Above the Curve: Mystery Friday the 13th Polish

*Spoiler alert! If you ordered Above the Curve's Mystery Friday the 13th polish and haven't received it yet, the upcoming photos will definitely dispell the mystery!*

Happy Friday everyone!  I got nail mail today and I'm thrilled to share it with you!  Last Friday was, as you probably remember, Friday the 13th.  In honor of that spooky day, Above the Curve Nail Polish created a special polish.  It was only available for purchase on Friday the 13th...which was a pretty clever marketing move.  I know it got me hook, line, and sinker!  I couldn't wait to see this beauty and I knew it would be a beauty because it's from ATC.  I was not wrong!

Friday the 13th turned out to be a gorgeous coffee-colored base swimming with orangey-bronze shimmer!  I gasped when I opened the package!  I'm so glad I sprung for this lovely, since it's not available any more...it's a beautiful addition to my collection and I don't have anything quite like it.

 Look at that shimmery, sparkly goodness!  *sigh*  This polish makes me so happy lol  Application was a super smooth 2 coats to opacity with no balding or dragging or other weirdness. 

I know I've told you guys before that if you don't own any ATC polishes you're truly missing out, but I mean it!  Shawn and Angel come up with some of the most gorgeous and unique concoctions.  You can purchase ATC on their Big Cartel site where their polishes retail for $5-7 for full sized bottles.  For every bottle of polish they sell, they donate $1 for Shriners Hospital for Children, so you're doing good for more than just yourself when you buy!  They always have great sales and giveaways going as well, so be sure to follow ATC on Facebook to keep updated on all the news.

I hope I didn't blow the mystery for anyone who hasn't received their Mystery polish yet, but I just couldn't wait to try it out!  Thanks so much for reading!

Indie Spotlight: Paint Shop Polish Review

*Polishes provided by Paint Shop Polish for honest, unbiased review*

Howdy everyone!  I'm gonna start here with a warning; this is a photo-heavy post.  Why so many photos, you ask?  Because I'm reviewing not one, not two, but FOUR polishes from a brand-new-to-me indie polish, Paint Shop Polish.  I discovered Paint Shop Polish via The Polish Diva and loved the look of them.  Candi, the owner/designer of Paint Shop Polish, was kind and sweet enough to send along these four mini bottles for review.  She's also given a little something for my readers, but we'll save that for the end of the post ;)

First up is Sycamore.  A bright, lemony, gold shimmer, Sycamore is part of Candi's Fall 2013 collection.  This color was so flattering, I didn't want to take it off!  The gold and shimmer definitely say Fall, but I could also see this polish used for a summery manicure as well.  Gotta love a color with versatility!

Golden fleck-y goodness!  Application was good.  The brush on my bottle was a little wonky, but it's the only one of the four I had an issue with, so it's the exception rather than the rule.  Sycamore is quite sheer and it would be a wonderful layering polish.  I've used four coats here and still had a bit of  VNL on a couple of nails.  I could see this layered over a red or orange to add a lovely shimmer...and now I'm wondering what it would look like over straight black.  Oh, the possibilities!

Sycamore is definitely worth a look if you're in the market for a versatile Autumn-inspired polish.

 *Polishes provided by Paint Shop Polish for honest, unbiased review*

Next up, we've got Baltimore. This polish is a glitter topper inspired by the Baltimore Ravens.  Candi has several NFL-inspired polishes in her line-up (pun intended) and if you don't see your favorite team, she accepts custom orders and I'm sure she'd be happy to whip up some team spirit for you! 
 

Anyway, back to Baltimore!  Lavender squares, black and gold hexes in two sizes, and white bars make up the glitter portion of this clear-based topper.  I'm particularly partial to this color combo because, while I'm not really a Ravens fan, they do happen to share their team colors with my KSU Wildcats, so I'll be able to work this into a future Pigtails & Purple Nails post.  Bonus!
 

I'm showing 2 coats of Baltimore over the previously mentioned 4 coats of Sycamore.  There was a little bit of settling with the gold hexes in this polish, but a quick upside-down session with the bottle fixed it right up.  I dabbed on the first coat and the second was applied normally.  Glitter coverage was good and the base isn't too thick, which is nice.  


*Polishes provided by Paint Shop Polish for honest, unbiased review*

And we're on to the first of two polishes that are part of Paint Shop Polish's limited edition Sons of Anarchy-inspired collection, SAMBEL.  SAMBEL is named after the Belfast chapter of Sons of Anarchy.  I wish I could tell you more about the inspiration, but I don't actually watch the show myself.  Fortunately, my lack of SOA knowledge has no bearing on my appreciation of polish!

