Join me for a weekly nail art challenge! #31DC2016Weekly

Hi friends!

Every year, there is a crazy daily nail art challenge that typically takes place in September.  It is called the 31 Day Challenge and was originally popularized by Chalkboard Nails and The Nailasaurus.  I have tried to complete it every year since 2013 but have only succeeded once.  In 2014 I completely the entire challenge and was so proud of myself.  You can see you previous challenge completion here.  I have to admit...doing a new nail art design each day is tough and getting it written up to post on the blog is even tougher.  So this year, I decided to take a different approach to the 31 Day Challenge.  Let's do it weekly!

I took a look at the calendar and counted down the weeks from October 1st which is a Saturday and the typical last day of the 31 Day Challenge.  March 5th, this upcoming Saturday, is 31 weeks running up to October 1st.  My plan is to post a nail art look each Saturday following the same prompts as the daily challenge.  One nail art look a week seems totally doable and much easier to accomplish for normal folks.  (even though I don't consider myself normal when it comes to nail polish, but you all are probably much more normal than I!)

So...what do you think?  Do you want to join me on this weekly nail art challenge?  You do not have to have a blog to participate.  You can simply post your manicure to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc using the hashtag #31dc2016weekly and everyone will be able to see your looks.  I really hope this longer time frame allows you to complete the challenge at your own pace and I can't wait to see everyone's nail art!  If you want to post on Saturday with me, please do so.  If not, you can pick any other day of the week that suits your schedule best.

I will start my challenge this Saturday, March 5th with the prompt RED.  Here are some graphics that you can use to remind you of the challenge prompts.  Please feel free to share them or use them in your own posts about the weekly challenge.  Huzzah!

For more general info about the 31 Day Nail Art Challenge, check out Sarah's post here.

If you guys think you would like to do a link-up for blogs, let me know and I can put one together.

Please, let me know if you are joining in!! I hope you do :)

-Amy 'McPolish McG

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Essie - Resort Collection 2016

Howdy!

Purchased by Me

I have something a little different to share with you tonight.  It's Essie!  I never really buy Essie polishes because I just haven't been in love with the formulas, the color selection or the price.  So what possessed me to pick up the mini set of the new Resort collection for full price while at Ulta a few weeks ago is beyond me.  When I got home and was emptying my bag, I pulled out the little box of mini polishes and shook my head.  Why did I buy this?  Well, it must have been divine intervention telling me to give Essie another shot because I freaking love these polishes!  I am shocked, for real.  So, I just had to share them with you all.

Click through for all the pics!

Takko Tuesday! - Mad Love

Happy Takko Tuesday!

Press Sample

I have a great little glitter topper from Takko Lacquer's latest Valentine's Day collection to share with you tonight.  "Mad Love" was my favorite shade from this trio and I don't usually choose a glitter as my fave.  This is a clear based topper with a nice mix of pink, white and gold microglitters and a strong gold shimmer throughout.  It is so dainty and girly!  The glitter pay off is great and evenly spreads out on the nail without a bunch of fooling around.  I have not tried to get this opaque on its own yet, but it looks like it could.  I used one coat over "Sweet Cheeks" in its cold state and topped with a glossy top coat.

This lovely topper is not in stock on the Takko Lacquer website right now.  But you are in luck!  Tomorrow at 5pm EST, Takko Lacquer will launch on Color4Nails.  This is my favorite indie nail polish stockist.  They have an awesome selection, great prices and ship internationally for a good price.  They will be releasing 22 Takkitos tomorrow and Mad Love is one of them.  Here is a little glimpse of all of the shades you can try and snatch up tomorrow.

So, set an alarm and get ready to shop!  If you miss out on the polishes you were craving during this launch don't worry because there will definitely be regular restocks.  Here is where you can get all of your Takko Lacquer info!

Takko Lacquer shop and restock info

Takko Lacquer Instagram and Twitter

Takko Lacquer stockists: Color4Nails, Mei Mei Signatures, Femme Fatale

Thanks for stopping by!
- Amy McG aka McPolish

*product provided by the maker for honest review*

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Ellagee - The Petal Pushers Trio

Hello friends!

Press Sample

I hope you all had a lovely weekend.  I had to work most of the weekend but did a get a little bit of relaxation in on Sunday.  Today, I have a pretty little trio of polishes from Ellagee to share with you.  It's getting to be the time when all of the Spring collections are coming out.  People are tired of the winter blues and are ready for pastels and soft shades.  Laura has put together a little grouping of pastel crelly polishes with interesting mixes of ultrachrome flakies and shimmers.  I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed all three of these polishes and really can't pick a favorite.  The Petal Pushers Trio will be releasing this Friday.  Let's go ahead and take a look at this pretties!

