Sinful Colors apPEAsing

Tis the season for mint green! I definitely consider this time of year mint green season. I know you can wear any color any time of year, but I'm someone who gravitates toward seasonal colors so mint greens are really appealing and "apPEAsing" for me right now. I have new Sinful Colors for 2017 mint green to share with you today that's called "apPEAsing". I see they were trying to get some green thing in the name, but it is rather silly don't you think?

apPEAsing

apPEAsing is a bright mint green creme.

Collection: Sinful Colors Core 2017

Color: I know mint greens are a dime a dozen, but it's one of those colors I just can't get enough of. I like this one because it has a brightness to it and it veers more to the green side than blue. I know those are harder to come by. This is a great mint!

Formula: This had a fairly nice formula. It was streaky on the first coat and was opaque by the second. I do find I still see some streakiness and unevennesses on some nails even with 2 coats, but it's not the big of a deal.

Price: I purchased this for $1.99 at Walgreens.

Overall: This is an all around great mint green creme. It's bright and refreshing. The formula isn't perfect, but it's $1.99. I can't complain too much.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Thursday!

Wet n' Wild Kiss My Mints

You can never go wrong with mint polish. I'm so glad mint became a thing a couple of years ago and the trend has stuck. Mint is probably one of my favorite ways to wear green polish considering I don't sport green often. It's one of those colors that I think just looks cute and chic on everyone. This one was part of Wet n' Wild's spring collection and I had to pick it up.

Kiss My Mints

Kiss My Mints is pale mint creme.

Collection: Wet n' Wild Spring Into The Wild Spring 2016

Color: I love this version of mint. It's a very pale mint shade which I worried might look too stark against my skin tone, but I like how it looks. I love the opacity of this color and how bright and and creamy it looks on the nail.

Formula: This actually had a great formula, but I think that's due to the brush. I'm usually not a fan of wide brushes, but with pastel cremes like this they work well. They spread the formula evenly on the nail better than thinner brushes. This formula had a nice consistency. It wasn't too thin or too thick and applied evenly in 2 coats.

Price: I paid $1.99 for this at Walgreens. Sadly, this collection has left stores though.

Overall: This is a great all-around mint creme. I love the consistency, the color, and the application of this polish. This is just one of those polishes that doesn't do you wrong.

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

Happy Wednesday!

Throwbacks Week: OPI Feel the Mo-heat-oes

This is the time of year where I've fully transitioned into spring and summer colors. No more neutrals no more dark colors. I'm a very seasonal nail polish person. I don't match my nail polish to the season because I feel like I have to. I just really like to! We don't really have seasons in Florida, so changing up my color palette seasonally is the only way I really feel like the year is going by. Plus, I don't really feel like wearing dark vampy colors in April or neon yellow in November. This OPI throwback has been a go-to polish for me the past two years.

Feel the Mo-heat-oes

Feel the Mo-heat-oes is a pastel mint green creme.

Collection: Hello, Flamingo! CosmoProf Exclusive Summer 2014

Color: I love this shade of mint because it's really unique to my collection even though I have plenty of mint greens. This one is more of a true mint green in my opinion because it leans almost exclusively to the green side and doesn't really have any blue undertones.

Formula: The formula on this polish is excellent especially for being a pastel shade. I was surprised. I used 3 coats.

Price: This was a set sold exclusively to CosmoProf stores for licensed beauty professionals only. I'm not one of those, but I got this on eBay at the time. I still see this available on e-tailers in this $10-$20 range. It's a bit pricier because of it's exclusivity.

Overall: This is definitely one of my favorite greens. My only complaint is the name. The name is great, it's just a PITA to type and remember where the hyphens go. First world problem, I know! Besides that, it's a great color. I love the formula and it's one of my favorite OPI polishes.

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

Happy Monday!

Noodles Nail Polish Mint For Each Other

I'm a little late to the game sharing a Valentine's polish, but it still looks pretty springy! This one is from Noodles Nail Polish a indie I recently fell in love with for their amazing crellies. The polish I'm going to share with you today is meant to be a Valentine's version of their Peppermint Twist polish (which was in my Top 25 of 2015) from the holidays. This one unlike the other Noodles Nail Polishes did fall a little flat for me, but I'll explain that later.

Mint For Each Other

Mint For Each Other is a white based crelly full of mint, aqua, silver, magenta, and pink glitters as well as mini pink hearts.

Collection: Noodles Nail Polish Valentine's 2016

Color: I absolutely love this color. I adored Peppermint Twist, so I love this Valentine's version as well. I love the pairing of the pink and mint. It's really a cute and great color combination. I also love that this a crelly polish. Noodles nails crelly polishes.

Formula: I wish this polish did not have pink heart glitters in it otherwise I would give it a glowing review. These pink hearts were a PITA to get out as evidenced by my swatch. I could only manage to get one heart out. It was frustrating me beyond belief trying to get these hearts out. The formula itself sans the hearts was good. It was on the thick side, but it applied smoothly and opaquely in 3 coats. This polish didn't need the hearts in it. I think the polish looks great without them. The hearts really tarnished my view on this polish because how frustrating they were. Plus, they were in a white crelly base which made them hard to see.

