Press Sample
Yesterday the Fall-Winter 2016/17 collection launched at LVX. After I played with stamps last week, I decided that I needed to go out of my comfort zone and wear a green on my longer nails. I mean, they aren't LONG but they aren't as short as I'm used to. LVX Oasis is a classic hunter green creme with blue undertones.
I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Digital Nails Ain't Nobody Got Time For That top coat. The formula was a little thin with the first coat but self-leveled to a perfect opacity with the second coat.
What do you think? I'm pretty happy with it and it kind of freaks me out in a good way. I feel like a model, haha. While I'm not sure how much I will wear this polish out, I do want to play with it more on shorter nails. I am getting rather long here!
LVX [Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram] is available on their website. It is 10-free to include Toluene and Camphor, vegan and cruelty free. Use promo code POLISHGALORE for 20% off your purchase!
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Press Sample
Does it feel like fall to you? It really doesn't here. We STILL don't have the damage fixed from the tornado that came through at the end of May. But I had been eyeing this color since it showed up at my house so today I'm wearing Morgan Taylor Rule the Runway from the Fall 2016 Sweetheart Squadron collection. This is dusty grey creme with just a touch of purple/lavender in it. I felt it was super elegant and beautiful for my nails.
I went with a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Digital Nails Ain't Nobody Got Time For That top coat. The formula was excellent, no pooling or flooding and full coverage in just two coats.
I know that Morgan Taylor was going for a slate gray but the hint of purple just makes me swoon. I also really like the whole concept of the collection - stepping away from jewel tones like other companies do for fall and moving towards a more muted palette.
Morgan Taylor [Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube] is available at CosmoProf for $8.50 a bottle. Online, non-professionals can purchase Morgan Taylor at Ulta Beauty.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Nothing To Disclose
So yesterday was all about a decent lavender creme. Today is all about making it holographic. I know that holographic powder is all the rage right now, but that requires a gel top coat and I don't feel like removing gel polish right now. Granted, my SteamOff machine from Katie Cazorla makes quick work of it, but still. Instead, I busted out the FingerPaints Holographic Top Coat that came out in 2016.
I used just one coat of this over my existing manicure and didn't top coat it. Normally I would but I knew that I wanted to see the holo for now.
Even though you can see a pretty definitely flame pattern in the bottle, this is really more of a scattered holo on the nail. I was surprised because I thought I'd see more of a flame, but overall, I'm happy with it.
Press Sample
I love purple nail polishes - doesn't matter if it's a creme, a holo, has some shimmer. I like lavenders, deep plums, all of them. So when Mineral Fusion sent me Bubble, a lavender creme, I was down.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Digital Nails Ain't Nobody Got Time For That top coat. The formula was very rich and opaque and I may have been able to do one coat but I did 2 thin coats and it leveled itself out. Mineral Fusion is 100% vegan, 5-free and cruelty free. I have one other Mineral Fusion polish and the cap refuses to align back but this polish aligned back onto its base without issue.
Nice and simple! Nothing too crazy with this polish. It's a great office staple or base for some nail art. As of press time, you can purchase this from the Mineral Fusion website for $7.99.
Mineral Fusion can be purchased on their website or search the store locator. Join the social conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Nothing To Disclose
I started my blog back in 2009 after falling in love with China Glaze polishes. That year, China Glaze put out a "Specialty" collection of 50 polishes. Now, the rumor was that it was originally supposed to be for the overseas/Europe market, but I was able to buy them all here in the USA through a stockist. And buy them I did. As I was moving my polishes into a cabinet over the weekend, I thought I was going to have to throw the above bottle, Carnival Lights away because it was pretty thick and gloopy in its bottle. But I decided to try some thinner and added a few BB balls and shook like crazy.
I started with a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote and used 3 coats of polish. Finally I topped it with Digital Nails Ain't Nobody Got Time For That. The polish definitely needs more thinner and shaking because it was still a little gloopy and the top coat failed to dry through the layers. After I did my photographs, I had to wash my hands, and my polish was able to come right off because it didn't dry through. Boo.
