Guest Post: Samantha from Just One More Bottle!

Today I have my very first guest poster! (I'm clearly very excited.) Please welcome Samantha from Just One More Bottle! Samantha has a fantastic blog where she shows gorgeous swatches of her 500+ bottle nail polish collection as well as some really fantastic nail art. She did a beautiful Halloween-colored mani for us today.

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Needle Marble by Guest Poster Samantha

I've had this drag marble mani in my head for a few days now. I used pure ice super star, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Night Flight, and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Orange Impulse. Which ironically was an impulse buy. I'm actually really starting to love this drag look. It's super easy. I just put my base coat as always then put a thick coat of white, orange, and then the black. Drag a needle back and forth in the wet polish to obtain desired look. A top coat and your done. It's quick easy art :) my only recommendation is using a sewing needle as opposed to toothpick. The toothpick tends to leave bald spots. 

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Doesn't this just look fantastic? I might be inspired to try this technique myself! Make sure you check out Just One More Bottle to see more of Samantha's work!

Daring Digits Trick Or Treat and The Nail Junkie Pumpkin

I've been slacking again so I have two polishes for you today! First up is Daring Digits Trick or Treat!

Trick or Treat is a mix of yellow, orange, and black glitter of various sizes all suspended in a clear base. This is two coats over China Glaze Riveting. The formula was fast drying and packed with glitter. To me this polish embodies the colors of Halloween, and just reminds me of that pile of candy waiting to be given to adorable children.

Daring Digits Trick Or Treat

Daring Digits Trick Or Treat

Daring Digits Trick Or Treat

Bottle Shot - Macro

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Next up is The Nail Junkie Pumpkin. The Nail Junkie is an amazing blogger named Aleta who made the jump into nail polish creating. Her Halloween collection is her fourth collection I believe, and all of her nail polishes are amazing. They all have awesome formulas, great dry time and wear time. Check out my reviews of Apple and Watermelon here.

Pumpkin is an orange polish with heavy silver shimmer and green hexagonal glitter in two different sizes. The formula was excellent for an indie/artisan polish, I used two coats and the glitter applied without any special effort. Like pumpkins on a vine!

The Nail Junkie - Pumpkin

The Nail Junkie - Pumpkin

Bottle Shot - Macro

I love the cute stickers she puts on her bottles

The Nail Junkie - Pumpkin

Don't you love all of the Halloween polishes being made this season? Which is your favorite?

The Nail Junkie polishes (15 ml bottle)  retail for $10 (free shipping, $5 flat rate international shipping) from The Nail Junkie Artisan Polish Shop or her Etsy Shop and $1 from every polish is donated to charity.
Daring Digits polishes are available in full size (16.5 ml)  for $7.75 and mini-bottles (9 ml) for $4.25 on Etsy. 

Dollish Polish Vampire Coven and This is Halloween

These two are my picks for Dollish Polish's Halloween collection. I absolutely love Vampire Coven, and also purchased This Is Halloween (more on that later).

Vampire Coven is a black jelly base with medium sized red and maroon glitter. The formula is can be used for layering, or worn alone. I originally wanted this polish because Vampire Coven is similar to Lynnderella Very Pretty Vampire (see a comparison here by the Holographic Hussy), a polish I have wanted to get my hands on for quite some time but am not willing to pay more than $20 for. Vampire Coven is an ideal vampy glitter for fall. Swatches show four coats of Vampire Coven without a base color.

Next: This is Halloween
Four thick coats over black:

Four coats over orange

This polish is pretty, but extremely sheer and so slow drying. I disposed of the bottle after these swatches (30 minutes between coats and 4+ coats made it unwearable for me). I would say more but I was always taught "if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all."

Have you ever had a bad experience with an indie polish?

Metallic Red Comparison

Soulstice Napa is a fantastic metallic red that I reviewed yesterday. Today I have some comparisons to show you!

First comparison is Soulstice Napa with A-England Perceval.

