Ms. Sparkle Polish for Shiro Cosmetics

Today I get to show you another new-to-me brand, Ms. Sparkle Polish! She’s an international brand that does ship to the U.S., but she also has a U.S. Stocklist, Shiro Cosmetics, stationed in Oregon. Ms. Sparkle Polish created a couple of exclusive polishes for Shiro Cosmetics, and I have the pleasure of showing you those today!

This duo pulls inspiration from The Emperor’s New Groove, a Disney movie made in 2000 which is absolutely adorable. Read about the plot here.

***I found this picture on the Internet and do not take credit for it.***

Yzma is the first polish in this duo and is described as a deep purple holo (scattered holo) with a blue shift to it. It is super pretty, and looked different in different angles. My swatch shows three coats plus glossy top coat.

And of course I had to stamp some pretty hearts over this pretty purple. Check out my Instagram for full mani details (@shelseamagan).

Kuzco is described as a chameleon ultrachrome with a copper-to-burgundy shift and cooresponding color-shifting flakies. This was actually opaque in ONE COAT! I’ve never had an ultrachrome opaque in one coat that shifted this much! I did also apply a glossy top coat.

I just love the “waterdrop” look on duo/multichromes so I just had to add them to this polish and I was not disappointed!

These gorgeous polishes should be available soon. Be sure to check out @ms_sparkle_polish on Instagram for all the updates. Plus, she has tons of other pretty polishes!

Born Pretty Store Stamping Plate

Hey everyone! This was a post that I started months ago, and for some reason, never actually published it. I wanted to share a few looks I created using BP-027 from Born Pretty Store (be sure to use the code DEANX31 for 10% off your order).

Honestly, I really adore this plate. It has so many great images on it, making it really versatile! I mean, look at those swirls! I always love those looks, but oftentimes get impatient waiting for my polish to dry so I can use vinyls. Using this stamping plate is seriously a great alternative! Plus all the plates are etched well, meaning the images are always crisp, clear, and transfer well.

Candied Apple Polish Spring Collection

Alison of Candied Apple Polish has created a spectacular spring collection that is season-appropriate, as well as unique! The collection consists of 3 jellies and 2 crellies, and all are absolutely delightful!

Let’s look at the jellies first. These jellies are all packed with gold and silver glitters of different shapes and sizes, as well as micro glitter that corresponds with the color of the polish!

First up is “Frozen Concoctions”, which is a bright pastel-esque blue. I don’t even really know how to describe the color of this polish other than pretty! My swatch shows three coats plus glossy top coat.

Here is the same swatch, but with a matte top coat instead.

Here is a macro of the mattified version of the swatch! I love this because you can really see how complex this polish is. Best thing? All three are like this!

This is “Hibiscus & Sunrise”-a pretty coral-leaning pink with the same types of glitters in it. Although I’m not typically a pink fan, this might be my favorite of the three! It is seriously so perfect for both spring and summer, and also very flattering! Again, my swatch shows three coats with a glossy top coat. The second picture is with a matte top coat and the last is the matte macro.

“Lights and Lanterns”is the purple version of these polishes. It is super delicate, but bright at the same time. Super complimentary! My swatch shows three coats with glossy top coat, then matte top coat, and finally, the matte macro.

“Leis and Li Hing Mui” is super cool because this white crelly has a mixture of all the different colored micro glitter that Alison used in the above polishes, making it super  complimentary to this collection! My swatch shows three coats plus glossy top coat.

The last polish in this collection is seriously just the icing on the cake, making this whole collection one that everyone needs! “Tiki Torch” is a gorgeous mint crelly packed with all kinds of gold glitters. I seriously can’t get enough of this polish! My swatch shows three thin coats plus glossy top coat.

Alison was so sweet as to do a pre-order for her Facebook fan group-Candied Apple Fanatics! I definitely suggest joining the group if you’re on Facebook! Fortunately, she is releasing this collection officially this Friday, March 25, at 1 pm EST in her shop.

