Takko Tuesday! - Guava

Happy Takko Tuesday!

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Were you able to snag all of the pretty Takkitos at the pre-order last week?  I think it was a huge hit and Takko Lacquer will likely do more of them.  If you were not able to take advantage of the pre-order, don't worry.  There will be a regular restock at the end of June as well as stock going out to the stockist.  Today, I am sharing with you another one of the awesome new cremes.  Takko has decided to make and ongoing collection of cremes and toppers that will be continuously be added to as time goes on.  It's called the Collection of Curiosities and Exquisites.  I have already shown you a few from this collection (here and here) but I realized that I didn't talk about the collection as a whole yet.  Hopefully, we will see an enormous selection of amazing creme colors from Takko over the year!

"Guava" is a peachy creme with a slight coral feel.  I really love the color of this polish.  It is soft but bright at the same time.  This was the least opaque of all of the cremes in this inaugural collection.  I did three thin coats topped with a glossy top coat.  It was a little streaky on the first two coats but evened out nicely on the third.

The black and white cremes in this collection stamped to beautifully so I wanted to see if Guava would, too.  And it did!  I created this soft, floral mani using Vice as a base (see my review here) and stamped over it with a rose design from the Pueen SE01A plate.  It is very subtle but I really liked how this turned out.  It reminds me of antique upholstery.  This light colored polish stamped well!

There has not been any specific dates and times for the next launch but I will keep you up to date once I find out.  You can follow Takko Lacquer on their social media outlets to get the latest news as it happens.

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

*products provided by the maker for honest review*

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Glam Polish - It's Only a Dream Alice Collection

Hello!

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Today, I have some pretty polishes from Glam Polish to share with you.  This awesome Aussie indie brand is releasing a new collection, It's Only A Dream Alice, on June 3rd.  The collection is inspired by Tim Burton's take on Alice in Wonderland.  There are a total of nine polishes in this collection and I have 6 of them to share with you.  Overall, I am super impressed with these.  They are very opaque and very sparkly...just what I have grown to expect from Glam Polish.  Let's take a look!

Click through for all the photos!

Animal Print for the #31DC2016Weekly

Hello!

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Holy moly...I am so excited to share my #31DC2016Weekly mani with you all.  I played around with some Masura magnetic polishes again and I am in awe at just how freaking cool my manicure turned out.  I am going to apologize in advance for the large amount of photos of this one mani but you need to see it.  I was inspired by a nail artist I found on Instagram through some shares on the Masura page.  The user @deryabinayulia (this is just an example of her work, you must look through ther account!) does these crazy, amazing looking snake/alligator/reptile skin manicures with gel polishes (I am pretty sure they are gel, I don't read Russian).  I am mesmerized by them.  So I tried to do my own version using magnetic polish and stamping.  I am am tickled pink with my results!

Lots of pics to come!

Awesome Sauce Indie Box - The Cake Box

TGIF!

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On this wonderful Friday, we are taking a look at the newest Awesome Sauce Indie Box.  The Cake Box is to celebrate the 1 year birthday/anniversary of the Awesome Sauce Indie Box.  For this special installment, there are six polishes in this box along with four different extra goodies.  Preorder started today and will continue for one week.  Let's take a look at everything in this cake inspired box!

Click through for lots of photos!

Takko Tuesday! - Opal Dust

Happy Takko Tuesday!

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Are you ready for a huge release of new takkitos this week?  Friday is the day and you can pre-order for the first time.  Hopefully, this will mean everyone can get what they want.  There will be one limited edition shade, "Opal Dust".  So if you want this baby (and you will) you should get to the pre-order window with a quickness.  Let's take a look at "Opal Dust" and then we can talk more about the pre-order afterwards.

Striped Nails for the #31DC2016Weekly

Hey all!