Napa is on the pointer and ring finger, Perceval middle and pinky. The difference here is slight, the shimmer in Perceval is a bit more silver in color than the shimmer in Napa. They both have extremely similar base colors and I'd wear these two together without blinking. My opinion: dupes.

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Second comparison is Soulstice Napa with Zoya Elisa.

Clear difference here, with Napa on the pointer and ring finger, Elisa on the middle finger, and Perceval still on the pinky. Elisa has a much brighter more cherry-red base than either Perceval or Napa.

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In conclusion: Napa is an excellent alternative to A-England Perceval, which is a bit more expensive. I prefer the formula of Perceval to that of Napa, but the Soulstice brush is more firm (which I prefer). Both of these had excellent wear time so if you have one you probably don't need the other!

From other comparisons I've seen Zoya Elisa and OPI Danke Shiny Red (from the fall 2012 Germany collection) are dupes of each other, but more of a bright, cherry-red than Napa or Perceval. I'm interested to see how the reds from OPI's Skyfall collection compare!

Do you have any of these reds? What do you think?

Soulstice Napa

This is the second Soulstice polish I have to show you, the first was Cassis, which quickly made its way onto my list of favorites. This is Soulstice Napa. Napa is a rich gorgeous ruby red loaded with shimmer. It's such a gorgeous color. Napa has that blackened, glowy, dark-around-the-edges look.

I know quite a few girls who that "red isn't my thing" but in my opinion, reds like this look gorgeous on any woman! It's classic, gorgeous and even a little sexy. Are you a red-lover?

Soulstice Napa

Napa is named after the Napa in California, a region known for their wines and vineyards.

Soulstice Napa

When I see a gorgeous red like this I just want to wear my little black dress and a string of pearls. It's just so classic and gorgeous. I attempted to photograph Napa with some props, and I was shocked by how hard it is to do! I will forever give more credit to anyone who can make a polish look gorgeous while modeling it with an object other than the bottle.

Soulstice Napa

Soulstice Napa

With many reds in my collection something about Napa seems just a bit familiar. We've been seeing a lot of red shimmers this season so I'm going to work on a comparison post for tomorrow! 

Soulstice polishes can be purchased from their website for $8.

OPI A Roll in the Hague

Need a perfect orange for Halloween  Look no further! This is OPI A Roll in the Hague from the somewhat recent Holland collection. A Roll In The Hague is a bright red toned orange creme. It has that perfect OPI formula and was opaque in two coats.

I apologize for not posting the past few days my dear readers. Life got hectic and I didn't sleep much, so blogging became a lower priority. I should be back now with some excellent polishes to share with you!

Girly Bits Roger That: Perfection in a bottle.

I'm in a wonderful mood today so I want to show you one of my favorite blue polishes. This is Girly Bits Roger That, a polish has a gorgeous look, and a wonderful meaning as it was created in loving memory of a boy named Brady Rogers.

Here is the story of Roger That from the Girly Bits facebook page: (any typos due to my personal error)

"ROGER THAT" A Memorial Tribute to Brady Rogers

July 21st our community was shocked, and deeply saddened by the sudden and unexplained death of a local teen, Brady Rogers. Brady and his closest friends and family were at his home celebrating his high school graduation when Brady collapsed and died.

In his 6'4 red haired, blue eyed frame, Brady was larger than life in spirit and personality. He was one of those kids who left an impression on everyone whose path he crossed and he loved his friends and family deeply and wasn't afraid to show it. My daughter came to me and asked if I could create a polish, in Brady's memory, and donate the proceeds to the Brady Rogers Memorial Bursary Fund at Kingsville District High School, from which he graduated just weeks before. Her and her friends came up with a color inspiration and a name- a sparkly blue, like Brady's eyes.
The name? "Roger That"

$5.00 from every bottle sold goes to the Brady Rogers Memorial Bursary Fund at Kingsville High School

Girly Bits Roger That

The polish itself is absolutely spectacular. Roger That is a gorgeous sky-blue linear holo. The blue is just the perfect color, not too bright, not too dark, pretty without being obnoxious. The linear holo is strong and visible in most lights. The formula was a dream to work with, and pigmented enough that it was opaque in two perfect coats.  