What do you guys think of this collection? Which is your favorite?

Blogger Squad Spring Love

So, I’ve recently joined a fabulous group of ladies who have fantastic blogs and/or do amazing amazing work in regards to swatching. They call themselves the Blogger Squad, and we’re doing a nail art challenge. The theme for our first challenge is Pastel Florals for Spring. Let’s take a look at what I came up with!

Ok, so confession time. I’m actually a bit picky when it comes to pastels. I just love deep, vampy, vibrant colors so much that I struggle to choose other colors. With that being said, I really do like the mani I came up with and wore it on both hands for two days!

 

For this mani, I used two coats of Enchanted Polish “Vintage” (which was recently released) and three coats of Ever After Polish “First Frost”. I stamped with Mundo de Unas Black and Pueen’s Lace Blossom stamping plate. I sealed everything with my go-to top coat, My Dream Polish gem glam top coat.

My thoughts on the products:

• “First Frost”-while I did need 3 coats to reach full opacity, it’s truly a stunning polish and absolutely unique in my collection. It’s the closest thing to a white holo I have.  And honestly, Ever After has (rather quickly) become one of my favorite indie brands. Everything that Rachel and Miranda make is great.
• “Vintage”-honestly, I was less than impressed with this polish. With Enchanted Polish retailing between $16-$17, I expect the polish to be perfect but it wasn’t. The formula was a bit spotty and the brush sucked. To color almost looks a bit cheap in some lights. I will probably be de-stashing this polish; no need for me to keep something I don’t absolutely love.
• Pueen Stamping Plate-PERFECT!! Just wonderful. The images are great, the plate is large, and they are just too-notch quality.
• Mundo du Unas-while these stamping polishes are a bit stinky, they’re the best on the market right now and definitely worth it.
• My Dream Polish gem glam top coat-I’m so spoiled with this product and rarely create a mani that I don’t use this product. The shine is amazing, the product is 5-free, and it’s scented.

What at are your thoughts? Have you tried any of these products?

Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer

I’m really excited to show you guys some pretties from  Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer and tell you my thoughts on them! I own a couple polishes from the brand, but haven’t had the chance to swatch them yet so this is basically a new-to-me brand!

The first couple I am going to show you are exclusives to Hella Holo Customs and are no longer available. If you are interested in joining Hella Holo Customs, check them out on Instagram at @hellaholocustoms.

First up is “Holomelon”, which is absolutely amazing! It is opaque in one coat as well. This is definitely one of my favorites of the ones I was sent. It’s just so pretty!

The Next Hella Holo Customs exclusive is “Atalanta”. The formula was a bit spotty with the first coat, but really evened out with the second. This is a lavender holo full of gold flakies and a seafoam shimmer. It is super unique in my overwhelming collection of purple holos! This one was incredibly difficult to photograph, but so pretty in person!

 

And a little nail art using the two together. They really compliment each other well! I used vinyls from Whats Up Nails for this look.

“I Only Meant to Stay a While” is described as an emerald green jelly with micro holographic glitters in red, green, silver, blue, and purple. This dried to a bit of a textured finish but smoothed out nicely with topcoat. This jelly is opaque in two coats. I truly love the combination of glitters with the emerald!

The next polish is “Blue Ridge Sillouhette”, which is one part of the Destination Duo with Alter Ego Cosmetics. This is described as a glitter topper packed with matte glitters in orange, hot orange, watermelon, hot pink, royal blue, and navy. It is seriously so fun and the glitters were easy to manipulate and no fishing was required. My swatches show one coat plus topcoat rover “I Only Meant to Stay a While”.

I had to add it over a light blue creme as well, and definitely love the look! Again, this is one coat plus topcoat and no fishing for glitter required.

