Mardi Gras Mani!

Yay it's Mardi Gras!  Fat Tuesday to be exact.  So you know what that means....Laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll).  I have actually been to New Orleans for Mardi Gras before and it was one of the most fun places/events I have ever been to.  Amazing food, flowing drinks, everyone is happy and friendly.  I would go back in a heartbeat.  But since I am not there this year I am celebrating at home by planning a delicious cajun dinner.  I am also going to try a recipe for individual king cakes.  Yum yum!  Of course I have a great mani on too!  Let's take a look!
Red Dog Designs: Shop, Facebook, Instagram China Glaze: Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter Nubar: Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter Sinful Colors: Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
I stared this mani with Sinful Colors Pistache on my index and middle finger nails.  A creamy pastel pistachio colored polish.  It made a perfect base for Red Dog Designs Harelquin Ball.  Harelquin Ball is a limited edition polish that is only available in March, so if you love it you need to snatch it up now!  Harlequin Ball is described as "various sized circle and diamond glitters, in shades of holo green, holo gold and purple, sprinkled with micro holo glitter."  There are 10 different glitters in this blend of awesome!  I used 2 coats of Harlequin Ball and found the formula fabulous.  The glitter came out easily and spread well on my nails.  I then used China Glaze LOL (a deep purple holo) on my ring finger nails, China Glaze GR8 (a golden yellow holo) on my pinkys and Nubar Reclaim (a medium shade green holo) on my thumbs.  I hand drew the diamond pattern in black over my thumb and pinky for a fun effect (be kind - I am not much a nail art person).   I then placed a "bead" necklace on top of LOL.  I laid it over my wet nail and covered it in topcoat.  I used 1-2 layers of topcoat on each nail.  

Superficially Colorful Lacquer: Daring, Fascinated & Impulsive

Well it's late into the night but it's the first chance I've had to get this post ready to go.  Sometimes the life of a mom is hectic (but so worth it) and things that I plan to do get pushed t hte back burner.  I previously showed you the Remnants of Winter collection and some of the My Favorite Things collections.  Tonight I have 3 thermals from the Mood Swings collection.  Mood Swings is an awesome set of thermochromic (thermal) polishes that change with your body temperature.  They are fun and fabulous!  Now there have been a few posts featuring these, you can see some here at Things I Love at the Moment, and they are all shown with glossy topcoats. I chose to show you the thermals in their natural state, a glorious matte finish.  So you have the option of wearing them either way and the thermal change works with and without topcoat.  I'll say this about all three of these before their individual reviews, you will get full coverage in 2-3 coats, topcoat will bring out the shimmer more, and the color change happens easily on it's own.  Let's jump in!
Superficially Colorful Lacquer: Blog/Shop, Facebook 
Up first is Impulsive.  Impulsive changes from "a medium green with gold shimmer and green/gold glass micro flakies when cold to a bright lime green color when warm."  Both the warm and cold colors are lovely.  The formula and application were both great, I had no issues.  Jin does mention that they are thicker than most polishes, though I didn't find Impulsive hard to work with at all.  I used 2 coats and no topcoat.  

Fascinated turned out to be my favorite of this group.  Fascinated changes from "a dark cold purple with blue, violet and fuchsia shimmer to a medium cornflower blue/blurple."  Oh my word I adore both the warm and cold colors of Fascinated!   The formula was a little more sheer than the others but the application was wonderful.  I used 3 coats for full coverage and no topcoat.

Finally we have Daring.  I was immediately drawn to Daring because it's such a beautiful and happy polish.  It "changes from orange with a prominent red and gold shimmer and glass micro flakies when cold to a bright shimmery yellow when warm."  These colors together scream sunshine and summer to me!  Formula and application were both great.  I used 2 coats (though should have done a 3rd) and no topcoat.

*the polish in this post was give to me as a a gift*

Superficially Colorful Lacquers: Hot Italian Lady & Imaginary Narwhals

Good evening!  I'm back!  I have a couple more polishes from the new indie brand Superficially Colorful Lacquer to share!  These glitters from the My Favorite Things collection won't be available immediately at the opening on Monday March 3rd at 1:00 pm EST, but they will be added in the near future.  You will be able to buy amazing thermals and the Remnants of Winter Collection right away though.  So let's take a look at these fabulous glitters that you can look forward to!

