Sinful Colors So Daupe + Chit Chat

I find myself more and more drawn to the drugstore and mainstream polishes these days. That's the opposite of what everyone else I know into nail polish is drawn to. I'm in the process of putting all of my energy into a new career path which has a blogging aspect (are you following The Fulfilled Feline?). I don't really have the time or energy anymore to be on top of the indie world, it was hard enough in the first place! I have the desire to simplify my nail polish hobby.

I find myself lately going back to my original nail polish roots and enjoying shopping the drugstore for nail polish. That's how I fell in love with polish was through leisurely shopping trips to the drugstore or Ulta. It was stress-free and easy going. I need more of that now especially as I put a majority of my energy into something else. Nail polish needs to be a 100% leisurely outlet for me at this time in my life. That doesn't mean I'll never post an indie again. If I see some that strike my fancy, of course, I'm game and I know I'll never go off KBShimmer. Right now, I really just want to enjoy nail polish at my pace and work it around my life which means I'll probably be posting more mainstreams and drugstore polishes.

Thankfully, I'm really into what mainstreams and drugstores are producing these days. It's very limited in the drugstore, but Sinful Colors has been great at putting out new colors on a seasonal basis. I came across this early 2017 release the other day and I needed it. It's a neutral, of course, I needed it. I love neutrals!

So Daupe

So Daupe is a soft grayish-brownish-purplish creme.

Collection: Sinful Colors Core 2017

Color: You know I love colors like this and I think it's the first time in my nail polish history that I really stuck to a color family for so long. I'm probably wearing a color like this a few times a month and have been for several months. A color like this is so clean and chic and I love how it goes with everything.

Formula: This had a nice and easy to use formula. I used 2 coats above.

Price: This was $1.99 at Walgreens.

Overall: This is a great everyday elegant taupe-y shade. It's so wearable and I think it would be flattering on a variety of skin tones. The formula is great and you can't beat that $1.99 price!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Thursday!

ILNP Empire

I have an ILNP Ulta Metallic polish to share with you today. I love ILNP's take on metallic colors and how many of them have a holo twist that is executed beautifully. This one I have today does just that!

Empire

Empire is a true gold with made up of thin metallic flakes and holo micro flakes.

Collection: ILNP Ultra Metallics

Color: Gold isn't always my best color, but I still love it. The blingier the better. This is a great blingy gold. I love the use of metallic flakes and that little added holo flare!

Formula: This applied smoothly and nicely. I used 3 coats here. This has a similar formula to Juliette which I wasn't entirely impressed with, but I prefer this one. The flakes in Juliette were chunkier where I felt like there needed to be some sort of tinted base in the background. Empire the flakes seem a teeny bit finer so it gives a more opaque look on the nail.

Price: This is $10 on the ILNP website.

Overall: This is a gorgeous and beautifully made blingy gold polish. I love the use of flakes and the opacity of the formula for a flakie polish. The holo sparkle is a nice and perfect touch. No complaints!

My Rating 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Tuesday!

KBShimmer Nauti by Nature Spring 2017 (6 of 12)

* I received the following products in exchange for my honest review. 

I have a few of the colors from the new KBShimmer Nauti by Nature collection for Spring 2017. This collection is truly topical. It was inspired by Christy's trips to the Bahamas. These colors are bold and vibrant. I appreciate that in a spring collection because I've been over the typical spring pastels ages ago. Spring can be bold too! This collection has KBShimmer's perfect mix of holos, shimmers, glitters. This collection along with a new Caribbeans inspired seasonal mani shot called Knotty Girl will be released this Saturday, March 18th on the KBShimmer website.


Latitude Adjustment 

Latitude Adjustment is a periwinkle holographic. (2 coats)

Show Me The Mahi

Show Me The Mahi is a deep aqua blue jelly polish is loaded with scale inspired holo glitters in lime and teal, and color shifting iridescent glitters that morph from golden greens to vibrant red orange colors. (3 coats)

Tropic Like It's Hot

Tropic Like It's Hot is a turquoise blue water holographic. (2 coats)

Macaw Me Maybe

Macaw Me Maybe is a scarlet red holographic. (2 coats)

Saved By The Shell

Saved By The Shell is a soft, sandy peach color is accented by a coppery pink shimmer. (2 coats)

The Girl Is Tiki

The Girl Is Tiki is a rusty coral holographic. (2 coats)

Collection: KBShimmer Nauti By Nature Spring 2017

Colors: I love these vibrant colors. All of these colors are rich and saturated. I really enjoy this take on a spring collection and it's a nice change to have a pop a color. The holographics in this collection are so bright and crisp. You cannot go wrong with holo and this is the most holos in a collection I remember seeing from KBShimmer. I like!