SAMBEL has a blackened base with a gorgeous dark green shimmer.  In this case, the green is actually much more pronounced on the nail than it was in the bottle, which is a happy :)  This turned out to be a surprise favorite for me.  Once I got SAMBEL on my nails, I couldn't stop staring at the deep green shimmer.  This jewel tone color is totally on trend for Fall, so even if you're not a SOA fan, you'll want to seriously consider adding SAMBEL to your collection!

Again, application was smooth and opaque in 2-3 coats.  The first photo shows no top coat while the following two have a coat of Seche Vite on top.  Paint Shop Polish has done a nice job with the finish on these polishes; a nice shine without a top coat is always a plus!


*Polishes provided by Paint Shop Polish for honest, unbiased review*
 

SAMCRO is the second SOA-inspired polish I received for review.  Named for the SOA Charming chapter, SAMCRO is similar to SAMBEL but with a blue shimmer instead of the green.  You may want to view these photos at a larger size to see the difference between them.

Unlike SAMBEL, SAMCRO's blue shimmer didn't become more pronounced on the nail, but it did look the same in the bottle so what you see it what you get.  Now, I'm not baggin' on SAMCRO!  It's still a pretty polish, just in a more subtle way than SAMBEL.  The shimmer is kind of opalescent with the blue being the most noticeable color.

SAMCRO also had great application and was opaque in 2-3 coats.  First two photos shown with a coat of Seche Vite and the last photo is without top coat.  If you're looking for a dark color that has a subtle hint of color, give this one a shot!

I was so excited to get to try out Paint Shop Polish and am so pleased to report that these polishes really lived up to my hopes!  The colors are rich and the formulas are great, you can't ask for much more than that!  All of these polishes and more are currently available in Paint Shop Polish's etsy store and they all retail for $4 for a 5ml mini bottle and $7.50 for a full size 15ml bottle.  You can keep up with Candi and Paint Shop Polish over on Facebook.  Make sure to "like" her page for updates on new products, giveaways, and all that good stuff!

Now, remember earlier when I said Candi had a little something for my readers?  Well, she's offering a discount code for 15% off of your purchase!  That makes these lovelies a total steal!  To get your discount, simply enter the code TOPCOAT at checkout.  And make sure to thank her in the Buyer Comments!

Alright, I'm just about wore out here lol  I do want to remind everyone to enter the The Nail Files Turned 2! giveaway for your chance to win some awesome prizes from myself, Taneja’s Bride, Accio Lacquer, My Boyfriend Hates Makeup, A Polish Playground, Mandie’s Manicures, An Accent Nail, Nail Addicted Sisters, Galactic Lacquer, Pretty Jelly and last but not least.. xo, noelle! You don't want to miss this!

Thanks so much for reading!

Carpe Noctem Cosmetics: South Haven Sunset, Interstellar Towel, & Pro Amico

Good evening!  I have some stunning polishes to show you today from a new-to-me indie creator.  Carpe Noctem Cosmetics is a brand I've been stalking for awhile on Etsy and Facebook.  Emily, the mastermind behind Carpe Noctem, has some gorgeous creations and I finally had to free up some budget room to nab a few of her lovelies.  Today, I've got swatches of South Haven Sunset, Interstellar Towel, and Pro Amico.

 South Haven Sunset is listed on Etsy as a denim blue, but my bottle at least runs more toward the green edge of things.  On the nail, the blue becomes more pronounced and it has a beautiful golden shimmer.

There's a bit of a duochrome effect going on that's so, so pretty!   Application was a breeze and SHS is fully opaque in 2 coats (or less, depending on how thick of a layer you apply).  I've got 2 coats and no top coat on for these photos.

It was no surprise that I'd love SHS, a bit of shimmer in a cool color base that applies like butter?  What's not to love?!

Next up, we have Interstellar Towel.  I've got to hand it to Emily; not only are her polishes gorgeous, they're also some of the most difficult to photograph, probably because of said gorgeousness lol  IT is a olive/purple/gold multi-chrome effect polish.  It might actually be impossible to catch all of the shift in this on camera...it certainly was for me lol

To my eye, IT looks like the above photo in natural light.  Every time I snapped a photo, however, the olive/gold took over and the lovely purple completely disappeared.  I was able to get a bit of that purple by using the flash above, but I'm the first to admit, it's not the world's greatest photo.  However, I wanted you guys to be able to see as much of the shift as possible and that purple deserves a spotlight all its own!

