Gothic Gala Lacquers - Lolita's Gown

Press Sample

*Product(s) Featured provided for review. Please see Disclaimer/Legal Page for more information** 

Hello again lovelies! I had been planning to spam you all with posts yesterday, but I am a genius and completely forgot that I had other obligations. However, I have 3 posts for you all today! Woohoo!!

First up for today is another beauty from a new Indie brand, Gothic Gala. This was one of the most anticipated releases for me, since I've been following Gothic Gala since Sam (the brand's creator) first started posting bottle shots on Facebook. Her polishes blew me away, and I knew I had to share them with you all.

Today's polish is called Lolita's Gown and it's a stunning sheer purple shimmer with different shaped black and white glitters (including hexes, bar glitter, and stars).  I have been dying to wear this one since it's such an awesome mix, and am thrilled that I was finally able to sport his baby on my paws.

This is 3 thin coats of Lolita's Gown, with topcoat (shown on my left hand since it's finally back in swatching shape!):

I know, I know...not as many pics as usual. My camera battery died and to be honest, I haven't convinced myself to spend $80 on a second battery just yet. But hey, look at that polish! Is this not just beautiful!?! I adore this shade of purple - so rich. And the shimmer in this girl really sparkles. Not to mention the glitter - who doesn't love black and white glitter, right?

Lolita's Gown has an excellent formula with perfect consistency and no thickening during use. Application was lovely, although I forgot to tip my bottle upside down before use so I didn't get the full glitter payoff. Trust me though - if you tip your bottle upside down for a few minutes before application, the glitter payoff is awesome! I experienced no dragging or balding, the glitters dispersed nicely (even the bar glitters) and dry time was excellent. This is a sheer polish, so you will need all 3 coats for full opacity, or you can layer this over a similar purple. This girl also looks ah-freaking-mazing layered over black.

I'm highly impressed with Gothic Gala's polish. This is only the second polish that I've tried, but they've both been incredibly high-quality and just gorgeous! Sam has 2 collections that will be releasing this fall, and they're both awesome as well. The Holo Deck Collection is a star trek themed collection, and the Valhalla Collection will be coming out in November (if my memory serves me right!). I'm dying to get my hands on Odin from Valhalla! You have to see this one - gorgeous holo.

You can check out Gothic Gala Lacquers on Etsy. Full size polish retails for $9.00 - $9.50 depending on finish. The Holo Deck Collection is available for pre-order, but hurry before they sell out! If you're an LSU fan, you don't want to miss Sam's custom LSU polish, Geaux LSU. Be sure to follow Gothic Gala Lacquers on Facebook and Instagram for release info, sales, and swatches.

What do you think of Lolita's Gown? Are you a fan of glitters in a shimmer base?

I'll be back (for certain this time loves!) with some thermal goodness from Polish TBH later today, and this week's Mish Mash Challenge. I have a ton of swatches coming up this week from Love Angeline, Tawdry Terrier, Cinema Swatch Lacquers, and Squishy Face Polish so check back often!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber









*Product(s) Featured provided for review. Please see Disclaimer/Legal Page for more information**

Press Sample

White Owl Lacquers After All This Time Collection- Pumpkin Pasties and Dwelling On Dreams

Hello lovelies! It's a miracle! I'm posting during the day! I"m actually working on 1, possibly 2 additional posts for today. I'm trying like mad to get ahead, and it just might be working! It is amazing how having 2 bad weeks can put me so behind.

In giveaway news: The giveaway will go live on Monday. If you missed the announcement, there will be 2 winners and each winner will receive the yet-to-be-released 10 polish 80's Collection from Daring Digits! If you're not already following KLK on blogger, you may want to do that now to get ahead of the game. Now, onto some polish!

