Throwbacks Week: KBShimmer Kiss And Spell

Are you all ready for Halloween? I'm all decorated but have nothing planned for Halloween itself. Most likely, I'll just be passing out candy to the kiddos. I did that last year, but we hardly had any trick or treaters which was depressing. We had several in previous years, and I just wonder if because Halloween fell on a Saturday last year some people went out rather than stick to the neighborhood? I hope we get our usual crowd this year as Halloween will be on a Monday. Speaking of Halloween, I have a Halloween throwback to share with you today from KBShimmer!

Kiss and Spell (over KBShimmer Hugs & Wishes)

Kiss And Spell is a Halloween-themed glitter with a mix of yellow, black, orange, purple, and green glitters in varying shapes in a clear base.

Collection: KBShimmer Fall 2014

Color: This is a great Halloween mix of colors and shapes. I love how Halloween colors have expanded from just black and orange and now include purple, green, and in this case yellow.

Formula: This formula was easy to apply over a base. I used 2 coats.

Price: N/A. Discontinued.

Overall: This is a fun glitter topper. I enjoy the color, shape, and size variation of the glitters in this polish. Glitter toppers are not really a thing anymore, but revisiting polishes like this make me miss them. I may have to break this one out for my Halloween nails this year!

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

Happy Thursday!

Different Dimension Totally 2.0

I've mentioned before that I love indie grab bags. I really think indie grab bags are my favorite way to shop indies. I'm entirely too overwhelmed and too busy to keep track of what is available in the indie market. It's just too hard to narrow down favorites and make decisions, so grab bags are perfect for someone like me. I always tend to put them on wishlists too for gift exchanges which is how I ended up with this Different Dimension beauty!

Totally 2.0

Totally 2.0 is a neon highlighter yellow with scattered holo.

Collection: 80's Baby All Grown Up Summer 2015

Color: I'm not really a yellow polish person at all, unless it's really special. This one is pretty special. It's very blinding and I love the saturation of color. The holo effect in here is subtle, but I prefer it that way. It gives this polish some dimension and depth.

Formula: The formula on this was OK. It does have some typical yellow polish traits. I used 3 coats here and you can tell the formula is a bit thinner in some spots. It was easy to apply though. In hindsight, I should have added a top coat because this does dry down to a satin finish.

Price: N/A. This one isn't available for individual purchase, but it could end up in a grab bag!

Overall: I do really like Totally 2.0 even though I'm not a big yellow fan. I love the vibrancy of this shade and the subtle holo effect. The formula was easy to apply, though it did have some expected yellow polish properties. All in all, a nice polish.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday!

Northern Star, Blue-Eyed Girl, and Darling Diva Destination Trio (2 of 3)

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

Well, this is more like a duo for today than a trio. Darling Diva's addition to this trio got delayed in the mail to me, so I don't have that polish yet. I wanted to post what I had since it's being released today! I will update this post with swatches and updated review when I receive it later on.

This is the May Destination Trio that is made up of polishes from Darling Diva, Northern Star, and Blue-Eyed Girl. This trio is inspired by Buckingham Fountain in Chicago. Read on for swatches and information on how you can purchase this trio!

Northern Star Make A Wish

Make A Wish is a stormy blue creme with turquoise micro flakes and a smattering of charcoal flecks. (2 coats)

Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Moon Glow

Moon Glow is sunny yolky yellow packed with rose, blue, and purple microflakies. (3 coats)

Darling Diva Undomestic Diva

Undomestic Diva is a deep raspberry pink holo with silver holo mircroglitters.  It goes from deep and vampy to light and sparkly like the lights it took it inspiration from. The Polish took its name as a nod to Peggy from Married With Children since the fountain is featured in the opening scenes from every episode. (2 coats)

Collection: May Destination Trio 2016

Colors: I love the boldness and richness of these shades. It's a nice departure from the typical summer colors out there. I also love the fun finishes. It's nice to see indies dabbling in shimmers and flakie glitters. I really love Moon Glow. I'm not usually a yellow polish person, but this one is so unique and different from any other yellow I own.