*PRESS SAMPLE*

Superficially Colorful Lacquers: Blog/Shop, Facebook

The My Favorite Things collection will likely be pretty big and the 2 polishes I am sharing today tell me that it will be a really amazing collection.  This beauty is Hot Italian Lady.  I love it!  It's the perfect color (reminds me of a calabrese sausage but pretty of course) with the perfect amount of bling!  Hot Italian Lady is described as a "fiery hot (orange leaning) red holo micro glitter in red jelly base with added fold stars and gold dot glitter."  The stars and dots are meant to be sparse and I didn't get any out on this mani but hopefully next time I will see some come out to play.  The first coat dried a bit gritty but the second coat smoothed that out.  Aside from that little note, the formula and application were both great.  I used 2 coats and 1 layer of topcoat.   

Imaginary Narwhals is a "silver holographic micro glitter in almost clear base, with sparse silver stars."  You can wear this one alone in 2-3 coats or over a base color.  I chose to wear it alone and think it was quite pretty - you can still see a few spots where my nail peeks out underneath but it reminds me of a gorgeous sparkly dress with sheer cutouts where you can see the nude skin underneath.  Imaginary Narwhals is super sparkly and blingy.  A few stars came out all of their own decision, but you may not be able to see them under the rest of the sparkle.  I used 3 coats of Imaginary Narwhals and found the formula easy to use.  It didn't get thick or goopy, just nice and fluid over my nails.  I finished with 1 layer of topcoat.  

Superficially Colorful Lacquer: Remnants of Winter

Good morning!  I am so excited to share this post today!  A wonderful gal and talented polish maker is debuting her new line of polish, Superficially Colorful Lacquer (also the name of her blog) on Monday March 3rd at 1:00 EST.  Jin has amazing thermals that she has sent out to many polish bloggers just as a gift.  Thankfully she will have those as well as the gorgeous Winter collection available when she opens.  This post features the Remnants of Winter collection, later today I will have some glitters and tomorrow I will have the thermals!  Jin says this about the Remnants of Winter collection "this collection is characterized with very dark, black-ish basic colors with a touch of holo micro glitter."  So let's take a look at Superfically Colorful Lacquer!

*PRESS SAMPLE*

Superficially Colorful Lacquer: Blog & Shop, Facebook

First I thought I'd share the adorable packaging the polish comes it!  Jin has the cutest business cards and stationary with this same design!  It's just an extra touch that makes her brand special!

Up first from the Remnants of Winter collection is Eye of the Storm.  It's described as a "dark and cold blue shimmer." It's inspired by "the crazy storms this weird winter gave us.  Heavy clouds, un-quiet sky and wild lightening storms."  Eye of the Storm is a gorgeous color with a great formula.  It was so deep and inky and built up to opacity in 2 coats.  The holo micro glitters sparkled though beautifully!  It did dry a bit textured but 1 layer of topcoat smoother it over and really brought the polish to life!  

Turbulence was a tricky polish to photograph!  Described as "a dark violet-pink with a hint of color shift of blue, red and gold.  Not a multi chrome, just an undecided color that changes by the light."  Turbulence draws inspiration from the "un-quiet air, the far lightening storms and the clouds that collide and leave."  Wow this color is gorgeous!  I think Turbulence was my favorite of the collection.  I used 2 perfect coats for full coverage.  There was a little less holo sparkle in this one, but the color shifting kept it interesting.  Turbulence also dried semi gloss and 1 layer of topcoat shined things up.  

Cape Cliffs is a beautiful "dark forest green inspired by the cliffs by the sea all covered by moss and sea weed after the rough seas of winter."  Jin really has beautiful imagery to go with her polish.  The holo sparkle is lovely against this deep and brooding color.  Cape Cliffs had an amazing formula and application was a breeze.  I used 2 coats for complete coverage and 1 layer of topcoat.  

Mud Slide is a fabulous "deep dark golden brown, inspired by the look on the roads n the winter.  The color of earth under the snow, the un-paved road washed by the rivers that went to high."  Just look at this color!  Mud Slide is so rich and luxurious!  The formula on Mud Slide was the only one that I noticed a couple small lumps, I am not sure if it was glitter or tiny clumps of pigment that didn't completely blend in to the base.  Regardless of that the formula and application were both wonderful. Mud Slide was thisclose to being a 1 coater!  I use a light hand so i used 2 coats and 1 layer of topcoat.  

Finally we have Seconds Before Dark.  That time in the day "just before the sun is gone, a deep crimson red is in control.  This very dark red polish is inspired by this picture."  Seconds Before Dark is so gorgeous!  I love the color and how the micro holo glitters peeking through look like glinting specs of the last sunlight.  Jin truly captured her inspiration in this color (and all the colors in the collection for that matter).  I used 2 coats and 1 layer of topcoat.