Application was, again, easy breezy.  I'm wearing 3 coats here (IT is the sheerest of the 3 I'm showing today) with no top coat.  At first I thought IT would be really similar to Essie's For the Twill of It, but the Essie is much more grey and I greatly prefer the shift in IT.

 Indoor fluorescent lighting

Last and my favorite of these 3, is Pro Amico.  PA is a reformulation of Emily's original Man in White.  I don't own the original, but I've got to say, PA is a beautiful polish in its own right.  Again with the hard to photograph-ness.  This polish looks different in every light...it's like magic!  I'm showing it here in 3 different settings so you can get an idea of the versatility of this polish.

 Indoor 40 watt bulb

Described as a blue base with a periwinkle to pink shift, PA is that and more.  Looking at it right now in the ambient light of my living room, PA is a midtone purple with a strong pink shift.  Under the camera lens, the blue base makes much more of a statement, while in daylight, the periwinkle shines.

Indoor ambient light, taken with camera phone

I expected PA to be more sheer than it was; these photos show 2-3 coats, the first 2 have one coat of Seche Vite and the last has no top coat.  And I hate to be a broken record, but application was smooth.

Over all, I really can't say enough nice things about Carpe Noctem Cosmetics polishes.  If you haven't given them a try, I urge you to do so before restocking becomes an issue.  Because I'm foreseeing that CNC is going to start selling out fast!  Emily is a real sweetheart as well.  She also loves to do custom polishes, so if you have something in mind but aren't seeing it, give her a shout and I bet she can work up something lovely for you!  She stocks 3 (THREE!) sizes of bottles currently, which is pretty awesome.  A small (6ml) bottle will run you $3-4, the medium (12ml) bottles are $6-7, and the large (15ml) bottles are $9-10 with exceptions for her Spectraflair top coat and custom work.

Carpe Noctem Cosmetics is currently having a celebratory 1200 Facebook likes giveaway, so be sure to enter.  Lots of great stuff in that one (18 prizes so far)! I'd also like to remind you to enter The Nail Files Turned 2! Giveaway and tell your friends to do so as well :)

Thanks so much for reading!

Hit Polish: Bananas in Pajamas & I'm All Ogre It!

Howdy all!  I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend here in the States, and that any international folks are just plain enjoying things :)  I've got a couple of polishes to show you today that I won from two separate naming contests.  I really enjoy playing the name game and I love it when indie makers give their fans an opportunity to get in on the creative process!  Both of these polishes are from Hit Polish.  Rachel, the brains behind Hit Polish, continues to impress me with her high-quality products and unique color/glitter combinations.  Ok, on to the swatches!

I'm starting with Bananas in Pajamas, a creamy light yellow crelly with a gold shimmer packed with pastel hexes and squares.  I didn't actually name this one, but I got an honorable mention for my suggestion in the contest so I won a mini bottle.

BIP is just a beautiful polish!  The application was great, though it is a bit sheer.  I used 4 coats here, but you could definitely layer it if you didn't want to use so many coats. I had a hard time capturing the lovely shimmer of this polish, but there really is a strong gold that catches the light magnificently.
 

If you're looking for the perfect Spring polish, BIP is definitely your girl.  
 

Next up, we have I'm All Ogre It!  Now this one I did name :)  IAOI is an olive green base full of red, royal blue, purple, gold, copper and holographic glitters in hexes, squares and shreds.  My inspiration for the name came from the movie Shrek (which is probably fairly obvious, but just in case some of you were wondering).

I chose the above macro shot so you could see more of the holographic bits, though I know it's a bit dark.  I liked IAOI a lot more than I thought I would when I first saw the photos of it that Rachel had posted.  The green is a bit more olive than I normally go for, however much like BIP, it has a gorgeous gold shimmer that saves the green from being murky or muddy.  And I love the glitter mix, the colors remind me of Mardi Gras!

Application was, again, smooth and easy.  All the glitters came out of the bottle nicely and it built up to opacity in 2-3 coats.  Overall, a really nice polish!

If you haven't tried Hit Polish yet, I really don't know what you're waiting for!  Both of these polishes are currently available on Rachel's site and go for $3.35 for a 5ml mini bottle and you can turn any mini into a full size bottle for $8.25.  Follow Hit Polish on Facebook for updates on new polishes, sales, and future naming contests!

Thanks so much for reading!

Emily de Molly's Oceanic Forces

Hi there!  Is everyone as ready for the weekend as I am?  It's been a long week and I'm so glad it's finally Friday.  Plus, I got my Llarowe order yesterday.  What was in that order, you ask?  Only the 2 lemmings that complete my trifecta of lemmingness!  Emily de Molly's Oceanic Forces AND Dark Forces (I already own Cosmic Forces and you can see my swatches of it here)!  You really should have witnessed my victory jig when I got my confirmation email...it was awkward lol 

I'm showing you Oceanic Forces today and Dark Forces will come in a few days.  Ok guys, I'm really not gonna type a lot here, but let the photos speak for themselves...cuz they speak volumes of awesomeness!

If you're unfamiliar with Oceanic Forces, it's a deep teal jelly with large holographic teal dots and two sizes of holographic teal hexes.  The formula here is damn near flawless, opaque in 2 coats although I'm wearing 3 here because I always want MORE DOTS!  Said dots were easily fish-able after turning the bottle upside for a bit. 

Gah!  Seriously, I'm so thrilled to own this polish!  The depth and the sparkle and the color...Oh. Em. Gee. the color!  My advice to you is to never pass Oceanic Forces up if you see it anywhere.  It retails for $13 on Llarowe's site and, if you live in Australia (or know someone who's willing to ship internationally from Down Under), you can purchase from Emily de Molly's Etsy store where full size bottles will run you between $5.69 to $10.44.  EdM does not ship internationally at the moment, but maybe you've got a good Aussie hook up...if you do, I envy you! 

Thanks so much for reading!

Daring Digits: Sugar 'n' Spice & Snips 'n' Snails

Howdy everyone!  We're coming up to the half way point of the week...who's ready for the weekend already?  Me, too!  At least the weather is bit nicer here this week, it makes things a bit easier to bear.

Today I have a couple of lovely polishes from the fabulous Ashley over at Daring Digits.  Both of these polishes are part of Daring Digits' For the Children collection.  The FTC collection supports El Ranchito de los Ninos with a $3 donation for each full size bottle sold.  From Daring Digits website:

"El Ranchito de los Niños, an alternative to foster care, is a safe, loving home where children grow in a supportive, family farm setting. Children ages 0 to 18 are considered for admission to the home. El Ranchito's mission is to keep brothers and sisters together, and to give siblings a stable and loving home in which they can grow into adulthood together."

 It's a great cause to support and the whole collection is beautiful!  I've already done this post on two of the other FTC polishes and next up are Snips 'n' Snails and Sugar 'n' Spice!

Both of these polishes are named after that old nursery rhyme "What Are Little Boys/Girls Made Of?".  Snips 'n' Snails are part of the recipe for the boys.  As soon as I saw this polish in Ashley's store, I knew I had to have it.  It's so unique!

 A sheer olive green creme base is packed with copper, silver, and gold flakies as well as some darker green bits.  My boyfriend's response was "It looks like concrete." lol I do think it looks like stone, but more like an expensive marble than boring old concrete!  This is a perfect color for fall as the metallic flakies also remind me of autumn leaves.

 
 Application was good, 3 coats shown here.  My bottle was a little on the thick side, but I imagine that's mostly because of traveling in the super hot weather the country has had lately.  The thicker formula didn't pose a problem for me at all...so happy to have this guy in my stash!

And now for the flip side, little girls are made of Sugar 'n' Spice and everything nice, right?  Well Sugar 'n' Spice has definitely got "girly" covered!  This polish has a sheer baby pink base with pink and maroon flakies and a gorgeous fuchsia shimmer (which didn't really show up in my photos, but it's there, I promise!).

Sugar 'n' Spice was a surprise favorite of this collection for me.  I do feel it would look better on someone with a darker skin tone, but it's really a very pretty color.  I usually go for the darker colors, but this would be great for Easter or a wedding.  Unique, but soft and feminine as well.

The formula was great on this one.  It is a sheer polish and I'm wearing 5 thin coats here, but you could definitely layer it over a white or light pink base if you didn't want to wear so many layers.  And this girl is shiny!  No top coat in any of the above photos and just look at that reflection!

The For the Children collection retails for $9.50 for a full size bottle (remember that $3 of that is donated!) but I believe she's currently sold out of these, but will be restocking.  You can follow Daring Digits on Facebook to keep up with restocking and new polish information. 

Thanks so much for reading!