Girly Bits Roger That

Now, I'm normally not a massive blue fan. I like blue polishes, but they aren't the colors I reach for again and again. Not this one. The color is too perfect and feminine that I've worn this polish three times already (and somehow only just photographed it's perfection). 

Girly Bits Roger That

I usually don't pay this much for an indie-polish. Roger That retails for $12.50 (but remember, $5 of that goes to charity, so the remainder of the cost is for the bottle and polish materials - holographic pigment is expensive). They are generally hand-made polishes without the extensive testing and quality control of *some* larger companies. That being said when half of the proceeds go to a good cause it's a wonderful excuse to buy polish. I also bought Gentle Ginger, a second polish in memory of Brady Rogers (this time his hair) and I'm extremely happy with both of these polishes. They are also my first Girly Bits polishes, and the formula is so wonderful that I'm sure I'll be buying more!

Girly Bits Roger That

What do you think of Roger That? Are you more likely to purchase a polish if part of the proceeds go to a good cause?

Roger That is available from the Girly Bits Store for $12.50 (ships from Canada; this is where I purchased mine). Roger That is now available from Llarowe where it retails for $12.50, and $8 of each bottle is donated. Girly Bits polishes (but not currently Roger That) are also available from Harlow & Co where they retail for $10-$12. 

Scary Spiders!

Want to know what's so scary about this mani? The state of my cuticles! What a nightmare. I have to stick my hands into diluted bleach some days during work. It dries out my hands so badly that it takes nearly a week of intense hydration to get them back to normal. I didn't even realize my hands were so bad until I was editing the photographs, but the mani was too fun to not share!

The base color is Girly Bits Gentle Ginger (gorgeous orange shimmer) and the black is Cult Nails Nevermore (opaque black creme). I'm a huge fan of Cult Nails and I'm surprised it took me so long to try Nevermore since it's billed as a one coat black creme. I was skeptical of this claim, but it's 100% true, a perfect black base for glitters and great for stamping.

The stamping plate I used was MASH #38. The moment I saw the spiders I knew they were perfect for Halloween!

Orange with black spiders from MASH 38

Orange with black spiders from MASH 38

Isn't this just so fun for Halloween?

Soulstice Cassis

Indoors Cassis is a gorgeous dark burgundy-red with subtle shimmer, perfect for winter or fall. The shimmer is very fine, almost frost-like and bright fuchsia, giving the polish a very interesting color overall. Outside, the shimmer turns it into a completely different color in the sunlight. Soulstice describes the color as a 'blackberry shimmer' and it's a perfect description.

The formula is excellent, a bit thick but easy to control and not overly prone to bubbling. I did have a bit of bubbling  the first time I wore this polish, but I applied very thick coats. It was practically opaque with one coat but I added a second to even it out.

Being 3-free and vegan, the Soulstice brand is supposed to have very little scent, but the polish smell was still noticeable to me while applying the polish.

Soulstice Cassis

This is going to be my go-to color this fall! It's just so gorgeous.

Soulstice Cassis

Cassis is named for a region in the south of France bordering the ocean. Cassis is known as a tourist destination in France and famous for it's cliffs and white or rose wines (1).

Soulstice Cassis

Soulstice Cassis

This is my first Soulstice polish and I will be going back for more, the formula is so smooth, and the color so gorgeous!

Soulstice polishes can be purchased from their website for $8.

piCture pOlish Vampire

Another Halloween-esque polish for you tonight! This is piCture pOlish Vampire, the perfect, shiny, blood-red jelly. This is three coats with no top coat, the formula was amazing. Jellies are usually sheer but this was build-able and easy to control. 

