Happy New Year's Eve!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!  Have you done anything fun or exciting?  Me?  I've done a lot of work...  And I'm still not caught up.  My husband is always telling me that I need to find something to cut back on because I'm driving myself too hard, but I don't even know what I would cut!  Wait...  Let's be honest...  It'd totally be my day job if that were possible, but, alas, I do have bills to pay...

Aaaaaaaaaanyway, I wanted to talk a little about New Year's, my mani, and my resolutions, hopes, and outlooks for the new year.  I'm not one to really do resolutions, but there are a few things that I know I really need to work on this coming year.  That being said, here is my list of resolutions for the coming year:

• Have a more positive outlook.  Stop living in the past and regret and start living in the now!  Keep a positive outlook and more positive things will follow!
• Better manage my time so that I have enough time for all of my jobs as well as time for my family and friends and time for me.
• Work harder on getting my brand name out to the public so that maybe, just maybe, I can actually quit my day job and pick up something less stressful on the side of my polish business.
• Get back on track with a blog post every day and have more sustained interaction with readers.
• Actually sit down and write again.
• Work on being a healthier me - physically, emotionally, and mentally!

What about you?  If you do resolutions, what are they going to be for this year?  Do you usually accomplish your resolutions?  I'm about 50/50 on mine when I actually make them, but I usually feel that if I have a goal, why wait until the new year to start it?  

Ok, let's take a look at my New Year's Eve mani!  Tonight, I'm going to be wearing two new shades from my Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer collection - 2014 and Resolutions.  Let's take a look!  Be prepared for picture spam, and as always, click on the photos to see them in more detail.

2014
2014 is an electric periwinkle with an icy blue to vivid purple shift with a sprinkling of blue to green iridescent glitters.  Please note: my photos show this polish pulling more purple than blue, but it is actually more blue in person.  The purple shift is showing up more strongly in the photos than the blue, but they are fairly even in person.

It's got an average thickness that needs between two and three coats for full coverage.  Here, I've worn it with three coats and a coat of Gelous on top for shine.  Dry time was a bit on the longer side, but I attribute that to not using a quick dry topcoat for these photos.  These photos are in artificial daylight.

Below are photos from the romantical glow of my refrigerator light so you can see the shift a little better.

Resolutions
Resolutions is a glitter topper that is made up predominantly of black hexes and tiny stars in a heavily blue shimmered base.  Other glitters in the mix include neon blue and neon pink hexes in varying sizes, sugar plum hexes in varying sizes white squares and rectangles, neon green diamonds, and banana yellow and watermelon dots.

It's a bit sparse in one coat, so make sure to add an extra coat for fuller coverage.  Otherwise, you'll get much less glitter on the nail than normal glitter bomb toppers.  I designed this polish this way so that it wouldn't be overly thick and clumpy.  Here, I've shown one dabbed and one swiped on coat over 2014 topped with only one coat of KBShimmer's Clearly on Top.  

Most of the photos have been taken in artificial lighting, but here are some crummy photos taken with my phone (sorry for the terrible quality), in both low light and in overcast sunlight.

So, there you have it!  What do you think?  Is it festive enough?  I think it looks like a party on your nails, personally, but I may be a bit biased.  You can win these two polishes in my Happy New Year Giveaway here or in the New Year's Resolutions Giveaway here and here (yes, there are two threads, so enter your resolutions on both for more chances to win)!  Otherwise, they will be up on my store tomorrow, 1/1, at 3 pm est!

I hope you all have a very happy and safe New Year's Eve!

Comparison Thursday: Teal with Pink - part deux!

Per reader request, tonight's comparison will be of KBShimmer Teal Another Tail and Indigo Bananas Immortal Game.  Both are teal based polishes with strong gold to pink shift and holographic glitters, but, as you'll see below, they are quite different.  If you'd like to see my first teal with pink flash comparison, look here.  Oh, and while you're at it, check out the blue with pink flash post here!

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.  For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy in the tab above.* 

Let's start off with the similarities.  As you can see, both polishes are teal based with strong pink to gold flash.  They both contain a large particle shifting pigment with a bit of holographic glitter interspersed.  Both only required three coats for full opacity, and they dried at the same pace without a topcoat - about 10 minutes.  Photos holding Teal Another Tail are both polishes without topcoat.  Photos holding Nina Ultra Pro Topcoat and those in the low light photos are both polishes with topcoat.  The macros are both with topcoat.  Click on the photos to enlarge them.