I  finally have my last 2 White Owl beauties to share with you. Huge apologies to Mara for swatching these so late....unfortunatley the timing coincided with my huge, evil emergency and my horrible cold virus. I wasn't able to keep up on the blog at that time, and I feel just terrible that I wasn't able to get these posted as soon as I would've liked. But, I do have them to show you all today, and better late than never, right? (I'm trying to make myself feel like less of a cad here)

Today I'll be sharing Pumpkin Pasties and Dwelling On Dreams from White Owl Lacquers' After All This Time Collection ( Inspired by the world of Harry Potter). If you aren't familiar with White Owl Lacquers, these polishes were created by the sweet as sugar Mara of Mara In Polishland. Most of her polishes are sheer, jelly based glitters and every one is beautiful.  These are the 2 that I was looking forward to the most, simply because they really stood out for me.

  Be sure to click "read more" to see both of these beauties up close!

First up is Pumpkin Pasties. This little beauty is a truly original mix of red, orange, yellow and brown glitter in a milky orange/peachy jelly base. Named for the treats from Harry Potter, this polish stands out for me due to the base color. I am normally not drawn to peaches because they look horrible with my skin tone, but I really wanted to try this one out.

This is 3 thin coats of Pumpkin Pasties topped with Glitter Food and HK Girl Top Coat:

Isn't this one of the most original glitters around these days? This polish is truly gorgeous, but really doesn't look so hot on me. I have this interesing pink/olive skin tone and peaches, no matter how beautiful they are, just aren't my color. This polish looks incredible on everyone else though!

Pumpkin Pasties has a wonderful formula, thick enough to carry the glitter, yet not too thick to work with. Application was easy peasy as well. It was a touch streaky on the first coat, but evened out perfectly with the second. Pumpkin Pasties is on the sheer side, and I did need all 3 coats for opacity. I'd love to see this layered over a peach base too.

Next up is Dwelling On Dreams (Inspired by Dumbedore's words to Harry).  Dwelling On Dreams is a gorgeous mix of teal, aqua and gold matte and metallic, hexagonal and square glitter in a milky white jelly base. It's complex, yet subtle, and my very favorite from this collection.

Dwelling on Dreams can be worn alone, or layered over white, depending on what you're going for. I wanted a softer look, so I used 3 thin coats of Dwelling on Dreams alone, topped with Glitter Food and HK Girl top coat. This is also swatched on my right hand, hence the stiletto nails (also ignore the cuticle oil. I swear it was not visible until I loaded these onto my Macbook!).

I am deeply in love with this polish. The mix of color in the glitters combined with that soft white base? Stunning!

Dwelling On Dreams' formula was wonderful! Just thick enough to hold the glitter, yet thin enough to get nice, even, thin coats. No fishing for glitter, and no thickening during use. Application was stellar, gliding onto the nail effortlessly. Since it is a sheer white, it was a touch streaky on the first coat, btu evened out beautifully with the second. 3 coats is perfect if you want opacity, but 2 is lovely as well (if you want a very soft, semi-sheer look). Layered over white this polish really pops!

If you havent picked up any of Mara's beauties yet, you can find them at White Owl Lacquers.Com. Full sized bottles will run you $9.00 per bottle, minis $3.50. Mara has also released an incredible St. Patrick's Day duo- be sure to check it out while you're there! You can grab the mini set for just $9.00 (You can check out Mara's swatches here)! Don't forget to follow White Owl Lacquers on Facebook for updates and information.

What do think of these 2 beauties? Do you have a favorite White Owl polish?

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber

**Product(s) featured provided for review. Please see disclaimer/legal page for more information**

Flakie Friday: Illamasqua Raindrops

Hello again lovelies! Happy Friday Afternoon! I want to share something cool with you all before we get to the polish today - Inspa.com linked to one of my manicures in an article on Chinese Inspired Nail Art! If you haven't heard of Inspa.com before, they post alot of great information on manicures, nail art inspiration and beauty info. I'm very honored to be mentioned on this site since so many great blogs (like Chalkboard Nails!) have been featured and had their links shared as well. You can check out that article that linked to me here. It features some really cool Chinese Nail Art! **Edit - The page isn't working at the moment. I'll post the link again when it's back up**

And now, onto the polish!!

It's Flakie Friday again, which means that myself and  Susan From The Subtle Shimmer are posting Flakie Manicures. For today's polish, I decided to go a little more subtle than usual.