The last polish was my favorite as the bunch. This polish is truly stunning and a must have for any polish lover! The Seasons Change is described as a berry pink linear holographic with platinum microflakies and silver microflakies. It was opaque in one coat, but I used two plus topcoat for my swatches. It’s so wonderful because it is versatile enough to be perfect for any situation!

 

My thoughts on Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer? Overall, Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer has a thicker formula, but I didn’t mind it because it meant fewer coats for opaqueness! Also, I’m truly in love with the combinations she puts together; I feel that each polish is unique! Be sure to check her out; I feel like she has something for everyone!

What are your thoughts on these polishes and/or the brand?

Best of 2015-Part 3

I am FINALLY getting around to writing this post! This is my third and final installment of my thoughts on the Best of 2015. As I’ve stated in the previous posts, this is my Disclaimer: these are my own personal favorites and are in no particular order. It was difficult enough to narrow it down this far, and there is no way I could put these in any kind of order.

Polished for Days “Very Berry Christmas”
Polished for Days is definitely an indie polish brand you need to have on your radar. She creates a lot of gorgeous polishes, and adds tons of fun combos, as you can see with this polish. Here she added some green UCC flakies to a stunning magenta ultra  holo. This polish is so unique to my collection. Plus, Jenna, the maker of Polished for Days is so sweet as well!

Love Angeline “Take Me to Tinsel Town”
Holy sh*#. That’s really all I have to say. This silver ultra holo with holo glitters is INSANE! Unfortunately, it was part of a previous Pipe Down This Love Is Bliss box and is no longer available. But, if you ever find it in a destash, SNAG IT! You won’t be sorry.

drip drop nail paint “Mysterious Sky”
This polish is just perfect. Easily one of my top drip drop’s, and I have a lot of them (a half of a melmer drawer to be exact). It’s not quite gray, not quite blue, with a stunning shimmer to it (that is a bit camera-shy). Drip drop always have amazing formulas, and Jess is really so creative with color combinations.

Exotic Lacquers “Heartbreaker”
Exotic Lacquers is new to the indie scene, as they opened shop in February of 2015.  This is in my top polishes because this is a truly unique flakie topper. This topper has some blue and pink flakies in it, which I have not really seen in UCC flakie toppers before. With those added colors, the polish really just pops. Plus, the formula was perfect. I’ve shown it with a matte top coat because, #mattealltheflakies!

Different Dimension “Blue Shift”
So, I actually didn’t order this polish. I ordered a different one, but was sent this one by accident. I contacted the brand to inform them, and as a courtsey, they let me keep this one. Let me tell you, best “mistake”all year! This polish is seriously perfect. It’s a one coater that also stamps! I’ve used this polish like 4 times already, which is a new record for me. This will probably always be my favorite Different Dimension.

Illyrian Polish “Night Crawler”
This was my very first Illyrian, and the one that kept me coming back for more! I mean seriously, just look at it. It is jam-packed with goodies, and is truly unique in my ridiculous collection of purple holo polishes.

What are your thoughts? Did any of these polishes make your list of top polishes?

Best of 2015 part 2

I have seen some posts floating around in regards to Best Polishes of 2015-and I thought it would be fun to create my own personal list and re-swatch them, so here they are! This is the second part of this series. You can find the first post here.

Disclaimer: these are my own personal favorites and are in no particular order. It was difficult enough to narrow it down this far, and there is no way I could put these in any kind of order.

Vapid Lacquer “Sweaters n’ Denim”
Why: If you’ve been around the indie world this year, then you would know that Vapid lacquer has just blown up. Honestly, I feel like it’s the new Enchanted Polish, which I think is cool because I’ve literally been supporting and following this brand since way before she was big. Vapid has always made some amazing colors, and this polish is no exception. I’m in love with the shimmer in this thermal. It is a bit thin; I used 3 coats plus topcoat for my swatches and you can still see my nail line a bit. Otherwise, the polish is amazing and so so unique to my collection. I’m excited to see where Vapid goes in the next year.

