Il Etait Un Vernis Vegetal Collection Swatches and Review

- PRESS SAMPLE - 

Hi guys! Today I've got the recent spring collection from French brand Il Etait Un Vernis, called the Vegetal Collection. Way back in the beginning of the year, I got to review their winter collection, which was so gorgeous - and this new collection has blown me away!

Wedding Wednesday: Bold Glitter Tips

Hey guys! I know I'm very behind on this week's Wedding Wednesday, but I still want to share with you this week's bridal inspired look! I have already shown you a classic silver glitter gradient in this series, but today's glittery look is a bit bolder:

NCLA Spring 2015 Collection: An LA Fairytale Swatches + Review

- PROVIDED FOR REVIEW -

Hi guys! Well, spring has definitely sprung here in New Jersey, and I am loving the warm weather! Today I'm showing you the latest from NCLA, four spring inspired shades that make up the An L.A. Fairytale Collection. This collection features three delicate glitter top coats and one glitter packed crelly.

LAQA & Co. Gold Fleck + Green Manicure Duo Nail Art

- PROVIDED FOR REVIEW -

Hi guys! Today I'm sharing a quick and easy look using a new-to-me brand called LAQA & Co. They are known for their convenient on-the-go products and adorable packaging - each box of nail polish contains unique art from an emerging artist.

The product I'm reviewing today is their Gold Fleck Manicure Duo, which contains two polishes - a turquoise creme, and a glitter shard top coat. (Fun fact: I actually thought this product was called "gold fleek" - still not 100% sure what "fleek" means but I keep seeing it everywhere! Haha!)

Live Love Polish: Color Club Halo Hues 2012 Swatches

Hi all, today I have an older collection to share with you from Color Club - the first Halo Hues Collection was actually released way back in 2012, but the polishes are coveted by the nail polish community. And international retailer Live Love Polish now has these in stock (as well as the 2013 holographic shades, which I will be reviewing soon!) Read on to see my swatches and for a discount code!!

Renaissance Cosmetics Anniversary Collection Swatches + Review

Hello all! It's pretty snowy here in New Jersey today (and we are expecting the blizzard of the century!) so I'll probably be spending a lot of time painting my nails and drinking hot chocolate! I have some gorgeous polishes to show you from Renaissance Cosmetics - their Anniversary Collection actually came out a couple of months ago, but they're being restocked this week so I figured today is perfect for sharing my swatches!

Like I said, this collection was released at the same time as the Modern Vamp Collection that I reviewed last month, but a lot of these colors seem perfect for spring! And you'll probably remember how much I love the unique combinations of Renaissance polishes - this collection is no exception. It consists of three crellies, one full coverage jelly and two microglitters, all featuring the wide flat brush that I adore. Let's take a look:

Cupcake Polish January 2015: The Queen Collection Swatches

Wow, it feels like it's been so long since I've reviewed Cupcake Polish! I did miss those fabulous holos! Well, today I've got their new collection to show you, The Queen Collection - it consists of five gorgeous holographic shades inspired the queens of Europe throughout history.

This collection features some beautiful and rich shades that are really fit for royalty! The formulas on these are fabulous - most of them were actually opaque in one coat, which you could definitely get away with in real life, but not under my lightbox lamps! Anyway, let's take a look:

We will start with my favorite of the bunch - Eleanor is a black linear holographic polish with an intense duochrome shimmer that shifts from pink to blue. I absolutely love the shimmery color shift in this polish! It's very present but it doesn't overpower the holo, which is nice. Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

Elizabeth is a sparkly linear gold holographic polish packed with gold shimmer. Nothing too crazy or unique here, but it's a beautifully elegant shade, and it's definitely classic! (You can't have a royal themed collection without a gold polish, right?) Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

Catherine is a pinky red linear holographic packed with pink shimmer. Again, nothing too crazy here, but it's a very pretty color and the pink shimmer makes it interesting! Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

Here's another polish that stole my heart - Victoria is a bright, cool toned purple linear holographic polish with a duochrome shimmer that shifts from pink to gold. Seriously, this polish is gorgeous! Even without the shimmer, this polish would make me drool, but when you add it into the equation, it's to die for. I really do love this purple, and it's unlike any polish I have! Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

And last cut certainly not least we have Maria, a bright royal blue linear holographic polish filled with green shimmer. This is such a pretty shade of blue, and I love the added green shimmer for a totally unique touch. Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

These polishes are available beginning today on the Cupcake Polish website for $13 USD each, or $60 USD for the entire collection. My top picks are Eleanor, Victoria, and Maria.