Formula: These all had excellent formulas. Northern Star always has buttery and smooth formulas that apply beautifully. Moon Glow had a superb formula for a yellow. It was not streaky or uneven in the least. Darling Diva's Undomestic Diva was a thicker formula but was easily manageable.

Price: This trio is $30 shipped domestically or $30 with a prorated shipping rate internationally. It is available now in Darling Diva's, Northern Star's, and Blue-Eyed Girl's shops.

Overall: This is a unique and bold collection. I love the inspiration and how it's doing something different in the midst of a sea of summer neons. These polishes are thoughtfully made and beautiful.

Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer: Facebook | Instagram | Shop

Darling Diva: Facebook | Instagram | Shop

Northern Star: Facebook | Instagram | Shop

Happy Tuesday!

KBShimmer Summer 2016 (10 of 12)

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

I have the KBShimmer Summer 2016 collection to share with you today. When I opened up these polishes I knew this collection was going to be a favorite mine. There are so many great colors and as always KBShimmer offers a lot of variety. I have 10 of the 12 polishes to share with you today. I did not get the white crellies because I don't tend to wear white crellies often, but I have the rest. These will be released on June 1st.  Let's get started!

One Night Sand

One Night Sand is copper/rose gold metallic flake with pops of holo. (2 coats)

Playing With The Buoys

Playing With The Buoys is a soft pastel sage creme with mint hues and blue undertones. (2 coats)

Good Reef!

Good Reef peachy coral with blue and pink shimmer.  (3 coats)

Ready For A Good Lime 

Ready For A Good Lime is a bright pastel lime creme. (2 coats)

Along For The Tide

Along The Tide is an inky blue holo with micro flecks and color shifting shimmer. (2 coats)


How Low Can You Flamingo?

How Low Can You Flamingo is a hot flamingo pink creme. (2 coats)

That's Nude To Me

That's Nude To Me is a pinky-beige holo.

Mai Tai One On

Mai Tai One On is a soft lemonade yellow with yellow gold and green shimmer. (3 coats)

Gull, Get Real!

Gull, Get Real! is lilac grey-toned purple metallic flake with pops of holo. (2 coats(

Suit The Breeze

Suit The Breeze is a periwinkle blue with shimmery pink and violet micro flakes. (2 coats)

Colors: I think KBShimmer's summer collections are my favorite, and I think this maybe my favorite KBShimmer collection ever. I love the mix of nudes, pastels, and neons in this collection. I think the colors are perfect for summer. I also love the variety of finishes. I think the shimmers and micro flakes paired with the pastel-like colors is very original and something I've been wanting to see for a long time. The metallic flakes are stunners too!

Formula: I thought 8 of the 10 here had excellent top notch formulas. The formulas I had challenges with were Get Reef! and Mai Tai One On. I found these applied streaky and uneven. They were trickier to apply and did not have the even finish as the others.

Price: These are all going to be $9.25 each and will be on KBShimmer's website on June 1st!

Overall: I think this is an excellent collection. As far as colors go there isn't a dud in the bunch. I said it above, but I will declare this is my favorite KBShimmer collection! The formulas on Get Reef! and Mai Tai One On are not my favorite, but their uniqueness somewhat make up for it. One Night Sand is my absolute favorite polish of this collection. It's the perfect metallic nude that I see myself wearing a lot this summer. It will 100% be on my Top 25 of 2016 list. There is a spoiler for you! I also love Playing With The Buoys, Suit The Breeze, That's Nude To Me, and How Low Can You Flamingo.  I'd give it 5 golden paint splatter if it weren't for the formulas on the two tricky ones, otherwise this is a fantastic collection!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Third Week Throwbacks: Zoya Kerry

I have such trouble with this Zoya polish's name. I continue to call it Belle even though it's named Kerry. This polish should be called Belle, dangit! You will see why in just a second!

