Colors by Llarowe: At Last

Purchased by Me

Happy Saturday everyone! I know for most of you the day is long gone, however, in Alaska it's only 6pm and sunny outside. I'm sitting on the deck after work and writing up a little post for this beautiful polish! We leave in exactly one week and I am so excited to be home, we've had fun this Summer but it's been a long 4 months. When we get home I am going to get a REAL light box to take awesome photos. :D .... and probably some cat photos, too. ;) 

Amazing Chic Nails: Autumn Collection

Press Sample

Helloooooo! Today I have a special post that includes three polishes from a new-to-me indie brand Amazing Chic Nails made by the talented Fiona! She began her shop in March of this year and that makes each one of these polish even more impressive! All of her lacquers are vegan, cruelty and 3 free, and are NEVER tested on animals!  

The two full size polishes are from her new Autumn collection which is releasing on September 1st and the mini is from her Late Summer collection. Lets jump right into the swatches!

Aurora Lacquers "Mystic Mermaid" Collection

Press Sample Purchased by Me

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!

Julep Maven March 2014 "Rivera Collection" Review

Affiliate Link

Oh lawd. Where did the time go? Is it already the end of the month? Shame on me, I received this on the 3rd! But shh, don't tell! Better late than never right? Ok, let's not waste more time, I'm going to jump right in!

Julep Maven is a monthly nail polish and beauty subscription service. For $19.99 a month you receive three polishes/two polishes and a beauty product/two beauty products each month depending on your preferences at sign up. Each month Julep creates unique colors to go with each "style profile" so you always have fresh colors for the season. It's like getting a present each month! To be totally transparent, this is a recurring subscription service, if you don't cancel your sub before the 24th of each month, you will be charged and sent your monthly maven box. However, you can cancel at absolutely any time without a fee or penalty! There is a code for your first Maven box free at the bottom of this post!

March's collection was SO wonderful. I think I loved EVERY SINGLE POLISH! But, I could only afford my regular box...(plus two  addons >.> ) As I'm so late posting this, I only have the polish swatches and unfortunately not the picture of the box or the lip gloss that came with it. (Which was beautiful.) Each polish shown below is two coats. 

Julep Maven Rivera Collection

Julep Maven January 2014 "The Boudoir Collection" Review

Affiliate Links

I have a very exciting post for everyone today! I recently became an affiliate with Julep and this is my first review of their products since! - More on what all that means at the end of the post. First, lets take a look at the Julep Maven January 2014 Box. 

The Boudoir Collection

*New* Sally Hansen Triple Shine Swatches and Review

I have a special post today! Mostly because I wanted to put a rush on it so you all could get a good polish deal if you so desired! I went to Walgreen's today.... Emmm, on very important business... And I happened to stumble into the nail polish aisle and saw the new "SallyHansen Triple Shine" polish display and I almost passed it by, until I saw it was on sale buy one and get one 1/2 off! (This sale ends today! So hurry to Walgreen's and grab some fun colors!) So I caved and grabbed two lovely shades, "Vanity Flair" and "Wavy Blue."

Here's what Sally Hansen says about their new line...'

 "Water to workout, day in and day out, nothing will dull these nails. The gloss is protected with the Ultimate Shield Complex, exclusive to Sally Hansen, designed to help polish withstand the wear and tear of everyday living for non-stop shine."

Now, what I say about their new line...

Sinful Colors "Savage" Swatch and Review

Sinful Colors "Savage"

A creamy blue that dries with a matte/satin finish

 

Sally Hansen "Gold Roses" Swatch and Review

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure "Gold Roses 817"

A metallic rose gold that is more pink than copper

Makeshift macro

This is one of  my favorite shades from the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Fall 2013 Collection. (Phew, that's a mouthful.) Gold Roses is from the Rent the Runway collection in which they released ten new polishes. This is a limited edition polish, so if you're a rose gold lover, you need to hurry up and get this!

Sinful Colors SinfulShine "Break Away" Swatch and Review

Sinful Colors SinfulShine "Break Away"

Royal blue with a super shiny finish

Check out this beautiful royal blue! This is my first SinfulShine purchase from the Sinful Colors brand and I really like it.  I am not sure about the "gel tech" or what it is or if it's just words on a bottle.... (which I assume it is, I don't think there is anything "gel" or "tech" about this polish, but I haven't done any research.)