Ever After Polish “Steel Magnolias”
Why: This was actually my second Ever After, and the polish that sold me on the brand. This polish is pure magic, and another of my top 10 fave polishes of all time. It’s a gray medium linear holo but has some amazing silver flakies in it that really make it special! The formula is amazing and I barely needed any cleanup. My swatch is two coats plus topcoat.

Cupcake Polish “Berry Good Looking”
Why: I don’t really feel like this one needs much explanation. “Berry Good Looking” is simply amazing and probably made everyone’s top list. It is gorgeous and almost opaque in one coat. My only issue is that topcoat dulls the holo a bit and changes the color, and without topcoat, it is a bit matte.

Crows Toes Nail Lacquer “Edgy Red”
Why: This is probably my most favorite burgandy red holo ever. It is so versatile, and that color that’s both work and play appropriate. I always feel a bit sassy and sexy when wearing this polish (yes; you can totally feel sassy and sexy based off your mani!). My swatch shows two coats plus topcoat.

Heather’s Hues “Hoodies n’ Hayrides”
Why: One word-flakies! I mean seriously, just look at that! This is a dark blue jelly polish filled with flakies that is opaque in two coats. My only complaint was that the polish was a bit thick for my personal preference, but I added a bit of thinner and was good to go! This was exclusive to a MOTM box, so is no longer available. However, Heather is amazing with customs, so she might be able to make you something similar if you really want.

Lou It Yourself “It’s Grape to Meet You”
Why: This polish is every purple polish lover’s dream. I mean, just look at it! It is an amazing shade of purple with these amazing blue micro flakies (or is that shimmer? Who cares-it’s beautiful!). Plus the formula was amazing and applied like butter. This was part of a previous month’s Sparkle Kit and was LE, so it is no longer available.

Femme Fetale Cosmetics “Lantern Waste”
Why: I remember seeing a swatch of this and thinking, “If we could bottle unicorn pee, that’s probably what this would look like.” This is truly a magical polish with that simmer and those flakies! My only issue with this polish, as you can see in the picture, is that it always shrunk. I have swatched this twice now, using the same base and top coat I always use, and have gotten the same issue both times. Regardless, it is still gorgeous! This is two coats plus topcoat.

I Am Custom Color “Denishawn”
Why: My love for I Am Custom Color runs deep. My love for black polish runs deep. My love for flakies runs deep. So, when all of those things are combined into a polish, of course I’m going to love it!

Noodles Nail Polish “Berries n’ Cream”
Why: This was the polish that launched my love for the brand. You can read all about my love for the brand here. This crelly was super easy to apply-my swatch hows three coats and top coat. This leveled out well and had no clumping issues. Glitter dispersed well and the combination is absolutely gorgeous.

Londontown USA “Purple Reign”
Why: This is a seriously wonderful creme. The formula was amazing-my swatch shows two coats with NO TOPCOAT. Yup-you read that right. All that shine without a topcoat. I really love this color and can see myself using it so frequently.

Best Duo of the Year: Candy Drop Duos
Why: Alison of Candied Apple Polish and Jess of drip drop nail paint always collaborate so well, come up with the cutest themes, and create polishes that are both festive to the time of the year, but versatile enough to wear year-round! Here I re-swatched my personal favorite from this past year-Candied Apple Polish  “Professor Bubbles” and drip drop nail paint “Mad Scientist”.

Honorable Brand Mention: My Darling Curios
Why: If you’re interested in Indie Brand nail polish, My Darling Curious is a good place to start. Every polish of hers I’ve tried has a great formula, and are all super affordable. Here I’ve shown “Foxtrot”-two coats plus topcoat.

Best of 2015-Part 1

I have seen some posts floating around in regards to Best Polishes of 2015-and I thought it would be fun to create my own personal list and re-swatch them, so here they are!

Disclaimer: these are my own personal favorites and are in no particular order. It was difficult enough to narrow it down this far, and there is no way I could put these in any kind of order.