Let's take a look at each polish a little more closely now to check out their differences.

KBShimmer Teal Another Tail

Teal Another Tail leans more green on the teal spectrum than Immortal Game.  It also has a brighter shift.  If you look at the macro, you can see bits of black, as well, that's missing from Immortal Game.  Also, Teal Another Tail dries with a matte, almost textured, finish.  The texture doesn't rise to the level of Zoya Pixie Dusts or OPI Liquid Sands, but it's definitely a grittier finish than a normal matte.  Even without a topcoat, you can see the shift and sparkle quite vividly.  The holographic glitters in Teal Another Tail are actually quite a bit larger, and thus more noticeable, than those found in Immortal Game.  With topcoat added, Teal Another Tail was just as glossy as Immortal Game.  

Immortal Game

Immortal Game leans more toward the blue side of the teal spectrum.  The shift, while vibrant, isn't quite as strong as the shift in Teal Another Tail.  The shifting particles are large in Immortal Game, too, but it doesn't cause the polish to get gritty.  Immortal Game dries shiny and smooth.  With topcoat, it's quite glossy.  There are microscopic holographic glitters that you see only when the light hits them just right, but they are there.  Immortal Game is also much less densely packed with the glass flecks/glitters/shifting particles than in Teal Another Tail, giving you a better view of the base color than with TAT.

  You can see the biggest difference between them in the low light photos (yes, I used the sensual glow of the refrigerator once more).  The green is more apparent in Teal Another Tail and the gold shifts stronger in Teal Another Tail as well.  Immortal Game has fewer particles, which is why, in my opinion, the shift isn't as strong.

As you can see, in certain lights, they look very similar, but in others, they are quite different.  I definitely think you could get away with owning both.  

You can purchase Indigo Bananas at her shop.  Follow Andrea and Indigo Bananas on Facebook, Instagram, and her blog for news, updates, and links to blogger reviews.  You can purchase KBShimmers at their online store for US customers and Harlow and Co for international customers.  Follow the KBShimmer crew on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.  For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy in the tab above.* 

Indigo Bananas Immortal Game (UPDATED!)

Gah.  I just love everything that Andrea from Indigo Bananas comes up with.  Truly I do.  She has some of the most gorgeous shifters on the market, and that's no lie.  If you don't have any, you should tooooooootally go grab some.  The shifts are always so vibrant in pretty much every lighting.  Tonight's polish is no different.  Let's take a look at Indigo Bananas Immortal Game.  Oh, and I hope you don't mind good ole Mr. Righty tonight...

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.  For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy in the tab above.* 

Color: Light blue leaning teal base with large shifting glass flecks that shift from gold to pink, violet flakes, and a small amount of holographic glitter.

Finish: Chrome – a polish that shifts between colors depending on the angle you look at it.

Bottle / Brush: Square with curves – square bottle with a slight curve on the walls and a lip at the top.  Easy to hold.  The wand is a little on the longer side, but the cap and brush are average.  Average application.

Opacity: Medium – achieves opacity at four coats.

Glitter Application: Easy – Spreads evenly without much manipulation.  While Immortal Game doesn't have much actual glitter, per se, it does have the larger flakies and flecks, which were all easy to extract from the bottle and easy to apply. 

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

Overall Ease of Application: Medium – applies well with minimal pooling.  Spreads well without much manipulation.

Stampability: Not tested for stamping.

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

Overall Thoughts: Immortal Game is such a pretty polish.  The shift is so strong in any setting.  It is reminiscent of Rescue Beauty Lounge's Water Lily, but the shift is much stronger and the shifting pigment is much larger in size.  And also it's just prettier.  Don't throw things at me!!  Application was easy with some slight pooling on the cuticle and side walls.  Otherwise, it layered nicely without getting too thick.  The only problem I have is that the flecks and flakies sink over time.  This is easily remedied with a good shake and a flip upside down 20-30 minutes before use - enough time for the bubbles to settle.  Dry time is average.  I'd really love to try this polish over a couple of other colors.  Andrea recommends wearing it over pink to create a neutral grey with pink shift, which I think would be really pretty for fall.