Purchased by Me

For this weeks prompt, Stripes, I wasn't sure what to do.  I kept thinking of the same look I did last year, stripes and flowers.  But I decided to do a take on a nail art look I did a very long time ago.  Stripes of color and little details.  I started with a base of OPI's My Boyfriend Scales Walls and a quick dry top coat.  For the stripes, used Nail Vinyls to block of sections and painted them in with neon color.  the neon green, neon pink and neon yellow are all acrylic paint that you can get from any crafts store.  I used these because it is so easy to fix mistakes.  All you need to do is gently scratch off the dried paint and start over.  On each nail, I did a tiny little design in one the stripes.  Leopard print, cheetah print, tiny dots and stripes all done with a tiny little paint brush.  Once it dried, I topped it all off with a glossy top coat.   What do you think!?

I like how these turned out but I wish I would have put a thicker top coat on.  The acrylic paint is a little raised and rough.  But the neon colors are bright and fun for summer.  Make sure you check out the #31DC2016Weekly tag on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to see all of the other great nail art looks for the challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

 - Amy 'McPolish' McG

*products purchased by me*

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Weekend Nailz - The Syrup Collection

Hi folks!

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I hope you have had a fantastic week.  I am definitely ready for the weekend.  So how about looking at new to me brand...Weekend Nailz.  This little indie brand has a collection of jelly polishes as well as nail charms on their Etsy store.  These jelly polishes can be used for so many nail art looks.  Instead of just showing you swatches of sheer jellies, I decided to show a few different ways to use them in nail art.   The colors are pretty standard in this Syrup Collection and cover the range of the rainbow as well as brown and black.  Also, they have a really nice quick dry top coat available.  It is nice and thick and dries just as fast as any other indie top coat.  The top coat is 3-free but the jellies are all 5-free.  Let's take a look at some nail art!

Click through for all of the photos!

Pahlish - May 2016 shimmers

Hello!

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Today, I have the newest collection from Pahlish.  This collection of six shimmers doesn't have an official name but was loosely inspired by the game series, Professor Layton.  The colors are slightly muted and the shimmer is soft. Let's take a look!

Takko Tuesday! - Cactus Rose

Happy Takko Tuesday!

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Oh.  My.  Goodness.  Today's takkito is a super stunner.  I have another brand new Takko Lacquer shade to share with you all.  It is just so shifty and interesting that I fear my photos don't to it justice.  Hopefully, you will be able to see the beauty in this polish from my measly 2D showcase.  "Cactus Rose" really needs to be seen in person.  It is a sort of dusty forest green jelly with an insane shimmer that shifts from green to gold to pink to fuchsia.  It is murky but beautiful.  It is dull but interesting.  It is magical but actually real.  I have a bunch of photos to follow, so please click through to look at the different dimensions of awesome.

Cupcake Polish - Exclusive duo for Color4Nails (Enchanted/Whimsy)

Hi all!

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Tonight, I have a quick look at two stunning polishes from Cupcake Polish.  They have produced another great duo of shades to be sold exclusively out of my favorite indie nail polish stockist, Color4Nails.  You will only be able to get these polishes through the stockist, they will not be sold on the Cupcake Polish store.  These colors are gorgeous, as per usual, and are available now for purchase.


Whimsy - A pink leaning orchid linear holographic polish with tons of pink and iridescent microflakie shimmer.  The holo in this shade is strong but not overwhelming.  It leads itself well to the name and feel of this polish.  Whimsical but bold.  The formula was really nice, a little on the thick side which is just the way I like it.  I did two coats with a glossy top coat here.  The strong blue flash of the holo makes my macro shot come out more darker and more purple than the actual color but you can really see all of those flakies in it.

Enchanted - An emerald green linear holographic polish with light blue/aqua and iridescent microflakie shimmer.  Oh damn...this one is amazing!  This polish really glows from within.  The color is deep, the formula is opaque and the shimmer is lovely.  I only used one thickish coat for this swatch.  Yep...one coat.  Then I topped it with a glossy top coat.  Beautiful, right?

