KBShimmer Summer 2015 Collection Part 2: Crellies

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Hey guys! I know it's been forever since I last posted on here - but don't worry, I won't be disappearing any time soon. I've been really active on Instagram lately and just haven't had the time to sit down and write blog posts. Anyway, today I finally have part two of the KBShimmer Summer 2015 collection. I absolutely loved the cremes in this collection, and today I'm showing you guys the classic crellies!

Can I just say that these colors look so awesome in a row like this?! Anyway - this part of the review contains six polishes, including four classic crellies with glitter, one linear holo, and one full coverage shimmer. As is usual for KBShimmer, the formulas were easy to work with and the colors were gorgeous! Let's get started:

Il Etait Un Vernis Vegetal Collection Swatches and Review

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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!

ALIQUID Lacquer Summer of George Collection Swatches + Review

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Hey guys! I'm very excited to share today's swatches with you - I've got the latest collection from ALIQUID Lacquer, inspired by one of my favorite television shows, Seinfeld! The collection is called the "Summer of George" collection and it consists of six gorgeous shades, including four crellies, one glitter packed jelly, and one glitter topper that can build to full coverage. The creator of this brand, Alison, was kind enough to send over some YouTube clips citing the inspiration of these polish names, so I've linked them with the individual shades below!

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:

Wedding Wednesday: Blue Bow French Manicure

Hello everyone, and happy Wedding Wednesday! Today's bridal inspired nail art look strays a bit from the classic style - I decided to incorporate "something blue" into the theme with a delicate blue French manicure:

Wedding Wednesday: Silver Glitter Gradient

- SOME PRODUCTS PROVIDED FO REVIEW -

Hey guys! Wow, I can't believe I almost forgot to post today's Wedding Wednesday look (I spent the entire day thinking it was Tuesday! Haha.) Anyway, last Wednesday I told you guys about my brother and his fiancee and how they inspired my new series - you can refresh your memory by reading the blog post here. Today's look is another somewhat classic bridal manicure - a pinky nude base with glittery silver tips!

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.

The Digit-al Dozen Does Patterns on Patterns: Stripes on Stripes (and Cirque Doyers Review)

 Can you believe it? We’ve finally reached the end of Digit-al Dozen week! My final look for you is my favorite of the entire week – I’ve been saving it for last! I absolutely love how intricate striping tape can make a manicure look, and I think it looks sophisticated in this color scheme (which is, of course, red and white for Valentine’s Day!)

NCLA Valentine's Day Heart Glitters: Swatches + Review

Hope everyone is having a great lazy Sunday today! We're anticipating more snow here in New Jersey, but I have a feeling it won't be as bad as the forecasts say. Either way, I've got more fun Valentine's Day nail polishes from you, this time from NCLA! You all remember how much I loved their last glitter topper - well, today I'm showing you two out of five of their new heart shaped glitter toppers for Valentine's Day.

KBShimmer Spring 2015 Full Collection Swatches + Review

Hi guys! I'm so excited to finally share with you the latest from KBShimmer - their Spring 2015 Collection! This collection features twelve beautiful new polishes that'll have you excited for winter to end.

In this new collection, there are seven crellies, four holos, and one creme, all in gorgeous pastel shades that are perfect for spring. The formulas on all of these were generally very easy to work with, and I just love their wide flat brushes for easy application. For all swatches below, I used KBShimmer base and top coat. Let's get started!

The Digit-al Dozen Does Fairytales: The Little Mermaid French Tips

Continuing with my mermaid theme for the fourth day of The Digit-al Dozen, I've decided to do some funky French tips inspired by the coolest mermaid of them all, Ariel from The Little Mermaid! This is the first nail art I've done since my unfortunate nail break, so please don't mind my shorties ;)

Yes, I know this is a very abstract interpretation of Ariel, but I wanted to go for something simple and wearable, while still subtly evoking the iconic mermaid. To achieve this look, I started with a base of Essie Urban Jungle. Once that was dry, I swiped on NCLA Santa Monica Shore Thing, and over that Island Girl Aloha Paradise, using the brushes from the bottle. I finished it off with top coat.

