Northern Star Day Dream & Elevation Pic de Sotllo

Tonight's post is of a mani I did sometime last year.  I've been working on clearing out older photos while I go polish-free for a bit.  This is one that I was surprisingly pleased with as I wasn't sure that I would like such a bold combo.  Tonight's post features Northern Star Polish Day Dream, which I received in a swap from the maker, and Elevation Polish Pic de Sotllo, which has been my go-to klein blue for a while.  Let's take a closer look.

I purchased one and received the other in a swap.

Pic de Sotllo is a lovely bright blue creme that dries with a satin finish.  Application is easy as it has a nice consistency without pooling on my skin.  You do need to be a tad careful with application, though, because it may stain a bit if you accidentally get it on your skin.  Dry time was quick, but I used a coat of KBShimmer's Clearly on Top to get that glassy look I love.

Day Dream is a gorgeous fuchsia jelly packed with fuchsia and gold hexes and bright blue squares.  I had been wanting to wear it for a while, but I wasn't sure what color I wanted to pair it with.  As I sat down and started going through my stash for a good match for fuchsia undies, I started to think, hmmm, maybe I could try it as accents with a blue?  As soon as I put it on, I knew that this was a match made in heaven.  

Day Dream applies easily without the need to manipulate or dig for the glitter.  It is a jelly, so I ended up using three coats for full coverage.  It's not topcoat hungry, so I only needed one coat of KBShimmer's Clearly on Top to gloss it up.  Dry time was average, and cleanup was average for a glitter.

You can purchase Pic de Sotllo here.  Sadly, it appears that Day Dream has been discontinued, but you can purchase other Northern Star polishes here.

So, what do you think?  Do you like bold looks, or do you prefer something a little more dainty?  I think I'm definitely going to branch out and use brighter and bolder combos more often.

Red Coat Tuesday: CBL Dirty Diana

First, an update on the kitty!!  He's doing much better! Yesterday, he had his stomach staples and feeding tube removed.  He's acting much more like himself, too, which means lots of loving for me!  Specifically, sleeping on my face at night...  So, now we just have to make sure he eats enough, go back to get him weighed and vitamin B shots, and he's good to go!  Thank you, everyone, for your positive thoughts, vibes, and prayers.  We at the Blue-Eyed Girl household truly appreciate them all!!  Here he is enjoying the afternoon sun :)

Ok, let's get to the post at hand - Red Coat Tuesday!  Let's check out the rules and then get to the polish!

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First, the rules!

• Paint your nails red, do your lips red, do a shadow design in red, or do anything beauty related that is mostly red.
• Add your blog and photo to the inlinkz!  If you don't have a blog but do have an IG, you can check this link for directions on how to use your IG for inlinkz.  If you don't have a blog or IG, you can just add your photo to the linkup or send it to Color Me So Crazy, and she will get them up for you!
• Use the #RedCoatTuesday tag when you share your photos on IG, Twitter, or Facebook!

Purchased by me

For tonight's Red Coat Tuesday, I decided to wear Colors by Llarowe Dirty Diana, which is a lovely berry-leaning burgundy linear holographic.  

Application was easy, and it was mostly opaque in one coat.  I did, however, decide to use two coats for my photos.  It's got a lovely medium consistency that didn't lend to pooling or dragging despite the large brush used by CBL.  I know a lot of people love those large flat brushes, but I just really don't like them.  They make application hard for me since I tend to wear my nails on the shorter side.  Thankfully, the consistency worked in my favor, so I had very little cleanup.

I topped it off with a coat of Seche Vite, which didn't obscure the holo at all.  Dry time was quick, even without the quick dry topcoat.

Even though it's a pretty pigmented red, I didn't have any issues with cleanup or removal.  There wasn't any staining on my nails or my skin, which is great for a red.

I also love that the holo flame is super apparent even in the shade shot.  You don't see that often with most holos.  It just goes to show you exactly how holo this bad boy is.

You can purchase CBL at the Llarowe shop here.  Do you like this bad boy?  What's your favorite burgundy holo?

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Lighthouse of Hope Box

Today's post is really special to me, and I have had zero time to sit down and talk about it since its release in November.  I'm talking about the Lighthouse of Hope Box that was a collaboration between eight different indies this past November.  The box was created to benefit the group I Need a Lighthouse, which you can read a little bit about here.  I Need a Lighthouse is an amazing organization that works directly with people who suffer depressive disorders as well as educates the family members of those individuals so that they can learn coping methods and help their loved ones.  I make no secret about this fact, but I suffer from severe depressive disorder and anxiety disorder.  I work really hard every day to make sure that I don't succumb to the darkness that lurks inside.  It's hard but so worth it so that I may have a normal life.  Here's a little bit of an excerpt of something that I wrote in 2014 that I believe will help shed a light on what it's like for those of us with depression.

