Nails Inc. The Mindful Manicure Collection

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

Nails Inc. contacted me recently and asked if I would be interested in reviewing their new The Mindful Manicure collection. I was intrigued by this collection so I took them up on their offer. This Mindful Manicure collection is a set of 5 nail polishes that are infused with real gemstones. According to Nails Inc....

"This polish is inspired by gemstones, which are said to intensify a person’s aura, helping to clarify thoughts, channel energy, and heal. It’s a beautiful, on-trend nail polish with a feel good message. This polish is inspired by gemstones, which are said to intensify a person’s aura, helping to clarify thoughts, channel energy, and heal. It’s a beautiful, on-trend nail polish with a feel good message."

Now, I think these polish enhancing your aura and improving your mood is a bit of a stretch here. I'm not buying into that. I'm not a big believer in things like especially when you put it into nail polish form. I am really intrigued that these are infused with real gemstones and I love the soft and airy feel of these colors so I see where they go the idea for this theme.

Good Vibes (infused with clear quartz)
Wear for aura enhancing
*worn over a nude creme

Good Vibes is a clear top coat filled with rainbow iridescent flakes and glitters.

Better Together (infused with rose quartz)
Wear for friendship and love

Better Together is a pale pink with a silvery shimmer with a blue flash.

Future's Bright (infused with citrine)
Wear for happiness and heart shielding

Future's Bright is a pale peach with a glowing gold/pink shimmer.


And Breathe (infused with tourmaline)
Wear for stress relief and positive energy

And Breathe is a coppery pink frost with sparse iridescent glitter.

Balancing Act (infused with moonstone)
Wear for balance and wisdom
*worn over nude creme

Balancing Act is a pearlescent top coat filled with glowing pink/purple shifting shimmer.

Collection: Nails Inc. The Mindful Manicure 2017

Colors: These colors are soft and airy. I think these colors work for the collection theme. My favorite colors here are Future's Bright and both of the top coats. I think the top coats in this collection are real winners here. They're so versatile and high quality. The only color I'm not really enthused about is And Breathe it's really too frosty and the added glitter doesn't help it much.

Formula: These all had excellent and smooth formulas. I was afraid that Better Together, Future's Bright, and And Breathe would be sheer but they were not. They only needed two coats and the top coats I only needed one coat over a base.

Price: Each of these colors is $15.00 each. You can purchase them either from the Nails Inc. website or Sephora.

Overall: I think this is a nice collection. I love the softness of the shades and the infused gemstones. I don't think this is a collection that will appeal to some nail addicts because they're not as exciting as some indie colors. I would really recommend the top coats. I really think they're beautiful and the highlight of this collection. The price is a bit steep for my tastes on these, but this is a higher end brand of polish.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Tuesday!

Girly Bits Sun Dog (August Colour of the Month)

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

I have a new polish from Girly Bits to share with you today. This polish is part of her newly launched Colour of the Month series. This month there are two polishes, Sun Dog and Dancing in the Moonlight. I have Sun Dog to show you today. There are two opportunities to purchase this polish. Today is the last day for the first opportunity to purchase. The second opportunity to purchase will be on the 24th and it will remain available until the last day of the month unless it is sold out prior.

Sun Dog

Sun Dog is a is a light golden copper shimmer holo (shimmolo), with bronze micro flakes and copper shimmer.

Collection: Girly Bits August Colour of the Month 2016

Color: This is gorgeous summer golden holo with some fun bronze and copper sparkly bits. I love holos that have some other added effects to them that make them stand out. It's pretty color, but I think it maybe a bit warm for my skin tone.

Formula: This had an excellent formula. This was very smooth and easy to apply. I used 2 coats above.

Price: This is $12.55 on Girly Bits website. Please note the purchasing opportunities I listed above for more information on how to purchase and when.

Overall: I love holo like this that have some added dimension. This golden bronze is a perfect color for summer and definitely ties into the Olympics going on right now. I'm not sure this is the best color for me, but I think outside of that it's nice color with an excellent formula.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Wednesday!

