China Glaze ~ Brand Sparkin’ New Year

China Glaze ~ Brand Sparkin’ New Year

Purple jelly with purple and holographic glitter

Here’s the last of the three glitters I bought from the Cheers Collection from Christmas 2015. You should check out Ugly Sweater Party and I Soiree I didn’t do it as well.

The formula is a little bit tricky because the polish is so packed with glitter. That makes it a bit lumpy, but it’s definitely manageable. I used two coats for my mani. The drying time was okay, it was slower than the two of its sisters, but that’s because I had to use thicker layers to make it look nice. Perhaps I should have used three thin coats instead of two thicker...

But anyway – Here’s what the polish looks like in ordinary daylight. No sun, it’s cloudy today. There’s two coats and a layer of topcoat:

Here’s a picture from the lightbox. I love glitters like this one.

I will always have a soft spot for glitter!

I stamped on it. I used a floral motif from Moyou London’s Pro Collection-14, and I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Whirlwind White as my stamping polish. I made mint green dots in the middle of each flower, I used a stamping polish from El Corazón for that.

Here’s the final mani including a layer of topcoat:

What do you think about that? I kind of regret that I added the mint green myself.

Number of coats: 2
Drying time: Okay

Finish: Lots of glitter in jelly
Overall impression: Great colour, nice glitter, a bit thick formula

Buy again: Yes

China Glaze ~ I Soiree I didn’t do it

China Glaze ~ I Soiree I didn’t do it

Green glitter with a dash og blue and holographic glitter

I Soiree I didn’t do it is from the Cheers Collection from Christmas 2015, just like Ugly Sweater Party I showed you yesterday. Normally I would swatch them and show them all in one post, but I honestly wanted to wear these glittery beauties. So you get them one by one, just like I wore them. I hope you don’t mind too much.

I Soiree I didn’t do it works on its own and is not “just a topper”. I takes two easy and fast drying coats to achieve full opacity.

The sun had gone down when I was done painting, so here’s a photo taken in the low evening light. It’s two coats and a layer of topcoat:

This picture is taken in my lightbox. Look at the contrasting glitter, isn’t it just pretty??

This picture is taken with flash:

I had decided to do a watermarble on it, but my polishes weren’t in the marbling mood today. I ended up doing a water spotted mani instead. I used Color Club’s Harp on It for the purpose.

Here’s the final mani taken with flash:

I must admit that I really like the effect of this, even though Harp on it isn’t the best to do a water spotted mani with. It’s as if the polish “crumbles” on the surface when I spray the hand sanitizer on it. But never mind, I love the final result.

I’ve still got another glitter from the Cheers collection to show you – stay tuned for it tomorrow.

Number of coats: 2
Drying time: Really good

Finish: Glittery goodness

Overall impression: I love this glitter, both the colour and the formula

Buy again: Yes

China Glaze ~ Ugly Sweater Party

China Glaze ~ Ugly Sweater Party

Pink, blue and holographic glitter

Ugly Sweater Party is from the Cheers Collection from Christmas 2015. It’s shiny and it’s glittery and it’s right down my alley.

I hadn’t seen swatches before I bought it, so I wasn’t quite sure whether this was a topper or a polish that would work on it’s own. I might as well reveal right now that it isn’t a topper. This glittery beauty works really well on its own, wait and see.

The formula is exactly what to expect from a polish loaded with glitter: It feels thick but it isn’t really. I used two coats for my mani, and the drying time between the layers was surprisingly good.

And be still my glittery heart! Here’s two coats and no topcoat taken in ordinary daylight:

The polish dries up a bit bumpy because of the glitters, it’s hardly surprising for anybody. I didn’t apply topcoat yet though. I wasn’t finished with the manicure.

I stamped on it. I found a sweater motif on Moyra Stamping Plate-02 Fabric Texture. I thought that would be very appropriate for a polish called Ugly Sweater Party, haha. I also stamped a moose on my ring finger nails. I used my faithful Black from NailNation 3000 for the stamping.

Here’s the final mani including a layer of topcoat:

The stamping drowns a little bit in all the glitter, but I don’t mind.

I bought three glitters from the Cheers Collection, and I’m going to show you the other two very shortly!

Number of coats: 2
Drying time: Really good

Finish: Glitter, glitter, glitter
Overall impression: Wow, this is so glittery and shiny and cool

Buy again: Yes

Bear Pawlish ~ Patsy

Bear Pawlish ~ Patsy

Fuchsia linear holo

This is the last Bear Pawlish I had sitting in the infamous box of untrieds. And like I’ve said before, I’m not going to buy any more of them since I don’t like the short and stiff brushes they have. It’s a shame, because there are some really lovely Bear Pawlishes out there, but never mind. I’m sure I can get my polish fix from other retailers :D

The formula is good on Patsy and I used two coats for desired opacity. The drying time was good.

