Colors by Llarowe Fall 2014 Swatches

Hi guys, I've got a few polishes from the recent Colors by Llarowe Fall 2014 collection to share with you today!

As I've come to expect from Colors by Llarowe, this collection consists of a TON of new colors. Today, I've got four -  three shimmers and a holographic - all in nice fall appropriate tones. As usual, the formula of these polishes was thick, but easy enough to manage. Let's take a look at them:

Swear Jar is an emerald green packed with golden shimmer and a slight blue duochrome shift. My first thought when I saw this polish was "Christmas tree!" and I love it. I can't help feeling like this is the winter version of a "mermaid" polish. This will definitely be great to wear for the holiday season! Shown above is two easy coats and top coat.

Burning Embers is a beautiful vampy red shimmer with an orange-yellow duochrome shift. This color is just gorgeous! It truly does remind me of smoldering embers. Shown above is two coats with top coat.

My Broken Down Crop Duster is a grayed out purple with a crazy linear holographic finish. This polish is so holo-y, even when it isn't in direct light! This is another great polish with a great formula. Shown above is two coats with top coat.

And finally we have Mystique, a dark, warm gray shimmer. This one looks really nice on the nails, but I didn't think it was as exciting as the others I got to review. I found that the shimmer made the polish really streaky, so I had to be very careful with application - I applied two coats for opacity, and a third to smooth out the streakiness, plus top coat.

Overall, these colors are pretty nice and I think they'll be great for the upcoming months. These colors are available from Llarowe for $10-$12 USD per bottle. The collection is being restocked today at 12PM and 7PM MDT. They sell out quickly, so make sure to follow Colors by Llarowe on Facebook for future restocks and information.

Which is your favorite?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Colors by Llarowe Limited Edition Halloween 2014 Trio Swatches

Hi guys! Sorry I've been absent these past few days, I know I usually post more often but I've just been so busy with real life stuff and I haven't had much time to sit down and swatch. But I was finally able to paint my nails this weekend, so today I've got for you the limited edition Halloween 2014 trio by Colors by Llarowe!

This trio consists of three totally Halloween appropriate polishes - two jellies with a scattered holographic sparkle, and a shimmery black with glitter. Let's have a look at them individually:

First we have Punkin', a gorgeous orange jelly with a scattered holographic finish. I love the color of this one for Halloween. I knew that this polish would be sheer, and I hate seeing visible nail line, so I layered two coats over China Glaze If In Doubt, Surf It Out, plus top coat.

Witchipoo is a golden yellow jelly with a scattered holographic finish. This polish is definitely great for Halloween, but I'm personally not a huge fan of the color. It was even more sheer than the orange jelly, so I layered two coats over China Glaze Sun Upon My Skin, and added top coat for shine.

And finally we have What Knockers!, a black polish with a silver shimmer that's filled with copper flakes. Again, this is a great color for the season, and I can even see it having a glam vibe with the right outfit for going out at night! The formula on this one was a bit thick and it dragged for me slightly, so I would suggest waiting between coats for the polish to completely dry. Shown above is two coats with top coat to even it out.

The "I Love Candy Corn" Halloween 2014 trio is available for purchase from Llarowe for $12 USD pet bottle. These polishes sell out fast, so keep an eye on the Colors by Llarowe Facebook page for news and restock information.

What do you think of this trio?

These products were provided for my honest review.

Colors by Llarowe Summer 2014 Collection, Part 3: Creams and Jellies

Hello everyone! I know I was just talking about how much I love fall, but it's still technically summer, and I have just a few more summer polishes to show off! I've finally got the final third of the Colors by Llarowe Summer 2014 collection for you today - part one consisted of scattered holos and shimmers, and part two was linear holos and glitters, and today (part three) consists of creams and jellies!

So, this final group of seven polishes consists of five creams and two jellies, all with the same thick but easy to use formula that I have come to expect from Colors by Llarowe! Let's look at them individually:

Smokin' in the Boys Room is a dark cool-toned gray cream with a jelly-like formula - it takes only two coats to reach full opacity, but it's super shiny. I think this polish will transition into fall nicely! Shown above is three coats plus top coat.