Price: This one is no longer available. I'm not sure if it will be remade, but Noodles does have other excellent polishes on her etsy site.

Overall: This polish really pushed my buttons. Those darn hearts! That being said, hearts out of the picture I'm in love with this polish. I don't want this to deter anyone from purchasing this brand. I've reviewed a handful of other Noodles Nail Polishes I absolutely loved and some even made my Top 25 list from last year. This one just didn't work out for me based on stupid heart glitter. I didn't feel the polish needed them because it's great on its own and they really tested my patience. This would of been a golden 5 paint splatter polish without the hearts!

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Wednesday!

Throwback Thursday: Orly Gumdrop

I have another Orly throwback to share with you today. One thing I've noticed since doing my throwback posts is how spoiled I am now with nail polish formulas. I have to thank indies for that. Mainstream polish formulas then and even now are very average to below average especially when it comes to pastels or neons. What's interesting is 5 years ago I would consider these older mainstream formulas and even current ones good, but now they're average to below average. This older Orly pastel really reminded me how thankful I am for amazing indie pastel cremes!

Gumdrop

 Gumdrop is a soft aqua/mint creme.

Collection: Orly Sweet Collection Spring 2010

Color: This is a beautiful colors. I like the softness of this color and that is has a touch more blue to it than other mint/aqua shades. I want to say this color was the beginning of the mint green craze back when I started getting into nail polish. The color is a beautiful pastel that isn't stark or too contrasting with my skin tone.

Formula: I don't think this formula is bad. It's really not, but compared to other pastel cremes I have today from KBShimmer and other indies it's lacking. The formula was OK by today's standards. I did find it did not level or smooth out evenly on my nail well. I used 2 coats above.

Price: I'm pretty sure this is part of the core line of Orly. I see it listed on Sally's and Ulta's website. You can also find this on other e-tailers in the $5-$8 range.

Overall: I love the softness and beauty of Gumdrop. It's a fun and perfectly spring-like color. The formula isn't my favorite, but it wasn't bad either. I have definite feelings of nostalgia with this one, but also would be more likely to use a similar color with a better formula.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Thursday!

Color Club Age of Aquarius

"When the moon is in the Seventh House And Jupiter aligns with Mars , then peace will guide the planets Aand love will steer the stars"

I'm doing so many manicures and reviewing polishes lately that get songs in my head! I'll never forget a nail polish if it reminds of a song. I spotted this bright Color Club in my recent Head2ToeBeauty haul.

"This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius The Age of Aquarius Aquarius! Aquarius!"

Age of Aquarius 

Age of Aquarius is a neon mint-aqua green creme.

Collection: Color Club Poptastic Collection

Color: This is a spectacular color. This is insanely bright too. I would most definitely consider this a neon even though it isn't a traditional neon color. I love the vibrancy of Age of Aquarius and I love that it's a minty green! Mint and neon is an amazing combination.

Formula: I so so so wish I could say this formula was as spectacular as the color. Sadly, it's not. I found this color to be thick, chalky, and did not apply evenly. This isn't the worst formula I've ever used, but it was pretty bad -sad face-.

Price: I paid $3.25 for this on Head2ToeBeauty.

Overall: The color is just that amazing. The vibrancy of this shade is killer, it is unlike any other bright mint-aqua colors in my collection. The formula is a major let down for me, but the color *almost* negates that. I know neons/pastel neons can have better formulas than this, I've seen it done with indies. I expect better, but I've been put under Age of Aquarius' spell a bit.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Tuesday!

Royal Polish California Heat Collection

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

I have for you a really pretty collection from Royal Polish today. This collection is called California Heat. You know how I mentioned the popularity of the those pastel bright shades this season? California Heat collection has some colors that definitely fit that bill!

Surfer Girl

Surfer Girl is bright mid-tone pink creme. (2 coats)

Melting Popsicle

Melting Popsicle is a bright peach creme.  (2 coats)

Take Me To The Ocean

Take Me To the Ocean is a bright sea foam green creme.

Ocean Air, Sand In My Hair over Surfer Girl

Ocean Air, Sand In My Hair is a mix of hot pink, blue, aqua, purple, and holographic glitter in a clear base. (2 coats)

Beach Bum

Beach Bum is a yellow-toned nude subtle linear holo. (2 coats)

Summer Breeze

Summer Breeze is a mix of blue, pink, and purple flakes in a clear base. (3 coats)

Colors: There are some excellent colors here. I love the saturation of the pastel bright shades. These colors are rich and in your face! The glitter, flake, and holo are nice contrast to the brights and make a cohesive and fun collection.