Ever After Burning Twilight

I have another amazing polish to share with you today. I figured while I was out of town I'd show you the best of the best! This one is from Ever After Polish. This is actually my first ever Ever After Polish. I saw this polish featured on another blog and seconds after reading it I purchased it. Every once in awhile a polish just catches you off guard and you have to have it!

Burning Twilight

Burning Twilight is a purple/blue periwinkle with copper/red flakes and skattered holo.

Collection: Custom Polish made for Newsie Nail Novice

Color: I'm sure if you've been reading my blog for awhile you'll know why I needed this so badly. The color combination is what got me here. I love cool-toned colors paired with warm metallics. This periwinkle/cooper combo is beautiful! I love the flakies in this and the added holo.

Formula: Great formula. I used 2 coats above. It was smooth and easy to apply.

Price: This is $11 on the Ever After website.

Overall: This is a winning color combination. I love the richness of this periwinkle paired with the copper flakies. It gives off such a luxurious look. I love all the added elements in this polish that make it extra special. This is one of those where more is more, not less is more!

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

Happy Wednesday!

Third Week Throwbacks: Butter London Two Fingered Salute

Since I failed at blogging most of the week how about a Saturday post? I've been really digging neutrals since the beginning of the year. That's all I've been wearing to be honest is nudes, taupes, and muted colors. I can't get enough! I've been revisiting a lot of neutrals I haven't used in awhile including this Butter London.

Two Fingered Salute

Two Fingered Salute is a dusty mint creme with rose gold and copper micro glitter.

Collection: Butter London Holiday Nordstrom Exclusive 2012

Color: I love it when I can say 4 years later this color is absolutely unique and original. This is definitely one of the most unique mainstream/high end polishes I own. I love the dusty mint green because it's chic and since it's so dusty it reads as a neutral. The real star of this though is that microglitter the green paired with the copper is gorgeous and gives off this unique antique finish.

Formula: The formula on this was easy to apply and smooth. I used 2 coats above.

Price: While this was a Nordstrom exclusive when it came out, it is listed on Butter London's website but isn't currently available. I'm not sure if it will come back or not.

Overall: Two Fingered Salute is a beautiful color and well worth the high end price tag. It's a unique and sophisticated shade that I love! Look at that copper glitter!

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

Happy Saturday!

China Glaze Boundary of Memory

A little late to the game with this one, but that's ok! I have one of the China Glaze polishes from The Giver collection to show you. I think I'm the only person who never read the book or saw the movie. I remember in middle school other English classes read The Giver, but for some reason mine didn't. I have no idea what it's about or anything. I need to get on that.

On to polish...

Boundary of Memory

 Boundary of Memory is a mix of fine black, silver, copper, and brown glitter in a clear base.

Color: This is a unique one for sure, in formulation and color. I've never seen a glitter combination quite like this at all. I love it.

Formula: This was only a 2 coater, and applied easily. I miss glitters like this. You do not see very many fine 2 coat opaque glitters anymore at all. I love them so much, and unlike chunky glitters, I find these remove easily.

Price: I paid around $7-$7.50 for this at Sally's Beauty Supply.

Overall: Boundary of Memory is a beautiful and unique glitter mix. I absolutely love the fine opaque glitter, and it makes me yearn for more! This applied easily, and all around is awesome!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Wednesday!

Cult Nails Wanna Be

Do you ever buy a nail polish because the color reminds you of a good memory? That's exactly why I needed this Cult Nails polish.

My mom has never even worn the smallest amount of makeup since I've been alive. She never owned makeup. She's not a makeup person in the least bit. However, I remember when I was younger she had this one Revlon nail polish in the bathroom closet. Whenever we'd go out to nice dinners or something like that my mom would paint her nails and mine this Revlon color.

I cannot tell you for the life of me what the color was called. This was the early 90's and I would of recognized it if it were still around. My mom definitely no longer has it either. The first time I saw Cult Nails Wanna Be, my first that was "That's the color!". I had to have it.

Wanna Be

Wanna Be is a medium coppery pink base with intense copper and gold shimmer.