I chose this polish to share with you today since I'm sick and not functioning well enough to write intelligently. I don't have much more to say about this one other that it's gorgeous and the pictures speak for themselves.  

piCture pOlish Vampire

piCture pOlish Vampire

piCture pOlish Vampire

piCture pOlish Vampire

Are you sporting vampy shades this fall?

Darling Diva Polish Slutty Pumpkin

Halloween is coming! Time for me to start sharing some Halloween polishes with you. The indie-polish makers have come out with some truly spectacular polishes this Halloween and I'm excited to show them all to you.

First up is Darling Diva Polish Slutty Pumpkin. Slutty Pumpkin is a sheer orange holographic polish with large black-matte-hex glitter. The formula was pretty nice, although sheer. I used three coats here, but in the future will layer it over another orange. The combination of orange and black is perfect for Halloween, and the orange is a very nice shade that works well with a variety of skin tones.

Darling Diva Polish Slutty Pumpkin

Darling Diva Polish Slutty Pumpkin
(angled to show the holo better)

Darling Diva Polish Slutty Pumpkin

The holo is linear, but a bit subtle. I prefer this type of holo because I like my polish to be colorful without that silvery-hue that most holographic polishes have. Overall it's a very fun polish. Have you indulged in any indie polishes this Halloween?

Working the System for Polish Discounts

Hey Y'all,

No fancy swatches today (until later), just a couple of offers and a bit of a discussion since I feel talkative. :)

How familier are you with referral codes? Almost every blog you visit has a list of websites somewhere on their main page containing referral codes. Most of the time these just benefit the person doing the referring, but some sites are starting to offer deals to the referred as well as the referrer. I've mentioned all of these before, but I just want to introduce them again to anyone who hasn't heard of them. I know most of my readers are seasoned bloggers themselves, but even if you don't want to read the details, I'd love to hear what you think of these programs!!

These are the three referral links in the left column of my blog.

Zoya 

Zoya is definitely my top nail polish brand for their spectacular colors,  formulas, as well as 5-free formula (contains less chemicals than most which are only big-3-free). They also have some great sales and offers.

For those who sign up for a new account using a referral link (I've provided mine in these links) you receive a code for one free nail polish, and free shipping when if you order a total of 3 polishes.

Once you have an account you can use your own referral link and invite your friends. When someone signs up you receive 100 points that you can then use on Zoya deals (such as free shipping).

For more information on Zoya's Share The Love program click here.

Copious

If you aren't familiar with Copious, it's a site where you can receive nearly free products (or sell your own new/used polish or accessories). More details on how to get nearly free polish here. Copious likes to randomly give out "free" money deals where you get $10 to spend on their site. These deals are pretty frequent and I still have no idea how they manage to stay in business, but I'm not going to complain about free money to spend. :)

If you sign up for Copious then you get $10 credit to spend on the site. Unfortunately it expires relatively quickly, but it's a nice deal if you want to buy something within the next 3 to 4 days. As the person doing the referring  I've never received any credit, many of my referrals that have been accepted have the status of "not qualified for credit" or "no purchase yet" so it isn't as beneficial as you may think.

Julep

Julep maven boxes are a monthly service where you recieve three polishes or two polishes and a manicure/pedicure product. 

The Julep referral program doesn't technically benefit the person being referred, but in combination with a code (PENNY or NEWMAVEN) you can get your first Julep maven box for $0.01. Yes, one cent (and free shipping). When I first signed up for Julep I was skeptical and I watched my credit card bill closely. Sure enough I was only charged one cent (no fees, no nothing). It's almost too good to be true, yet it is!

Once you receive your initial box, the monthly box is back to its normal price of $19.99 a month. If you want to cancel the box you just call their customer service and cancel, it's a fairly painless process (my mother signed up then changed her mind so she canceled and they were good about it). But there's also the option of skipping the box each month, then if one shows up that you are interested in, don't skip. 

What I love about the Julep box is how receptive they are to their customers. I had a problem with a bottle having a bad formula (bubbles EVERYWHERE!) and they sent me a replacement that was at my door less than two days later. In October when many of the boxes included crackle polishes, customers complained, so Julep added an additional option of a box without any crackles. I love how they listen. 

