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.

Click image to enlarge for detail. This is the Fall in a bottle looks like. Show Off features a bronze to burgundy to gold multi chrome finish with a touch of holo added for sparkle. I applied 3 coats for full opacity and then locked it down with a high shine top coat. This lacquer reminds me of a 1996 Ford Mustang Cobra with Mystic paint; Complex and delicious. While the hue it self is mesmerizing, it's really the halo glitter that makes Show Off by Llarowe extra special. It an added and completely unexpected depth.  It dried quickly, leveled evenly. There are some mild brush strokes but it looks like that was the intention of this nail polish. I am in love and highly recommend you grab a few of these indie lacquers which retail for only $12 each 12ml bottle. 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...

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.

The epitome of #ShopGenius, this $42 Spring 2014  + Michael Kors  lip and nail beauty set was priced to $14.97 at  + Nordstrom Rack . I'm such a sucker for great deals.

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!

Proof that all that glitters is gold. Meet  Alter Ego Nail Enamel , another  +Etsy  favourite of mine. Discovered at an indie nail polish party held during Cosmoprof (CPNA) Las Vegas , 2013, Alter Ego is hand mixed in small batches. Fort Knox Quality Control  looks shiny yet dries to a matte finish. I applied 3 coats for full opacity. I added a high shine top coat by Glisten and Glow to my middle and ring finger. This is a thicker nail lacquer though it dries level. I find the fewer strokes you use, the easier it levels.

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!

Have you heard of  Square Hue , a monthly nail polish subscription ? For $19.99 you receive 3 full size, .5oz, bottles of coordinating 5-Free nail lacquer. Don't worry I'm not here to sell you a subscription.  Meet June's box,  Maui , with Wailea a coffee beige high-gloss creme, Ka'ahumanu  teal with a satin finish and Ala Moana an amazing sky blue with silver micro-glitter, my personal favourite. Stay tuned, August should be here any day now!

While I was researching Brands I wanted to speak with at CosmoprovLV, I came across an emerging nailpolish company named Chrome Girl . Known as 4-Free - free of formaldehyde, DBP, toluene or camphor -this collection was inspired by children but it's no kids play! These shades are highly pigmented, made in the USA and vegan. Drooling over their display, I found myself instantly drawn to Schmexy and Party Star . Schmexy is a minty marine blue-green creme while Party Star a disco dream crafted from a clear base with a dominance of silver shimmer kissed with pink, green and blue shimmer for depth. Both of these polishes translate from the bottle to the nail perfectly.