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.

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!!

Comparison Friday: Fuchsia Holos

So yeah, this comparison is totally going up after midnight, so it's technically Comparison Saturday...  Oh well!  Let's all play a little game of pretend and pretend that I didn't slack off all day today when I could've been working on this post...  M'kay?  Ok.  Let's take a look at tonight's offerings: Enchanted Polish May 2013, China Glaze Astro-Hot, and Jindie Nails Just Claws.

I purchased all polishes or received them as gifts from friends.

First, the similarities!  All three of these polishes are two coats for fully opaque coverage.  They're all in the same range of fuchsia, but that's pretty much where the similarities end.

May 2013

May is definitely the brightest of the three and looks almost like a neon.  This is two easy coats that required very little effort.  It required absolutely no cleanup, either, which is fantastic!  It's got a linear holographic refraction, but it's not as tight as Astro-Hot.  Sadly May was a one-time release, so you won't be able to purchase it directly from Enchanted Polish.  However, you can purchase other polishes from Enchanted here.  Make sure you sign up for her newsletter to ensure you're up to date with all of the new releases!

Astro-Hot

Astro-Hot is the dullest of the three shade-wise.  It's also more metallic than May or Just Claws.  The linear refraction is the tightest of the three, but it's also harder to see in the low light without the help of the sun.  Application was much more difficult.  I didn't use an aqua base because it wasn't necessary, but it's still a polish that requires quick application.  Don't go over the same spot twice until the polish has dried, otherwise you will get balding and clumping.  Astro-Hot also shows all of the imperfections in your nails, so you may want to wear it over a ridge filling base coat.  Astro-Hot was a part of the China Glaze Hologlam collection that came out last year (maybe in 2012?), but you can still find it easily at Sally's or on blog sales.

Just Claws

Just Claws is second in brightness for this trio.  It's also the most scattered of the three with irregularly shaped holographic particles that bring out the reds, pinks, and oranges of the rainbow most.  The particles also give it the most depth of the three polishes.  Application is super easy and required little cleanup.  Dry time was fast, too.  You can purchase Jindie Nails polishes at her store here.

So, what do you think?  I know we looked at May last week, but that was in relation to February 2014. Which is your favorite?

I purchased all polishes or received them as gifts from friends.

Life is Short...

... And You are Hot.  

(Source)

One of my all time favorite episodes of any show ever.  And I don't think I'm exaggerating...  Doctor Who episode Don't Blink was the first episode of Doctor Who that I ever saw, and it was just so creepy that it pulled me into the world of Doctor Who for good.  So, when I saw that Lucky 13 had a Doctor Who collection, I just had to own a few - especially Life is Short and You are Hot.  Bear with my photos tonight as they are from last summer with my old setup.  My nails are in rehab again, so I'll be pulling out older photos for a bit.

I purchased this polish.

Color: Bright fuchsia jelly with fuchsia holographic glitters.

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

Bottle / Brush:  Tall round bottles with round cap - the cap is a little awkward to hold because it’s so round but also pretty short.  If you have a hard time holding caps, this bottle type might be difficult for you.  The wand and brush are long and slender allowing you to grab glitters from deeper within the bottle but making it a little more difficult to get the larger glitter pieces to stay on the brush.

Opacity: Medium – achieves opacity at two coats.

Glitter Application: Easy – Spreads evenly without much manipulation.

Overall Ease of Application: Easy – applies well without pooling, dragging, streaking, or balding.  Spreads evenly and smoothly.

Stampability: Not designed for stamping.

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

Overall Thoughts:  Overall, I really liked this polish, both for the sentimental factor and because it's just a gorgeous polish.  The jelly was perfectly opaque in two coats with lovely glitter coverage.  The glitter to base ratio was nice, but I would've liked to have seen more variation in sizes of the glitters to give more depth.  Application was super easy and dry time was great.  It didn't require any extra topcoat and was perfectly glossy with one coat of KBShimmer's Clearly on Top.

You can purchase Lucky 13 polishes at her store.  Follow her on Facebook for news and updates.