Sign up for Julep here. Take the maven quiz and find out your style. I'm actually a Boho Glam, but I usually opt for the It Girl box since it contains three polishes and no products. 

Source: Julep Facebook Page

In November, the maven boxes are going to have Suede polishes (see image above). These look absolutely gorgeous, but I'm usually not a huge fan of polish that isn't shiny. What do you think of these gorgeous looking suedes?

If anyone else has any great referral programs that benefit both parties, please let me know I'll sign up and add it to this post (with your link)!

Deborah Lippmann Dancing In The Sheets

Sorry for the late night post, today's manicure is Deborah Lippmann Dancing In The Sheets. I picked up this polish this summer on an HSN clearance, two Deborah Lippmanns for less than ten dollars, which for a polish that retails for $18 each, is one heck of a deal.

I haven't worn this color much since it's more of a fall or winter dark shade, but it's absolutely stunning. Dancing In The Sheets is a blackened navy blue shimmer. The actual base color of this polish is a dark purple, but it's so loaded with blue shimmer that none of that purple is visible. 

The formula was nice, two coats to opaque, self-leveling and really quite nice. Usually I don't get the best wear out of Deborah Lippmann polishes (something about my body chemistry I suppose) but this one lasted for a good three days. 

Deborah Lippmann Dancing In The Sheets

On the nail it reminds me a bit of OPI Russian Navy, so I might have to compare these two soon!

Deborah Lippmann Dancing In The Sheets

What's your favorite blue for fall?

Old Swatch Spam!

Hey Y'all! Today I was cleaning up my hard-drive and I found a few manis swept into the corners collecting dust. Most of these are from 6 months ago before I used my current photo setup, so they are all taken in the daylight with the gorgeous background of my curtain (except the first one). I don't really like any of these photos, but the polishes themselves are still great, so here they are!

I like this one, even with the awkward right hand pose. This was for a "dot mani" competition for ChitChat Nails. The challenge? Hold a weird/random object. I think the winner held some feminine napkins and had a gorgeous mani to match. I was very impressed. I just wanted to see what kind of a random object I could come up with so I went with the fluorescent bulb.

Red Plague

This is a random red franken from a while ago. I named it "Red Plague" since it's a red jelly base with red glitter in two sizes, shimmer, flakeys, and pretty much everything red I could think of to add. I haven't worn this one in a while for whatever reason but I should really wear it again!

Models Own Copper Pot.

I was super excited for Copper Pot but it bubbled like none other. It had been on my wishlist for some time so I had high expectations. I might have to try again, but I still have nightmares about that horrible application. 

Whimsical Polish Peanut Butter and Jelly.  

Purple shimmer base with purple and gold glitter.  I love my Whimsies, and I'm not sure why I never posted this one, the clean-up job was awful, but I absolutely love this polish. It's so much fun to wear, I'll have to re-photograph it one of these days. 

Fail dotticure. Sephora by OPI Bite Me with Zoya Trixie. I hated how this turned out.

 Sephora + Pantone Universe Tangerine Tango 

I was extremely excited for the Sephora + Pantone Universe Tangerine Tango set when I ordered it. I must have taken 300 pictures of these polishes for the blog and never got around to publishing it! I don't remember many of the details of the polishes and I haven't used them since, so here's all I can remember.

Tangerine Tango - Creme. I remember the formula being decent, 2 coats.

Tangerine Tango Matte - formula was a bit sheer and streaky, 3 coats.

Tangerine Tango Glitter (over matte). 

 This one was the clear winner of the collection, a dense glitter packed with orange and copper glitter pieces. I need to pull this one back out for Halloween! This was 2 coats.

Tangerine Tango Shimmer - This was the most sheer.
 I layered two coats over the creme for this photo.

 It reminds me a lot of China Glaze Riveting only more sheer, less pigmented. 

Don't these photos look different than my most recent photos? My what a difference a few months can make!