Saturday Spotlight: Pink

Good morning!  I am going to try something new today.  Saturday Spotlight!  It could be a color, a finish, a brand, anything I feel like showcasing for the day.  I had a pile of polish sitting on my desk and it inspired me to sort them into groups and this is how I came up with the idea.  So for my first Saturday Spotlight post I am featuring the color pink!  I've got a bunch different brands to share in different shades and finishes.  I do hope you like my feature today and be sure to watch for another next Saturday (or Sunday).  Let's jump in!

*some products in this post were gifts*

*nothing to disclose*

Up first I have Fair Maiden Polish Sweet Honeysuckle.  It's a soft peachy-pink full of golden shimmer.  Though I am more into bright and loud colors right now, I enjoyed the color.  It was very fresh and delicate.  The formula was a little sheer but it built up well in 3 coats.  I finished with 1 layer of topcoat.  

Up next I have Too Fancy Lacquer Passion Fruit Daiquiri.  I just now realized this is a Llarowe Exclusive!  It's a "coral pink shimmer holo."  I had previously tried it on my ties and found the color sheer and washed out.  Then I put it only nails and it was a whole different ball game!  WOWZA I really loved this color.  I found the formula really nice and easy to work with, and built up to full coverage in 3 coats.  I finished with a layer of topcoat.  

Moving right along, here is Paint Box Polish Sugar Spun Quills.  It's described as a "deep berry pink with violet flakies."  I can't get over how gorgeous the violet flakies are against the deep pink base, perfect!  This really has that lit-from-within glow.  The formula was a bit on the thicker side so I'd suggest using thin coats and letting each dry fully before applying the next.  I used 2 coats and 1 layer of topcoat.  

Here we've got a gorgeous sample from Sweet Heart Polish.  Casandra holds sample sales in her private Facebook group.  They sell out pretty darn fast and I was happy I could snag a few last time.  This sample, which has no name, is a pink jelly full of silver holo micro glitter squares.  Very pretty and sparkly.  Because it was a jelly finish it was a bit sheer.  I used 4 coats and 1 layer of topcoat.  

Lumina Lacquer sent me a couple one of a kind polishes for my birthday.  I share one already (HERE) and this is the other.  Forever Young is a creamy berry pink full of tiny metallic flakes.  I can't tell if they are gold or silver.  The formula and application are both awesome.  Of course I love the color and the fact that it was a special gift for me makes it even more so.  I used 2 coats and finished with 1 layer of topcoat.  

Rounding out the post is Cupcake Polish You'll Need This Pink.  This is an exclusive color that you can only purchase at International stockist Rainbow Connection.  This beauty is a blingy silver holo micro glitter in a neon pink base.  It's a full coverage glitter, no base needed.  The formula and application were both fabulous.  I used 2 coats and finished with a layer of topcoat.  

Lumina Lacquer Quicksand

Good afternoon lovelies.  Hope your Wednesday is going well, mine is just ok.  I am really just ready for school to be over.  The last day can't come soon enough.  It's getting harder and harder to wake up to get my kids there on time, my kids are overly-excited for Summer and have been getting in trouble more than usual.  I'll admit it seems to be the story for a lot of kids right now, but this mom is OVAH IT.  I'm ready for beach days, summer camp, swim lessons, vacations.  Clearly my kids are too.  Alas, 10 days to go.  So to pass the time I'll continue to blog lovely polish for you to oogle.  Today's post features a new holo micro glitter from Lumina Lacquer.  You KNOW Tatiana knocks this type of polish out of the park and this one is absolutely amazing!  Ok, yes I am biased because I love a good copper polish, but hello copper holo microglitter!  Win Win Win!  Quicksand is currently stocked in the shop and you can get a bottle of your own for $9.  So with that info provided let's look at pictures!