Which ones do you like best? I'd love to know!

*Some products provided for my honest review.

PRODUCTS USED:
Base: Nailtiques Formula 2 Plus, available here
Polishes: (listed above)
Top: KBShimmer Clearly on Top, available here

Il Etait Un Vernis: License to Polish Collection Swatches

Hi guys! I'm finally back in the groove of swatching (thankfully my nails grew back pretty quickly!) and I'm very excited about today's review - I've got the latest collection from popular indie Il Etait Un Vernis! This French brand exploded onto the scene with their debut collection, and now they're releasing the gorgeous "License to Polish" collection, which consists of five beautiful shades that you can rock anytime of year.

Let me start off by gushing about the packaging - besides the adorable logo, these polishes came in the cutest little bag, along with a little "License to Polish" button! I am always impressed by companies that take special care and effort in packaging their products, and this brand really wowed me. The formulas on all of these were incredible - most of them were pretty much opaque in just one coat, and application was smooth and easy. Well, let's get started!

Juggling Glass Balls is actually different from the rest of the polishes in this collection in that it's sheer enough to be worn as a glitter topper over another shade. It's a silver holographic microglitter in a clear base, packed with silver flakies. I thought it was just so gorgeous and delicate that I wanted to show it on its own, and I am not disappointed with the result. It's beautiful! Perfect formula. Shown above is three thin coats with top coat.

We Want You For NPA Army is a beautiful warm forest green holographic shade featuring tiny gold flakies. This shade seriously wowed me, and I'm not usually a huge fan of green polishes. I really am in love! The added gold flakies just bring this polish to another level. Shown above is two coats plus top coat, but it was almost opaque in just one.

Drop Dead Gorgeous is a blackened gold holographic polish that looks brown in some lighting, and gold in others. This is another shade that I normally wouldn't reach for, but I practically drooled over this polish! It seriously is drop dead gorgeous. (Am I gushing? I'm totally gushing. I can't help myself!) Shown above is two coats with top coat, but it was opaque in just one.

In Teal We Trust is a stunning rich teal holographic shade with flashes of blue shimmer and flakies. Now this is a color that I was excited for, and I definitely wasn't disappointed! It's so deep and pretty, and definitely a color that I would wear all year. Shown above is two coats and top coat, but again - it's pretty much opaque in just one coat.

And finally, we have Something to Remember, a pale mauve holographic with flashes of bright fuchsia shimmer. This is one of those shades that you could wear in the office, but its so multi-faceted! The fuchsia shimmer has an almost green duochrome effect to it, which totally surprised me when I applied it. I didn't expect this shade to have so much to it! Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

Overall, I think it's safe to say I'm pretty much in love with these polishes. Everything about them impressed me - from the incredible formulas, to the beautiful colors, to the great packaging! I would pick favorites but I honestly love them all and could see myself wearing every single one all year long.

These polishes are available from Il Etait Un Vernis for €12.90 EUR each, which is currently about $14.95 USD, or €59.90 EUR for the entire collection, which is currently about $69.44 USD. Il Etait Un Vernis is based in France, so international customers might want to read up on their shipping policy.

What do you think of these shades? Do you own any polishes from Il Etait Un Vernis?



*Some products provided for my honest review.

PRODUCTS USED:
Base: Nailtiques Formula 2 Plus, available here
Polishes: (listed above)
Top: KBShimmer Clearly on Top, available here

Valentine's Day Polka Dot Gradient With Essie Winter 2014

It's never too early for a Valentine's Day manicure, right?! Well, today's nail art look isn't just for all you gushy romantics - but the color scheme does fit, so I figured I'd call it that ;) I just loved seeing the Essie Winter 2014 shades together in my swatch post, so I decided to make a quick polka dot gradient with them! This is a look I've done a couple of times before (like on my birthday!) but I wanted to try it with a more elegant color scheme.

I just love how the dots look like confetti! I started with a base of Cirque Carpe Diem (I know, I know, I'm obsessed with it) and then with my double sided dotting tool, I dotted on Essie Bump Up the Pumps, Essie Jump in My Jumpsuit, Cirque Memento Mori, and Essie Jiggle Hi, Jiggle Low - in that order! One of my biggest problems in the past was that I tried layering colors that weren't fully opaque, so this time I chose polishes that were practically one coaters, which I think helped with the ease of dotting. I topped everything off with top coat!

I actually feel like this manicure is perfect for winter - probably because of the cool metallic champagne shade! I think having a different finish in there makes the manicure pretty unique from what I have created before - plus, I think this looks so elegant!

