Hi there, my darlings? Won't you join me in saying...TGIF!!!!!!!! Aren't Fridays the best?? And this Friday seems especially sweet since I managed to get through my first week back at work after a whole month off! Let me tell you, waking up at 7 am again was NOT easy! =P

So, to celebrate the beginning of the weekend and the weekend as you know is the time for MOAR swatches, I saved a post that I'm quite excited about! I present to you two polishes from the Australian brand Celestial Cosmetics, courtesy of the wonderful Sisi of Color4nails--these polishes should be available on Color4nails website in the next 2 weeks! Follow Color4nails on Facebook to keep abreast of the latest stock info!

First up, I have for you Mercury Rising--a lovely shimmery silver-white polish with blue microglitter. The application on this was great, no complaints and I used 2 coats for the swatches below, topped with 1 coat of G&G's HK Girl. I love the shimmer that peeks through at certain angles!








With flash!






The second polish from this brand I have for you today is Liquid Lawn--a gorgeous emerald green jelly with green hexes and different sizes of green circle glitter, including large holographic green circles!! The application on this was smooth and easy but I did have to fish for the larger circles a bit as they tend to sink to the bottom--I recommend setting the bottle upside down for half an hour before you paint your nails and then a good, vigorous roll between the pams before you get started. Now, I'm NOT at all a fan of green polish but this polish is absolutely gorgeous! I would say a MUST-HAVE for any green lover!










With flash!








So there you have it, my darlings! Two stunning polishes from Celestial Cosmetics--remember these will be stocked EXCLUSIVELY at Color4nails HERE in about 2 weeks time! And definitely remember to stock up on your G&G HK Girl--Color4nails has that in stock too!

Stay tuned for one more post on a Celestial Cosmetics polish that deserved it's very own spotlight! =) Hint : It's UV light reactive! =)

As always, I welcome your feedback in the comments section below!


Until next time,
<3
B


****Products were sent to me for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.****
Hi, my darlings! So the final post of the evening....*drum roll please*...I'd like to present an exclusive interview with Amy of Amy's Nail Boutique! If you've been reading some of my reviews on her polishes, you'll know that I absolutely ADORE her polishes but moreover, I'm really fond of Amy herself! We met in a Facebook polish interest group and through the months I've known her, I've come to see her as a sweet, funny, loyal lady who sticks by her friends and treats her customers right! Read on to see why she's one of my favorite indie makers--I think this interview shows off her personality so well!

1. How did you first get into making polish?
 I have always been an avid polish collector. For as long as I can remember, I have had hundreds of bottles of polish at any given time.  A few years ago, I discovered polish blogs and then Pinterest. What a relief to find there were other addicts like me! Blogs led me to indie polishes and once I found them, I was hooked. I was inspired by how different they are from mainstream polishes and decided to give it a try!

2. What was the inspiration for the name "Amy's Nail Boutique"?
Ha! There really was no inspiration behind my very un-original name! I had been making my own polishes for several months for myself and friends. On a whim, I decided to throw a few up on Etsy with the hopes of maybe selling a few.  I needed a name......quickly.......so Amy's Nail Boutique was born! 

3. What inspires your collections? What inspired your latest collection? Any hints about upcoming collections?  
From music to nature to my children.......inspiration is everywhere! I have tons of Post-It's everywhere and notes in my phone......I jot down ideas constantly! I am very much inspired by other indie makers and try to create my own spin on popular trends. My latest collection was inspired by my love for holographic polishes! They are very on-trend right now and I wanted to offer something a little different from what is currently available. I haven't seen very many neon holos so I created one! Same for multichrome holos....I decided to give them a go as I haven't seen many others yet. I enjoy creating holos so I will definitely be creating more in upcoming collections. That isn't to say I am giving up on glitters! I have plenty of those in the works as well.

4. Do you have a favorite indie maker(s)? Favorite mainstream brand? 
My favorite mainstream brand would have to be OPI simply because I seem to buy them more often than any other brand. I can't really pick a favorite indie maker..........I have so many from so many different creators and I love them all!!

5. What are your go-to products for nail/cuticle care?
 I swear by Gelous. It makes my nails strong and is one of the few products I am faithful to. For cuticle care, I love Solar Oil. I have bottles stashed everywhere!