It's not something I'm shy about discussing because, honestly, I feel like it's not being discussed enough. With the passing of someone so famous and so entrenched in our minds as a funny and loving man, it's hard to understand why and how he could take his own life. Sadly, that's what depression does. It lies to you. It makes you think that you're all alone, and that the crippling weight of all of your bad decisions and bad experiences are the only things that matter in your life. But it's a lie. Don't give in. Get help! Talk to someone about it! If you're a loved one of someone who suffers from mental illness, support them! Don't leave them to be alone. I wrote a long blog post about this last year during my big depression awareness fundraiser, and you can read a little more about my struggles and the 5 things I've learned through my healing process at the link in the comments [here].

Again, if you suffer from severe depression or suicidal thoughts, please know you are NOT alone. If you need someone to talk to, I'm glad to fill that role until you find a therapist or psychiatrist/psychologist. Just talk! Get it out there! You will be ok!

So, now that that's all out there, let's take a look at the polishes available in the Lighthouse of Hope Depression Awareness Box.  This won't really be a review of the polishes because there are so many, so I'm only going to include the blurb that each of the makers wrote to describe their polish and their inspiration for the polish they created.

Made by me or given to use for charity donation.

The box includes the following polishes:

Alter Ego She Shines; Rica Alchemical Seas of Hope; Peita's Polish Serenity; Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Never Look Back; Sweet Heart Polish You're Amazing; Philly Loves Lacquer I Made You a Nest; Ellagee Sparks of Hope; Superficially Colorful Breathe; and Alter Ego Grows Hope.

Rica - Alchemical Seas of Hope

A sea green jelly with various green/gold glitters (dots, squares, hexes and micro glitter) in various finishes (holographic, metallic and matte). I named it Alchemical Seas of Hope because sometimes depression can feel like you’re in turbulent seas. As hard things may seem to be, there is always a lighthouse of hope in the horizon. Don’t lose sight of that.

Peita’s Polish - Serenity

A teal crelly full of various sized turquoise holographic glitter.  It reminds me of the twinkling clear waters of Australian beaches. I know the beach is often a place of solace for many people in times of stress.

Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer - Never Look Back

A clear base packed with emerald green microglitter and sparks of blue and purple.  As someone who suffers from clinical depression, I’m constantly reminding myself to look to the future and not dwell on the past.  It can be immensely difficult to do so, but it is completely necessary for my recovery.  Remember that the future holds amazing things, so don’t dwell on the bad from the past!

Sweet Heart Polish - You’re Amazing

A deep royal blue jelly with a mix of matte, metallic, and holographic blue glitters in a variety of shapes and sizes with micro iridescent bar glitter.  I named this beauty You’re Amazing, because sometimes you can forget this and it always nice to have a reminder.  [Worn in one coat over Elevation Polish Pic de Sotllo, except ring finger is 4 layers by itself.  Ignore the tip wear, I didn't get to take pics until I was into day 3 of this mani.]

Philly Loves Lacquer - I Made You a Nest

A lightly tinted teal base packed with silver, turquoise, teal, blue, and green microglitters. I made this to pay homage to the comic by Robot Hugs, which I found right before I sought help for my own depression. Sometimes you just need a friend to make you a nest of cuddly blankets and hang out with you in it when things are really rough. http://www.robot-hugs.com/nest/

ellagee - Sparks Of Hope

A lush emerald green with subtle shifts of teal and gold sparkling with gold holo dust. Because when things look dark even the smallest spark of hope can light the way to healing.

Superficially Colorful - Breathe

An aqua/turquoise holographic polish with a little silver and blue shimmer. I think it's what we all need. To take a deep breath and go on. Everything is easier when you can breathe.

Alter Ego - Grows Hope

A medium green foil-ish finish. While this woman doesn't suffer from depression she knows lots of people who do. She Grows Hope for those she know who suffer, trying to make others more aware of how personal these issues can be, and by standing quietly by the side of these people she loves so much, without judgement, to help in whatever way she can.

Boxes have not sold out, but there are only a handful left.  Each box costs $80 shipped domestically and $60 of each box will be donated to I Need a Lighthouse within a week of selling out [I haven't made the donation of the sold boxes yet, and that money is just itchin to get to work at its new home!!].  International packages will be shipped flat rate priority and will cost $94.25 to Canada and $98.25 everywhere else.  For transparency purposes, I will provide screenshots of the donation and donation amount once it has been made.