Click through for all of the photos!

A-England's newest Heavenly Quotes polishes

Hello there!

Press Sample

I have two of the newest a-England shades to share with you today!  I love a-England.  Like seriously love.  Every single one of their polishes is perfect.  Well, at least all of them that I have tried.  This indie brand out of the UK is known for their one coat holos and interesting shades.  I would purchase any new collection from a-England site on seen without looking at any swatches I and I have).  These two new shades are part of the Heavenly Quotes collection which is a continuously running collection that has singles or duos added to it throughout the year.  These are the two new ones and they are beautiful!

Click on through!

Takko Tuesday! - Cheshire Cat

Happy Takko Tuesday!

Press Sample

I have another older Takko Lacquer to share with you all today.  And for a special treat, my pal Lotte is joining in on the fun today as well!  I have been loving having my German polish sister doing Takko Tuesday with me once a month.  Be sure to check out her post here.  Well, today we are taking a closer look at "Cheshire Cat" which is a shimmery thermal.  The coolest thing about this thermal is the color.  The warm and cold state matches the colors of the Cheshire Cat from Disney's Alice in Wonderland perfectly.  His stripes alternate between a pinkish fuchsia and a grape purple.  This polish is that nice fuchsia pink when it is warm and then shifts to the grape purple when it's cold (obviously my tips are colder than my nail beds here).  Then there is a lovely golden shimmer that matches his yellow eyes.  I love this polish!  I have had this polish for well over a year now and it is still transitions nicely.  I have two easy coats with a glossy top coat here.  Super fun!

This shade is not currently in stock on the Takko Lacquer website.  But Sheryl has hinted at some older shades being restocked soon...perhaps this might show up there!  I also have some exciting new to share about a new Takko Lacquer stockist.  It has just been announced that my favorite stockist, Color4Nails, will be carrying Takkitos!  And they ship internationally!  I am not certain on the exact date, but stay tuned to Takko's social media for the official launch date. 

Takko Lacquer shop and restock info

Takko Lacquer Instagram and Twitter

Takko Lacquer stockists: Color4Nails, Mei Mei Signatures, Femme Fatale


Don't forget to check out Lotte's post on Cheshire Cat today!
- Amy McPolish McG

*product provided by the maker for honest review*

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Pahlish - There is a Song Collection

Happy Valentine's Day!

Press Sample

I hope you are all having a lovely day and spending time with your bestest bests.  Once you are all done with your holiday time, head over to Pahlish to get your hands on a brand new collection releasing tonight.  Pahlish is a machine.  They pump out amazing polishes every month and they never disappoint.  The 'There is a Song' collection is a set of 6 polishes that definitely have a wintery vibe.  There is a mix of jellies and cremes with tons of shimmer and sparkle.  Let's take a look!

Click through for all the pretties!

Cupcake Polish - Color4Nails exclusive duo

Happy Friday!

Press Sample

I hope you all have a lovely weekend planned.  I do not have any plans and I am loving that.  Yay for open weekends!  Well, tonight, I have a lovely little holographic duo from Cupcake Polish to share with you.  As you saw in my Holo Hookup Box review, Cupcake Polish makes some pretty awesome linear holographic polishes.  They created this little duo to be sold exclusively through Color4Nails and they are gorgeous!  I wish my photos did these polishes justice.  They are just so pretty in person.

"Bitter Almonds" is a gunmetal grey linear holographic polish that is packed with metallic silver flakies.  There is a little bit of a golden shimmer in here as well.  Just a nice mix of metals.  The formula was great and this polish was opaque in almost one coat.  I did do two coats with a glossy top coat for this swatch.  The holo is very strong but still lets the flakies shine through.  Mmmmm...grey polish.

"Unrequited Love" is the other polish in the exclusive duo.  It is a deep berry/burgundy linear holographic polish with the same metallic silver flakies.  Under the burgundy base, these silver flakies take on a berry look to them.  So pretty!  The linear holo is very strong inthis one, too.  The formula was amazing and I only needed one thick coat for full opacity.  I did do a second coat to see if it changed the color at all but I couldn't see a difference.  These photos show it in two coats with a glossy top coat.

 Two stunners here.  And you can only get these from Color4Nails for limited time.  They are single batch pours and once they are sold out, they will not be restocked.  You can purchase the duo for $27 or get them individually for $14 each.  Make sure to add a few more pretties do you cart while you are at Color4Nails.  They offer free shipping with orders of 4 bottles or more to the US and they offer international shipping as well.  Bonus!

