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?

Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Release and Restock September 2014 Part 2

Tonight, we're going to take a look at the rest of the Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer polishes coming out this September.  Check out the first three polishes from this release here.  This month's restock will include limited quantities of any excess stock of all older polishes I have on hand as well as the introduction of the second Siren in the limited edition Siren series (which you can see here), the Special Edition Terrific Twos (which you can see a full review of here), and the release of the first six polishes in the It Got Away from Me, Yeah... Collection - the Women of Doctor Who!  So, let's take a look at the final three ladies of Doctor Who!

It Got Away From Me, Yeah... Part 1: The Women of Doctor Who

A Long Time Ago Tomorrow

Tardis blue creme with blue to purple to pink shifting glass flecks.

Shown here with three thin coats, but I could've done just two for full opacity.  

Dries satin, but I did some without topcoat and some with one layer of Alter Ego's She Shines.  This polish is based off of Amelia Pond.

Just Admiring Your Skills, Sweetie

Purple creme with pink to purple shift.

This polish is a one-coater, but I used two for my photos.  The shift is a bit more noticeable in the bottle but it is still evident on the nail.  

I used one coat of Alter Ego She Shines topcoat.  This polish is based on River Song.

A Snogging Booth?

Clear base with black and red metallic and holographic micro glitters.

These swatches show three coats for my photos, but I only needed two for full opacity. 

Dries slightly textured.  Again, I wore this alone as a texture and then with a layer of Peita's Polish Glitter Glaze and a layer of KBShimmer's Clearly on Top.  If you have any of my other micros, this one is slightly less textured than the others.  This polish is based off of Clara Oswald.

Remember, the September sale will include the first six of the fifteen polishes in the It Got Away from Me Yeah... Collection - the ladies of Doctor Who.  The Gents of Doctor Who and the Doctors will be released in October and November respectively, so I will announce those colors and names as it comes closer to their release.  All polishes in the IGAFMY collection will remain available from their release through the restock in November.  Other new items that will be released this month include the newest Siren from the numbered limited edition Siren collection and Terrific Twos, the polish I created to celebrate my blog's second birthday!  Both of these will be offered only during this sale.  There is very limited stock for both the Siren and Terrific Twos, so make sure you get there early!

All items will go on sale at my store here this Sunday, September 21, at 3:30 pm edt! Good luck!!

Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Release and Restock September 2014 Part 1

Tonight's post will be dedicated to the new Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer collection coming out this September.  I'm going to show you half of the release polishes today and will show you the rest on Wednesday.  This month's restock will include limited quantities of any excess stock of all older polishes I have on hand as well as the introduction of the second Siren in the limited edition Siren series (which you can see here), the Special Edition Terrific Twos (which you can see a full review of here), and the release of the first six polishes in the It Got Away from Me, Yeah... Collection - the Women of Doctor Who!  This post is going to be a bit photo heavy, so get ready!!

It Got Away From Me, Yeah... Part 1: The Women of Doctor Who

Is that a Technical Term, Jiggery Pokery?

Hot pink jelly base with silver, pink, and hot pink holo glitters.  This a slightly reformulated re-release of an older polish from last year's core line.  It has all of the same glitters, but the base is a little darker pink than the original neon pink.  

Here, I'm wearing one coat over Accessorize Lilac Sorbet on all fingers except my ring finger, which as two coats of JP all on its own.  

I used one coat of KBShimmer's Clearly on Top as it didn't need extra layers to smoothen it. 

I'm Dr. Martha Jones.  Who the Hell Are You?

Bright fuchsia creme with green to gold to blue shifting glass flecks.

This is three thin coats, but I only really needed two coats for full opacity.

Dries satin.  I wore this with and without topcoat.  Obviously, this polish is based off of Martha Jones.

You Just Want to Mate?!

Bright red creme with orange, red, and gold shimmers.

YJWM goes on smoothly in three easy coats.  The shimmer is so much more noticeable in person than it was in my photos, but it's definitely there.  

It dries glossy, but I used a coat of Alter Ego She Shines on top.  It was smooth, so I didn't need to use an extra layer of topcoat.  This polish is based off of Donna Noble.

The September sale will include the first six of the fifteen polishes in the It Got Away from Me Yeah... Collection - the ladies of Doctor Who.  The Gents of Doctor Who and the Doctors will be released in October and November respectively, so I will announce those colors and names as it comes closer to their release.  All polishes in the IGAFMY collection will remain available from their release through the restock in November.  Other new items that will be released this month include the newest Siren from the numbered limited edition Siren collection and Terrific Twos, the polish I created to celebrate my blog's second birthday!  Both of these will be offered only during this sale.  There is very limited stock for both the Siren and Terrific Twos, so make sure you get there early!

All items will go on sale at my store here this Sunday, September 21, at 3:30 pm edt! Make sure to come back on Wednesday to take a look at the rest of the Women of Doctor Who!   Happy shopping!!