Color: This color is really hard to describe. The base is a kind of a mix of a red, copper, and pink. The color is very richly pigmented and it's infused with this amazing shimmer. I love this color. It's so unusual in comparison to other polishes out there now. This is a great color for fall, and I'd consider it a neutral. This color would go with plenty of colors you'd wear.

Formula: Excellent 2 coat formula.

Price: I do believe this will be available individually for purchase at some point? Currently it's available for $24 in the collection set with 2 other polishes.

Overall: This is a winner polish to me. This is exactly like the color my mom had back in the early 90's. It brings back a lot of memories for me, but it's also really a great color now. It's unique, it works for the season, and it can work with anything.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Wednesday!

China Glaze Rest in Pieces

Happy Halloween! I'm not doing anything this year, nor do I ever really? I am excited though. When we moved last year, we moved to a neighborhood literally on Disney World's back doorstep. We have lots of neighbors who work for Disney. Disney cast members love to decorate and are very festive. We also have lots of kids in our neighborhood. We're all decked out with Halloween decor and stocked up on candy to give out to trick or treaters. We had tons last year, so I'm looking forward to a repeat!

Anyways, I have a China Glaze Halloween polish to show you today from their recent Apocalypse of Color collection. This was one of those polishes that in the bottle looked stunning. It was so eye-catching I had to buy it. I had this sinking feeling though this was going to be one those polishes that would be prettier in the bottle than on the nail. Wrong! I was so pleasantly surprised!

Rest in Pieces over Cult Nails Nevermore

Rest in Pieces is a mix of copper holo, gold holo, and black matte mixed glitters in a clear base.

Color: This is a blingy eye-catching glitter. I like the use of copper instead of orange for a Halloween polish. I admit, orange isn't really my favorite color, but I like to keep things festive. Copper is a nice alternative and it still looks very fitting for the holiday. 

Formula: This formula rocked! I was afraid I'd be fishing glitters out of here, but these went so easily on my nail and built up nicely. I did do a bit of dabbing with this, but nothing overly fussy at all. I am also normally not a fan of bar glitters as all, but really like them . This is the right balance when it comes to glitter shapes and sizes, where it really meshes well together. I used 2 coats over a base here.

Price: I paid around $6-$7 for this at Sally's, but I'm sure you can find it cheaper online. 

Overall: I'm really impressed with this polish. I was expecting to be disappointed, but I ended up being surprised. I like the color and the mixture of glitter. The formula was on point. Win-win!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Halloween! 

Sally Hansen Chili Flakes

I have a really neat nail polish to share with you today. This is a Sally Hansen Complete Manicure Tracy Reese collaboration polish for fall, which means it's LE. This polish really stood out to me as something a little extra special this season, and will definitely compliment many fall manicures.

Chili Flakes over Zoya Ryan

Chili Flakes is a mixture of a silver, gold, red, and copper shard glitters in a clear base.

Color: This is a beautiful fall color combination of glitters, done in a very edgy and unique way. The shard glitter is unexpected, and this topper will look great with so many of the fall cremes out now. I love the addition of the red glitter in this polish because it really makes this glitter as whole pop.

Formula: I found this formula easy to use and apply which is a plus with this style of glitter. I used 2 coats over a base over.

Price: I purchased this in the $6-$8 range at CVS.

Overall: I think this is a Top 25 of 2014 contender for me. I love the uniqueness of this polish. I haven't seen anything like it this season. Chili Flakes would suit so many manis as a topper or accent nail. The formula was easy to use, and I'm calling it a must have!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Maya Cosmetics Sprummer Collection (4 of 7)

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

I have for you today some of the shades from Maya Cosmetic's "Sprummer" release. This release is a collaboration of spring and summer shades, hence the name. This collection is scheduled to be released on April 4th.