Here are the polishes I used. The Essies are from HB Beauty Bar - you can read my full review and get a 15% discount code here - and you can check out my review of the Cirque shades here.

What do you think of this nail art look? Do you own any of the Essie winter shades?

*Some products provided for my honest review.

PRODUCTS USED:
Base: Duri Rejuvacote, purchase here
Polishes: Cirque Memento Mori & Cirque Carpe Diem, review here; Essie Jiggle Hi Jiggle Low, Essie Bump Up the Pumps, & Essie Jump in My Jumpsuit, review here
Top: KBShimmer Clearly on Top

Cuccio Colour Winter Basics Swatch Spam

Hi guys, today I've got for you some Cuccio Colour swatches from various collections that I got from HB Beauty Bar - you already know I love the Cuccio formula and these colors are not only perfect for winter, but great basics to have in your collection for use in nail art.

Like I said, this is a great bunch of basic colors for any serious nail artist, and I love that Cuccio has the wide, flat brushes for easy application. I used a new Essie top coat for these swatches which I didn't like at ALL, but I didn't realize that it translated onto the photos until after I was finished. (I probably should have used the Cuccio Top Coat, which has an incredible shine.) But I will let you know that the cremes were very glossy on their own! Let's take a look!

A Kiss in Paris is the perfect cherry red creme. Everyone needs a shade like this in their collection, and the one-coat formula is fabulous, unsurprisingly. Shown above is two coats and top coat.

Shock Value is a sheer, shimmery iridescent white that sparkles gold in direct light. This is a great color for an elegant winter affair! Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

Verona Lace is a basic white creme. Oh man, how do I describe this polish? In the endless search for the perfect white creme, I think I've stumbled across a gem in this brand! The formula is not too thick or too thin, easy application, and perfect coverage in two coats. I've already used this polish as a base for nail art! (You'll see the end result of that soon!) I think I'm in love. Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

And with a perfect white creme comes a perfect black creme, 2am In Hollywood. This basic black has a great formula and applies very smoothly. Shown above is two coats with top coat.

Glasgow Nights is a near-black green creme - no, this isn't the same polish as 2am In Hollywood, although in dim lighting they almost look the same. I wasn't totally sold on this bottle, although I love this dark wintery color, because the formula was patchy. It dried in a weird spotty pattern on the first coat, and there were tiny little spots of pigment visible - all of this was solved with a thick second coat, though, and as you can see in the photo above, the issues aren't visible anymore! It's worth purchasing if you like the color, in my opinion. Shown above is two coats with top coat.

Hong Kong Harbor is a silver foil. Another great basic to have in your collection, and it's fully opaque in just one coat! For the photo above, I used two coats with top coat.

And finally we have Russian Opulence. It's a great basic gold shimmer, and although personally I wouldn't wear it as a full mani because it's a bit yellow for my skin tone, I think this polish will be great for nail art accents and stamping. As is usual for this type of polish, it applied streaky, so you might want to paint one thick coat for full opacity, and a second thin coat to smooth out the streaks. Shown above is two coats with top coat.

Overall, these are some great key colors for your collection, and you can definitely rock them alone all winter long! Cuccio Colour is available from HB Beauty Bar for $8.50 USD per bottle. Don't forget, you can use the code POLISHCHALLENGE at checkout for an additional 15% off your order!

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

OPI + Gwen Stefani "Don't Speak" 18K Gold Top Coat

Hi guys! Christmas Eve is upon us, but there's still time to grab some stocking stuffers for your loved ones, right? Well, you won't want to miss this one - Gwen Stefani and OPI have teamed up for a new collection this season, which includes a special edition 18K gold top coat. And I was lucky enough to get this topper from HB Beauty Bar to show you all!

This special edition topper comes in a gorgeous gold chrome bottle and of course, some fancy packaging! I found that this polish was different from other gold flakes I have tried, because this one includes some holographic gold shimmer as well. The formula was great (what else would you expect from OPI?!) and it was easy to apply. Let's take a look:

I couldn't decide if I wanted to wear this topper over red or black, so I decided to make a gradient where you could see it over both colors! I started with a base of Essie Jump in My Jumpsuit (which I reviewed here) and then sponged on Nanacoco Love Black. I topped them off with OPI Don't Speak.

I am totally in love with this combination! You can't really see the holographic sparkle unless you are in direct light (you can see it most on my middle nail in the above photo, but also some faint sparkle on my ring finger).