It's no secret that I had been lemming Illamasqua Raindrops forever. I spent over a year hunting for this polish, and although I found it on Ebay, I wasn't willing to spend $60 on a single bottle. About a month ago Susan offered to sell me her bottle which she had hardly used. Score! Of course a week later I found that Illamasqua is re-releasing Raindrops. but my bottle is pretty special since it came from Susan, and all the way from Singapore.

Raindrops is one of the most beautiful polishes I have ever seen. It boasts gorgeous silvery flakies in a sheer, grey base with a soft bluish tint. It is very sheer, which makes it a great layering polish. I can't wait to try it out over a deep blue.

This is 3 coats of Raindrops on her own, topped with HK Girl topcoat.

 

*Swoons!* Love! I love Raindrops so very much that I don't even have words to express myself.

Formula:
Raindrops shares the famous Illamasqua Formula - creamy and perfect. Absolutely no glopping or gooping and no thickening during use.

Application:
Smooth and Silky, Raindrops practically applies itself. It is very sheer and somewhat streaky on the first coat, however she evens out beautifully with the second. 2 coats is enough if you don't mind some VNL, however 3 coats is just about perfect. Raindrops dries fairly fast and is so shiny that I couldn't tell which nails had top coat and which did not.

This polish was definitely worth the wait! I'll certainly be buying a backup bottle of the re-release version, however this bottle will always be very special. Extra special huge thanks to Susan for helping me slay this lemming!

What do you think of Raindrops? Will you be picking up the re-released version?

Be sure to check out Susan's awesome Flakie Mani! It's yet another polish that I must have. Don't forget to check out Susan's shop, Star Trinkets, while you're there!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber

Polish TBH "Girl Please" Collection: How I Troll

Good Morning Lovelies! Happy Friday! I'll have an awesome Flakie Friday post coming up later today - you don't want to miss it!

This morning I have another amazing polish from the new Girl Please Collection from Polish TBH. How I Troll is my favorite from this collection, and one of my top 5 fave polishes. It's a color changing base packed with pink, white and black glitters round, square and bar glitters! The base is a sheer jelly base that is bright pink when cold, and a very sheer - almost clear when warm. It's a really cool looking polish in either color, but I really loved how it looked like I was wearing mostly pink, white and black glitters. This is another pic heavy post in order to show the transition.

Be sure to click to read more to see the full scale of color change from this polish!



My hands are always really warm, so my nails usually showed the warm color of this polish. I really love this look!

Awesome already, right? Well, add cold, and the base color looks a little different.  I actually had to work hard to take these pics. My light is so hot that my nails immediately shifted back to the sheer base color and my camera barely had time to focus!

Even cooler now, right? But I still have one more stage to show you! This is what How I Troll looks like in the transition stage between warm and cold. I think this is a pretty cool look!

I cannot even find words to tell you how much I love this polish! The color shift is just awesome, and I love each of the 3 stages of color. Love!

Formula:
How I Troll bears the awesome Polish TBH Formula - thicker than other polish, yet usable right from the bottle with not thickening during use. I've found that the thicker formula really helps with holding the glitters as well as application.

Application:
Smooth and Silky, I had zero issues with aplying How I Troll. No dragging, balding, gooping, or clumping of glitters. In fact, the only issue I had was with clean-up. Since the base color changes to an almost clear jelly when it gets warm, I had a hard time telling if I had managed to get any polish on my skin! I ended up dunking my fingers in a cup of cold water, which worked perfectly.

I am always impressed by Polish TBH, but How I Troll just blew my mind! If you only own one color changing polish in your lifetime, this should be it. Hands down.

You can find Polish TBH on Etsy, and How I Troll (as well as the rest of the Girl Please Collection will be available today! This particular color sells for $9 per full size bottle, and $4.50 per mini bottle. All other colors retail for $8.00 per full size and $4 per mini. The full Girl Please Collection will be available as a set for $36, and $18.50 for minis. Be sure to follow Polish TBH on Facebook for information and updates!