Kerry

Kerry is a yellow gold foil metallic.

Collection: Zoya Irresistible Collection Summer 2013

Color: This should be called Belle, right? This is exactly the color Belle's dress in Beauty and the Beast. That's all I can think about when I see this color. Yellow golds are slippery slope for me against my skin tone, but I like this one. The finish on this is beautiful. I've never seen a finish quite like this on a gold before.

Formula: This had an excellent formula. I used 3 coats above and this applied easily.

Price: This is $10 on the Zoya website.

Overall: Belle Kerry is a stunning and unique polish. I love this beautiful yellow gold and the amazing foil finish. I miss foil polishes! I think this is definite must have if you're a nail polish fan. It's definitely one of those one of kind polishes!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday!

HPB Presents: August Neon Mani

It's time for another Hobby Polish Bloggers blog link-up. The theme for August was neon. I'm thankful, I can do neon, doesn't require me to figure out nail art! I had fun time picking out colors for this mani. It also made me realize I'm low on neons. Low, as in I maybe only have 15, which would be plenty for most people, but I feel like I need more. I know I'm insane. Here is what I came up with!

Polishes Used: Orly Hot Tropics, Color Club Warhol, LeChat Honeydew, and KBShimmer Sun & Games.

Check out my fellow HPB members manis below!


   

    An InLinkz Link-up
   


Happy Saturday!

Ninja Polish Reality

*The following product was received in exchange for my honest review.

I have a totally cool holo to share with you today from Ninja Polish. This is one of the polishes I received in Vegas from Rhonni the owner herself during Cosmoprof. She asked bloggers to pick out a color from her Infinity Gems collection. The polish Reality stood out to me the most because it is a yellow holo! I do not own a yellow holo and it is not something I really recall seeing much in nail polish.

Reality

Reality is a yellow holographic.

Collection: Ninja Polish Infinity Gems Summer 2015

Color: This isn't gold and this isn't green. This is yellow and a yellow holo at that! I didn't think these really could exist. This does have the slightest, and I mean slightest touch of green to it, but this most definitely reads yellow! This color is amazing!

Formula: Yellow in general is a difficult color in nail polish when it comes to formula. Yellow holo, I wasn't sure what to expect. This formula is excellent though, and I'm very impressed. This applied opaquely, smoothly, and easily. I only needed 2 coats.

Price: This is $10.00 on the Ninja Polish website. You can also purchase the entire set Infinity Gems polishes for  $70.00.

Overall: This is a definite must have polish for me. I'm so impressed and thrilled by so many aspects of this polish from color to formula. I love the yellow. I love that it's holo. I have so much love for this polish, and it definitely will be a Top 25 of 2015 contender!

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

Happy Wednesday!

Third Week Throwbacks: Ninja Polish Pinkerbell

If you've been around nail polish for awhile you'll remember Floam. Floam  is what in my opinion jump started the indie craze. This was a polish that was composed of neon matte glitters. I know neon matte glitters doesn't sound really innovative now, but 3 years ago this was unheard of in nail polish. The advent of Floam spurred on the arrival of more Floam like glitters in various different colors. One of those was Pinkerbell made my Ninja Polish.

Pinkerbell over Sally Hansen Babe Blue

Pinkerbell is a mix of bight blue, yellow, and pink matte glitters in a clear base.

Collection: Ninja Polish Floam Collection 2012

Color: I love this color combination in this glitter. It's very sweet and girly, but fun at the same time. It's a great mix of colors where all colors equally shine.

Formula: The formula on this is OK. 2015 indie formulations are a lot better than 2012 formulations. I used 2 coats above, and I had to layer it. The formula is a on the thick side, and I found I really had to dab this glitter on rather than paint it on.

Price: This is $10 on the Ninja Polish website.