L.A. Colors Color Craze "Whipped" Swatch and Review

L.A. Colors Color Craze "Whipped"

A light nude color. If someone skinned me and made me into a polish... I would be Whipped. Hopefully with a better formula though. (That sounded a little more creepy than I had intended.)

I really adore this color. It's a creamy nude and it's darker than the other nudes that I own, yet it still maintains it's "nudeness" without looking brown.

Nude. Have I said nude enough yet?

Nude.

Application 3/5 Okay. The brush had stray bristles. (Hopefully this isn't the case with most L.A. Colors polishes.)
Drying Time 3/5 Moderate. It dried at a descent rate. I applied thin coats and this helped. Although, even after about twenty minutes, each coat was a little tacky.

Texture 4/5 Good! It dried smooth and without any bubbles!
Pigmentation Standard. It was opaque after two coats.

Number of Coats 2 

Top Coat Added Seche Vite to speed drying time on second coat.
Price $1! Honestly can't beat that :)

Verdict - I would recommend this color. The staying power of the polish is sub-par and my brush was out of wack, but over all, how much can you complain about a beautiful nude ... (there it is again) polish that is only a dollar?

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Sinful Colors "Unicorn" Swatch and Review

Sinful Colors "Unicorn"

A light, buttery yellow

A color reminiscent of magical, mystical unicorns... Ok, well maybe not, but it does remind me of movie theater popcorn, freshly buttered waffles, sundresses, and brightly colored umbrellas, and possibly the color of the sky after a late day storm. Think clompy rain boots! :D Have you fallen in love with it yet?

Application 3/5 Okay, it applied a little streaky. To be fair, most yellows that I have tried do.
Drying Time 3/5 Moderate.

Texture 5/5 Smooth and creamy with a shiny and no bubbles!
Pigmentation Okay, It required a few coats to become opaque.
Number of Coats 3

Top Coat not added
Price $1.99 

Verdict - I like this color. It's a nice yellow in my collection. It's pale enough that it doesn't require extremely tanned skin. ( Which I literally NEVER have, I'm vampire colored most of the year. ) It's creamy and is a nice Summery pop of color. A nice change from the pinks I usually gravitate to. I would recommend it!

See the Honey Bee mani with this color here!

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L'Oreal Royalty Reinvented Swatch and Review

L'Oreal "Royalty Reinvented"

-A positively perfect purple-

This creme polish is neither light nor dark but the perfect in between color and is a go to shade for Spring or Summer.

This is my favorite color purple. Look at how creamy it looks!

Application 5/5 Great! It glides on with zero issues, I've never had any bubbles or streakyness with this color.
Drying Time 3/5 Moderate. It dried at a pretty standard rate, maybe a little faster than other polishes.

Texture 5/5 Smooth and creamy with a shiny finish.
Pigmentation Great! It's almost opaque in one coat and completely opaque in two.
Number of Coats 2 -

Top Coat not added
Price $4.99? Part of the L'Oreal 2013 Spring collection.

Verdict - I adore all the colors I've bought from this collection, but this one is by far my favorite. I really love this shade and it's my favorite purple that I've ever used.

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Sinful Colors "You Just Wait" Swatch and Review

Sinful Colors "You Just Wait"

A lovely pinkish duo chrome that boasts highlights of green and silver.

I'm going to start by being honest... duo chrome and sheer colors don't always flatter me, but I was pleasantly surprised by this color! It was both subtle and eye catching at the same time. It practically blended in with my skin tone unless my nails caught the light. 

 

Application 4/5 Good. Went on smoothly and didn't show any brush strokes.
Drying Time 3/5 Moderate. It dried at a standard rate, but I applied each coat very quickly and didn't allow each one to dry fully :/ So there was significant smudging after an hour and a shower later. 

Texture 2/5 Two of my fingers had major bubbles. I probably could have avoided it if I had painted my nails slower and allowed more drying time in between each coat.
Pigmentation Extremely Sheer. Which isn't a disadvantage. It would look really nice over a dark colored polish. It took three coats to reach a good opacity.
Number of Coats 4! Three made it opaque, but three of the fingers had major bubbles so I added another coat to  smooth it out.

Top Coat not added
Price $2

Verdict - Recommend! I like this color a lot and it's a nice "almost nude" option and Sinful Colors are so cheap!

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Julep "Stefani" Swatch and Review

Julep "Stefani" 

Recently I purchased my first bottles of Julep nail polish. Julep has a program called "Julep Maven" and they send you 2 nail polishes a month and a full sized beauty product. This polish is part of the "American Beauty" maven package. At $14 dollars a bottle, I only bought the subscription because my first box was free! :) You can get your first box free here, with the code "freebox" it only costs shipping which is ... $4 I think. But buyers beware! It IS a subscription, so if you don't want another box or don't like the polish you have to cancel or skip. Just a warning :)

Okay, now for the swatches! Stefani is an awesome metallic gunmetal grey with gold micro glitter in it. These swatches are without a top coat, so the good news is if you don't like the "gritty look" that these pics have, a quick coat of Seche Vite smoothed the whole thing out.

I adore this shade because I think it's a more unique color. It's probably best suited for Winter or Fall, but throw caution to the wind, be cray, or whatever... I'm using it in the Summer. I'm a rebel...

This being said, I don't believe this polish was worth the (full) price. The application was less than smooth. It has a gold micro glitter and created almost a "bubble" effect, or gritty. One coat would probably have been sufficient, but I had a few bald spots and went for a second coat. It dried pretty slowly too. I had to be pretty cautious about smudges for over two hours. Yikes!

One note about the bottles. They are tall and thin and this makes it difficult to dip the brush back in the bottle while balancing it. I literally had to hold the bottle every time I needed more polish. This is just a minor annoyance. 

Application 4/5 Good. Went on decently smooth and didn't show too many brush strokes.

Pigmentation 4/5 Opaque after one coat. I used two to cover a few bald spots.

Drying Time 2/5 Slow. This polish dried much slower than I had anticipated, but probably could be reduced with three extra thin coats rather than two regular coats.

Finish 2/5 I wasn't thrilled about the "grit" from the micro glitter, but it was quickly remeidied with a top coat of Seche Vite.

Top Coat not added

Verdict 3/5 I adore the color, but I wouldn't purchase it at full price. 

If you are interested in their Maven program, I'd give it a try though. It's a good enough polish if you only have to pay shipping for the first box! :) Plus, who doesn't love to receive a package? ^^ Lastly, the links to Julep help my Maven program and I do get free boxes with two others who subscribe. When you become a Maven you can refer friends, earn points, and get free polish, too.

Hope everyone's weekend is off to a great start. Happy painting!

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Sally Hansen "Frutti Petutie" Swatch and Review

Okay. This is my VERY FIRST product review/swatch and I'll say this. I surely hope that attaining the correct color isn't always this hard. That being said, these photos have been slightly color corrected in Photo Shop to reflect what I feel is more true to the color of the polish. Even in direct light, it was photographing as a coral/lighter pink.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in "Frutti Petutie 540" 

This polish is the definition of fuchsia. It's a bright and deep pink shade yet, it's still not neon. It screams Summer to me and it's my favorite shade fuchsia that I've found. Without further adieu, here are some photos! 

"540 Frutti Petutie"

These swatches are two coat of polish but I must say that probably didn't need two coats. I painted them before bed, and did another coat in the morning because I had "pillow prints." 

The application of this polish is super smooth and the large brush covers my nail in two strokes. I'm a huge fan on large brushes, but I know other people don't necessarily love them. One thing I will say is the brush on this specific polish was a tiny bit uneven so I had a hard time making an even line near my cuticles. Though, that isn't too much of an issue for be because I always clean up the edges of my nails with acetone. 

Overall the line of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure line is one of my favorites from Sally Hansen. 

Application 5/5 Smooth.

Pigmentation 5/5 Opaque Only one coat was needed

Drying Time 3/5 Moderate. This isn't advertised as a quick dry polish, so I was expecting a normal drying time.

Finish 5/5 Extremely shiny. All these swatches are without a top coat

It's called Complete Salon Manicure, and I think that's supposed to imply that no base or top coat is needed. I did use a base coat by Sinful colors, but I don't believe it is needed. It may cause some staining because it is such a dark color if a base coat isn't used. My final say is ... Obviously I'd recommend it! This is the perfect color for Summer. ^^

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