And Patsy is really gorgeous in the sun, take a look at two coats and no topcoat:

The holo flame is really pretty, I like it a lot!

Here’s what it looks like in lower lights. You can still see an odd rainbow if you’re looking carefully enough, but I must admit that I am not super thrilled. I like the colour but I had the feeling that it made my nails look as if they were made of plastic, ugh!

I decorated it with a couple of stickers: A cat and a bow. I sealed it up with topcoat and this is my final mani:

This is the reason I decorated it with a cat sticker: I am currently cat-sitting my best friend’s cats, and this is one of them:

Isn’t she cute? She’s a little rascal <3

That’s Bear Pawlish for you guys. Would you get rid of a polish if you didn’t like the brush? Or would you rebottle it if it was pretty enough?

Number of coats: 2
Drying time: Good

Finish: Linear holo

Overall impression: I love the rainbows in the sunshine. In the shadow not so much.

Buy again: No

OPI ~ Alcatraz… Rocks

OPI ~ Alcatraz… Rocks

Purple base with various colours of glitters, textured

Do you know those polishes that you really want for a long time, and when you finally get them, they end up in the box of untrieds? *sigh* Alcatraz… Rocks is such a polish for me.

There’s no particular reason for this to sit in the box for so long, because it’s a fabulous textured polish. The formula is amazing - just so nice to work with and the polish covers beautifully in two easy coats. The drying time is really good. Great result.

Take a look at two coats and no topcoat in the sun:

I see purple, pink, green and gold glitter. Possible more!

Let’s have a look at it in the lightbox, shall we?

I simply love this polish, I’m so glad I bought it!

Do you know the feeling of letting certain polish sit unloved in a box for no particular reason?

Number of coats: 2
Drying time: Really good

Finish: Textured with glitter

Overall impression: Wow, this is a fantastic textured polish!

Buy again: Yes

Darling Diva ~ Movin’ On

Darling Diva ~ Movin’ On

White crelly with red, white and blue microglitter and white hexagons

This one has been sitting in the box for a while and needed to be moved on, haha!

I cheated and used white underwear for it because my guesstimate is that this will take at least four coats to eliminate visible nail line and I was just not in the mood for that. So I started out with a single layer of Savina’s Fantasy Files which is just a plain white crème.

I applied two layers of “Movin’ On”. The glitters spread out evenly and easily and the drying time was good. I didn’t fish for the big hexes because I must be honest and say that I don’t really see the point of white glitter in a white base. But perhaps that’s just me :)

Anyway. This is one coat of plain white, two coats of Movin’ On and one coat of topcoat – in the sun:

I don’t ever wear white polish, or even white based polishes. How does this look on me?

One last shot:

Like I said, I have had this for a while. I think I might consider to use this as a base for some kind of nail art, because I don’t think I’m quite ready to wear white on its own just yet!

Number of coats: 2 over white
Drying time: Good

Finish: Crelly with glitter

Overall impression: I like this as a base for something else.

Buy again: I'm not sure

Colors by Llarowe ~ Hellcat

Colors by Llarowe ~ Hellcat

Purple to deep red duochrome with copper to pink duochromatic flakies

Hellcat. I just LOVE that name for a polish. And I love it even more when the polish is a beautiful colourshifter, like Hellcat is. My BF asked if there are sister polishes called Wildcat, Bearcat and Tigercat. A boys-only question, apparently.

Anyhoo. I’ve read several reviews that said that the formula is thick. Well, my Hellcat is not thick, she’s got just the perfect consistency! I used two easy coats for my mani, and the drying time is pretty good.

Here’s two coats and a layer of topcoat in the sun:

And here’s a picture taken in the shade. The colour shift is prominent, also in the flakies, which now show themselves in the pink dress.

This is a lightbox picture. I love the amount of flakies.

I remember there was some talk about whether Hellcat was a dupe of another indie polish, namely Naughty Night Shift Nurse by Pretty Serious. Unfortunately I don’t own that polish, so I can’t compare the two. I just know that no matter how close the two polishes are, I would definitely keep them both, because look at how pretty Hellcat is!! 

No nail art today. I specifically picked this polish because I knew I was going to wear it on its own :)

Do you own Hellcat? What about Naughty Night Shift Nurse?

Number of coats: 2
Drying time: Good

Finish: Duochrome with flakies

Overall impression: Wow, I love this polish. The name is fantastic too!

Buy again: Yes