I Am Custom Color “Passenger”
Why: This polish is so complex it is ridiculous and is so absolutely unique. Plus the formula is amazing-my swatch shows two coats with topcoat. It is safe to say that this polish would go in my top 10 favorite polishes of all time.

Pahlish “Little Rebel Droid”
Why: I’ve been a huge fan of Pahlish for quite a while now, but I felt like many of the things she put out in 2015 was similar to something else she’s made. However, she rolled this polish out for Black Friday as a free polish for all orders over $50, and I knew I had to have it. I wasn’t disappointed! In some lights it is purple, and in others it is blue. Regardless, it is stunning. My swatch shows two coats plus top coat.

Sparkly Vernis “Gilded Lemon Drops”
Why: This was my first Sparkly Vernis, which I bought in a destash. It actually opened me to the brand itself, which really had tons of amazing holos. I’m pretty sad to see she closed shop, but so so glad to own this one. Formula was great-my swatch is two coats plus top coat (it is almost opaque in one coat).

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Virago Varnish “Strength”
Why: I first used this polish while visiting my bestie, JayLynn (@gotnail). She then surprised me with my own bottle for Christmas, so it does have some sentimental value too. This polish is a crazy holo and is super unique as well. It almost looks as if it has some kind of golden holo (is that even a thing?!). It is opaque in one coat (but I used two for my swatch because I wasn’t done playing with it). I believe this was an LE available in October for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

I Love Nail Polish “Clockwork”
Why: this year, I have loved everything that is a holo + flakie combo, and ILNP really created a new finish with these metallic-esque polishes. I have used this for so many accent nails, which is so much more fun than just a regular gold. 

Smitten Polish “Kenyan Sunset”
Why:This polish was an exclusive for the Hella Holo Customs Facebook Page-you can also check out their Instagram to learn more about the group. I love this polish because it is everything that Smitten Polish always is-amazing. It really is just a perfect polish all around.

Stardust Polish “Solar Flare”
Why: This was exclusive to some box, but for the life of me, I cannot remember which. However, I first used this while visiting with my bestie and I really just fell in love. I have a weak spot for any purple polish with added shimmer, and this one was very unique to my collection. Plus that touch of holo is nice too. Application and formula was amazing-my swatch shows two easy coats.

Bliss Polish “Something Wicked”
Why: This polish is exclusive to a Pipe Down this Love is Bliss box, and the entire reason I bought this particular box. I really wasn’t disappointed! This black jelly has some gorgeous UCC micro flakes in it, making it unique to my rather large black polish stash. My swatch shows one thin coat over a black base and with top coat.

MDJ Creations “Enchanted Air”
Why: I don’t think I can adequetly put into words my love for this polish. It really is pure perfection. Formula was amazing, plus she used the perfect ratio of shimmer to UCC flakies. Everything about this polish flatters itself. (Plus, Melissa, the maker, is an absolute sweetheart!)

Candied Apple Polish “Sweet Orchards”
Why: It is no secret that I have a huge love affair with Candied Apple Polish. This polish was part of a collab, and she really outdid herself with this. Its such a stunning crelly and is packed with the perfect amount of glitter and flakies. Swatch is two coats plus top coat. 

Sweet Heart Polish “Flipping your Fins”
Why: This was part of a collaboration, and a gift from my sweet friend Kelly. Obviously, I was sold with the mermaid theme. But what really drew me to this polish was the shimmer/flakie combo. It is even more gorgeous in person too! A huge bonus for me is that the owner donates $1 of every bottle purchased to an Autism Charity, and I love that she gives back to the community like that! My swatch is two coats plus top coat.

Of part 1 (my plan is for this to be two parts) which polish is your favorite and why?