This manicure was originally going to be what I wore for Christmas because I just love how elegant it looks. I actually might just reapply it for tomorrow!

Here is a visual of all the polishes I used. All of them are from HB Beauty Bar. Don't forget, you can use the code POLISHCHALLENGE for 15% off your entire order, even on the gold top coat!

Overall, I do like this gold top coat. I think it's a wonderful less expensive alternative to some of the other gold flake top coats I've seen - it's only $24.95 USD from HB Beauty Bar! - and I think this bottle is a great collector's item for any nail polish lover.

What do you think of this topper?

*Some products provided for my honest review.

Essie Winter 2014 Collection Swatches

Hello everyone! I have the Essie Winter 2014 Collection to show you today from HB Beauty Bar - I've got 5 out of the 6 winter shades for you guys! This collection is a wintry mix of pink cremes with a gorgeous champagne gold foil as well. (PS: notice anything different about my blog?!)

One thing I love about Essie collections is that they are always so cohesive - don't these colors look so beautiful together? Most of them were practically opaque in one coat, and the formulas were fabulous! Let's take a look at them individually:

Let's start with my absolute favorite polish in the collection, Jiggle Hi, Jiggle Low, a beautiful champagne gold foil that's actually packed with gold flecks. I absolutely love shades like this, especially in the winter - this particular shade feels perfect for a New Year's manicure! It was almost opaque in one coat - shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

Jump in My Jumpsuit is a beautiful berry creme that's almost opaque in just one coat! I think this is a classic shade for winter, especially around the holidays. This color reminds me of the fall shade Dress to Kilt. Holding them side by side, this new shade definitely has a more berry tone. Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

Double Breasted Jacket is a cool toned medium pink creme. Another gorgeous color! Although it does just seem like a regular pink, I actually don't have any colors like this in my collection, so I really like it. This is another shade that was almost opaque in one coat, but shown above is two coats with top coat.

Bump Up the Pumps is a gorgeous coral pink creme. This color is just so pretty! It feels very classic of Essie to have a shade like this, and I think it's a great go-to color year round. I know I keep repeating myself, but this shade was almost opaque in one coat too! With short nails, any of the above polishes could probably be applied in one coat. Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

And finally we have Tuck it in My Tux, a sheer creamy white crelly. A plain color, but I just can't get enough of delicate colors like these - it's perfect for a special occasion or formal affair. Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

There is one other polish in this collection that I don't have, Back in the Limo, which is a sheer light coral pink creme. Overall, I think this collection is really nice - must haves include Jiggle Hi, Jiggle Low and Double Breasted Jacket.

The whole collection is available from HB Beauty Bar for $7.50 USD per bottle. Don't forget to use the discount code POLISHCHALLENGE at checkout for 15% off your entire order! (PS: shipping is free for orders over $25 USD!)

* These products were provided for my honest review.

Delush Polish Nue Collection Swatches and Review

Hi guys! Today I have swatches of the brand new Delush Polish Nue Collection to show you! This collection consists of six gorgeous polishes - four metallic shades and two glitter toppers - that are available for purchase starting today.

Here are all the shades The Nue Collection has to offer. These are some great basic staple colors to add to your collection, especially for winter. I found that the metallics applied streaky (as metallic polishes tend to do!), but a careful hand goes a long way for applying a nice, even coat. Let's take a closer look:

Eat Sleep Chic is a bold blue metallic shade. This is such a pretty color! I could always use another rich blue in my collection, and I think the metallic finish gives this color a classy winter vibe. Shown above is three coats plus top coat - it reached full opacity in two coats, but I added a third to even out the streaks.

Next we have Glam Squad, a bright metallic red shade. Another perfect winter color - I imagine this would be perfect to rock at your office holiday party! Plus, a classic shade like this can be worn all year round. I found that this shade was less streaky than the others in the collection. Shown above is two careful coats with top coat.

Trendsetter is a stunning slate blue metallic polish with a slight silver shimmer. I do love that this shade falls somewhere between blue and silver - the end result is so pretty. Shown above is two careful coats with top coat.

In Nude We Trust is a nude metallic polish with slightly pink undertones. Although this color is lovely, I don't think it suits my skin tone! This shade was the streakiest of the bunch - it was practically opaque in one coat though, so the second coat was mostly just to even out the streaks. Shown above is two coats with top coat.

Nue Girl is holographic silver glitter topper packed with hex glitters in various sizes, as well as triangle glitters. I couldn't resist applying this over a silver polish to show off how fun and bright this topper can be - but it would probably look stunning over black as well. I sponged on this topper to maximize glitter payoff, and topped it with two coats of top coat for a smooth finish.

