Superficially Colorful Lacquer: Giving Thanks Collection

Good morning and hello weekend!  It felt like the weekend to me yesterday since the kids didn't have school and we all stayed in our pjs until 3pm!  But that's ok because this morning we are up bright and early to get to an 8am soccer game.  But we have to be there at 7:15 and the field is over 30 minutes away.  So I guess it all evens out, right?  Well while I am freezing my bootay off on a soggy, foggy soccer field you can enjoy this post featuring the gorgeous Giving Thanks collection from Superficially Colorful Lacquers.  I have swatched several collections for Jin and I am a big fan of her work - her collections are always inspired, beautiful and well made.  Giving Thanks is definitely all of those and I absolutely love the metallic-esque holo finish of this collection!  She released The Giving Thanks Collection around Thanksgiving last year (makes sense, right?) and they are all available in her shop for $9 each or $60 for the entire set.  Shipping is extremely reasonable as far as international rates go and she runs promos pretty frequently.  Enough talking!  More looking at pictures!

*partial purchase/partial gift*

Superficially Colorful Lacquer: Shop, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest

Give Thanks is a "nude - cream color with subtle holographic finish and satin look when dry."  I love the color here - neutral, easy to wear, but a little flashy.  The formula and application of Give Thanks was superb.  I used 2 coats for perfect coverage, you could easily get away with 1 though.  I finished with 1 layer of topcoat.  

*artificial lighting*

Cornucopia is a "warm and homey gold holographic polish."  This metallic golden brown holo makes me think of honey and that makes me want a cup of hot tea and that is definitely a homey feel!  This was another great formula and application.  I used 2 coats of Cornucopia and 1 layer of topcoat.

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We've come to my favorite of the collection - Food Coma.  This is a "dark chocolate color with red, gold and holographic shimmer finish."  It's so yummy!  I love colors like this and I can easily wear Food Coma year round.  It will make the perfect vampy/sexy date night nails!  Formula and application of Food Coma were both wonderful.  I used 2 coats for full coverage and 1 layer of topcoat. 

*artificial light*

New World, "a very orange-y red with rather strong holographic finish."  You know I love me some orange so this is high on my list of favorites in the collection.  The metallic holo and orange shade are a great match up.  The formula and application of New World were both great.  2 coats and 1 layer to topcoat for full coverage.  

*artificial light*

Cranberry Sauce is another favorite.  It's a "cranberry red holographic polish with light holographic shimmer that dries to a satin look."  This is another great color that makes you think of warm, cozy times - watching a fireplace, drinking cocoa, cocooning yourself into your big, fluffy robe. I did get a teeny tiny bit of pigment clumps in Cranberry Sauce, but it's cold and I didn't give the bottle a very good shake before I started painting.  Aside from the couple little clumps that I got, there were no formula or application issues to mention.  I used 2 coats of Cranberry Sauce and 1 layer of topcoat.   

*artificial light*

Pass the Beans is a "dark rich green with gold and holographic shimmer."  This is an awesome green! I love the deeper tone and metallic-like finish.  Formula and application were both really lovely.  I used 2 coats of Pass the Beans and 1 layer of topcoat for full coverage.  

*artificial light*

And finally, we have Peas & Thanks.  This is a "light green with golden sheen and subtle holographic finish."  It's the sheerest shade in the bunch and a nice bright, cheerful color.  It built up well also.  I only used 2 coats of Peas & Thanks, as you can see there is still a little visible nail line.  A 3rd coat would surely cover that up.  Formula and application were both great.  I finished with 1 layer of topcoat.  

The Nail Junkie: Cornucopia, Pinecone, Marigold Apple, Cutie Drops & Cutie Balm

Good morning!  I have lots to share with you today and it's all about The Nail Junkie!  I know things have been quiet on the new product front, but rest assured that the current selection is still in full stock and readily available.  I have so many polishes from The Nail Junkie and they are all totally fantastic!  Aleta pays great attention to detail, making sure each polish is unique, of the highest quality and labeled with the cutest pictures.  Each Nail Junkie full sized bottle is $10 each.  Another special little touch is that every order comes with a free gift!  Isn't that awesome?  Well, I have a few Fall themed polishes to show off today so let's jump on in and look at them!  

*THE PRODUCTS IN THIS POST WERE A GIFT*

The Nail Junkie: Shop, Facebook, Instagram

Ok I might have been wrong - there IS a new product in the shop!  Gift Cards!  Aleta sent one my way so we could test it out and it was super easy to use!  The card will come with a unique code and after you load up your cart you simply follow the directions included on the gift card, enter your code and TA-DA, Nail Junkie polish is on the way to you!  If you were looking to send someone a gift and wanted them to get a little something they could pick out themselves this is the perfect way to go! 