Next we have Candy is Dandy, a gorgeous and bright orchid cream with a jelly-like finish. This one was slightly less creamy than the gray, so it took an extra coat to become fully opaque, but the color is just gorgeous! I love how tan it makes me look. Shown above is three coats with top coat.

And of course, we have Liquor is Quicker (don't you love these names?!), which I would describe as a bluish leaning periwinkle polish with a jelly-like finish. As with the others, it's super glossy, even without top coat! I definitely love this color - it's also unique to my collection, which is nice. Shown above is two quick coats and top coat.

Next we have Frenzy, a cool-toned pink cream with a jelly-like finish. This polish definitely has a cooler tone than what I've managed to capture here, but it's gorgeous nonetheless. Shown above is two coats with top coat. And I must warn you - even with base coat, this polish stained my nails pretty badly! But, if you have a good way to remove stains (or want to use this polish for nail art), you're in the clear.

Read My Lips, More New Colors is a totally neon orange cream with a jelly-like formula. Usually neons tend to be chalky and hard to level, but I had no trouble at all with this one! A super bright color that's perfect for the beach or pool, I think this is another one that looks great on my skin tone. Shown above is two coats with top coat.

Now, onto the jellies! I categorize "jellies" as sheer polishes that can't be fully opaque on their own. Summer... Finally! is one of those jellies. It's a super sheer bright pink that almost looks orange in the bottle. I layered two coats over white for this swatch to show off the true color (plus top coat.) I think jellies are great for nail art and applying over other polishes to change their look. My only concern with this one in particular, is that I noticed some spots in it. I couldn't tell if they were air bubbles or spots of unmixed pigment, but you can see them pretty prominently on my index finger. Either way, like I said, this is a good addition to your collection if you want to try some interesting nail art, and the color is pretty impressive too!

And finally, we have Strawberry Wine, another sheer pink jelly. This one looks red in the bottle, but over white, it's a dark pink. This one gave me similar troubles as the other jelly, and you can see the dark spots on all of my nails. I found that this one stained my cuticles as well (and that is why you see some white peeking through in my manicure! I didn't want to flood my cuticles and stain them.) But like I said before, I think jellies are great for nail art (and they make ultra smooth gradients!) so I think this one will have a nice purpose in my stash. If you have any tips for jellies like this, let me know. Shown above is two coats over white, plus top coat.

Overall, I think these creams are very nice. The colors are great for the warm days we have left, and I think a few of them will transition nicely into fall. The jellies, while difficult on their own, will probably be great for nail art! The formulas are generally super easy to work with - they're slightly thick, but great to apply. You can purchase the creams and jellies for $6 USD each on the Llarowe online shop. Make sure you "like" them on Facebook for news and restock dates.

What do you think of these summer creams?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Colors by Llarowe and Born Pretty Store Simple Nail Art

Hi guys! Did you miss me in my impromptu week-long absence? I made the terrible mistake of attempting to cut my cuticles last week, so I haven't been able to do ANY nail art or swatching. My cuticles are still ragged and scabby (gross!) but I figured I owed it to myself (and you!) to at least do some simple nail art, and try my best to keep my hands looking relatively nice.

I decided to get back into the swing of things with a super simple look using Colors by Llarowe Liquor is Quicker and these small star studs from Born Pretty Store. I used Essie Mademoiselle as a base for the detail nail, and top coat to hold the studs in place.

Sorry, I don't have too many photos of this look - I really am so self consious about my cuticles! Luckily you can't tell so much due to my strategic photography and watermark placement, haha, but trust me, they are looking quite bad. I have been using cuticle oil every hour for three days now - does anyone else know of a quicker way to soften my cuticles back up? Let me know in the comments!

Here are the polishes I used. You can get this Colors by Llarowe polish here for $6 USD.

The star studs are available here in a set with a variety of different colors, and you can use the code RFL91 at checkout for 10% off your order and free shipping internationally.

