Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Aurora Lacquers "Mystic Mermaid" Collection


Hello Lovelies! Am I dead? Did I die? Not quite. I just moved to Alaska for the Summer. Funny thing though, I have no internet except my poor phone! It should be hooked up in about a week or so, but lots of time has come and gone (including my one-year blogger-versary) :C. I finished my B.A. Degree in Spanish and Linguistics even though it almost killed me (figuratively). Then my fiance and I hopped a plane to a tiny mountain town in Alaska, near the base of Denali, named Talkeetna. We're both waiting tables and enjoying ourselves in the sun! (When the sun decides to come out, it's been a pretty rainy season. :C) Anyway, I'm not dead, in case you wondered. Unfortunately, most of my polish stash had to stay behind in Tennessee, as I didn't have room to bring many. Thank god for Julep, because they are so tiny, I was able to fit more than 15 in my carry on zip lock baggie. :) So most of the posts that you will see will be from what I've had shipped to me. Hallelujah for the Born Pretty Store and other places that ship to AK. (I'm scowling at you … Amazon!) Lastly, unfortunately my light box had to stay behind, too. I'm working on another one, but until then my photos will be kind of un-uniform as I’m trying to find the best light. Bare with me! ;)

Okay! Enough rambling about myself. On to cooler things, like this very new indie brand that has just rocked my socks off. Aurora Lacquers, an adorable mother/daughter duo that opened their doors just this year. At the beginning of this year September put up a post looking for bloggers to swatch her upcoming brand, so I contacted her immediately and she accepted me into her swatcher program. So this is my first official press sample! *Squee*

Today I'm showing you the Aurora Lacquers “Mystic Mermaid” collection. The entire collection consists of eight polishes, two cremes, three glitters, and three holographic polishes. I have five to share today, two glitters and three holos. September and her mom, Lisa, sent me four to review and I purchased one more... because, well... you will just have to look at it to understand. ;)

First up is Aurora Lacquers Misty Mint (two coats), “a hazy sea-foam mint green scattered holographic polish.” This polish went on a little thick for me. As in, I had to put a lot on the brush for it to reach the end of my nail. But it smoothed out perfectly with a quick coat of SV. It was not until I stepped into the sun that I could fully appreciate this polish. It looks like a dusty mint with some sparkle indoors, but when you step outside it transforms into a delicate holo!


Next is Aurora Lacquers Nixie (one coat) over Misty Mint, “a teal glitter reminiscent of mermaid scales” Wow! They really hit the scale on the head here, I was told four times “OMG, it looks like a mermaid!” while wearing this polish. I'll be the first to admit, I am not a glitter collector, but I would have really missed out had I not gotten this polish. It's lovely!


Aurora Lacquers Siren's Aura (two coats), "a mystic amethyst linear holo with a slight duo-chrome shift" this was a surprise favorite of mine. I knew that I would like it, but turns out I LOVED IT! Seriously, I must have said “OMG THIS IS AMAZING!” twenty times or so... let's just say ... people started groaning at me. ;) It's such a perfect dusty purple with an intense linear holographic, I couldn't stop staring at my nails.



Aurora Lacquers Sailor Eyes (two coats), “a teal-blue linear holo with shimmery purple flecks” I have quite a collection of blue holographic polishes now, but nothing quite matches this. Though the flecks aren't really visible in the photo, they are visible in person! The purple flecks really bring another dimension to this polish, it's absolutely glowing and gorgeous. I did have to work with the formula a little bit, but then I remembered I didn't shake it before I started applying. So for the second coat I shook the bottle and it applied like a dream. Don't forget to shake it ladies!



Last, I have Aurora Lacquers Midnight Ocean (one coat) over Sailor Eyes, “an iridescent polish packed with a sea of holo stars, moons, and hex glitters in a deep indigo jelly base.” This polish is named perfectly! It has the depth of a dark ocean with the stars above. I applied a coat and the glitters spread pretty evenly, but I did have to do a little fishing for a moon and a star. I have the mini 6ml bottle, so it was a bit difficult to grab one of each, but I'd be willing to bet that there wouldn't be an issue with a full size bottle.


Overall I am extremely pleased with the Aurora Lacquer polishes and can't wait to see what else these creative ladies come up with next!

You can purchase Aurora Lacquers on their Etsy site: www.etsy.com/shop/AuroraNailLacquers
The full size 15ml cremes retail for $8.00, the glitters for $10.00 and the holographic polishes for $12.00. 
Make sure you include in the seller's note that Polished Pooka sent you! I'd love to hear that my readers are supporting such an awesome indie maker!

Additionally, you can follow Aurora Lacquers and get updates on sales and upcoming collections on Facebook and Instagram at Aurora Lacquers!

Which ones did you like the best? I can't really pick any favorites because they are all so beautiful, but I will add that I didn't expect to love Nixie as much as I did! Isn't it so pretty as a gradient? 

Also, how do you like addition of the name of the polish and brand on the image in the corners? Good? Bad? Intrusive? Tell me your thoughts!

 ♥ Pooka


P.S. I don't love adding phone pictures, but this just captured the sparkle of Siren's Aura so perfectly!