*press sample*

Lumina Lacquer:  Shop, Mei Mei's Signatures, Norway Nails, Facebook, Instagram

Quicksand is a "superholo copper glitter in clear base."  So so pretty and so so blingy.  This is much like others made by Lumina Lacquer - Maleficent, Frosting, Mystic and Spaced Out.  It's also got a formula just like those, totally packed with glitter and built for full coverage on it's own.  If you haven't tried any of these before you might find the polish thick, but it's just filled to the brim with glitter.  I found the formula easy to apply and was able to get full coverage with 2 coats of Quicksand.  I finished with a nice layer of topcoat for a smooth finish.  

*direct sun*

 *indirect natural light*

China Glaze Desert Escape

Good morning, happy Tuesday.  Yay for a short week.  It's been pretty overcast and chilly here in the mornings.  I keep wondering when the hot weather is going to make it's appearance.  Today's post is definitely all about that dry desert summer heat.  China Glaze released a Special Edition Collection, Desert Escape for the Summer.  China Glaze Desert Escape will be available in June 2015 online at LockAndMane.com.  Individual shades MSRP $7.50; Nail Design Kits MSRP $14.95, Tribal Council Micro Minis MSRP $12.00.  The kits will also be available at local Sally's.  You ready to take a look at this very HOT collection?!  Let's do it then!

*press sample*

China Glaze: Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Lock and Mane: Shop

What's She Dune? is a "sandy beige creme."  It's soft and pretty and very sand-like in color.  I found the formula a bit tricky to work with.  What's She Dune? didn't want to level itself out and I ended up using 3 coats to cover up all the sparse spots.  No topcoat used.  

Meet Me In The Mirage is a "rose gold metallic.  Of course this is one of my favorites, I love me some rose gold.  So pretty and wearable.  The formula and application were both great.  The brush strokes (which sometimes are problematic with metallic polish) were minimal thanks to the addition of  a very light touch of glittery shimmer. I used 2 coats of Meet Me In The Mirage and no topcoat.  

Don't Mesa With My Heart is a "vibrant violet pink creme."  The color on this polish is all win, but the formula left much to be desired.  Again I had trouble with leveling and even-ness in the color.  I ended up using 4 coats of Don't Mesa With My Heart for full coverage.  No topcoat used.  

Don't Desert Me is a "fuchsia pearl shimmer" and another one of my favorites from the collection.  I know I have a drawer full of pinks, but really CAN you have enough pink?  The answer surely is no.  I truly love how this polish has that glow-y look to it, it just makes you want to stare at it.  Don't Desert Me had a fantastic formula and it applied perfectly in 2 coats.  I used no topcoat.  

Rain Dance The Night Away is a "turquoise creme" that is creamy and buttery and lovely all around.  I was relieved this creme had a nice formula and applied easily since the last 2 were a bit troublesome.  Rain Dance The Night Away would be perfect for some turquoise stone nail art - I think I need to try that now!  I used 2 coats of Rain Dance The Night Away and no topcoat.  

The Heat Is On is a "sunlit red-orange creme."  It's my final favorite of the bunch, though I would classify it more as a jelly or crelly than a creme.  It's fairly see-thru on the nail, but builds up really well.  It's also very shiny on it's own.  The Heat Is On actually reminds me of a big old red tomato.  The formula and application were both wonderful.  I used 2 coats of The Heat Is On and no topcoat.  

Here I did a very simple nail art look, using both What's She Dune? and Meet Me In The Mirage.  I covered my entire nail with Dune, and using a strip of striping tape I separate my nail into even haves.  I then used Mirage to paint one side of the line.  So simple, but a very dramatic effect.  I used a layer of topcoat here.  

And one more easy art look.  For this one I used both Don't Mesa With My Heart and Don't Desert Me.  I started with Mesa as my base, then using a fan brush I vertically brushed on Desert.  The fuchsia against the pink is stunning and that glow-y finish on Desert really translates over the creme Mesa.  I finished with a layer of topcoat.