ABC Challenge 'H' - Orly High on Hope

Well 'ello there! Forgetting the fact that I suck and missed a post on Monday....

I had something really awesome planned for today. I promise, it was gonna be so boss, you guys. But then I ran out of time and realized one of my new polishes had a name starting with H and this polish is so complex and awesome that I decided just swatches would be good enough. Especially since I had such a hard time picking the pictures for this post, they were all pretty. And that's not a compliment on me, but the polish.

So which is this new and awesome polish (as if you hadn't read the post title)? Orly High on Hope from their spring 2013 collection! This polish is just... nghh (yes, I'm using guttural sounds to describe a polish). It has a slate blue-gray-greenish base with a chunky multichrome shimmer, almost glass flecky but finer than a glass fleck, the overall appearance on the nail is a shimmer. Formula was a little thick but not difficult at all, two coats is all you need for perfect opacity.

At very extreme angles and in low lighting, you can even see a little green shimmer a la Fantasy Fire or Clarins 230. In regular lighting and from afar it looks dark but the pink shimmer is still noticeable though not overpowering like it is in pictures. Still such a great polish in my eyes that I couldn't bring myself to add anything over it.

Also, this is the haul I made last night at Sally's. With coupons, sales and discounts all I paid out of pocket was $12.27!! My jaw dropped at the cash register when the girl said it was just $12. Spring polishes are my weakness :(.

That's it from me today, have a great day!!

White Owl Lacquers Heightened Emotions Collection - Swatches and Review

Hi all! ITS FREAKING FRIDAY. I'm excited about today :D.

Today I have for you the Heightened Emotions collection for Valentine's Day from White Owl Lacquers! While the first collection was inspired by Harry Potter, this is inspired by The Vampire Diaries, of which I know nothing except they inspired some pretty cool polishes. If you missed my first swatches of the brand, do the clicky here.

First up is Come To Me, a milky white jelly base with different shaped matte blue glitter, some iridescent squares and pink ROUND glitter. Application was very straightforward, only the round glitters wanted to move around but if you let each coat dry that won't be a problem. I'm showing 3 coats.

Now, there was an issue with bleeding glitter in some of the bottles so my swatches have the blue-tinged base instead of the milky white base. I actually really like the bluer base as well as the white one but if you received a faulty bottle please contact Mara and she'll take care of it.

Next up is Never Let Me Go, the pinker sister to Come To Me. This is also a milky white jelly base but with MORE round glitter and the iridescent squares. Application was a breeze as well and I used 3 coats.

And finally, A Little Danger. This is a clear based glitter topper featuring ROUND glitters and iridescent glitter. Yes, more roundies! <3. This is the only one that was a little tricky because a lot of the round glitter seemed to have settled at the bottom but turning the bottle upside down for a few minutes before applying took care of it. I've done one 'dabbed on' coat over China Glaze Def Defying.

What do you think of these? I'm especially in love with Come To Me, those bright blue matte glitters are all kinds of pretty. Also, ROUND GLITTER. I need all the round glitter in the world.

You can find White Owl Lacquers on their store here and you should like them on Facebook for important information and special offers (sometimes free shipping with minimum purchase or discounts with a special code!). Mara's also on Twitter and Instagram, yesterday she shared pictures of the new bottles and they are adorable!

Have a great day lovelies!

Disclosure: White Owl Lacquers provided to me for review. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy* 

ABC Challenge 'G' - Pop Beauty Grass (and Glitter!)

Hi all!

First off, I'll admit I don't like these pictures. I was literally sweating a fever out when I took these and they just don't look as good as I'd like. This cold (or whatever it is) has kicked my ass so hard that on Monday I was bedridden all day because my body ached so much I could barely move so I feel I couldn't do this awesome mani justice. 