And finally, we have Gilded Diva, the holographic gold sister to Nue Girl. This glitter topper features tons of holographic gold hexes in various sizes. I paired this topper with a gold polish - again, just to see how bright and bold it could be! - and as with the silver, I sponged it on for maximum glitter payoff, again with two coats of top coat.

Overall, I think this collection is a nice set. The colors aren't too wild or bold - they are nice, basic shades to wear in a professional setting (except for those bold glitters, of course!). My top picks are Eat Sleep Chic and Trendsetter.

The Nue Collection is available from Delush Polish for $8.95 USD each, or $48 for the entire collection. Delush is also hosting a few exciting Black Friday promotions:

- Free shipping on all orders over $50 USD (no code required, US only, 11/26-12/31)
- Two free full size polishes on all orders over $60 USD (after all promotional codes have been applied, does not include shipping. Just leave a note with your two color choices in your order, 11/26-12/1)
- The first 50 orders will receive a free bag of snowflake glitters for use in nail art.

What do you think of this collection? Are you going to be polish shopping this weekend? And if so, what brands/polishes are you going to buy? I would love to know!

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Color Club Seven Deadly Sins Collection Swatches and Review

Hi guys! Today I'm reviewing the Color Club Seven Deadly Sins Collection, which I got from HB Beauty Bar. This collection consists of seven lightly textured polishes with a ton of sparkle, that are inspired by the seven deadly sins. As far as textured polishes go, these were extremely easy to work with (they reminded me a lot of the original Pixie Dust formula by Zoya!) and the colors are beautiful.

This is my first time reviewing Color Club polishes, even though they've been around for quite a while, and I have to say, I was really impressed! I love their bottles, and the caps have this cool sort of matte finish - and of course, I really liked the colors! I skipped the top coat for these swatches, so you can get the full textured effect. Let's take a closer look:

Indulge Me is a burnt orange textured polish with a ton of gold and pink sparkle. I'm not a huge fan of orange, and I didn't think I would like this one, but I ended up surprising myself because I really enjoy it! It almost looks like leather, and I think it would look awesome to wear in the fall (with dark jeans and leather boots, of course!) Shown above is two easy coats, no top coat.

Dirty Money is a glamorous champagne gold textured polish that features small hex glitters in the same color. Can we talk about how much I love this one?! The color is perfection - it feels so luxurious! I am loving colors like this for the winter months, and I think this one would be perfect to wear for the New Year. Shown above is two easy coats, no top coat.

Friends With Benefits is a pale lavender textured polish that features small hex glitters in the same color. This one is very similar to Dirty Money, with the tone-on-tone glitter combination and the high sparkle. It's another gorgeous color, and I think this one will be perfect for winter as well! Shown above is two easy coats, no top coat.

Under Your Spell is a unique blend of color and glitter - a dark periwinkle base, with gold shimmer and small lavender hex glitters make up this textured polish. And the name is appropriate, because this polish is mesmerizing! I really have nothing like this polish in my collection, and I think it's a beautiful color. Shown above is two easy coats, no top coat.

You're So Vain is a deep blackened purple textured polish that features gold and fuchsia shimmer. This is another stunning and unique combination of color, and I think the texture on this one is perfect! (You can really see why these reminded me of the Pixie Dusts.) Shown above is two easy coats, no top coat.

Fierce is a black textured polish with a multichrome shimmer that has color shifts in pink, red, orange, and yellow. This color is so pretty, and it can satiate both your textured and your multichrome desires at the same time! I couldn't really catch the color shift on my nails, but if you look at the bottle, you can see the orange and gold shimmer coming out. Shown above is two easy coats, no top coat.

And finally, we have Obessed, a black textured polish with slight multichrome shimmer that shifts from turquoise, to blue, to purple. This one was very similar to Fierce, and the prominent turquoise shimmer is stunning. Shown above is two easy coats, no top coat.

Overall, I am literally in love with this collection! My first experience with Color Club has definitely been a pleasant one, and I can only hope that they come out with more textured polishes, because the formulas on these were spot on! I'm not sure I can pick out favorites, since I really enjoyed all of the colors in this collection.

And you'll love the price of these - this collection is available from HB Beauty Bar for $3.95 USD each (I know, I know! Textured polishes for less than $4?!! Insanity!), and you can use the code POLISHCHALLENGE at checkout for an additional 15% off your entire order.

Which of these colors is your favorite?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.