polishes are available at my store here.  Follow me on Facebook and IG for news and updates on new polishes, releases, sales, and giveaways!

So, now that I've featured one of my own polishes for Comparison Thursday, is this something that you'd like to see more often?  What polishes would you like to see compared from my line?  Let me know in the comments, and I'll see if I have them!  I don't try to intentionally dupe other polishes, so any such duplication is purely coincidental.  Often times, I'll have worked on something for several months before release, and then once it's released another polish comes out just like it.  Either way, though, I'm always glad to show you comparisons, and that includes comparisons using my own polishes!

Hololoooooove!

I'm writing this post in the comfort of my pj's and all bundled up in covers.  Alas, I'm sick.  Again.  I'm not sure why I haven't gotten used to this by now as it is an every day norm for me these days.  Still saving up for my surgery, so working my butt off with all of my jobs.  It never gets old...  Although, I now wish I would've invested in one of these instead of my legal education, lol!  Click the link.  Go on.  I'll wait.  Ok, now that we all feel a little bad for ourselves, let's take a look at one of the manis that made me super happy to see again while going through my old photos.  Yes, I'm still going naked for Naked November and still going a little stir crazy because of it!  Tonight's post is Color Club Cloud Nine with an accent nail of Lynnderella Ghost of a Chance.  The proper review will be on Cloud Nine, and I'll talk a little bit about Ghost of a Chance in the Overall Thoughts section.  Ready?  Ok, get your polarized glasses on, these pics are a bit blinding.

*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: Lilac linear holo that leans pink in some lights and purple in others.

Finish: Holographic – pigment gives polish a rainbow in the sunshine.

Bottle / Brush: Color Club – square bottle is not too hard to hold.  The wand length and brush are average.  Easy application.

Opacity: High – opaque at two coats.

Glitter Application: N/A

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

Overall Ease of Application: Hard – applies with some dragging and balding.  Spreads well with manipulation.  Requires quick work to get a smooth result.  Unlike most holos, the Color Club Halo Hues don't need an aqua base to go on smoothly.  They do, however, require quick application and a little extra time to dry between coats to ensure a smooth finish without dragging.

Stampability: Not tested for stamping, but I'm hoping to play around with some holographic stamping soon!

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

Overall Thoughts: Look at how gorgeous Cloud Nine is.  I mean, wow.  This is in my old lighting setup with less direct sunlight and more artificial lighting, and it's still blindingly holographic, despite the lackluster lighting setup.  This means that it's still very holographic in most lights, which makes this bad boy suuuuuuper awesome.  Application was relatively easy, too, so that's a huge plus in my book.  So many holos are a pain in the butt to apply, so this was a nice change of pace.  Lynnderella Ghost of a Chance is a glitter topper with a cloudy shimmer base with tiny iridescent glitters, white hexes and squares, yellow, lavender, pastel green, and baby blue hexes, and light pink hearts.  The milky base dulled the holo, but I still really liked the effect it had as an accent nail.  The glitters came out of the bottle very easily and spread nice and evenly on the nail without clumping.  I need to wear this for real sometime, but I'm not sure exactly what color I'd wear as undies.  Overall, I really liked the daintiness of this mani.  As my friend Sara from Born for a Storm would say, it's dainty as f^@$.  I think that sums this mani up nicely.


I purchased my Color Club Halo Hues on Amazon.  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.*

Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Restock!

First of all, I want to thank everyone who donated to I Need a Lighthouse for my depression awareness fundraiser.  I haven't had a chance yet, but I'm planning to see if I can get a total amount raised by everyone who participated.  The confirmations are in, and the winners have been announced over at my Facebook page.  So go check it out to see if you won!

Today's post is all about the Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Restock on Monday, 11/18 at noon eastern.  Here's a graphic of all of the polishes that will be making their final appearance on Monday.  I had intended to retire more shades, but I just didn't have the heart to do it yet.  The polishes below will all be available until they have sold out.  Once they're gone, though, they won't be coming back, so make sure to get the ones you really want before they disappear forever!

Now, let's focus on the newer polishes that will appear in the restock on Monday: the November Duo and the Winter Collection.  Get ready, this is going to be EXTREMELY picture heavy.  Click on the photos to see them larger and with more detail.