Formula: I'm going to break this down polish by polish because there were some noteworthy things about most.
Surfer Girl- Smooth and easy to use formula. This applied flawlessly in 2 coats. This color stains nails, so double up on base coat
Melting Popsicle- Exactly same formula as Surfer Girl except no staining.
Take Me To The Ocean- Superb formula. One coat wonder!!!! So impressed!
Ocean Air, Sand In My Hair- For the most part the glitters applied nicely, but I was unable to get the larger circle glitters out of the bottle. I feel this maybe due to it being a mini bottle. Bottles being purchased are full size, so results may vary.
Beach Bum- Smooth easy to use 2 coat formula.
Summer Breeze- Sheer, and will require 3-4 coats to achieve 80% opacity, but this is meant to have a sheerer final look or be applied over a base.

Price: I'm breaking this down again as these have varied prices. These are all sold in 13.2ml bottles and can be purchased on Royal Polish's site.
Surfer Girl, Melting Popsicle, and Take Me To The Ocean- $6.75
Ocean Air, Sand In My Hair and Summer Breeze- $9.75
Beach Bum- $11.00

Overall: This is a beautiful collection. I very much enjoyed the bright pastel cremes, Surfer Girl, Melting Popsicle, and Take Me To The Ocean. These are standout shades to me as far as color and formulation. I haven't found pastel cremes with formula as nice as these. The glitter, flake, and holo round out the collection with a little bling and fun.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday!

OPI Feel the Mo-heat-oes

I am rarely impulsive with nail polish buying anymore. New mainstream collections come out, and I either don't touch them at all, or wait a few months to decide if there is anything I really want.

Limited edition/exclusive collections are another story. I heard about this OPI Hello Flamingo! collection that was exclusive to CosmoProf and I got that impulsive buy itch. CosmoProf is a store for beauty professionals only. I can't go. I want something I'm not supposed to have. One of the colors in this collection is an awesome minty green called Feel the Mo-heat-oes. I needed it.

I scoured eBay and I found it for $12.50. The bad news is I'm an idiot for paying that price, the good news is you all don't have to pay $12.50 if you want it. You can purchase these polishes on Ave You for the standard $8.50 OPI price.

Feel the Mo-heat-oes

Feel the Mo-heat-oes is a pastel mint green creme.

Color: The first question is what makes the mint green different from the others? This stands out as more of a green-toned than blue-toned mint. I also find this green has a bit of retro feel to it. This color is very Miami Art Deco District. This is a gorgeous shade of a green and definitely unique in my collection. Also, it's a flattering green! Greens can be tricky with my skin, but this one complements nicely.

Formula: Nice easy to use formula. I used 2 coats above. OPI formula can be hit or miss for me, but this formula was great.

Price: As mentioned above you can purchase this on Ave You for $8.50.

Overall: I adore Feel the Mo-heat-oes! I'm going to call it a must have, and it's going on my Top 25 of 2014 contender list. Gorgeous pastel mint green, that is unique, fun, and flattering!

My Rating 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

ILNP Princeton

I'm declaring mint and sea foam green my color for summer. I typically gravitate towards certain shades every season. I'm already eyeing lots of mint colors and pre-planning mint manis. One mint polish I've always wanted in my nail polish collection was a mint holo. Thanks to ILNP, I have a mint holo this year!

Princeton

Princeton is a pastel mint green holo.

Color: This is mint perfection. I love the shade of mint this is, and the biggest bonus is how balanced it is with the holographic effect. I've seen some color holos where the silvery holo effect really grays out and dulls the base color. This does not happen with Princeton at all, the base and holo live in perfect harmony!

Formula: Excellent easy to apply and use formula. I used 3 coats above.

Price: This is $10 on the ILNP website.

Overall: Princeton is an excellent polish! I love the color and the formula. I'm very impressed! This certainly will be in my minty summer rotation! In fact, I think this one may earn a spot in my Top 25 of 2014. I've put it on my list of contenders, which to me makes it a must have.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Do you have color you think you'll be gravitating towards this summer?

Happy Monday!

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!

JulieG Gelato in Venice

I am in love with these JulieG polishes. This makes me want to go into another tirade about how Florida needs Rite Aids or  how Jesse's Girl (who makes JulieG polishes) needs to put their brand in CVS or Walgreens. I love these polishes. I got a Jesse's Girl polish yesterday too in the mail, and it's amazing. We're really missing out here! On that note, I have another JulieG polish to show you today. I want more!

Gelato in Venice

Gelato in Venice is a pastel mint green creme.

This is a gorgeous mint green. What I like about this color is it looks like a true green to me. I have a lot of mint-like shades that have a lot blue tones in them. This color definitely leans more green. It does give me a bit of lobster hands, but I blame that more on the camera. The formula on this was good, and like Cupcakes and Castles the name is very cute. It makes me want some gelato. I love the JulieG polish names!

I know you can only get JulieG at Rite Aid stores, but you can purchase them on the Jesse's Girl website too.

Happy Friday!