So, what do you think?  Which is your favorite?  Don't you agree that Depression Awareness should be discussed for more than just one month?

Comparison Thursday: Light Green Cremes

Time for another comparison!  Now, I've already done a light green creme comparison, which you can see here.  However, it wasn't very good and didn't include pretty much any of these polishes.  So, we get Light Green Cremes Part 2!

Purchased by Me

Elevation Polish Mount Yu, OPI Feel the Mo-Heat-Toes Green, OPI Damone Roberts 1968, and OPI Thanks a Windmillion.

Mount Yu

Mount Yu is the only shimmer in the bunch.  It's definitely sheer, but not the most sheer of the batch.  Application was easy, but it had a streaky first coat.  I absolutely love this brush because it's the thinnest of the group, which makes application much easier.  It achieved opacity in three coats.  Dry time was a bit on the longer side, but I used a quick dry topcoat for my photos.  Sadly Mount Yu has been discontinued, but you can purchase other Elevations here.

Feel the Mo-Heat-Toes Green

Mo-Heat-Toes was the sheerest of the bunch.  It's closest in color to Mount Yu minus the shimmer, but they're not duplicates.  It's almost a jelly or crelly.  The first coat is streaky, but the formula was great and didn't flood my cuticles despite the giant brush.  It was pretty much opaque in three coats, but I did four just in case my camera picked up bald patches that I couldn't see myself.  Dry time without a topcoat is average, but I used a quick dry topcoat for my photos.  Mo-Heat-Toes was a Cosmoprof exclusive polish, but I do believe you can find the minis at TJ Maxx.

Damone Roberts 1968

The base color of DR falls right in the middle of Mo-Heat-Toes and Windmillion, but it leans way more yellow than any of the polishes in this grouping.  It is much more pigmented than the first two, but also a little thinner than them formula-wise.  Sadly, the thinner formula made application with OPI's giant brush a giant pain in the butt.  Luckily, I only needed two coats for full coverage, but I used three coats for my photos.  Dry time without a topcoat is average, but I used a quick dry topcoat for my photos.  I purchased this straight from the DR website here.  It's a bit pricier than most OPIs, but it was one that was discontinued for quite a while.

Thanks a Windmillion

TaW is the darkest of the group and leans a little more dusty-sage than the vibrant green of the other three.  It has hands down the best formula of the group, with easy application and almost opaque in one coat.  I'm sure if I did a thicker coat, I could easily do one coat.  I did two coats for full opacity in my photos.  Dry time without a topcoat is average, but I used a quick dry topcoat for my photos.  TaW was part of the Holland release a few years ago, so it's no longer being produced.  However, you can still find it easily in most drug stores or salon supply shops.

So, do you have any of these?  Which is your favorite?

Red Coat Tuesday: BEGL Addicted to Holos Box

Phew, it's time for another #RedCoatTuesday!!  Tonight's post is pretty special as I will be showing off my polish for the new and upcoming Addicted to Holos Indie Box coming in February!  It's a brand new box that will feature myself (Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer), Literary Lacquers, Philly Loves Lacquer, Sweet Heart Polish, and The Polish Bar.  I'm super excited to be a part of it!  The boxes will come out once every other month with a LE polish from each of the indies listed above!  It will be up for a preorder for a week and will cost $60 plus shipping.  So, since my polish for the February box is red, I decided I'd use it in this week's Red Coat Tuesday post!

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First, the rules!

• Paint your nails red, do your lips red, do a shadow design in red, or do anything beauty related that is mostly red.
• Add your blog and photo to the inlinkz!  If you don't have a blog but do have an IG, you can check this link for directions on how to use your IG for inlinkz.  If you don't have a blog or IG, you can just add your photo to the linkup or send it to Color Me So Crazy, and she will get them up for you!
• Use the #RedCoatTuesday tag when you share your photos on IG, Twitter, or Facebook!

Cuts in My Heart is a burgundy linear holographic with silver and red holographic micro glitters.  I used two coats for my photos, but it was completely opaque in one.

It's a bit of a thicker consistency, as with most of my polishes, but it applies easily without the need for cleanup.  I do plan to add a little more thinner to the final batch, but the other bloggers received the batch as I'm using in this post.  It dries with a slight texture because of the micros, but that's nothing that one coat of topcoat won't fix.  

Remember, you can only purchase this polish during the Addicted to Holos Indie Box presale starting at the beginning of February!  Make sure that you're following both the Facebook and IG accounts for news, updates, and more swatches of the rest of the box!

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