Some products provided for review.

Colors by Llarowe: Toga! Toga! Toga! Swatch and Nail Art

Hi guys, and happy Saturday! Today I'm showing off an exclusive, limited edition polish from Colors by Llarowe that will only be available as a part of the August "A Box, Indied" subscription box from Llarowe. I also decided to snazz up my swatch with some KBShimmer nail vinyl decals. Let's check it out:

Toga! Toga! Toga! is a rich purple linear holographic polish with a gorgeous cool tone. Oh man, this polish really is beautiful! And the holographic pigment is radiant, especially in the sunlight. Shown above is two coats with top coat.

Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail. You can really see all that rainbowy holo pigment coming through. I just had to do some nail art over this polish, because I couldn't bear to take it off, so I pulled out some KBShimmer tribal print nail vinyl decals:

To achieve this look, I stuck on the nail vinyl decals all over my nail, and painted over them with OPI A Grape Affair from HB Beauty Bar. Then, I quickly pulled off the decals to reveal this cute design! I also added a few dots here and there with a toothpick. I love how these polishes match each other so well, and I think the pinky nail came out especially nice.

Here is another shot of the tribal print nail art. Of course, gorgeous dark purple creams are difficult to photograph, so this polish almost looks black, but it's actually a beautiful eggplant color.

Here's a visual of the polishes:

The Colors by Llarowe polish, as I mentioned earlier, will be available as part of the Llarowe "A Box, Indied" subscription box for August, which retails for $50 USD and contains five full sized polishes or related products. You can follow A Box, Indied on Facebook for more information.

The KBShimmer nail decal vinyls come in a sheet of assorted designs and retail for $5 USD each, available here.

What do you think of this polish?

These products were provided for my honest review.

Colors by Llarowe Summer 2014 Collection, Part 2: Holos and Glitters

Hi all, I'm back with part two of my Colors by Llarowe review - most of you will remember part one of my review here. Well, today I've got seven more colors to show off:

I've got five linear holographic polishes, one glitter crelly, and one glitter topper, all with a similar formula to the first polishes I reviewed - thick, but easy to apply. Let's look at them individually, starting with the holos:

My Own Private Island is a bright fuchsia polish with a strong linear holographic finish. This polish immediately caught my eye and I think it's a perfect summer color, because it's just radiant in the sunlight, but the color is also gorgeous indoors. Shown above is two coats, no top coat needed.

Next we have another perfect summer color. Refresh...ing! is a turquoise polish with a strong linear holographic shimmer. Again, this is a polish that is stunning outdoors, but has a pretty color on its own as well. And you all know how much I love to rock a blue polish by the pool! Shown above is two coats, no top coat needed.

Watch Me Fly, See Me Soar is a surprise favorite of this bunch, a pewter polish with a strong linear holographic shimmer. I think the dark color makes the holo stand out a little more, which I love. Shown above is two coats, no top coat needed.

Olivia is an olive polish with a strong linear holographic shimmer, another dark and stunning polish! I imagine this would look perfect for going out at night, because the color is subtle but edgy on its own, and beautiful with the holo! Shown above is two coats, no top coat needed.

Blonde Ambition is the last of the linear holographics I am reviewing, and it's definitely the strongest. This copper polish just sparkles with holo in even the slightest bit of light! I was worried that the color would blend in with my skin tone too much, but I think the holo shimmer fixes that easily. Shown is two coats, no top coat necessary.

I'm Seeing Spots is a black and white microglitter top coat that would look great over any color. It reminds me of the fuzz you see on a television when you have no reception, but I love it! I decided to pair it with KBShimmer My Life's Porpoise. Shown is one coat over gray, and top coat.

And finally we have Subtle Little Number, a milky white crelly filled with bright pink microglitters, as well as purple dots, light pink and yellow hexes, and even little lavender squares. I think I see some white hexes in there, too! This is definitely a very delicate and feminine polish, and I think it looks pretty elegant on the nails, but the glitters do require some fishing and placing. Shown above is three thin coats and top coat.