Although this is such a simple look, I really love the way it came out. I didn't want to do anything too complicated, because I am still a bit self conscious about my nail length. (I know it's hard to tell in photos, but trust me - they are much shorter than I am used to!) And I do love how subtle the reference is - similar to my Alice manicure.

I think the appeal of this manicure is that it's something you can wear anytime, with any color scheme - plus, it's so easy and requires no tools.

Here are the polishes I used. I reviewed Essie Urban Jungle here and NCLA Santa Monica Shore Thing here. The Island Girl polish was a gift - this brand is only available in Hawaii and Las Vegas, as far as I am aware.

Make sure you see what the other talented ladies are up to in The Digit-al Dozen today:

An InLinkz Link-up

PRODUCTS USED:
Base: Duri Rejuvacote, purchase here

Polishes: 
Essie Urban Jungle, review here
NCLA Santa Monica Shore Thing, review here
Island Girl Aloha Paradise, available in stores in Hawaii and Las Vegas

Top: KBShimmer Clearly on Top, $5.50 USD here

Renaissance Cosmetics: The Modern Vamp Collection Swatches + Review

Hi guys, today I have for you some amazing new polishes from Renaissance Cosmetics. They've actually released two new collections this fall/winter, and both of them are incredible - I'll be sharing the Anniversary Collection soon. But for today, we're looking at The Modern Vamp Collection, a collection of six gorgeous and unique polishes inspired by vampires from recent television shows and films. (And I even have a discount code to share with you! Read on for more information.)

I love vampire movies and TV shows, so I was already in love with this collection before I even tried it. But I do think that this collection will be great for people who don't know any of the references as well because the polishes are pretty gorgeous.

As I've come to expect from Renaissance Cosmetics, these polishes are unlike anything I have in my collection. Meghan does an incredible job of combining colors and finishes to create a completely new product. Anyway, all of the formulas on these polishes are fabulous and they feature the wide, flat brush that I love for easy application. As I always say with Renaissance, I think the true beauty of these polishes can be seen in the macro shots, so you'll see close ups of each polish in today's post. Let's get started, shall we?

Footprints in the Snow is a white crelly, almost opaque with one coat (almost all of the colors were practically opaque in one coat, much like creme finishes, but I'm going to refer to them as crellies because they include the added glitters) that features black, red, and blue microglitters as well as a fuchsia and gold shimmer. Seriously, have you ever seen a white crelly like this?! It really is delicate and beautiful like snow. This polish was inspired by Eli from the film Let the Right One In. I haven't seen it, but this gorgeous polish is making me want to! Shown above is two easy coats and top coat.

Here is a close up in the bottle and on the nail. You can really see all the variations in glitter when you look up close. What a complex polish!

Next we have An Eternal Doll, a creamy nude crelly packed with red and gold glitters in various sizes, as well as a gold shimmer. Again, this was practically a one coater, but the true glitter depth comes from the second coat. This polish was inspired by Claudia from Interview With A Vampire. Again, I haven't seen this film, but this polish is so warm and beautiful! It almost has a Christmassy vibe to it, and I'm definitely considering wearing it for the holiday! Shown above is two coats with top coat.

Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail. I made the mistake of using a really thin top coat (by Essie) for these swatches, and it didn't do a great job of smoothing out the glitters in this collection. I would recommend using a nice thick top coat like Seche Vite or KBShimmer for these polishes to smooth them out easily!

Next we have Cursed, a dusty medium blue packed with red hexes and iridescent flakes, as well as an intense fuchsia shimmer. Seriously, have you ever seen a shade like this?! It's absolutely beautiful and so unique. This polish is inspired by Aidan from Being Human, which is probably one of my favorite television shows of all time, and it captures him perfectly! Again, this polish was practically a one coater, but you're looking at two coats with top coat.

Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail. I think the combination of red and blue is so gorgeous here, and a combination I wouldn't expect to see in a polish.