November Duo
The November Duo was originally put up on the store as a pre-order a few weeks ago.  Monday's restock, however, will be for the remaining polishes that are currently in my stock.  There will be very few of these polishes available, and this will be their final restock.  I really wanted to capture fall with these two polishes, so I went with colors that reminded me of the changing leaves - yellow and orange.  The names were derived from common occurrences at family gatherings for Thanksgiving.  MIL Induced Mimosas: because sometimes you just want a drink after hanging out with your in-laws.  Turkey Coma: because when the big meal is over and you're sitting on the couch watching football, all you want to do is take a nap.  So, let's take a look at the November Duo.

MIL Induced Mimosas is a Mimosa yellow polish with red and orange shimmers and red microflakies.  It goes on with full coverage in two coats.  I then topped it with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Turkey Coma is an orange jelly with orange and gold shimmer, orange, red, caramel, and yellow hexes and squares.  It also builds up to full coverage in about 2 coats.  Here, I've used Turkey Coma as one coat over an orange I made myself for stamping on all fingers except the ring finger, which is two coats of Turkey Coma alone.  I topped it off with KBShimmer's Clearly on Top.

For better photos, check out the lovely photos taken by Nina of Model City Polish here.  Also note, the November Duo is available as a set as well as individually.

Winter Collection
This year, I didn't want to do anything overtly holiday-ish.  I'm hoping to carry my winter collection over the next few months, so I wanted to make sure they were just icy enough to be wintry without screaming CHRISTMAS!  I also know that there are many people who don't celebrate Christmas, so I thought, why not do an entire line focusing on all things cold and icy!  Here are the fruits of my labor.

From left to right: Untrodden Snow, Electric Icicle, Toasty Warm, Frozen Ivy, Plum Tired of the Cold, Tacky Winter Sweater, Snowfall at Dusk, and Limited Edition Hypothermia.

December Duo
The December Duo is made up of Untrodden Snow and Electric Icicle.  Anyone who pre-orders the duo will receive a small glitter mix for topping your manis.  I know many people don't enjoy the giant shaped glitters, so this is a way for me to include those on the side for anyone who wants to use them.  Please note, the glitter mix is not intended to be added to polish.  Also note, this duo will not be available individually, which means that they come as a set of two.  If you pre-order the full collection, you will receive the glitter mix as well.

Untrodden Snow is a white based polish that achieves opacity in two coats, but I've worn it here with three coats for photos.  The white glows with a blue flash, blue shimmer, and blue micro flakies.

Electric Icicle is a clear based glitter topper with bright blue holo hexes, rainbow iridescent hexes and squares, silver holo hexes and tiny diamonds, and blue holo stars.  Worn best on top of Untrodden Snow, but I've also shown it as one coat over navy blue creme Cult Nails Time Traveler.  Both swatches show one coat of Electric Icicle over both undies with a coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

If you pre-order the duo on Monday, you will get a small glitter mix made up of white dots, diamonds, and snowmen, purple moons, teal dots, and pink snowflakes.

Toasty Warm
Toasty Warm is a vampy blackened red creme with irregularly shaped red glitters.  The red shimmers make the polish look like it has burning embers glowing at the center of the nail.  This is two coats alone with a thin coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Frozen Ivy
A deep green jelly with silver and green micro glitters.  This is two coats with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Plum Tired of the Cold
A blackened plum shimmer base packed with gold micro hexes, red hexes, diamonds, and circle glitters, wine and burgundy hexes, and black hexes and holo dots.  This shows one coat over Toasty Warm with a thin coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Tacky Winter Sweater
A light pink based polish with sapphire hexes, holo violet hexes, and holo bright pink hexes, diamonds, and dots, purple iridescent hexes, and light pink snowflakes.  Here, I've shown it at one coat over OPI My Very First Knockwurst except on the ring finger which is just two coats layered over itself.  All are topped with one coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Snowfall at Dusk
A periwinkle based polish with various shades of blue hexes, squares, and dots, blue-green iridescent hexes, and large white snowflakes.  Here, I have shown Snowfall at Dusk over two coats of Hot Looks BMX Bandit except on teh ring finger which is just two coats layered over itself.  All are topped with one coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Limited Edition Hypothermia
This limited edition polish is only available for those who purchase the entire Winter Collection!  Hypthermia is a dark purple linear holographic polish with vivid purple shimmer.  This is three coats with KBShimmer Clearly On Top.  Most of these photos are taken indoors with artificial lighting.  The last two photos are taken under the light of my handy dandy ice maker.

So, there you have it!  Don't forget, these will all be up for pre-order on Monday, 11/18, at noon eastern!  Since it's a pre-order, please be patient with shipping.  It may take up to two to three weeks for these all to ship.  Which is your favorite?  Are you as excited as I am about this collection?