Carnival Lights is a baby pink tinted base with pink microglitter and rainbow reflective small circular glitter. It's a fun color - something pretty definitely as an accent nail but wasn't too overpowering as a full manicure.
I took this photo in the sun. As you can see, a base color coat would probably work best under here so you don't have to use as many coats of polish, and because it was still gloopy, it didn't dry smooth either. You can see the bumps on all nails. But I still adore it because well, rainbow reflective glitter.
This polish is long gone but you might find it here or there in supply stores gathering a little dust. Always make sure to store your polishes with tightly closed caps to keep evaporation down.
China Glaze [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Instagram] can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply as well as TransDesign.
Press Sample
When I think luxury polish, I think of LVX. I love how the line is focused on fashion, I love that the glass bottles look great with the black caps. I love that the font used is a custom font with custom kerning so you're not going to find it on a website for sale. While meeting with creative director and co-founder Branka Tomic at Cosmoprof Las Vegas last month, I had to congratulate her on over 100 colors being launched so far. She let me in that starting with their Fall-Winter Collection, LVX was going to move to two seasonal collections per year. This keeps their colors more in line with current fashion and keeps the colors both fresh and concise.
My package originally arrived with this beautiful brick red being smashed, however, LVX immediately sent out a replacement and I knew I just had to wear it to work today. Brique is a bit of a plum undertoned red creme that reminds me of the brick on my own house. I love how sophisticed it looks against my skin tone. I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Digital Nails Ain't Nobody Got Time For That. The formula was fantastic and I might have gotten away with one coat but went with two to self-level into my nails.
I love this color. I feel like I should be drinking coffee in Chicago during a brisk morning. Speaking of, I will be a PolishCon in September! More on that later.
Brique and the rest of the Fall-Winter 2016/17 collection launches on August 15th on their website. This is definitely my stand out of the collection but stay tuned because the other 5 are all beautiful as well!
LVX [Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram] is available on their website. It is 10-free to include Toluene and Camphor, vegan and cruelty free. Use promo code POLISHGALORE for 20% off your purchase!
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Press Sample
About three years ago, Seche came out with a line of colors, all tailored to the "Seche Girl" - whether she was "Bright & Bold" or "Clever & Confident", the brand created a story through their collections. However, the line failed to sell, so Seche went back and created an entire system called Seche Premier Colour - different bottle shape, new formula for longer lasting wear, and a three-step system to make it easier for professionals and enthusiasts to enjoy Seche together. Basically, the quality you expect from Seche Vite but in a lacquer line.
The first step is the Base - an advanced formula contains adhesives to secure lacquer to the nail for a long lasting finish. Be sure to cleanse your nails properly, removing all oils and old polish. I found my brush to be very stiff but it may be due to improper closing. When I shipped this bottle home and unwrapped it a week later, I noticed that it was slightly sticky and I think maybe the bottle wasn't tightly closed and product may have leaked out.
The second step is your lacquer. The new line rolled out with 24 shades, rich in color and quality. It was designed to effortlessly suit all styles and skin tones. I received Gifted, a berry pink creme. I find it to be a little darker than Barbie pink but still very office appropriate. Unlike the old line, Seche recommends two coats for full coverage. I found the formula to be very pigmented and the wide flat brush was very easy to work with, unlike my brush in Base.
Finally, finish with Sealant. Sealant is in a powder coated silver bottle because it will harden in natural light inside. This top coat seals and shines to provide a flawless finish. Unfortunately, I think this bottle wasn't sealed properly in my bag either because the second I went to open it, it was gummy around the neck. The brush was completely thick and unusable and the first attempt at putting on top coat ended up in a big blob on my nail. The good news is that you CAN use Seche Vite or Seche Vive (the gel like top coat that Seche came out with that does not need a UV/LED light to cure) with this system which is what I will probably do in the future. Please do not judge my experience with Base and Sealant because I do fully believe my bottles leaked in transit.
Let's get back to the color. I always find that these types of finishes are a great staple in any collection. The formula on Gifted was super nice - no globs running down my brush, it wasn't too thin, and I like the color in general.