Now for polish! I started with two coats of Pop Beauty 'Grass' (of which I don't have pictures alone because they turned out horribly), then added one coat of 'Algae Bloom', a beautiful franken by Mimi from Makeup Withdrawal! I was so excited to get some of her frankens as a bday present, I've long admired them from afar. Grass is a neon green and the perfect base for Algae Bloom's radioactive green base but it looked a little too neon for me so I added one coat of Zoya Frida to deepen the color.

Like I said, this mani was so much better in real life and could have looked better in pictures but I just wasn't up to it :\.

Unfortunately, Mimi has no plans as of yet to sell any of her pretties because she's like Gollum and wants to hoard them. I have a few more frankens that I'd like to share with you and I hope you don't hate me because they're not readily available.

Have a great day lovelies!

White Owl Lacquers Swatches & Review

Hi all!

I am pretty excited to be able to share this brand with you today. White Owl Lacquers is a newish indie brand by Mara of Mara in Polishland! Today I'll be showing 3 of the 6 polishes from the "After All This Time" collection which was inspired by Harry Potter! I flippin' love the Harry Potter movies and books and I completely geeked out with these.

First up is Pumpkin Pasties, inspired by the candies sold on the Hogwarts Express. I don't know about you, but that cart full 'o candies always made me jealous. Application was effortless, the jelly base built up nicely, didn't thicken up during use and I didn't have to fish for glitters. 3 coats by itself.

Next up is Dwelling on Dreams, inspired by the scene in the first book/movie with the mirror of Erised. Very heartbreaking moment for Harry but it gave us an awesome polish. I've shown two coats over Orly Snowcone though you could wear it on its own at three coats.  This is one of my favorites! Formula was great again, no thickening or glooping and the glitters spread easily.

Last but not least, is Kittens and Teacups which was inspired by Professor Umbridge. I hated her so hard, like I legit cheered when she was done as headmaster. This is definitely meant as a delicate polish and not a glitterbomb. I've done 3 thicker coats by itself on most nails but my pinky needed a 4th for some reason. Application was fairly easy, no thickening during use but I did have to be careful while polishing because you could easily swipe off the glitters while polishing.

Sidenote: I have no idea why my ring finger nail is flaring out at the tips like that, I haven't changed my routing or filed it differently and it's downright depressing to see it like that :(.

Any favorites from the ones I've posted here or any other White Owl polishes you've liked? I have my eye on Basilisk Venom and Phoenix Tears as well as the spring collection that's coming soon! 

You can find White Owl Lacquers on their store here and you should like them on Facebook for important information and special offers (sometimes free shipping with minimum purchase or discounts with a special code).

Have a great day lovelies!

Disclosure: White Owl Lacquers provided to me for review. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy* 

ABC Challenge 'F' - Revlon Facets of Fucshia

Hi all, happy candy day!

Today I'm finally back with day F of the ABC Challenge and I've chosen a semi-untried, Revlon's Facets of Fuchsia! This polished caused a big hooha when it came out due to it being fantastic and glittery in a time when indies were practically non-existent. Thankfully, Revlon heard our cries and it is now a permanent core shade and was renamed 'Scandalous (but since my bottle is Facets of Fuchsia it totally counts for the challenge). 

I'm showing one coat over black undies.

This was a semi untried because I wore it once last Halloween, to a dark nightclub where it got zero love and it hadn't been posted on here yet. Application was super easy and I love the simpleness of the glitters! It harkens back to a time before the 18,000 indie brands and glitter bombs.

Now, if you're at all interested in the crapmess my adviser got me into and why I've been gone for a week, click the Read More button below. Otherwise have a great day doing whatever you're going to do, whether it be celebrating valentine's day with a loved one, friends or not celebrating it at all!

ABC Challenge 'E' - Essie No More Film

Hi all!

So, when I sat down to do my nails I knew I didn't want to use an Essie for this challenge day because that was too easy. Then I found an untried Essie and that resolve went out the window.

I chose Essie No More Film and layered Sally Hansen Snow Globe for the bigger hex glitters, then Spoiled My Saturn Broke Down and finished it off with Essie Matte About You.

