Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers: Once More with Feeling Collection Part 1

I had planned to do a big post about my Depression Awareness Fundraiser and Giveaway, but I need to get one last thing before I can do that...  So, tonight, you guys get to hear me yammer on and on about my not-quite-so-new line of polishes.

In August, I decided to take the plunge and open my own shop.  I was terrified, but you guys have been so supportive that I knew it would be a good idea in the long run.  At the beginning of September, I released my  homage to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television show called the Once More with Feeling Collection.  It consists of eight linear holos and two glitters and is broken up into three different categories - the Scoobies (the gang), the Demons, and the Vampires.

The idea came to me last spring in the form of a set of customs from my good friend Sara from Born from a Storm (and @sarawthouttheh on IG).  She asked me to make a couple custom polishes based off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so we started out with only three - a green holo, a charcoal holo, and a pink holo.  As we worked on them throughout pretty much the whole summer, I knew we had a good thing going.  We decided to expand it from the original concept of just Buffy, Xander, and Angel to encompass the rest of the gang. Let's take a look at the Scoobies portion of the collection, shall we?  We'll take a look at the rest on Wednesday.  Get ready for some picture heaviness!  Oh, click on them to see them with more detail.

All photos were taken in full sunlight, indirect sunlight, or from the light from my refrigerator and/or ice maker.  What?  My fridge showcases shifts, shimmers, and flamebows (thank you to whoever came up with this term because it is made of win) better than any other light source in the house!  Also, all photos in this post are three coats without undies - except for Scoobies, which is meant to have undies.

The Scoobies

We Saved the World, I Say We Party:  Based off of Buffy Summers, the slayer.  A pale pink linear holo with a strong pink flash.

Love Makes You Do the Wacky: Based off of Willow Rosenberg, the most bad-assed witch.  Dusty purple linear holo with fuchsia flash.

Dorkhead?  You Slash Me with Your Words!: Based off of Xander Harris, the one who sees everything.  Pale green linear holo with a strong green flash.

Tact is Just Not Saying True Stuff.  I’ll Pass: Based off of the self-absorbed and yet oddly heroic Cordelia Chase.  Nude leaning taupe linear holo with green flash.

Tea is Soothing.  I Wish to be Tense.:  Based off of Rupert Giles, the Watcher.  Blue linear holo with an ice blue flash.

The Scoobies: the gang’s self-styled moniker to describe their meetings to discuss strategies and status of “the big bad” in Sunnydale.  Clear base with red micro-flakies, burgundy micro glitters, hexes and squares in burgundy, caramel, gun metal, and red, red holo hearts, silver holo moons, and tiny black stars.  Pictured here over Tact.

So, what do you think about the first half of the collection?  I'm so proud of these polishes, and I'm so excited to share them with you all!  If you'd like to purchase any of my polishes, my new store is up and running, and you can find it here.  I've also added a tab up top that will redirect you to the store when you click on it so you don't have to dig around to find the link in my posts!  Most everything is in stock, but those that sell out will be replenished next week.  It may be a smaller restock, though, but I'll let you guys know when I have a date and time in mind.  Tomorrow's post will be about the depression awareness fundraiser I'm hosting, and I'm hoping it will make a ton of money to help support a pretty great cause.  One prize includes the Limited Edition Lynnderella the Mindful Heart.  All four prizes include 5 Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers, which you'll learn all about tomorrow!  Stick around, there are lots of things going on!

Depression Awareness - Let's Get Personal...

This post is going to be heavy.  If you're looking for something light, you'll probably want to come back on Monday and skip today's post.  Also note, this is going to be a long post without pictures...  So yeah.

I have never been shy about my struggles with depression and anxiety.  When I was finally diagnosed as a junior in college as having severe major depressive disorder, it was like a light had been shed on my life.  The emotions, the fear, the sadness.  It all made sense.  At times throughout my life, it was crippling.  I couldn't see happiness in anything.  It was hard to get out of bed in the morning.  Actually, it was hard to find motivation to do anything at all.  I was in a pit of despair that I just had no clue how to get out of on my own.  With the amazing support of my family, friends, and husband, I realized that those feelings weren't normal.  They weren't how normal people felt, and that I had the power to make those feelings go away.  So, I started taking medications, which worked for a little while, but ultimately they stopped working so I stopped taking them.  The side effects for that specific medication made me almost more miserable than I was before when I wasn't medicated.  I spun back into my depression and bad habits.  I was self-medicating with alcohol and pretty much just ignoring the signs that I had gotten myself right back into the same situation I was in before.  It took some pretty heavy stuff happening in my life to open my eyes and realize it was time to get help again.  I found a therapist and a psychiatrist who I liked, trusted, and respected, and we came up with a plan to help me get back on track.  After testing out medications and talking about my problems, I finally had a regimen in my life that put me back on the path to recovery.  I work hard to stay attuned to my feelings and those little nagging thoughts so that I can inform my doctor and we can make adjustments when needed.  I've been properly medicated for two years, and this is probably the most normal I have ever felt.  I know how to deal with my emotions, and they aren't keeping me from doing things I love or trying new things.  With proper guidance and a lot of support, you will get yourself on the road to recovery.  If you're like me, though, this may be something you have to monitor for the rest of your life.  For many others, though, this won't be a life-long battle.  Don't lose hope that you can live a normal life.