As I said before, both of these polishes are available now from Color4Nails.  They retail for $14 each and have world wide shipping for a great price.  Be sure to check out the other Cupcake Polish shades that Color4Nails has to offer.

Color4Nails online store 

Cupcake Polish online store

Smooches!

 - Amy 'McPolish' McG

*products provided by the stockist for honest review*

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Native War Paints - Purple Reign Collection

Hi friends!

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Today, I have some gorgeous purple polishes to share with you.  When I look at my nail polish collection, I see a lot of purple polish.  But I don't feel like I grab those purple polishes to wear very often.  Which is silly because they are just beautiful!  Well, Native War Paints has come out with a lovely collection of 6 purple shades all in a different finish.  I really like collections like this.  Usually, you will see the same finish or type of polish all in different colors.  But focusing on a color is very cool.  I hope to see more collections like this from Native War Paints in the future.  (hint hint I like coral and grey, lol).  Let's take a look at these pretties!

Click through for all the photos!

Polka Dot Nails for the #31DC2016Weekly

Hello!

Purchased by Me

It is now time in the 31 Day Nail Art Challenge that we start doing specific nail art elements.  The first one is the easiest...Polka Dots.  You can make dots with a ton of different tools.  You can use dotting tools or items around the house like toothpicks and bobby pins.  It took all of my will to not do a #doublesidedots manicure but I do them all the time.  So I went with something a little different.  I did tiny dots in a swirling pattern.  I used a little toothpick to make my dots, so this is a design that anyone could do.

The base color is a deep eggplant purple creme from P2 Cosmetics called "Diva Expressiva".  I used a toothpick and Maybelline "Bold Gold" to create the dots.  I topped it off with a glossy top coat.

Then I had to see what it would look like with a matte top coat.  I chose to use the Matte Top Coat from Polish 'M which dries to more of a satin finish.  Doesn't it look like velvet!?

There are so many great nail art looks I am seeing from people joining in on this challenge!  You can see them but searching the #31DC2016Weekly tag on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.  This is only week 11 so there are 20 more to go.  You have plenty of time to join in and catch up with you want to.  Join me!!


Smooches!
 - Amy McG aka McPolish

*products were purchased by me or sent in a swap*

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Takko Tuesday! - Vice and Iconoclast

Happy Takko Tuesday!

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Oh boy...there is some awesomeness to talk about today.  Generally, when you hear someone gushing about how great a nail polish is, they are talking about some fantastic color or amazing shimmer.  But today we are talking about some seriously dope staples.  Takko Lacquer is releasing their first black and white creme polishes this month.  They have released one creme polish before but are coming out with 9 cremes this summer.  The first ones I am showing you are Vice and Iconoclast, the one coat wonders.  Everyone needs a good white and black polish.  They are perfect for bases under glitters and other toppers.  They are essential to nail type of nail art.  And they look great on their own for a full manicure.  Takko Lacquer is filling that need now!

GlitterDaze - Escape to Paradise Collection

Hello loves!

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I have a super sparkly collection to share with you tonight.  I am sorry it has taken me a hot minute to get this out to you all.  There are 12 polishes in this Escape to Paradise collection that all have the same finish just in different colors.  These polishes are a have a jelly base and are packed with shifty shimmer, holographic flecks and sterling silver flakes.  They are so sparkly and super reflective.  To prevent repeating myself over and over again, I did two coats of each of these shades with a glossy top coat.  Consistency across the board with a nice formula and smooth application.  This collection is available now, so let's take a look at all of the colors!

Click through for all the photos!

Gradient Nails for the #31DC2016Weekly

Hi friends!

Press SamplePurchased by Me

This week's prompt for the 31 Day Nail Art Challenge is gradient nails.  I attempted a scaled gradient that turned out to be a complete nail fail.  So I ended up settling with a classic two color gradient with a little bit of stamping on an accent nail.  I always like doing gradient nails.  They are sort of messy but always give a nice effect.  I used a makeup sponge for my gradients.  Since I have short nails, the two color gradient seems to work the best.  But I have done up to a four color gradient on my shorties.  I can't get as smooth of blend with four colors as I can with two, so I prefer the two color method.