OMG, I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT THIS PHOTO!!!  D'oh!  Anyway, here's Immortal Game in the lovely and romantic glow of my refrigerator.  ;)

You can purchase Indigo Bananas at her shop.  Follow Andrea and Indigo Bananas on Facebook, Instagram, and her blog for news, updates, and links to blogger reviews.

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.  For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy in the tab above.* 

KBShimmer Teal Another Tail and Totally Tubular

Tonight's post is all about the water.  At least, to me it is.  Teal Another Tail and Totally Tubular both bring the water and ocean to mind - one because it's based off of the tail of a mermaid and the other because it reminds me of of a pool with floats in it.  Totally Tubular is currently available, but Teal Another Tail won't be out until September 1st.

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of Teal Another Tail and Totally Tubular for review purposes.  All other polishes 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.* 

Teal Another Tail

Color: Green with gold to pink shift.

Finish: Matte – flat finish, no shine.  Also a multichrome with shifts to pink and gold.  Almost textured due to the larger shifting particles.

Bottle / Brush: Round bottle – the wand is the standard length, but the brush is much thicker.  This made the polish easier to control and manipulate than even the normal brushes for this bottle type.

Opacity: High – opaque at two coats!

Glitter Application: N/A

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

Overall Ease of Application: Medium – applies well with minimal pooling, dragging, streaking, or balding.  Spreads well without much manipulation.

Stampability: Not tested for stamping.

Dry Time: Long – dry to the touch with minimal smudging in over 8 minutes.

Overall Thoughts: Of all of the polishes Christy sent to me for review, this one is my absolute all time favorite.  It ranks up there in top favorites out of my whole collection, too.  The shift is so prominent in both the bottle and on the nail, which is fantastic.  The shift from green to gold to pink is best seen in the refrigerator photo above, but it's very noticeable in most other lights.  Dry time was long, which Christy mentioned in her notes, because it's a matte.  However, I'm sure if you wore a quick dry topcoat it would dry a lot faster.  I chose to wear it matte, so I don't have any photos of it with a glossy coat.  Teal Another Tail won't be available until September 1st when the rest of the new fall collection.

Totally Tubular

I'm not going to lie.  Whenever I hear tubular, I chuckle a little...

(Source)

And it always makes me think of Jay and Ernie (aka Ice) from Hocus Pocus...

(Source = me via makeagif.com)

Color: Blue leaning teal with fuchsia, teal, and purple hexes, dots, and bars.

Finish: Glitter Jelly – glitter in a colored jelly base.

Bottle / Brush: Mini round 8ml bottle - KBShimmer exclusively uses the mini bottle that has the same proportions as the larger bottle, but just smaller. This means that the cap and wand are a little shorter than the full size bottle, but not nearly as short as the normal mini bottle that's prevalent among indie makers. It's easy to grip and has a decently long wand and thick brush making it easier to grab glitters.

Opacity: Medium – achieves opacity at three coats.

Glitter Application: Medium – requires the dab method, but spreads evenly.  I did have to flip the bottle upside down and dig a little to get the larger fuchsia dots.

Consistency: Medium – applies easily and doesn’t flood the cuticles.
Overall Ease of Application: Medium – applies well with minimal pooling, dragging, streaking, or balding.  Spreads well without much manipulation.

Stampability: Not designed for stamping.
Dry Time: Medium – dry to the touch with minimal smudging in 3-8 minutes.

Overall Thoughts:  I wore one coat of Tubular over Zoya Robyn, which was a great pairing.  However, holy crap did Robyn stain.  I mean, I couldn't get it off of my cuticles at all.  Admittedly, though, I didn't use my normal cuticle remover gel trick.  The round glitters in this remind me of inner tubes floating on a pool.  The glitters, other than the large fuchsia dots, were relatively easy to get out of the bottle even though it's a mini bottle.  The KBShimmer mini bottles are my FAVORITE minis ever.  They're super easy to use because they're just big enough for me to hold and the wand is just long enough for me to dig around if I need to to get the tougher glitters out.  Tubular is currently available for sale, and honestly, it's probably my second favorite KBShimmer, so you should totally get it!

You can purchase KBShimmers at their online store for US customers and Harlow and Co for international customers.  Follow Christy Rose and the gang on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Remember, they're going to have a MASSIVE giveaway once they hit 10,000 FB followers, and they are SOOOOO close!  Make sure to get to liking!

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of Teal Another Tail and Totally Tubular for review purposes.  All other polishes 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.*