Here are the five most important things that I've learned throughout my battle with depression:

1. You're not a failure if you ask for help.  Sometimes you can't work through things by yourself.  Sometimes you have to ask for a hand to pull you out of the darkness, and that is ok.  You are not failing yourself if you ask for help.
2. Depression Lies.  Those thoughts in your head are wrong.  They're lying to you.  You are loved.  You are important.  You do have worth.  Even in your lowest moment, try to keep in mind that you are loved and people do care about you and your well-being.
3. One medication doesn't fit all.  If you decide that you want to take the route of medication, you definitely need to know that not one medication will work for everyone.  We all have different chemical interactions in our brains, and each medication is designed to focus on different things.  If after two to three weeks you feel like the medicine you're on doesn't feel to be working, go back to your doctor and tell him.  It may be that you need to get on a different medication all together or he may need to adjust your dosages.  It is essential to keep the line of communication open with your doctor.
4. Just because something works for someone else doesn't mean it will work for you.  You need to focus on your own recovery.  People love to be armchair therapists, but no one really knows what you're going through but you.  If you feel like you need medications to help you, then set up an appointment with a doctor to discuss those options.  If you feel like you need a licensed therapist to help you talk through your problems, ask around to see if anyone has someone they know, trust, and like.  If you think that it's only temporary and that exercising and focusing on taking care of yourself will be the best option, then do that!  
5. If you are the loved-one of someone who is battling depression, support them.  Don't leave them when they need you most.  Realize that this isn't something we can control.  You may see our actions and behavior as self-sabotage and that we choose not to get help.  No.  That is not really how it works.  A person who is depressed has to come to the realization that they need help on their own.  Don't push them into making any decisions, but also don't walk away from them when they don't do what you think is the correct course of action.  Sometimes, we are so in our own heads that we don't realize how our depression affects those around us.  Just know that your support does help and it does matter.  It is not looked on with a blind eye.

And because I really want to get awareness out there, I have asked Lynnderella to help me raise funds and support a group that helps with depression education and suicide prevention of children and young adults - I Need a Lighthouse.  Lynn generously created a beautiful custom called the Mindful Heart to auction with the money going to INaL.  If you would like to bid on it, you can do so here.  She also provided a bottle for me to giveaway to one of you lucky readers.  The giveaway will start next Monday and entries will only be accepted if you donate at least $10 to help I Need a Lighthouse.  I will be contacting them to verify your donations.  To make my life easier, I will be setting up a Rafflecopter form where you can tell me how much you donated and the name you donated under for verification purposes.  Don't worry, I'll get into more details on Monday, but here's a sneak peak at the grand prize.

I'm really hoping this fundraising effort will help them fund more programs so that they can expand to more areas and help more people.  For more information about depression check out the International Foundation for Research and Education on Depression.

The Polish Bar Fall Collection Part 3: Best Wishes

Ok, so there's something I neglected to tell you guys...  Janice of The Polish Bar is going to give away necklaces to the first 20 orders over $25.  Um.  You should definitely make sure you get to the launch early tomorrow (remember it's 10/4 at 10:00 am pacific!!!  That's 1 pm eastern!!!!) because you'll get a gorgeous necklace made from one of the polishes from the fall collection.  Here's what Janice has to say about these gorgeous necklaces

"The first 20 orders over $25 will receive one of these. Since these are very limited, I won't be offering a choice but they will feature one of five polishes: In Full Bloom, Shiny Pebbles, Rainbow Jello, Best Wishes and Candy Sprinkles."

And here's a photo of what you might get if you're fast enough to grab one!

Well now.  Doesn't that make you want to move as fast as you can to get some pretties PLUS a gorgeous necklace?  I'm sure it does.  If not, then, really?

(Source)

Ok, so, let's get down to business!  The final polish I have from The Polish Bar to review is called Best Wishes.  Of course I adore the name, naturally.  Any guesses as to why?  Heh.  Ok, let's do this.

*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: White crelly base with purple, lavender, teal, and fuchsia hexes and bars.