I am really enjoying these polishes for summer - the holographics are just perfect for sunny days! My favorites of this bunch are I'm Seeing Spots, My Own Private Island, and Watch Me Fly, See Me Soar. You can purchase these polishes for $10-$12 USD each (depending on the color) on the Llarowe online shop. Make sure you "like" them on Facebook for news and restock dates.

Which are your favorites so far?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

My Birthday Mani! Polka Dot Gradient

Hi guys - guess what?! That's right, today is my 23rd birthday! I did this fun nail art look inspired by @naildecor on Instagram to celebrate. I think it's pretty bubbly and fun, especially for summer!

I started with a base of Essie Mademoiselle and then dotted on OPI Alpine Snow, Essie Strut Your Stuff, Essie Sittin' Pretty and Colors by Llarowe Frenzy. This manicure was actually pretty simple, but I love the end result!

It almost reminds me of confetti, or colorful champagne bubbles! What do you think? I also love the color combination - of course, I had to use all of my favorite colors for my birthday manicure. (Although anyone who knows me well knows that blue is my all time favorite color!)

I think I love this manicure so much because it could easily be adapted to work for any season - I imagine gold, black and white dots would look so classy for New Year's! I will definitely have to try this manicure again with a different color scheme. Which colors would you like to see?

Here's a visual on the colors I used. Hope you all have a great day!

Colors by Llarowe Summer 2014 Collection, Part 1: Scattered Holos and Shimmers

Hi guys, I've got a big review for you today: part 1 of the Colors by Llarowe Summer 2014 collection. This collection consists of 34 colors in varying finishes, and I've got 21 in total to review, so I've broken it up into categories. Today's post is all about the scattered holos and the duochrome shimmers! They're all beautiful so read on to find out about them.

Let's look at the four scattered holos first:

Mystery and Mayhem is a blackened teal absolutely packed with scattered holographic microglitters. This one is a definite favorite! This color is opaque in just two coats, as shown above (with top coat). Formula, as with all the polishes I am posting today, was thick but easy to manage.

Beautiful Disaster is a clear glitter topper packed with fuchsia holographic microglitters. It doesn't seem to build opacity on it's own, so I layered two coats over Colors by Llarowe My Own Private Island (with top coat) for the photo above. It's super pretty and very sparkly!

Purple is My Crack is a cool toned purple jelly filled with holographic microglitters. The holographic particles in this polish are definitely smaller than the first two, but it's still very shimmery! Shown is two coats with top coat, but a third coat might be necessary for those of you with longer nails, or you could layer it over a similar purple.

Independence Day is a royal blue filled with small holographic microglitters as well. I think I am in love with this polish! It's perfect for summer, and it's named so appropriately. This color would be great in some patriotic 4th of July nail art! Shown is two coats with top coat.

Moving onto the duochrome shimmers! Connie's Nosy Neighbor is a blurple polish filled with a fuchsia shimmer for a gorgeous color shift. This one is so pretty in the light! I'm happy to say this polish didn't stain my nails, but as with the other two duochrome shimmers, I got shimmer all over my hands when I removed them. But it's so worth it to get to wear this color! Shown above is two coats with top coat.

Alternate Universe is a turquoise with a gorgeous golden shimmer. It's a perfect mermaid polish! This is another polish that's perfect to rock all summer. Shown above is two coats with top coat.

And finally, we have Holiday Road, a chartreuse polish filled with red shimmer. Now, this polish is super unique! The color combination reminds me of a summery Christmas! It is a bit more sheer than the other two shimmers, but I didn't see visible nail line until I took my photos in my light box (which of course, magnifies any imperfections!) For regular wear, two coats (as shown above, with top coat) should be pretty opaque.

Overall, I am impressed with my first experience with Colors by Llarowe. The formulas reminded me of Zoya, in that they were slightly thick but easy to apply. You can purchase these polishes for $10-$12 USD each (depending on the color) on the Llarowe online shop. Make sure you "like" them on Facebook for news and restock dates.

Which colors do you like best?

These products were provided for my honest review.