fashionCHICsta

Honeydew with an orange hue. I present Honeydew , a new Fall 2014 shade from  +100% Pure's  Melons collection. With a gel-like texture during application, Honeydew is enriched with gold, pink and purple iridescent shimmer. I applied 3 coats for full opacity. Coats 1 and 2 dried quickly and each leveled evenly, coat 3 took a bit longer to both level and cure. I find this to be true with most 100% Pure  shades  but it is expected: this line is designed as a 2 coat product. I personally  like the richness of 3 coats and prefer the way it looks on 'film' for swatches.

This is a hard hue to capture. Cherry Pop is a tart, plummy red creme nail polish from  + 100% Pure . This vegan lacquer covers opaquely with only 2 coats, levels evenly but this bottle has been taking a little longer than the other hues to fully dry. Once cured, I recommend sealing Cherry Pop with a high shine top coat to protect it from edging. This is a gorgeous shade for fall. It will look amazing with a gold leaf/fleck topper. xoxo •Nancy-Lee

Twist by Polish To Be Honest. Click to enlarge for detail. This was easy and fun, my favourite kind of mani!!  I was surprised by the amount of shimmer that  Coal Mine ,  by  +Mineral Fusion ,   delivered  to my nails. I  added 3 coats of  Coal Mine  for full opacity , waited for it to dry and topped my ring finger with 2 coats of  Twist  by  +Polish TBH .  These lacquers are slightly textured, I recommend a high shine top coat to protect the finish and prevent edging and chipping. Twist by Polish To Be Honest. Click to enlarge for detail. Perfectly simple. Simple gorgeous. This is not only perfect for Halloween this coming weekend, it is a gorgeous neutral series. Please note, Polish TBH will be taking the Winter off, stock up NOW before they close their eShop . I love these 2 shades together! A gift from  +Franci , you can score  Mineral Fusion  at  +Whole Foods Market...

Click image to enlarge for detail. I Heart You , Juice and Dreamy . I'm always on the lookout for awesome vegan beauty products and I think I hit the nail polish jackpot. From 100% Pure , the Creamy Nail Polish collection features a 10-Free formula . With 2 coat coverage, the quick drying, fast leveling lacquer is available in a variety of hues and finishes; from nudes, pinks and reds to blue, green and plum, 100% Pure offers sheer, moderate and opaque coverage with creme, shimmer and glitter options. Today I'm bringing you swatches of  I Heart You (shimmer), Juice (creme) and Dreamy (shimmer). 

Yep. It is the best designer topcoat.  Hardwear  dries quickly, provides high shine that lasts for days and does not craze or discolour. I appreciate the fact that I can use this on top of any brand of lacquer. The glass vessel is easy to hold as is the applicator and the bristles posses the right amount of firmness; they do not spread too far apart and provide a consistent application every time. I only need 1 coat of this awesome topcoat, I seal my edges and then top off my nails. I change my nail polish every 3 days so I use this often and I find that I am able to use about 3/4 of the product before I have to discard the rest. Ihighly recommend Hardwear and rate it a coveted 5 out of 5 stars.  xoxo •Nancy-Lee

I could not wait to get this lacquer on my nails. I was crazy for all of the glitter, it was very OH MY GOD.... SHINY! You know what I am talking about. Disneyland or Bust is a mix of neon glitter with black mouse heads and rainbow shimmer in a clear suspension base. I start with 3 coats of Fantom by LVX for pure opacity. I let it fully cure before I added Disneyland or Bust , I didn't want any pulling or sliding of the base colour. Click image to enlarge for detail. See my review of Fantom, here . I followed the instructions, roll the polish before use to distribute glitter, and I love the result. This is one of my favourite lacquers. 5-Free, vegan, gluten-free, cruelty free and hand made, Sweet Heart Polish is going to be my new go-to for lacquer bliss. Retailing for $9 on +Etsy by yours before it sells out. xoxo •Nancy-Lee

Based off of the Hubble Space Telescope, this silver foil polish was created to mimic the outer shell of the Hubble. The polish is also filled with gold and black flakies, which represent the solar arrays and various sensors that cover the telescope. This is a metallic foil that reflects light beautifully and covers the nail in two coats. Hubble can be worn with or without a top coat, though wearing a top coat will prolong the life of the polish. It was impossible for me to capture the true look of Hubble : mixed into the silver chrome finish are flex of gold, barely detectable but they give this lacquer such an unexpected amount of depth. This is a textured lacquer that goes on a thick. I applied three coats to properly translate bottle to nail.

I love this slate gray. Riddled with holographic shimmer, After Hours  by  +Misfits on 8th  is a perfect Fall/Winter shade. A neutral in it's own right, I applied  3 coats of   After Hours  for full opacity and I do recommend  a high shine top coat to keep it from dulling or edging. Given to me at a Las Vegas press party, Misfits on 8th is known for their DIY personalized and customized kits. Head over to their site now and discover how easy it is to make that perfect shade. xoxo •Nancy-Lee

Click to enlarge for detail. Stop Drooling. I know, it really is  that amazing. I Love You to the Blue and Back , by Glisten and Glow is divine. Thick like gel lacquer, it features a blue holographic base with a variety of glitter shapes, sizes and hues. Starting with a clean nail, it took a quick leveling 2 coats to achieve the opacity I prefer. I felt 3 would be overkill and actually take away from the beauty of this lacquer.