Finish: Glitter Crème – glitter in a crème base.

Bottle / Brush: Round mini bottle – wand and brush are just long enough to reach the bottom of the bottle.  However, the fact that it’s a mini makes application a little tricky.  Requires a steady hand to apply evenly without pooling.

Opacity: Medium – achieves opacity at three coats.  I may be weird in this, but while I usually enjoy layering glitters over undies, I typically love to layer white crelly glitters over themselves.  This time isn't any different.  I love this polish layered over itself.

Glitter Application: Easy – Spreads evenly without much manipulation.

Consistency: Fluid – thin but flows easily from the brush.

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

Stampability: Not tested for stamping.

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

Overall Thoughts: One of my favorite things in life is a proper white crelly glitter.  The crispness of it.  The beautiful glitters that shine so brightly and vibrantly in a white base.  What could be better?  I wager, nothing.  Best Wishes is no exception.  Application was amazing, and probably the best of the three I received from the collection.  The glitters were so easy to extract that it didn't even require the upside down method.  The soft pastels make for a great contrast to fall's normally vampy and rich colors.  The crispness of this polish could work well for winter, too, so I feel like it has a multiple personality going on here.  And because I've been enviously looking at the amazing waterfall manis from Stephanie of A Little Polish, I've decided to try one of my own using my The Polish Bar polishes!  Here, I've used Best Wishes as a base.  Then, I did the waterfall mani technique over it using Cosmic Glow, Summer Sea, and Oceanic, a special edition made for a swap, as well as Elevation Polish's Dykh-Tau from the Geo Duo set.  I probably should have chosen a base that was less loud for the delicate holos I chose to use on top, but I really wanted to see what this would look like.  What do you think?

You can purchase The Polish Bar polishes at Janice's Etsy store.  Follow her on facebook here for news and updates.  REMEMBER, these go on sale, tomorrow, October 4 at 10 am pacific!  And don't forget the possibility of receiving a gorgeous necklace if you're one of the first 20 people to order over $25!

*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.*

The Polish Bar Fall Collection Part 2: Cosmic Glow

I want to start tonight's post with a correction!  The Polish Bar's fall collection release is October 4 at 10:00 am pacific.  So, you'll have two extra days to gather your money to throw at Janice.  Ok, so let's take a look at the second polish in my review of The Polish Bar's fall line - Cosmic Glow.

*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 lavender holo with pink undertones

Finish: Holographic – pigment gives polish a rainbow in the sunshine.  The pigment used is an alternative to spectraflair, so the rainbow is scattered instead of linear.

Bottle / Brush: Round mini bottle – wand and brush are just long enough to reach the bottom of the bottle.  However, the fact that it’s a mini makes application a little tricky.  Requires a steady hand to apply evenly without pooling.

Opacity: Medium – achieves opacity at three to four coats.  On my pinkie and index fingers, I used four thicker coats, which caused bubbling because I'm impatient.  I didn't allow the layers to dry enough before adding the next coat.  On my middle and ring fingers, though, I only used 3 coats.

Glitter Application: N/A

Consistency: Medium – applies easily and doesn’t flood the cuticles.  However, like with Summer Sea, it does get thicker the longer you leave the bottle open.

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

Stampability: Not tested for stamping.  I know I said I was going to test for stamping, but I ran out of time.  I fail, I know.

Dry Time: Long – dry to the touch with minimal smudging in over 8 minutes.  I decided to try out Cosmic Glow without a topcoat to show you just how glossy it is.  Every photo of this polish is without topcoat!  It's shiny as if it has a topcoat, but a topper isn't necessary for shine.  It is necessary, however, for dry time.  It took over 10 minutes before it wasn't tacky anymore.  Just because I didn't use a topper, though, doesn't mean you can't.  I used KBShimmer's Clearly on Top over Summer Sea yesterday, and the holo was still vibrant.

Overall Thoughts:  Much like with Summer Sea, I feel that the milky base adds a bit of uniqueness to this polish.  It is a scattered holo, too, so it's much more subtle than the strict linear holos.  Application was fine, but I kept messing it up while I was waiting for it to dry.  I attribute that to trying to wear it without a topcoat, without using drying drops, and for my general lack of patience.  Because you have to use three to four coats, it takes much longer to dry than most holos.  It also doesn't have the thin almost watery consistency of most holos, thankfully, which adds to the dry time.  All in all, though, I really liked Cosmic Glow.  It's a great palate cleanser to the vampy colors of fall.

You can purchase The Polish Bar polishes at Janice's Etsy store.  Follow her on facebook here for news and updates.  REMEMBER, these go on sale October 4 at 10 am pacific!

*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.*