Formula: Most all of these colors had smooth and easy to use formulas. They applied opaques and cleanly in 2 coats. The only trickier one was Show Me The Mahi being it is a jelly glitter. It is thicker but manageable. I recommend waiting a few minutes between each coat so you don't drag the polish from previous coats.

Price: These will be $9.25 on the KBShimmer website and will be available for purchase on Saturday 3/18. Be sure to check out the other colors on there I didn't review!

Overall: I really enjoyed this collection. I love the theming and the use of holo. It's punchy and tropical collection that really catches my eye for this season. I'm thankful for the bright and fun take on a spring collection, not the expected pastels. My favorites from this lot are Latitude Adjustment and This Girl is Tiki. The latter is definitely a unique color to me!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Thursday!

Sinful Colors Tempest

Sinful Colors is known for repromotes. It's one of my biggest gripes with the brand, but I'm going to eat my words a bit today. I always see Tempest. Every year they put it some display as if it's some brand new polish. It's not. It's been around for ages. Despite it being around for ages and me griping I never ever purchased it until now. It's actually a pretty purple and I always just bypassed it because it's just always been there. I decided to give it a chance.

Tempest

Tempest is a bright lavender creme.

Color: I love the brightness of this color. There are tons of lavender cremes out there. I'm well aware, but I like how this one isn't so pale. It has this nice pop to it. I love lavender cremes.

Formula: This had a very nice formula. I used 2 coats above. It was smooth and easy to apply.

Price: This was $1.99 at Walgreens.

Overall: Yes, it's been around forever and it's a lavender creme. They're a dime a dozen, but for the price, this is a nice color. I love the vibrancy of this lavender and it had a really nice formula. If you're not someone with 1000+ bottles of nail polish and want a shade like this don't spend your money on pricier ones this one will suffice!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Tuesday!

Zoya Zanna

I may have spoken too soon when I said I was starting to fall off the nude/neutral polish train. Nope, that's not the case. After a few weeks of playing with some bolder colors, I wanted to retreat to some neutrals again! I found a Zoya one I really like for the upcoming spring season. I purchased this one during Zoya's Black Friday sale back in November.

Zanna

Zanna is a muted light rose-mauve creme.

Color: I love this shade of pink. It's not your typical pale sheer pink or baby pink. It's not too nude or skin tone like of a pink either. It's a medium soft cool pink that does make a statement, but it's still muted enough to read as a neutral. I hope that makes sense! It goes with anything which I appreciate these days as I don't change my nails as often anymore.

Formula: This had a nice and easy to use formula. I used 2 coats above.

Price: This is $10 on the Zoya website.

Overall: It's rare my mani coincides with the review I post that day, but I've been wearing this color for a few days and I'm in love! When I look down at my nails I'm really happy with how this color just makes me feel put together. It's simple, but it's pretty too! I appreciate colors like this because of the simplicity factor.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters

Happy Wednesday!

ILNP Central Station

I love ILNP polishes and I think them and KBShimmer are probably my favorite indie brands. They're just so good at what they do in all aspects of their business. I also think I like them because they keep it fairly simple. They mainly just have seasonal collections, which is so much easier for me to keep up with! That being said, I do have a ILNP shade to show you I picked up this past fall.

Central Station

Central Station is an impressively delicate soft brown neutral shade with a subtle grey undertone that manages to radiate the perfect amount of warmth with holographic pigment and sparkle.

Collection: ILNP Fall Neutrals 2016

Color: I love this smoky brown shade. It's not too brown or too grey it's just right. It's hard to go wrong with neutral shades like this one. They're really flattering and chic. I love the addition of the holo in this as it elevates the shade, but it's still soft and doesn't go into Blingtown territory.

Formula: This had a smooth and easy to use formula. I used 3 coats above.

Price: This is $10.00 on the ILNP website.

Overall: This a nice and solid neutral polish. I love the color and the added sparkle. The formula was great and like everything ILNP I'm impressed and I think most people would appreciate this color.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Tuesday!