I did this in such a hurry that it looks sloppy. No gusta :(. I  like the actual mani though, its just that my cuticles were acting up and being all dry and weird so polish seemed to stick to them. No More Film has such a wonderful formula, I can't believe I haven't tried it before, this was just one coat! I'm pretty sure it's going to work great for stamping too.

Now I'm off to do my nails because I refuse to be naked on my birthday! :D

Have a great day lovelies!

Bitch Glitz Cosmetics - Candy Coated Innocence Swatches and Review

Hi all! Sorry for the late and short post, it's been hell trying to set right what my school adviser did wrong.

Anyway, today I have Bitch Glitz's remaining Valentine's Day polish for you! Candy Coated Innocence is a pearly white with purple shreds, tiny pink and purple holo hexes and pink heart glitter. I am showing one coat over a white creme though it easily reaches opacity on its own with two coats (for reference, check Gini's swatch at Sassy Paints).

I love how white looks against my skin in pictures, makes me look tan :D (well, not that I'm pale to start with lol). Application was the same as the previous two polishes, slightly thick due to all the glitters but not difficult at all.

What do you think? Totally Valentine's appropriate?

Things should be back to normal here soon. I also have to edit the pics for the E day for the ABC Challenge, I completely spaced that yesterday was a Wednesday!

Have a great day lovelies <3

Mish-Mash Between Spring and Winter

Hi all!

Today I'm back and taking part in the Polish Days hosted by Hannah from Polly Polish! I always enjoy seeing how many of us participate and how everyone interprets the theme. This theme should be fun since it leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Aand the theme is... Back to Nature! Hannah wanted us to be inspired by nature, whether you're knee-deep in snow or are just over winter and ready for spring. Of course, here in Puerto Rico, it's never really winter (technically).

I call this manicure a mish mash between spring and winter because that's what the weather feels like right now. It's cold (ok maybe not cold, brisk? It's around 60-70F) during the nights but some days are super sunny and hot. Also called a mish mash because it's a very wintery mani featuring a spring polish and a dandelion stamped so... yes ok?

I started with two coats of OPI Can't Find my Czechbook, from their new spring 2013 collection and layered OPI Pirouette My Whistle from their Ballet Soft Shades a while back. Then I added studs from the Born Pretty Store and a stamp from Nailz Craze NC01 image plate.

So, I'm pretty sure you can tell I had no real idea or direction with this since I didn't have time to do complicated nail art. It's just something very simple that made me happy but still fit the theme.

Have a great day!

Bitch Glitz Cosmetics - Chocolate Treasure and Strawberry Sunrise Swatches and Review

Hi all!

Sorry for being slightly MIA, I've been pretty busy between work and school and the little free time I have, I just crash.

Today I have 2 of the 3 Valentine's Day collection polishes from Bitch Glitz! The third polish will be up soon, apparently the pictures are still in the memory card or I lost them (sigh). Bitch Glitz is a newer indie brand featuring 3-free polishes with a dash of diamond dust and even coordinating eye shadows!

Formula for these polishes was the same across the board, perfect consistency and jam packed with glitter. I've shown 2 coats of the polish on their own on my ring finger and also layered them to show their versatility.

First up Chocolate Treasure, a brown based polish with various turquoise, gold and blue glitters. One coat over Illamasqua Taint and two coats on its own.

Second is Strawberry Sunrise, a fuschia, filled with silver, purple, pink and holo white glitters. One coat over black and two coats on its own.

Look at that shimmah! Over black you can really see the depth of the shimmery base and the mix of glitters.

I'm seriously loving these two polishes, I can picture different nail art looks with each one and the fact that they're so opaque is wonderful.

You can find Bitch Glitz on Etsy here, all full size bottles are $10 and the set of all 3 Valentine's Day polishes is $26. Make sure to like them on Facebook for new releases and previews. Ketlyn is also on Twitter (here) and Instagram (here).


I sincerely hope you're having a better day than I am!

*BG Cosmetics products were provided for my honest review. For more info, please see my Disclosure policy*