Color4Nails online store
Cupcake Polish online store

Enjoy your weekend :)
- Amy McG (McPolish)

*products provided by stockist for honest review*

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Takko Tuesday! - Daydreaming

Happy Takko Tuesday!

Press Sample

I have a very pretty takkito to share with you all tonight.  "Daydreaming" is one of the newer Takko Lacquer shades.  It is from the Winter 2015 collection and it is dreamy for sure.  This is a light periwinkle creme packed with tons of pastel pink and green shimmer.  This shade is so delicate and whimsical!  The formula was a little bit thicker than I prefer but it still covered well in two coats.  The shimmer is lovely and multidimensional.  Wearing this polish makes me feel like a winter princess.  And even though this is a winter shade, it would work well with the pastels of spring, too.

I am not sure when this polish will be restocked but I am certain it will.  Be sure to follow Takko Lacquer on all of their social media platforms to be up to date on new releases and restocks.  There has also been talk of them adding a new international stockist.  Isn't that exciting?!?!  As soon as I know which stockist it will be, I will be sure to pass that info onto you all.

Takko Lacquer shop and restock info

Takko Lacquer Instagram and Twitter

Takko Lacquer stockists: Mei Mei Signatures, Femme Fatale


Many thanks!
- Amy 'McPolish' McG

*product provided by the maker for honest review*

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Glam Polish - Got the Blues Trio

Hey lovelies!

Purchased by Me

I have some gorgeous blue polishes to share with you today.  Previously, I had shared a fun little trio of pink polishes from one of my favorite Aussie indie nail polish brands.  Now, I have a similar trio from Glam Polish but in blue!  The 'Got the Blues Trio' was released several months ago and is limited edition.  Once it is sold out, it will likely not be restocked (as far as I know).  I have been sitting on this post for a while with no excuse because this are just so pretty.  So, if you love blue polish, you will definitely want to check these pretties out.  Let's take a closer look!

Click through for all the blue babies!

Glitter Daze - Flora Noxia Collection

Good evening!

Press Sample

Do you love flakies?  I love flakies!  Everyone loves flakies.  Especially the newest multichrome metallic flakies that are hitting the scene.  Glitter Daze is one of the indie brands that is know for amazing flakie toppers.  Flora Noxia is a new collection this month that included two versions of each flakie topper, one with just the flakies and one with holographic microglitters mixed in.  Today, I have all 8 of the plain flakie toppers to share.  The polishes are all named after deadly plants because you will just die when you see them.  Ha!  Just a quick note about all of these swatches.  I used one coat of the flakie topper over two different colored bases.  I am showing you macros with both glossy top coat and matte top coat (Matte all the flakies!!).  The matte top coat I used was Sally Hansen's Big Matte top coat and it really mattified/blurred the polishes.  These flakies are all very thin and easy to apply.  No sticking up at weird angles.  Also, I used two light sources at different angles to really show off the shift of the flakies.  Enough of the chatter....let's look at some flakies!

Many photos after the break!

Takko Tuesday! - Blue Flammingo: MIA

Happy Takko Tuesday!


It's late in the day but it is still Tuesday somewhere!  Tonight, I have an older takkito to share with you all.  "Blue Flamingo: MIA" was originally release a few years ago as a darker blue shade but was then revamped into what you see here.  Takko Lacquer has a knack for shimmery teal/turquoise polishes.  This shade is a little more on the blue side of turquoise.  The base color reminds me of the ocean around Miami.  It is definitely blue but has these flashes of a more murky green at times.  Maybe it is just the subtle holo shimmer or the way this color plays off my skin tone, but I get a distinct yellow tinge along with the blue.  The pink to purple shifty microshimmer gives it an extra kick of girly flare.  It doesn't show up as well in my full mani photos but you can really see it in my macro and in real life.  The formula was a little more sheer than I expected but still easy to apply.  I wore this in three thinner coats with a glossy top coat.  (It's still on my nails right now!)

I hope you liked this shade!  Since this is an older color, it may be harder to come by.  I am not sure when it will be restocked but as far as I know it is not discontinued.  Be sure to follow Takko Lacquer on all of their social media accounts get up to date info on restocks and new releases.


Takko Lacquer shop and restock info

Takko Lacquer Instagram and Twitter

Takko Lacquer stockists: Mei Mei Signatures, Femme Fatale


Thanks for stopping by!
- Amy McG (McPolish)

*product was part of a nail polish swap*

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