Zoya Normani

You know I've been on a nude-neutral kick for the past several months. I think I'm going to say it's officially dissipating. I still love these colors, but I'm starting to branch out and want a more variety of colors now. I was wearing nudes probably 90% of the same since late summer. I was in it hardcore. Whilst in my hardcore nude-neutral kick I did manage to pick up some more colors from Zoya and I have one of those to share with you today. 

Normani

Normani is a sable mauve cream.

Collection: Zoya Naturel Collection 2014

Color: I used to want nothing to do with taupe-y colors like this one. I thought they all looked terrible me, but like any color, it's about finding the right tone. This one is flattering on me I think. It has more purple to it than brown which is why I think it works better. I also like that it's a medium shade so it's not too nude-y.

Formula: This had a nice and easy to use formula. I used 2 coats above.

Price: This is $10 on the Zoya website. 

Overall: This a solid great neutral color. It's pretty and flattering color. The formula was nice, and it's just all around nice. There isn't much more to say about it. 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Thursday! 

Powder Perfect Ra

I have a Powder Perfect polish to share with you today. I was first introduced to this brand at Cosmprof last year and I really enjoyed the brand. During the holiday season, I added a few to my wishlist for one of gift exchange. This was gifted to me during that gift exchanged and I'm still impressed with the brand.

Ra

Ra is a silver based holo-twist lacquer with a golden hue.

Collection: Powder Perfect Egyptology Collection 2016

Color: This is a beautiful take on a silver holo. Silver holo polishes are a dime a dozen, so they really have to catch my eye these days. I love how these has that touch of gold to it. That hint of gold warms the color up just a bit so it reads like a nude on my nails. It's not too warm or too cool. You know how I'm into nude/neutrals these days!

Formula: This had an excellent formula that was easy to apply. I used 2 coats above with topcoat.

Price: This is $13 on Powder Perfect's site.

Overall: This is a great holo/glitter shade. It's soft and subtle type shade while still having a bit of pop to it with the bling. The formula is great and I don't have any complaints!

My Rating. 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Wednesday!

OPI Hello Hawaii Ya?

I went to a few Bealls Outlet stores recently and spotted the motherload of OPIs from collections as far back as the Germany Fall 2012 collection. Bealls Outlet is the outlet of Bealls which I'd compare to a Kohls. Bealls Outlet is like a Ross, but I think they have better finds especially when it comes to beauty items. I know Bealls stores are in FL, GA, and AZ, but they have a sister store called Burke's which I believe are more widespread?

I hauled a handful of old OPIs from Bealls Outlet a few weeks ago for $4 a pop! That's a steal considering these colors are not discontinued and still sell at retail for around $10. One of the colors I picked up was this color from the 2015 Hawaii collection.

Hello Hawaii Ya?

Hello Hawaii Ya? is a dusty purple-gray creme.

Collection: OPI Hawaii Spring/Summer 2015

Color: I love how perfectly dusty and muted this color is. I miss dusty colors and they're a color I see myself gravitating toward this upcoming spring. The color is rich and muted, but it's still a color I think is fresh and unique.

Formula: This had a great formula. It was smooth and easy to use. I used 2 coats above.

Price: I paid $4 for it at Bealls Outlet, if you have one of those near you or a Burke's Outlet be sure to check it out! I know this retails for $10, but you may also be able to find it on e-tailers for less.

Overall: I really am enjoying this shade from OPI. This shade didn't catch my eye two years ago, but it did now. It shows that my tastes are ever evolving with nail polish. I often find myself going back and purchasing shades I "poo-pooed" when they first were released. This is a great color that is unique and pretty.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Fresh Paint Splash of Cran

I stopped by Five Below recently and was once again sucked into some Fresh Paint polishes. I really enjoy this brand. I think they make excellent cremes and I really have enjoyed most all of the polishes I have purchased. I also love that they're 3 for $5 at Five Below. You can't beat that. I picked up this color during my recent visit.

Splash of Cran

Splash of a Cran is a cranberry creme.

Color: No, I know this color isn't original, but I think it's pretty awesome. I love this pinky/purple red creme. It's a classic and very put-together color. It's one of those shades that is flattering and looks great with anything. I love the creaminess of this shade. I know many reds can be more jelly-like than a creme, but this is definitely a creme!

Formula: This had a great and easy to use formula. I used 2 coats above.

Price: This was I believe $1.99 individually, but why pay for one when you can get 3 for $5 at Five Below.

Overall: This is an excellent classic type shade with a great price. I love this type of color and it had a great formula. I know this isn't unique enough for many, but I enjoy it! I think it's a great color for this time of year.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Thursday!