I Am Custom Color Futurama Inspired Collection

I seriously feel like a broken record saying this because I say it so often, but Ashlie of I Am Custom Color has really knocked it out of the park with this collection! If any of you watch the show Futurama, you’ll understand these references. Regardless, you’ll find something you will fall in love with. Brownie points if you can guess references! (I won’t tell you just in case, but Lacquered Mama did a great job explaining references here.

All swatches are shown with glossy top coat from My Dream Polish.

To start off the collection, we have Yahoo-Y2K, which is super fun and unique. Shown is two very easy coats. She originally meant for this to be a topper, but mine was opaque on its own. I bet it would look great over other colors as well!

Yahoo Y3K is simply wonderful! It has all the same goodies as Y2K, but in a black base. Wow! Just Wow! My swatches show two easy coats. And look at that shift!

Next up we have my two favorites from the collection. First up, we have Heeya, Heeya is a royal purple holo with iridescent flakies and micro flakies. It had a fantastic formula that was almost opaque in one coat, and I used two coats for my swatches. Of course it is one of my faves because this is an absolutely AMAZING purple holo!

This is Bite My Shiny Metal A$$, which is what I used for the nailart in my pictures above. Man, was this hard to photograph! Trust me when I say it is so much  more amazing in person. This is almost a silver foil polish, but is packed with linear holo and silver flakies. This seriously trumps all my other silver holos. It was also almost opaque in one coat, but I used two. Also, let me just put this out there-I’m in love with the name haha.

I love that it is easier to see the flakies in this macro.

Switched out the two end nails because I wasn’t ready to give up that combo!

Shpluh! is a pink to magenta thermal packed with shimmer and holo magenta glitters, including both hearts and stars. Each purchase will include some for placement as well. Great formula-swatch shows two coats.

I always love finding a good jelly, so of course I love this polish. Woop, Woop, Woop had a really nice coverage in two coats while still maintaining that jelly appearance. I DID NOT use a top coat on swatches for this and look how shiny!

And here I added some glitter and another coat of Woop, Woop, Woop to achieve this look and I love it!

I saved this one for last because I’m super excited about it. I have been searching for awesome mint holos, but they are hard to come by because the holo always dulls the mint color. Well that genius Ashlie added some flakies to it for that extra sparkle, making the polish truly magical. They are more prominent in person. My swatch  shows two coats.

I really can’t say enough good things about this collection, as with all of Ashlie’s polishes. She really has true talent and makes amazing polish. Plus she’s super sweet! They release tomorrow, 12/31 (anyone get that reference?!) and will be available in her shop.

Which do you plan on getting? Which are your favorite?

My Dream Polish Winter Collection

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I have a huge love affair with all My Dream Polish products. She offers a wide range of nail care products, including: a glossy and a waxy top coat, two different base coats, a latex barrier used for easy cleanup when doing nailart, and cuticle oil and balm. She also has some AMAZING glass nail files that I highly recommend.

Here’s a view of some of the different products she offers in some of her winter seasonal scents.

Her winter seasonal scents include:

• Mint Fluff
• Frankincense & Myrrh
• Jack Frost
• Eggnog
• Sugar Cookie
• Cranberry Orange

Fruity is typically my go-to scents, so I was a bit hesitant at first. However, upon smelling these goodies, I was very pleasantly surprised! All have very nice scents that aren’t overwhelming or overpowering. They’re really perfect for this time of year!

I rarely don’t use both her base coat and top coat in manis. Plus, I stamp a lot, and use her Gem Block Liquid Latex lots. I have a slight aversion to latex (plus it typically smells atrocious) but hers has added goodies that make it smell better and not irritate my skin (note: I am not a doctor. This works for me, but I am in NO WAY recommending you to use a liquid latex product if you have an allergy/sensitivity. I just know it works for me).

Seriously-check her out. You won’t be disappointed. Actually, you might thank me haha. Plus, her topcoat is 5 free! There’s also a facebook fan group- My Dream Polish Dreamies. Check it out for lots of fun and inside scoops!