I opened the box and was not impressed. Brown? Boring.  Lesson learned, I'll STFU. I don't know how  +SquareHue  does it. Each collection seems to be better than the last but it's not. It's that each collection is brought with the same quality and sophistication. With another awesome stamp in our Passport Collection, September sweeps us away to Sydney. Featuring 2 micro shimmer shades and 1 creme, Join me on a journey down , Oxford, Crown, and   Kings Street. I applied 3 coats, each, for full opacity. I love the fall harvest reflecting off of my nails. It's simply scrumptious. 5-Free, the vegan formula is available through monthly subscription only, with nothing else to buy and no pressure to recruit. For $19.99 (including shipping) 3 full size bottles of lacquer are delivered to your door. xoxo •Nancy-Lee

I met this 5-free, vegan, gluten-free and cruelty free brand at  +Cosmoprof North America , Las Vegas, 2014. Developed first as a collection of luxury nail and hand treatments,  +LondontownUSA  is now bringing luxury Lakur to those with food sensitivities.

The truth is, I used to live under a rock when it came to indie nail polish. I hadn't even heard of  +The Painted Nail  until I was invited to Katie's party, held after hours during Cosmoprof (CPNA) Las Vegas, 2014.  Shameful yet true.  That is all about to change!

I've been disappointed with Essie nail polish formulas as of late. They have been incredibly streaky, requiring more than usual coats to reach opacity. They are chipping within hours of wear, which might or might not be attributed to the 4-coat thickness on my nail and they have the dullness of 3-day old lacquer.

Described as a "Van Gogh" navy blue with a matte, textured, sparkling finish. I treated myself to this gorgeous shade of  +Zoya Nail Polish   PixieDust, Sunshine , after my  +Whole Foods Market  pedi appointment. Not a name that would typically associate with 'sunshine', this cobalt blue   nail polish provided 2 different looks: one coat exposed the glitter, giving a very silver, very beautiful finish. Two coats enriched the presence of the base hue rather than the glitter. Next time I apply this 5-free, textured matte nail polish, it will be a one-coater for sure. xoxo •Nancy-Lee

...Or as we call it, Friday eve. Trust Fund Beauty’s attitude towards life and fashion is that you should be unapologetically fabulous and that its ok to be edgy and have a sense of humor. The best part about this 5-Free lacquer Brand? You don't need a trust fund (or a sugar daddy) to buy this luxurious collection. Retailing for $15 each, these bottles of beauty are Made in the USA. Wearing Denim with Diamonds is your idea of casual

I am posting the July 2014 collection so you can see what you are missing out on: A fabulous trio of nail lacquers every month, delivered to your door for $19.99, including shipping. Passeig de Gràcia : A plummy nail polish with golden shimmer, it requires three codes for full opacity. Like all SquareHue lacquers it levels quickly and dries to a high shine. I adore this plum. It is going to be a Fall favourite, for sure. I love the colour purple, but I have the hardest time connecting with purple lacquer. This month, I fell in love with 2!

Looking for lacquer that's out of this world?  The name says it all: Different Dimension.   Fortunately for us,  Different Dimension  isn't in a far away galaxy, you can discover th is hand made nail polish brand on  +Etsy !    Cruelty free and 3-Free, Let's explore the wonders of the Cosmologically Speaking collection!

I am quickly discovering a pattern with my +SquareHue polishes. Each month is my new favourite! August takes us to Beverly Hills. Wilshire Boulevard , Canon Drive , and Rodeo Drive to be specific. This 90210 collection looks rich. With micro shimmer formulas that look frosty in the bottle yet dry to a chrome finish to a glitter that makes my tips look dipped in a golden pewter hue that could only be found in southern California.

Click on image to enlarge for detail. One of the amazing activities I was able to participate in while attending Cosmoprof North America, Las Vegas, was an indie nail polish PR party. Featuring 19 brands, one of them was new-to-me Jaded Nail Co. They created an exclusive hue for this party; Vegas Heat , a divine reddish coral that turns neon pink when applied and reacts to black light as well as glows in the dark. Yes, the raver girl in me has found my soul shade. I applied 3 coats for full opactity. The next day I chose to use a  +NailVinyls  burst sticker to add a dash of  +Girly Bits Cosmetics   A Striper Has Been Sleeping In My Bed  glitter lacquer to A) play with vinyls for the first time and B) spice up my look for # Electric_Summer . I am totally in love with this lacquer. It dries to a matte finish so I topped it with 1 coat of Glisten & Glow 's Fast Drying & Super Shiny Clear Top Coat . Which, by the way, has become my new HG top coat. I...

From my June 2014  + Vegan Cuts  Beauty Box, I present  + SuperChic Lacquer  in Lost My Melon . This 5-Free lacquer has a melony orange base which is concealed by bright pink micro-glitter . I went with 3 coats of nail polish for full opacity but you could easily go with 2 and be satisfied. This lacquer went on smooth and even. It level quick and the micro-glitter was balanced throughout the nail, not concentrated in one place.  Lost My Melon  dries to a satin finish so I added 1 coat of high-shine top coat to give them that hard lacquer look. This shade is super pretty. The glass bottle is uniquely shaped, like a gem. The brush is comfortable to hold while it grabbed and applied the nail polish smoothly and evenly. I rate  Lost My Melon  4 out of 5 stars.