Kokie All The Envy

I have new to me brand to share with you today. I spotted this brand recently at the Christmas Tree Shop (which is owned by Bed Bath & Beyond). What I've learned is this brand was created by the founder of Sinful Colors. The name "Kokie" derives from the Korean word for elephant, hence the logo. The display was pretty impressive and I think they probably had around 100 colors. This color caught my eye!

All The Envy

All The Envy is a jade green creme.

Collection: Kokie Cosmetics Core

Color: I'm not normally green polish person, but I love this color. This is a true rich jade green. It's a really chic green that I think is very flattering. I love the saturation and creaminess of this color.

Formula: This had an excellent formula. I used 2 coats above and it applied very smoothly. I really liked everything from the formula to the brush.

Price: This was $5.99 at the Christmas Tree Shop this is also available at select Bed Bath & Beyond stores with the expanded cosmetics section and on their website. I'm not sure how I feel on the price. It's clearly more affordable than mainstream brands, but I wish it were just a little cheaper. They're better quality and a better shade range than Sinful Colors, but I don't think it is very competitive at the $5.99 price. I wish they were $3.99. I'd haul more at that price!

Overall: I really was impressed and enjoyed this polish by Kokie Cosmetics. I think the shade range and this color, in particular, were excellent. The formula was on point. I'd shop this brand again. I wish the price was just a teeny bit cheaper but other than that I have no complaints.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Tuesday!

Bohemian Polish Aria

I have another Vegas at Night polish from Bohemian Polish to share with you today. I have enjoyed this collection of the ones I have tried so far. In fact, Flamingo made it into my Top 25 of 2016. I love that these are blackened shimmers. This is not a finish I've seen in nail polish lately and I'm happy to see it revisited. This next color is great as well.

Aria

Aria is a blackened blue base with a bright icy blue shimmer.

Collection: Bohemian Polish Vegas at Night 2016

Color: What happened to colors like these? I love the deepened bases with the bright contrast of shimmer. This is a beautiful blue and I love the richness of this shade.

Formula: This had a great and easy to use formula. I used 2 coats above.

Price: This is $10.00 and can be purchased on Bohemian Polish's etsy site.

Overall: Aria is a beautifully rich and deep color. I love the contrast of the bright shimmer against the deep base. The formula is on point and I have nothing really else to add or any complaints!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Wednesday!

O-My Jewels Patience

* I received the following polish in exchange for my honest review.

I have another polish from the new to me brand O-My Jewels to share with you today. You know what I've noticed lately outside of my nude and neutrals obsession? I think I'm backing off a bit on glitter. I know, I know. Glitter is one of the reasons I fell in love with polish in the first place, but lately, I've been gravitating toward cremes. I'm really into clean and simple nails/nail color these days. This O-My Jewels color fits the bill.

Patience

Patience is a neutral gray creme.

Color: Gray can sometimes be a tricky color for me. If it's too warm toned it doesn't look great on me, but this one is nice. It's really a true neutral tone it's not warm or cool it's right in between. I love this medium shade of great too because not only is it neutral it's not too dark or too light!

Formula: This had an excellent 2 coat formula:

Price: This is $7.25 on O-My Jewels website.

Overall: There isn't much to add to this color. It's a great shade with an equally great formula. You can't really go wrong with a color like this one.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Zoya Coco

I have a Zoya polish to show you that is from 10 years ago! I haven't owned it for 10 years, but when looking it up I found out it was released in 2007. I purchased this one during Zoya's recent Black Friday sale. I was looking for muted and neutral colors to try out since I'm into those colors now and need more in my collection. This color caught my eye and I'm really glad I purchased it.

Coco

Coco is a dusty marsala mauve creme with brown, red, and purple undertones.

Collection: Zoya Upton Collection 2007

Color: Marsala was the Pantone color of the year in 2015, so this is a little late, but I love this color. In my opinion this a very wearable and neutral red shade. Sometimes, I don't like wearing red because it will clash with what I'm wearing (I'm weird like that), but this a red I could wear with anything. It's soft enough to read more as a neutral. I love the muted and dustiness of this shade!

Formula: This had a nice formula. I did find I needed 3 coats for full opacity, but no application issues.

Price: This is currently $10 on Zoya's website.

Overall: I don't have any colors like this in my collection and I'm really glad to have Coco now. It really is a great neutral tone that unique in comparison to other colors in this spectrum. The formula is nice and I don't have any complaints!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday!