OMD2 Day 8: Shimmer

Purchased by Me

Shimmahhh! I love shimmer polishes so it was really hard to pick on for today's post. I ended up choosing one of my new polishes from Colors by Llarowe. Let's take a look!

OMD2 Day 7: Holographic

Purchased by Me

Holo ladies, hope everyone is having an awesome Monday! I am. I got some stuff done today, including the next two prompts for this challenge. Woo! Blogger accomplishments. Lets jump right in to today's holographic design.

For this simple manicure I used all KB Shimmer polishes except the white, which is acrylic paint. I started with two coats of KB Shimmer In Bare Form, then I used to strokes of KB Shimmer Whole Lava Lovin' to create the V shape. With acrylic paint I created the dots using a dotting tool. Then, to seal in the design and smooth out the bumps I added a generous coat of KB Shimmer Clearly On Top!

These were loosly inspired by Lana Del Rey's nails. Woo, she has the cutest vintage style!

This is such a pretty beige color, I had to add a quick shot of In Bare Form in it's own glory. Look at that gorgeous linear holo. It subtle but in your face at the same time. Is that possible? I have decided if I made a polish out of my skin...this would be the exact color. Too much? Ok, i'll reel it back in. ;)

♥ Pooka

OMD2 Day 6: Duochrome

Purchased by Me

Hey lovelies, today I did a mani that I adore! It was my first time doing a across the nail stamping + decals. Plus it gave me a chance to use one of my favorite brands, KB Shimmer. <3 I hope you enjoy it!

I started with three coats of Julep Sera, a purple, gray shimmer, as my base. For the decals I used Messy Mansion 29 and KB Shimmer Pigment of my Imagination for the body (the duochrome), ILNP Molly, for the fins, KB Shimmer Whole Lava Lovin' for the V on the head of the koi and KB Shimmer In Bare Form for the face. I used two coats of KB Shimmer Clearly on Top to smooth everything out.

The decals definitely didn't go on the nail without a hitch. There was crinkling, smearing, and bubbles, but overall I really loved the effect! Pigment of My Imagination really brings magic the the whole manicure. It makes it look like a real koi flashing in the light.

Did you catch that fabulous shift? Blue to purple in the koi? Ugh. I love it.

Have you joined in yet? Did I mention there is a prize for every day you complete? Check out #OMD2Nails on instagram to see everyone else's fabulous ideas!

♥ Pooka

An InLinkz Link-up

OMD2 Day 5: Dark

Purchased by Me

Wait! I'm not late yet! It's still 11:00pm Alaska time. Day five is still happening strong up here. ;) Today's theme was dark. I chose the darkest polishes I have (using my growing but limited stash) This design was simple and was created before I had my stinkin nail art tools up here. Tell me what you think!

OMD2 Day 4: Bright (and festive!)

Purchased by Me

Hey ladies! Happy fourth of July and Happy Birthday U.S.A! I hope everyone has had a chance to chill with friends, watch fireworks, and have a ton of fun today! I've been working all morning. Ugh! Serving can be the worst sometimes. Though in more exciting news, my born pretty store order arrived yesterday and I finally got some nail art tools. (Brushes, striping tape, and dotting tools. YAY! Bring on the nail art!)

OMD2 Day3: Lavender

Purchased by Me

Hi! So on to day three of OMD2 Challenge. If you're keeping up, this means today is Lavender! What an awesome color. Also, it gave me an excuse to use two of my favorite polishes by Julep. (As if I need an excuse to use these freaking amazballs colors.)

OMD2 Day 2: Coral

Purchased by Me

Hello again! Today I have a quick post for the OMD2 challenge. The day two prompt is Coral! So yesterday and today's post would have been fine! ;) It was actually pretty hard for me to find something to do for this day. I am without nail art tools (Seriously folks, I don't even have a "real" dotting tool) or many stamping polishes (Hurry, MdU polishes, I NEED YOU!)   So I tried a water marble and it turned out okay. I was pretty pleased. :)

KB Shimmer Chevrons: OMD2 Day 1 Mint

                                                                                                                                        Purchased by Me

Hello lovelies! Today I have a simple skittlet manicure using ALL KB Shimmer polishes, (besides my base coat!) I've recently found a new love for KB Shimmer. They have such lovely polishes, holos and cremes included! Though I've loved the brand for awhile, (It was my very first indie!) I've recently found a new appreciation for their polish because living in a remote location (Talkeetna, AK) all the mainstream polishes are either unavailable or won't ship to AK. So, I've returned to indies that will ship here, and KB Shimmer is the perfect option.

Also, I entered into a 31 day nail art challenge, in part because it will be a lot of fun but also because it will encourage me to post more! The challenge is called Oh Mon Dieu 2 Nails. At the bottom on this post, you can see all the other entries for today as well. Day 1's theme is Mint! Perfect for Summer! (And tomorrow is coral, so can I combine? ;) ) Feel free to check out all the detail of this challenge here, you can join in even if you're not a blogger! You can share on Instagram, Facebook, or any social media!

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!

Tropical Flowers

Purchased by Me

Tropical Flowers 

( I feel Summer in the air already!)

Ahh, the month long unplanned hiatus. Have I mentioned it's my final semester in college and I graduate in less then two weeks? YES! I'm so excited. But, let me hurry and pop this post out cause this girl has homework to do!

Recently Julia from Messy Mansion released some new sheer polishes that she used to color in stamping and she called it "lead lighting." Although I didn't use her polishes, I did try my hand at the technique and I have to say, I LOVE IT! Why didn't I think of this earlier? This is one of my favorite manis of all time. Take a look.