You can find Seche Premier Colour now at Sally Beauty Supply stores for around $10.50. For more information, you can check out their website or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Use #SechePremierColour to see more followers of this brand.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
I'm back! Last week I was at Cosmoprof North America 2016 and if you checked my Instagram or Facebook, I saw a LOT of things. I'm still working through to decompress through all the paperwork and photos I took but today I wanted to show off an indie brand that I stumbled upon through Facebook.
Anchor & Heart Lacquer is based out of Portland, Maine, which you know is a bit dear to my heart. My husband was born and still has family just south of Portland so I feel like I'm being a bit of fan girl when I buy from a Maine company. Owner Taryn Jade has a wide range of colors and during a recent sale on her Etsy site, I picked up The Vivacious, a berry shade with a subtle holo and gold shimmer. This shade is from the My Friends, My Anchors collection.
I used a base coat of OPI Nail Envy in Hawaiian Orchid. If you recall, last summer OPI decided to tint their strengthening treatment. You can wear the base alone with 2 coats, but I just used one because I was originally going to wear a different color altogether today. While Hawaiian Orchid is a bit of a dusty rose shade, it did not affect my wear for The Vivacious. I used 2 coats of The Vivacious over and then topped using Anonymous Lacquer's Fast Dry Top Coat called With A Quickness that I received at the Cocktails and Colors 2016 event in Las Vegas. I was super happy that the formula on The Vivacious was smooth, didn't run or pool, and spread evenly with the flat brush.
This shade can lean pink or berry depending on your skin tone and lighting. As you can see in the bottle, there's a scattered holo and gold shimmer running throughout the formula. In the shade, I could see the strong shimmer. In the sun, it was just enough holo to make me stare at my nails while flexing my fingers. Come on, we've all done it. One thing I have noticed is that the top coat I'm using, while making the polish shiny, did not completely cover all the properties of this polish. My thumb isn't glass smooth like I prefer - it's not bumpy like a texture polish and I'm not catching lint on it or anything, but there's just a very small grit to the polish that I've noticed. I'm not sure if it's the formula itself or the combination of me trying a new top coat. It's not enough to bother me by any means though.
Also I'm trying a new nail shape! I changed to squoval in summer 2011 after having a more rounded look prior to that. While I was in Las Vegas, I received an essie gel coutour manicure by Jolene Canzoneri Brodeur [website | instagram] and she asked if she could file my nails to a different shape. Since Jolene is a celebrity/entertainment/editorial/commerical nail artist, I was going to take her advice and she gave me this soft almond look. I cannot tell you how many compliments I've received from my fellow bloggers on the new nail shape. It's growing on me as it does elongate my nail beds and give me a very feminine look. On the practical side, I didn't break one nail in Vegas, coming home, or my first week back at work and that's saying something!
So back to Anchor & Heart - so far, I'm happy!I have one other shade that I purchased which seems super office appropriate and I may wear to my next big meeting. The Vivacious may be purchased in her Etsy shop for $9.50. I purchased during her 4th of July sale for a 15% discount.
Anchor & Heart may be purchased on Etsy. Join the social conversation on Facebook and Instagram. Use #anchorheartlacquer or #AHLnailmail to share with other AHL lovers!
Image via Cosmoprof North America
Where has June gone?! Sorry it's been quiet on my front - we had not one but three tornadoes come through my town on May 31st, one right past my house. We sustained quite a bit of damage but in the end, we're okay, the cats are okay, and I didn't even lose any nail polish. It's the little things, right? However, all that aside, I am excited to announce that I will be attending Cosmoprof North America again this year! This is the largest business-to-business beauty show in the country and it's three days jam packed with educational panels, product demos, meetings and more. This will be my 6th year to attend, and I'm hoping to gain some great coverage of new and exciting products. Sometimes, products are embargoed, meaning that I'm not allowed to take photos or even write information down. Other times, I'm allowed to share about new products or collections on social media and my blog, so if you're not doing so now, be sure to like me on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram and add me to Snapchat.
But get this! The group of bloggers who have been allowed to cover the show for their blogs has grown and now we have coverage from all over! Here is a list of bloggers who will be at the show and where to follow them. If you click on their logo, you'll go to their blog, but the social media methods they will be posting on, are located under their logo.