Next up is Blood/Lust, a super sparkly red jelly polish packed with red and gold shimmer. This is the closest that Renaissance will probably be to a "classic" polish, but I do think that colors like this are just great to have in my collection for a classy and elegant look. Again, I could definitely see this being a Christmas polish! This polish was inspired by vampire Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and it's a great representation of her character. Shown above is two coats with top coat, but you might want to add a third coat for deeper color and more sparkle.

I don't think my swatch photo accurately shows off the shimmer in this polish, but you can see how wild it is in the bottle shot! Seriously, this polish shimmered so beautifully on the nail!

Out of the Darkness is a black crelly with a seriously strong linear holo finish, as well as blue and fuchsia flakes. I know I'm repeating myself here, but I have never seen a polish like this - it's absolutely gorgeous, and I don't think photos do it justice. The pink and blue flakes shimmer beautifully, even though the black base is completely opaque, and the holographic finish just sparkles! This polish is inspired by Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and it represents his struggle with good and evil. Personally, I think this polish looks totally badass! It makes me want to rock a leather jacket and some spiky boots. Shown above is two coats with top coat.

Seriously, can we drool now?! Here is a photo in the bottle and on the nail - this polish clearly loves to pick up light, and my camera almost had a meltdown trying to capture the holographic finish.

Last but definitely not least, we have Sex, Death, & Rock 'n' Roll. I honestly wasn't even sure how to describe this incredibly unique polish - gray? gold? blue? - so I checked out Meghan's review, and decided it's a black base packed with gold shimmer and a strong linear holo, as well as holographic hex glitters. Can we just take a second to look at the bottle in the above photo? It seriously looks like the galaxy exploded! The polish itself was practically opaque in one coat, but I just had to add a second for more depth. This polish is inspired by Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (is anyone else seeing a theme here? I think it's safe to say Meghan loves Buffy!), and again, I think is describes him perfectly. Shown above is two coats with top coat.

Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail. Incredible!

Overall, I'm totally in love with this collection. I honestly couldn't pick a favorite - even the polishes that I didn't understand the references to are amazing! I also want to point out that these polishes could be perfect for any male polish lover, especially the last two - even the inclusion of sparkle and holo doesn't make them distinctly feminine, and I love that, since they are inspired by male characters. (And hey, Oz from Buffy wore nail polish, and he was pretty badass!)

This collection is available from Renaissance Cosmetics for $9.50 USD each or $51.30 USD for the entire collection. Make sure you use the code "nailpolishchallenge15" for 15% off your order of $10 or more! I believe some of these colors are currently out of stock (and they sell out pretty quickly in general), so you'll want to follow Renaissance on Facebook for restock information.

What do you think of this collection? Do you recognize any of the vamps?

*These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Fall Vintage Floral Nail Art

Happy Thanksgiving, followers! Today I have a fun fall-toned floral nail art look to show you. I absolutely love colors like this in the fall - and especially in November, since they remind me of all the falling leaves :) I thought they would be perfect to pair together with some simple little roses!

I started this look with OPI You're So Vain-illa, and then I painted on irregular blobs with Essie Dress to Kilt, Essie Roarrrrange, and Essie Fierce, No Fear. I painted little leaves using Essie Fall in Line, and then I outlined my roses with Essie Partner in Crime. I topped everything off with matte top coat for a muted look.

I'm absolutely in love with how these turned out and I couldn't be happier with them. They almost remind me of wallpaper! I can see myself doing this style of floral nail art in a ton of different color schemes.

All of these polishes are from HB Beauty Bar - I reviewed them here (Essie Fall 2014), here (Essie Summer 2014) and here (OPI Coca-Cola Collection). Don't forget to use the code POLISHCHALLENGE at checkout for 15% off your entire order!

On a side note, I just want to express how thankful I am for all of you readers. When I started this blog a few years ago, I never imagined that my passion for nail polish and art would bring so many wonderful people to me! I appreciate every single comment, like, and share on my blog and social media pages. And I LOVE interacting with you guys. It really is a blessing- so thank you for making this holiday special for me!

What do you think of this fun and simple nail art look?

These polishes 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.