Overall: I really like Pinkerbell it's an old school indie favorite. I love the colors and type of glitter. The formula at the time was good, but compared to indie formulas now, it does have some pitfalls. I don't think that's a deal breaker at all though. Pinkerbell still gets love from me!

My Rating: 4 out of  5 Paint Splatters

 Happy Thursday!

KBShimmer Summer 2015 (9 of 28)

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

It's KBShimmer Summer 2015 collection release day! This is a massive collection for summer. The entire collection includes 28 nail polishes. I have a handful of them to show you today! I will be breaking this post in 3 sections cremes, glitters/shimmers, and flakies so it's a little more organized review wise!

Cremes

Bahama Drama

Bahama Drama is a near neon deep peach cream..

Rum Me The Right Way

Rum Me The Right Way is a shocking yellow cream and the perfect swap for nude.

Sarong Place, Sarong Time

Sarong Place, Sarong Time is a vibrant purple cream.

Colors: These are vibrant and pastel like neons. The colors clearly pop and make a statement. These are colors that vary from the traditional neon and stand out in their own right.

Formula: The formulas on these were really nice. I used 2 coats on Bahama Drama and Sarong Place, Sarong Time. These were both easy to apply and I didn't have any trouble. Rum Me The Right Way being a yellow did have some typical yellow nail polish qualities. I did need 3 coats on this and it did have some evening out issues, but it an overall good formula in comparison to other yellows.

Price: These 3 are $7.50 each.

Glitters/Shimmers

Pink-a Colada 

Pink-a Colada is a cool-toned pink crelly polish with holographic glitters in lime green, light blue & pink.

Alloy Matey!

Alloy Matey! is a blingy silver packed with micro and fine silver holographic glitters.

We Be Jammin'

We Be Jammin' is a bright magenta with blue shimmer and micro holographic sparkle.

Colors: KBShimmer really nails it when it comes to glitters and shimmers. These are perfect for summer and offer something to fit all tastes. I say that every time with KBShimmer because that's the truth! The colors are spot on for summer.

Formula: Excellent formula on all of these. I used 3 coats on each and they all applied easily without any trouble.

Price: These are $8.75 each.

Flakies

*I really do not have the camera or lighting to photograph flakies how'd I like, so these photos are done underneath a daylight lamp without flash. I wanted to be able to capture the color shift as best as possible!

Take The Punny And Run

Take The Punny And Run is a color shifting metallic flakie shade that travels from fuchsia to lime green with shades of gold and copper between, the most vibrant shifting of the flake polishes.

Green Weaver

Green Weaver is a metallic flakie that shifts from a rosy pink, to an apple green, this shifting shade also shows hints of purple at extreme angles.

Look On The Nightside

Look On The Nightside is a metallic flakie shifting shade goes from a rich green, to a violet purple, offers hints of royal blue.

Colors: Is there really much to say here? Really? Fan-freaking-tastic. These are are stunners. The color shifts in these are prominent. The colors are saturated and vibrant. I love wearing these because no matter the angle or the light you'll get something different. Incredible.

Formula: These are all 3 coat opaque formulas. Applying flakies does take a little bit more patience than regular polish. Since they are irregularly shaped and tend to like to stick together it is a bit more tedious. That being said, I did not find it troublesome to apply these overall.. I did find applying these over a base made this process a bit smoother, but it is not necessary. I did not use a base in these swatches. These do layer nicely as well.

Price: These are $10.75 each.

***********

Overall: I'm blown away with this collection, I love the variety, quality, and fun this collection has. The stand outs here are the flakies for sure. These are absolutely beautiful and to be able to reach opacity in 3 coats is awesome! My favorites from the ones I have tried are Sarong Place, Sarong Time, We Be Jammin', and Green Weaver. I have a bit of an obsession with Green Weaver as it's the second week in a row I've worn it. The flakies I can say wear incredibly well. I've worn Green Weaver 6 days straight without a chip!

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

These were all released today! Check out the KBShimmer site to purchase!

Happy Friday!