This Fall beauty is Cornucopia.  Cornucopia, from the Fall 2013 collection is described as a "dense glitter polish made of micro copper holographic glitter."  GAH this is so lovely!  These fine micro glitters are perfect for wearing over a base color or you can build Cornucopia up to full coverage in 3 coats.  The formula and application were both fantastic.  Cornucopia dries to a slightly matte and textured finish so you will want to use topcoat.  I chose to wear it alone and used 3 coats and 1 layer of topcoat to keep it nice and shiny.    

*direct sun*

blurred to show that awesome holo sparkle!

Pinecone is another gorgeous polish from Fall 2013.  Pinecone is described as a "dense glitter polish made of micro brown glitter."  Holy heck this is one spectacular brown polish!  Just as sparkly as Cornucopia, but the color is so rich and warm!  It makes me want to cozy up and a big fluffy sweater.  I loved the formula and application of Pinecone...great coverage and easy to work with.  This also dries to a matte/slightly textured finish so you want to use topcoat.  I used 3 layers of Pinecone and 1 layer of topcoat.  

*direct sun*

I picked Marigold as the third polish to get with the gift card.  I just couldn't resist this beautiful satin finish pastel that was added to the Pastel Collection earlier this year.  Marigold is described as an "orange pastel shimmer polish that dries to a powdery finish."  I actually think it's more of a peachy color but that could just be the way it looks against my skin tone.  Marigold has a great formula and applied very easily.  It does show some brushstrokes but if you paint carefully it shouldn't be an issue.  I used 2 coats of Marigold for full coverage.  I finished with 1 layer of topcoat.  

*artificial light*

*direct sun*

*shade*

I added Apple to this review because I noticed I hadn't tried it on yet and well what's more Fall than apples?  So it all worked out.  Apple is from the Neon Shimmer Jelly Collection and is described as a "juicy neon green jelly polish...loaded with holographic shimmer."  It totally reminds me of a Granny Smith Apple!  I love the neon shimmer jellies from The Nail Jukie.  They are unique and bright and so fun to wear!  The light sprinkle of holo shimmer is just right!  The formula and application were both fantastic.  I used 3 coats of Apple and 1 layer of topcoat.    You could try a 4th layer if you really can't stand VNL.  

*direct sun*

Aleta also sent Cutie Drops and Cutie Balm.  I was already a huge fan of Cutie Balm and know I wonder how I ever survived without Cutie Drops in my life.  I am totally addicted.  Here's what the bottles look like.  You can pick up a .5oz bottle of Cutie Drops for $7.  Cutie Balm comes in 2 sizes; 5 gram for $4, 10 gram for $6.

Cutie Drops is a "special blend of fragrance free, dye free, hypo-allergenic dry oil that you apply directly to the nail after or in between polish changes.  The custom blend of vitamins and essential oils quench your cuticles and help promote growth."  But that's not all!  It also "helps to dry your polish and create a slick surface to prevent bumps and nicks in your polish."  It definitely does everything it says!  My nails and cuticles have been extremely moisturize after using this for a week. And it helps my manis dry much quicker than with other spray oils I have used.  One perfectly placed drop on each nail will do the job!  Here's a picture of the dropper.

Application is a snap with this precise dropper.

And this is what my cuticles look like after the oil has spread around my nails and absorbed into my cuticles.  I heard my cuticles say "aaahhhhh."  

This is what the 5 gram jar of Cutie Balm looks like.  A clear, scent-free, uber moisturizing balm.  Here's what Aleta had to say about Cutie Balm, " Cutie Balm is a hand blended cuticle balm that I myself created.  This is an ultra-healing, protective balm for your cuticles.  It is dye-free, fragrance-free and cruelty-free.  Cutie Balm is a custom blend of the following high quality, ultra-nourishing ingredients: Lanolin, Avocado Oil, Argon Oil and Vitamin E."  This is another fabulous product and every time I use it I feel like my cuticles are getting a luxurious treatment.  A little dab of Cutie Balm goes a long way so even the small sized jar will last a long time.  

I picked up a little Cutie Balm onto the front of my nail so you could see that it's clear.  The amount I have is way more than enough for both hands.  

This is what my cuticles look like after Cutie Balm has been rubbed in and absorbed.  My skin looks fresh and plump - totally hydrated.