This is not a full list. If you are attending and would like to be included in this list, please email me at krystalATpolishgaloreDOTcom
Press Sample
If you've been reading PolishGalore for any length of time, you'll know that I'm pretty terrible when it comes to nail art. I love the look, I love the creativity, I just don't have "it" when it comes to creating half the time. That's why when I got these new UNO by Gelish MINI 1-step soak off gels, I knew that I could probably create something awesome for Memorial Day using vinyls. Let's see what happens, right?
UNO by Gelish MINI is a single-step process for DIY gel manicures. That's right, no base coat, no top coat, and no cleansing involved. Just get an LED light and your choice of over 20 colors and get to work. These durable, high-shine manicures boast a 7-10 day wear time, providing you wrap your tips, keep the gel off your cuticles, and use thin coats when applying. Please do not confuse "1 Step" with "1 Coat".
Side note: Do not use a LED lamp that has more than 18 watts. I have absolutely no idea the wattage on my LED lamp but it seemed to work fine with my nails.
First, as with any manicure (gel or not), I properly cleansed my nail, removing all my old nail polish, and making sure my cuticles were off the nail plate. Next was prepping the gel bottle - this doesn't sound like much but you do need to shake the bottle to make sure all the product is properly mixed, as gel tends to be thicker than normal polish. Then I started with one thin coat of the red creme called Traffic Stopper and cured in my LED lamp (60 seconds). Then I added a second thin coat of Traffic Stopper and cured that for 60 seconds. Next, I used the Starburst vinyl from NailVinyls and placed it about halfway on my nail before using the blue creme called Very Blueberry and cured for another 60 seconds. Afterwards, I removed the vinyl and was good to go. Very Blueberry was pigmented enough that I didn't need a second coat.
Now the only downside about using a vinyl with a 1-step gel is that there isn't a top coat to "seal" the edges of the vinyl. My vinyl didn't lift or get caught on anything but at the same time, my nail wasn't as smooth as the others, so I made this an accent nail only. A top coat would have smoothed everything out but that would have defeated the purpose of using UNO.
To remove, start by gently filing the surface of the gel with a 180 grit file to remove the shine (the nail should look matte), then place a cotton ball with your choice of remover on the nail and wrap with foil. There are many different products on the market to help aid you in removing your gel - I prefer the Steam Off by Katie Cazorla. You still file the surface but then you place your hand in the machine for 10 minutes and the steam created from the acetone penetrates to the polish and steams it right off. I've been using it every time I wear gel, without any issues.
The final look! I wore this to a baseball game on Sunday and it lasted me well. I did not wrap my tips and because of it, I had tip wear after Monday's chores of washing dishes and doing laundry. I will be wearing more of the colors as this month goes on as June will be really busy for us and can't wait to show you more colors!
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Press Sample
I have to take some photos today, and I knew I wanted a cherry red creme since the photos are for professional needs and I'm not the photographer. Now it's not that I didn't want to go with an awesome neon or a crazy holographic, but I wanted something timeless, elegant and classic. After a little hunting, I found my LVX Crimson from the 2015 Winter/Resort collection.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Love, Angeline Topped With Love top coat. My nails are a little long right now and in need of some TLC but the formula for this polish was a dream. One thing I'm learning is to just get your first coat on and don't worry so much about opacity and use a second thin coat to get your evenness.
So when I look at my nails dead on, they look fantastic. Under a little harsher of a light in my box, you can see a bit of visible nail line almost leading towards the the polish being more of a jelly instead of a creme but I'm calling it a creme. Again, this is just a pretty classic red and definitely a good staple in anyone's collection. For those who are tracking like me, this is #63 in the LVX line.
LVX [Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram] is available on their website. It is 10-free to include Toluene and Camphor, vegan and cruelty free. Use promo code POLISHGALORE for 20% off your purchase!
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Press Sample
I was first introduced to CND back when the colours/effects line of polish were popular with their matchy bottles. I was so sad when they were discontinued, especially Blackjack, as it was my GO TO black creme. Then Shellac came out, and next was it's middle sister, Vinylux. Today I have the "little sister" in the line, Creative Play and that amazing bottle up there is called Dazzleberry.