Barielle Fall 2014 Jetsetter Collection Swatches

Hi everyone, today I have a new-to-me brand on the blog today called Barielle. Barielle is widely known for their nail care products - most notably their nail strengthener cream - but they also make some beautiful nail polishes. Today I'm reviewing their new Jetsetter Collection for fall, which consists of six gorgeous polishes:

There are four glossy creams and two beautiful shimmers in this collection - personally, I can see myself wearing most of these year round, but they are perfect for autumn! Let's take a closer look.

Rain in Spain is a gorgeous periwinkle cream. This polish applies like butter! I think I gasped out loud when I first started painting with it. It was practically opaque in just one coat. And the color is stunning as well - perfect for any time of year. Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

Kiss Me Kate is a gorgeous nude cream with another flawless formula. I just love how this one looks against my skin tone. And it was completely opaque in just one coat - the first nude polish I've ever tried with a one coat formula! I did apply two coats for consistency, plus top coat.

Gondola Ride is a dusty light olive cream. Now this is a great color for fall and winter! The yellow undertone of this polish compliments my skin tone perfectly, I think. And the formula was fabulous, no surprise! This one wasn't as opaque as the others on the first coat, but it still applied perfectly. Shown above is two easy coats plus top coat.

Midnight in Paris is an inky blue shimmer that leaned slightly purple. The name of this one is completely appropriate, because it looks to me just like a dark night sky! It was slightly thicker to apply than the creams, but still easy. Shown above is two coats plus top coat.

Autumn in Seoul is a rich coppery brown shimmer. Another gorgeous color for Autumn! Like Midnight in Paris, this polish was a bit thicker than the creams, and it applied slightly streaky - but the streaks seemed to disappear once it dried. I love how rich and classy this color is! Shown above is two coats plus top coat.

And finally, we have Irish Eyes, a bright forest green cream. Like the other creams in the collection, this one applied flawlessly, and was opaque in just one coat! I am really surprised at myself for loving the greens in this collection so much, since I don't usually gravitate toward green polishes, but these ones seemed to go so well with my skin tone. Shown above is two easy coats for consistency, plus top coat.

Overall, my first experience with Barielle is a very pleasant one! I absolutely loved the formula on these polishes, and I found myself really loving every single color in the collection. I would definitely recommend giving this brand a try if you haven't yet - you will be amazed at the ease of application!

This collection is available from the Barielle website for $8 USD per bottle. Make sure you follow them on Facebook for sales and updates!

Have you ever tried Barielle? What do you think of these polishes?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

China Glaze Vampire Nails with Live Love Polish

So, I never really do holiday nail art. I'm not really sure why - maybe I feel too much pressure, since holidays always seem to sneak up on me! But today, I decided to ease myself into it by doing some super simple "claw" nails, just in time for Halloween. I used some new polishes from Live Love Polish, a brand new online retailer that offers China Glaze, LVX, Color Club, Models Own, UNT (I reviewed a couple of their polishes here!), NCLA, and so many more. Read on for a 10% discount to the site!

To create this simple look, I started with a base of China Glaze Innocence, which is a gorgeous sheer nude. Once that dried, I applied striping tape and painted on China Glaze Ruby Pumps. When I peeled off the tape, I was left with crisp lines! I topped everything off with a glossy top coat.

I absolutely love this look! Even though it's so simple, it feels classy and elegant (and a bit scary!) If I was a vampire, I would definitely rock some sparkly red claws. I think I was inadvertently inspired by this manicure, but I didn't realize until after I finished painting!

Anyway, here are the polishes I used. They are both from Live Love Polish and retail for $7.50 USD each. It's nice that they carry so many brands that aren't easily accessible to everyone!

Shipping from Live Love Polish is insanely fast - I received my order THE DAY AFTER it shipped! (But you can usually expect to get your order in 2-3 days.) Plus, they offer free shipping for orders over $20 USD and they offer free shipping on international orders over $50 USD (that's right, they ship internationally!)

Plus, you can get 10% off your entire order with the code INEEDMORENAILPOLISH at checkout!

I can't wait to show you more polishes from Live Love Polish - but in the meantime, what do you think of this sparkly clawed look?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.