I'll have swatches of the 2 remaining polishes from the Girl Please Collection tomorrow!

What do you think of How I Troll? Are you into color changing polish?

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber

**Product(s) Featured sent for review. Please see Disclaimer/Legal for more information**

Laquerlicious St. Patrick's Lucky Day

Hello there Lovelies! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend! It's a cold and snowy Monday here, which means bright, sparkly polish to go with the bright, sparkly snow!

Today I have another stunner from Laquerlicious to share with you. When Michelle sent me her Valentine's Day Collection to review, she also included an awesome St.Patrick's Day Polish! I've really been digging greens over the past few months, so I could not wait to wear this! St. Patrick's Lucky Day (SPLD) is an absolutely gorgeous mix of green and gold Hex, Square, Bar, and microglitter in a barely tinted green base. The base is so light that you can definitely use this for layering, but it's still there just enough to wear alone. I chose to wear this girl with no undies since it's...well, just incredible on it's own.

All photos are 2 (yup! Only 2!) coats of St. Patricks's Lucky Day topped with Gelous and HK Girl Top Coat:

Look at that sparkle! And the green and gold combo is just so beautiful!

Formula:
As usual, St. Patrick's Lucky Day bears the usual fabulous Laquerlicious formula. Always usable straight from the bottle, thick yet never gloppy, and no clumps of glitter.

Application:
This baby applied like a dream. The brush delivered the perfect amount of glitter with each stroke, without dragging, glopping, or clumping at the tips. No hand placing or fishing for larger pieces as well. Dry time was VERY quick, even before fast drying top coat. It does dry somewhat textured, so I recommend a coat of Gelous or Glitter Food before topcoating for a super smooth, shiny surface.

Once again, Michelle has impressed me beyond belief. This is the 7th Laquerlicious polish I have worn, and they have all been consistent with formula and application. Laquerlicious is one of my top 5 Indie brands (I'll have to post that list, huh?), and I urge all of you Indie glitter fans to check out Michelle's amazing creations.

ALl Laquerlicous polishes are 3-free and made with high quality ingredients. Full size bottles retail for $8.50, but Michelle has a sale running now where you can snag full size bottles for only $5!!! You can find Laquerlicious polish at LaquerliciousUnity on Etsy (make with the clicky!). The Valentine's Day Collection is now listed, and St.Patrick's Lucky Day will be available soon.

I'll also have swatches of 2 of Michelle's newest babies, from her Polish for Pitbulls Collection. Both polishes were created for Fresno Bully Rescue and retail for $15.00 each. $10 from each bottle goes directly to Fresno Bully Rescue. This is a great cause and one I am definitely behind. I spent 8 years as a Vet Tech working in Emergency Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery. I worked with TONS of pitbulls, and I have to tell ya....they are the sweetest dogs. The media portrays these poor sweeties as monsters, but the breed itself is not mean. Unfortunately many people breed and buy bullies for status and train them to be vicious fighting dogs. These dogs are not inherently mean, and I've been bitten by many breeds...NONE OF THEM were bullies. Not a single one. The breed itself is sweet, loyal, wonderful with children and other animals, and would not hurt a fly. Before you believe the hype, remember that ANY breed can be taught to be vicious...bullies are just chosen beause of their body type and strength. Get to know a bully...I guarantee you'll be amazed at just how sweet these babies are.

Fresno Bully Rescue is located in Fresno California. They are a nonprofit organization that rescues pit bulls (bullies) and pit bull like breeds. They have done SO much for this breed but sadly, they replace the ones they adopt out 2 to 1. Help control the pet overpopulation! They are being euthanized in huge numbers because there just aren’t enough homes for all the ones being born. Be a responsible pet owner. Spay and neuter!

Okay, now that I have rambled on there....what do you think of St. Patrick's Lucky Day? Are you feeling greens yet since Pantone has named Emerald the Color of The Year?

Be sure to check back for a gorgeous polish by Bitch Glitz, and some Polish TBH!!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber (who remembered the disclaimer this time!)

**Products featured sent for review. Please see legal/disclaimer page for more information.**