Creative Play is a traditional three-step nail lacquer system (base, color, top coat) that comes in over 80 colors with 10 different finishes. They are 7-free and can be purchased in select salons worldwide. Also, check with your favorite manicurist, and they may offer Creative Play as one of their in-salon services. Prices vary, so unfortunately, I cannot give out accurate pricing as of press time.
For this manicure, I started with the CND Creative Play Base Coat. The base coat is creme in color but goes on the nail clear, and give almost a matte look to the nail. Then the color. I used 3 coats of Dazzleberry. The first coat was super sheer, almost a jelly. The second coat brought out more of the glitter and base color and I ended up doing a third thin coat to make sure I had complete opacity. I finished with CND Creative Play Top Coat which does NOT appear to be a quick dry top coat, so plan accordingly. Additionally, this polish dried a little bumpy (not gritty, not textured, just not smooth as glass) so I used two coats of top coat.
CND calls this color a microglitter which is pretty accurate. The base color is a fuchsia pink/purple combination and there is different quite a bit of blue microglitter to give a shimmer effect as well as some rainbow reflecting/holographic microglitters for extra shine. Granted, you won't be able to pick up every single color from the bottle on the nail but all that added in give this polish a unique dynamic.
Overall, I'm happy that CND brought back this "type" of nail products back for people like me who don't wear their polish longer than their work week. Vinylux is great for my super busy weeks where I can't change my polish as much as I want, and Shellac is fantastic for vacation when I know I can't change my polish when I want but Creative Play is where I will play (hah) the most.
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the
company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Press Sample
I recently received a few Trust Fund Beauty polishes to try and I grabbed for Flirty & Dirty first. This deep dusty rose has a hint of shimmer to jazz it up. While not visible on the nail, it does give the polish an extra oomph over a creme.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Love, Angelina Topped With Love top coat. As you can semi-tell from the bottle shot, this polish has a long brush (think the old American Apparel bottles), so take the time to wipe a little extra off the brush. The formula was good, I almost got away with a one coat manicure but added a second coat to make sure I didn't have any visible nail lines before using my top coat.
I have a soft spot for dusty rose polishes. I love that they are office appropriate and almost a neutral for me but at the same time it's just very feminine and pretty. I can easily see myself grabbing for this polish over and over, no matter what the season is. It's a great palette cleanser as well against all the neons that the summer brings.
Flirty & Dirty is available for $15 on the Trust Fund Beauty website.
Trust Fund Beauty is available on their website. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
All photos courtesy of Trust Fund Beauty
I heard about Trust Fund Beauty through social media ages ago (and by ages, I mean a couple of years) when I saw their sparkly polish called Boy Tears and put it on my birthday wish list. It's still on my list, waiting to come home to me, but today I have a little more information about the line itself.
Trust Fund Beauty was created by Samara Granofsky in memory of her late mother. Her mother had cancer and went through chemo which made her nails brittle and yellow so she wanted to wear nail polish to feel better of herself. Colors were limited back then and Samara's mother wanted a cool fashion forward brand, but couldn't find one.
Years after her mother's passing in February 2014, Samara launched Trust Fund Beauty. She combined her mother's want and their joint sense of humor. Trust Fund Beauty stands out in the crowd with sensuous colors and witty, unapologetic names like "Adult Content" and "Flirty & Dirty".
On the flip side, Trust Fund Beauty is vegan, cruelty free, 10-free status (and you thought Big 3 Free was a big deal!), safe for children and pets, GMO free - really we can keep going.
But wait, Trust Fund Beauty is also about lipsticks! Oh yes.
Super moisturizing, almost matte lipstick that is 100% vegan, cruelty free, paraben free and GMO free.
So now you have your Lips and your Tips matching.
Back to the nails - Trust Fund Beauty also makes a base coat, a top coat and a non-acetone nail polish remover. They also have box sets and a subscription box available for those who want a little more out of their purchase. OH and for those makeup lovers, there is a highlighter stick that you may want to grab on your way out the door.
Trust Fund Beauty is available on their website. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
