Krafty Gurl Orchid

One nail polish finish I miss terribly is glass fleck glitters. These have very light reflective glitter particles that make your nail polish look sun-kissed. I'd say the best examples of these are the China Glaze Summer Days collection in 2009 and the Zoya Sparkle collection in 2010. I guess Zoya's most recent Bubbly collection does revisit the glass fleck glitter a bit, but it's not quite what I was wanting.

Summer is all about neons, but I miss my sparkle. I came across some glass fleck glitter bomb indie nail polishes by Krafty Gurl Designs, and knew I had found something I had been craving. I have the color Orchid to share with you today.

Orchid 

Orchid is a mix of lavender micro glass-fleck flake glitter, lavender mciro hex glitter, and micro lavender hex glitters.

Color: Stunning. This is a beautifully saturated lavender that just glows when light touches it . Gorgeous.

Formula: This doesn't have the sheer color/jelly element older glass fleck glitter polishes have since this polish is all glitter. I don't mind, it is amazing. This is a full coverage glitter. I used 3 coats above. The formula is a tad on the thicker side, but that did not interfere with application.

Price: This is $7 on Krafty Gurl Design's website.

Overall: This polish is a stunner! I haven't seen polishes with this type of finish in awhile, and they definitely need to make a comeback. I'm going to call this one a must have! There are also 4 other colors in this line that have the same type of finish. Awesome color. Good formula. Win.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Tuesday!

Krafty Gurl Melon Mania

Yes, I'm over the heat of summer, but that doesn't mean I'm over the fruits of summer. I try to have at least watermelon or cantaloupe in the fridge at all times during summer. I LOVE watermelon and cantaloupe. I can't decide which is my favorite, it changes daily depending on the particular melon. Don't make me choose! Honeydew is OK, but it's not near as good as the other two. Sorry, honeydew.

I love all melon-y things, this includes a melon themed polish by Krafty Gurl I recently purchased.

Melon Mania over Wet n' Wild Garden Hose

Melon Mania is a mix of orange, green, and hot pink glitters in a clear base.

Colors. Totally on target as far as theme. The glitters all represent cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon nicely. This is great mix of colors. The colors are fun, bright, and compliment each other.

Formula: Formula on this was easy to use. This is definitely just a glitter topper, but I like that flexibility of that. I did two coats over the base.

Price: I paid $6.50 for this on Krafty Gurl's site. Yes, you heard right..$6.50. That is very reasonable for an indie polish!

Overall: Cute, fun, and bright glitter. I love the color combo and the price. No complaints!

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

What is your favorite kind of melon?

Happy Thursday!

Krafty Gurl Mambo In Miami

I have a pretty glitter polish today to show you made by the indie, Krafty Gurl. The coolest thing about Krafty Gurl (well at least to me) is I found out she lives not to far from me! I wasn't aware of any indie polish makers in my area, how cool is that? I'm always up for supporting indies, especially locals, so I purchased a few of her pretties online. This is one of the beauties I picked out.

Mambo in Miami over Wet N' Wild I Need A Refresh-Mint

Mambo in Miami is a mixture of teal, hot pink, pale pink, white, and just hint of some holographic silver glitters in a clear base.

Color: I love the mixture of colors here. This is definitely reminiscent of Miami to me. This color screams pretty pink flamingos, South Beach, and especially the retro Art Deco District with the pastel colored buildings. This is a unique and fun mix of color that is entirely representative of the name.

Formula: Good formula. This is not a dense glitter bomb, but I like it that way. This a great layering glitter, especially for summer. I used 2 coats above. This will look awesome over summer bright pastels!

Price: I paid $6.50 for this on Krafty Gurl's etsy page. This was for a full size, her other polishes are the same price. If you know indie prices ($8-$11), this is a steal!!!

Overall: Love this glitter! This is one of those polishes that ticks all the boxes. The formula, color combo, price, the name of the polish, and etc. I love it all. This polish also reminds of one of my absolutely favorite things in regards to Miami.....The Golden Girls!!!! This, in turn, reminds me of this brilliant song about Miami in one of the Golden Girls episodes.
Win win win!  My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Any other Golden Girls fans out there? Who is your favorite Golden Girl? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Monday! 

My Mint Birthday Mani in Honor of Talia

*Lengthy post ahead*

It's my birthday today! Woo hoo! I turn 27 today, and while I'm happy it's my birthday, I think the older you get the less eventful birthdays become. Birthdays are a little more exciting when you're little, now it's just another day, but a day I choose to spoil myself rotten. Nevermind, it's kind of exciting!

Today is also the day many bloggers and I have chosen to post mint manis in honor of Talia Castellano. Talia was a 13 year old girl and beauty Youtuber who bravely fought cancer for 6 years of her life. Sadly, we lost Talia this past Tuesday, but she certainly impacted many of our lives.

I want to talk about what Talia has meant to me in my life. 2013 has been a very difficult year for me. Earlier this year, I faced the scariest moment of my life. Since then, things have been tough for me emotionally. My anxiety, depression, and emotions have been on high. I have found it difficult to live outside of my head and truly enjoy the moment.

This is where Talia comes in. I discovered Talia's videos in early March and I watched her segment on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. I immediately became inspired by Talia. Talia had faced unimaginable challenges at her age, yet she remained positive, energetic, and full of an absolute love for life and every moment. Talia became a tangible reminder to me to stop and smell the roses. Talia helped me to realize just because bad things may happen in life it doesn't mean your life stops. I couldn't allow negativity and fear to take away the joy I could experience.

What I also love about Talia is she was able to express herself , connect with others, and fulfill herself through her passion with makeup. There is so much more to beauty bloggers/youtbers than what we swatch or what we review. Our passion goes deeper because it allows us the platform to connect and share a part of ourselves with the world. The things we share with the world can potentially help, encourage, and inspire others. That is exactly what Talia did for me, and I know she touched many of us in the same way as well.

This is the mint mani I've done for my birthday in honor of Talia.

I started with Essie Mint Candy Apple and topped that off with Krafty Gurl Totally Neon and China Glaze Make A Spectacle. I wanted to make it lively because it is my birthday, and Talia was fun-spirited and full of life!

 

I think this is very fitting mani. It's a great start to 27 with Talia as my reminder to start living and enjoying my life. Talia's life, while unfairly cut short, was certainly not wasted. She positively touched my life in ways I will always be grateful for. Thank you Talia.

To see other bloggers sporting mint manis for Talia or want to add your blog to the list check out below!


Happy Friday!