For this look, I used two Cupcake Polish holographics.  The pink holo is "Barbie Girl" from the Life in Plastic Awesome Sauce Indie Box.  The purple is "Berry Good Looking" which is the most popular Cupcake Polish ever.

My accent nail is a base of "Barbie Girl" with a stamp of "Berry Good Looking" with a design from the UberChic 4-02 Plate.  I used the UberChic XL clear jelly stamper head to make sure the design was centered.  This is quite a girly mani and I really liked it!  What do you think?

Well, we have made it though the first set of prompts for the challenge.  Next week we start on specific nail art techniques.  If you want to see more of this challenge, he sure to check out the #31DC2016Weekly tag on these social media outlets: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.  There are some great nail art looks out there!

Thanks for stopping by!

 - Amy McG (McPolish)

*some products used in this post were provided for review*

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Takko Tuesday! - Star Crossed

Happy Takko Tuesday!

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Ar you ready for some brand spanking new Takkos?!?!  Well, Takko Lacquer is going to be releasing their summer collection in a few weeks and I have one of them to share with you today.  "Star Crossed" is a gorgeous royal blue that is bright and bold.  The base almost has a metallic feel to it with am aqua flash.  And then there are these teeny tiny silver holographic flakies sprinkled throughout.  These tiny holo flakes remind me of the sparkles that Zoya uses in their holographic polishes like Storm and Dream.  The formula on this polish is just great. I did two coats with a glossy top coat for this swatch.  Nice and smooth.

Gorgeous color, right?  I like the sparse sparkle in this shade that isn't a traditional glitter.  This is part of the upcoming Summer 2016 Collection.  The collection is set to launch after May 20th.  Once I know the exact date I will be sure to inform you all.  Stay tuned to this weekly series for more polishes from this collection.  I will be showing them all on my Instagram page as well.  Stay tuned!


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 'McPolish McG

*product provided by the maker for honest review*

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Teal holographic skittlette mani

Hey all!

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I have a quick little post tonight about my awesome #notd (nails of the day).  I just threw this together at the last minute and was very pleased with the results.  Usually, I would just share this on my Instagram page but I felt it was totally cool enough for it's own blog post.

The base is a beautiful blue leaning teal linear holographic from Dainty Digits Nail Polish called "As Blue As Neptune".  This was my first time reviewing/trying this brand and so far, I am a fan.  Just two coats and it was completely opaque, great formula.  My textured pinkie bling is Misslyn Satellite War which is a silver based texture with green and teal glitters sprinkled in.  This is one of my favorite textured polishes.  Thanks, Lotte, for sending it to me all the way from Germany!

Normally, I would have added some stamping and been done.  But I decided to try out some of water slide decals from KBShimmer.  These have a clear background with a silvery grey delicate design.  It looks raised but I don't feel any bumpiness when the top coat is applied.  These Silver Lacy Swirl Water Decals come in a single sheet which you can cut out the sizes you need for you nails.  I used it on four nails for this manicure and only used up 1/4 of the sheet.  (Obviously, my nails are small so if you have longer nails you will get less uses out of the sheet)

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed this mani and it is the type of nail art I wear the most often.  Skittlette all the nails!  I just love them,  If you want to see more of my skittlette manicures, just check out my tag on Instagram #McSkittlette.  

I hope you have a lovely week!

- Amy McG aka McPolish

*products provided by the maker for honest review*

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Rainbow Nails for the #31DC2016Weekly

Hi friends!

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Sorry, this is a day late but that is the beauty of this challenge.  You can catch up whenever you can!  I had many ideas this rainbow mani and finally out together a few inspirations into one fun design.  I am going to call this Latex Waterfall Rainbow Gradient Tips.  Ha...that's a long name.  The products that I am using in this mani were sent to me for review in the past but today, we are just looking at the nail art.  I hope you like this fun little mani :)