Beach Baby

Beach Baby is a full-coverage glitter blend of bronze, sand, pink, and orange glitters in a shimmery bronze base. (2 coats)

Beyond the Pale

Beyond the Pale is a coral orange jelly base with pink and peach micro flakes. (3 coats)

Zazzy

Zazzy is a orchid foil with micro fine holographic glitter. (2 coats)

Ethereal 

Ethereal is a golden base with peachy-gold sheen and a scattered holo finish. (2 coats)

Colors: What surprised and impressed me with these colors is how they captured the nude color trend. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not, but I'm seeing a lot of nudes in cosmetics lately. I've never really seen a indie tackle nude shades before and these are great.  Ethereal and Beach Baby are excellent blingy and fun takes on nude! Zazzy and Beyond the Pale while not nudes, are more subdued and fit with nude/neutral theme of this selection of colors.

Formula: The formula on all of these was good and easy to apply. Beach Baby and Zazzy definitely need top coat though as they dry matte.

Price: The full size polishes will be $9.50 each on the Maya Cosmetics website on April 4th.

Overall: I really enjoyed these colors from this collection, they're unexpected and preform well. Beach Baby is probably my favorite in the bunch.

My Rating 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Be sure to follow Maya Cosmetics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Happy Friday!

Throwback Thursday: Barielle Falling Star

I almost didn't post this one, because this one is so old I didn't think it was still available for purchase, but it is! What's even funnier is how little I knew about this history this polish. I bought this way after the fact in a blog sale, but while looking it up today I realized this was actually part of a Barielle All Lacquered Up collection. Yes, as in the blogger! I had no idea until now. Where have I been?

Falling Star

Falling Star is a medium blue creme with small copper glitters.

Color: This is the type of color that was ahead of it's time. These brighter bold blues have made a mark in nail polish in the past 3 years, and this came out in 2009. Blue is here to stay. The copper glitters contrast nicely against the blue, to create a unique look.

Collection: Barielle Fall 2009 All Lacquered Up

Formula: This formula was good. I used 2 coats above. The formula is a tad thicker than normal, but it didn't impede application at all.

Price: This can be found on Amazon for $7.99.

Overall: Excellent nail polish! This is one I'm so happy to have in my collection. I don't know of any other polishes like it 5 years down the the line. It's a beautiful color combination, and one to certainly not forget about.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Thursday!

Loaded Lacquer: Oxygen Bar, Moonshine in a Jar, & Mintallica

*The following products were sent to me in exchange for my honest review. 

I have for you all today some awesome polishes by Loaded Lacquer. Loaded Lacquer is a new indie brand that caught my attention on Instagram late last year. I was instantly oogling over the great glitter mixes and color combinations. I certainly wasn't disappointed after my first purchase of Fluffy Macaroons. Heather, the creator of Loaded Lacquer, offered to send me more of her pretties to review for you all, and I gladly accepted!

Oxygen Bar over Sally Hansen Lacey Lilac

 Oxygen Bar is a mix of matte neon blue, matte neon pink, holographic lavender, and holographic periwinkle glitters in a clear base.

Moonshine in a Jar over NYC Tudor City Teal

Moonshine in a Jar is a mix of gold, copper, and iridescent glitters in a clear base.

Mintallica over Zoya Carey

Mintallica is a mix of matte mint green, gunmetal, and holographic gunmetal glitters in a clear base.

Color: These are very thoughtful and creative glitter mixes. The combinations of colors work together nicely. What I like most about these glitters and Loaded Lacquer's entire line is they offer a variety of different color combinations. Loaded Lacquer offers girly, subdued, pastel, edgy, and vibrant glitter toppers. There is something for everyone!

Formula: The formula on these glitters is excellent. I used 2 thin coats for each swatch above. These apply so effortlessly. I hate dabbing glitters on my nail. I like to apply glitter polish like I would any other polish. The formula in the glitters allows me to just paint the glitters on. The glitters stay put on the nail and do not drag.

Price: These polishes are $10.00 on the Loaded Lacquer website.

Overall: The glitter color combinations, the glitter shape mixes, and the formulations are excellent. The Loaded Lacquer website, packaging, and their use of social media has made really made them stand out as a top indie brand right out of the gate. I am so impressed with this brand, and I recommend you check them out!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Be sure to check out Loaded Lacquer on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Happy Monday!