6. What are your favorite colors? In general? For summer? For fall?
 In general, my favorite colors are blue and pink. I tend to go a little overboard when it comes to blue polish. I find myself gravitating towards blues when I am buying polish and also when I am creating polish. For summer, I love neons! For fall, I love deep, rich jewel tones and reds.

7. This may be hard--but which are your 3 favorite creations?
 This is hard!! I would have to say Fire Dancer is one of my favorites simply because it took me the longest to perfect! There were many fails leading up to finally creating a true red holo. Another favorite of mine is Over The Rainbow. I love white-based glitter polishes and every time I wear it, I receive tons of compliments. Last but not least would be Pink Lemonade. This was one of the first polishes I created during the matte micro glitter craze and one of my all time best sellers.

8. Do you have any other hobbies?
 I work full time from home and have 3 children so trying to squeeze in some time for hobbies is very difficult! One hobby that I do make time for is going to concerts to see my favorite band, Dave Matthews Band. I go as many times as I can every year and have seen them 75+ over the last 20 years.

9. What is your most favorite thing about being an indie maker? What do you least like? What advice would you give to new indie makers? 
My favorite thing about being an indie maker would have to be all the new friends I have made since I started this journey. I have met so many great people who I am proud to call my friend! My least favorite thing about being an indie maker would be the tedious behind the scenes stuff like paperwork, inventory, ordering supplies, etc. It can be very overwhelming at times and I often wish I had an assistant so I can focus on the fun part - creating new polishes! My advice for new indie makes would be to take your time! I cannot stress this enough.  The indie polish scene has exploded in the past few years and I have seen many businesses come and go during the short time I have been a seller. Indie fans know what they like and have zero tolerance for subpar workmanship. Try to stay on trend as much as you can but always put your own spin on things. Use only the finest ingredients and be sure to test, test, test!!!

10. Fun facts : Astrological sign : Gemini
      Favorite comfort food : spaghetti
      Favorite beauty item besides polish : lipgloss/lipstick - I hoard it almost as much as I hoard polish!
      Favorite fragrance : Jimmy Choo by Jimmy Choo
      Favorite vacation destination : Las Vegas
      Favorite candy : sour gummy worms
      Favorite celebrity : Dave Matthews
      Favorite family member or friend (you can pick one of each) : I can't pick just one :)
      Most recent read : Bone Girl by Gillian Flynn
      Most recent movie you loved : Identity Thief
      Favorite TV show and character : 30 Rock and Liz Lemon
      If you won a million dollars, first thing you would buy is : a bigger house so I can expand my business!

So there you have it!!! My exclusive interview with Amy of Amy's Nail Boutique! Don't forget to check out her creations HERE and if you DO place an order, remember to tell her who sent you! ;)

Comments? Suggestions? Feedback? Is there an indie maker who YOU adore and would like to be featured? Tell me in the comments section below!!

Until next time,
<3
B


Hi again!!! I hope you're still with me as I continue my Amy's Nail Boutique swatch-a-thon because you won't want to miss these next ones!!

For this second review post, I have for you 3 polishes from her newest collection--Karma Chameleon, Ashes to Ashes and Fire Dancer (!!!)

First up, I have for you Karma Chameleon--an orange chrome polish with a hint of a linear holographic effect. This polish is described as a multichrome which flashes from orange to red to indigo to purple but I could not for the life of me pick up those colors with my darn camera. The application was fabulous and the finish is definitely chrome-like--I used 2 coats for the swatches below. I think this is a perfect color for Fall!






With flash!








Next, I have for you Ashes to Ashes--a stunning charcoal gray linear holographic polish! The application on this was a breeze--smooth and easy and I used 3 coats for the swatches below. I know many of you will be excited about this beauty and if you are, don't forget to tell me about it in the comments section below!






With flash!





                                
Finally, the moment I've been waiting for--I present my absolute favorite of the three, maybe of my entire collection of Amy's polishes except for Purple Prism--Fire Dancer, a breath-takingly gorgeous lipstick red linear holographic polish! My camera doesn't pick up red tones very well in my lightbox but trust me when I say, THIS is the red holo you've been waiting for! The formula was perfect and I used 3 coats for the swatches below! SQUEEE!!! Tell me you love it as much as I do!?






With flash!






So there you have it, my darlings--three gorgeous polishes from Amy's latest restock! If I were you, I wouldn't waste a minute running over to pick up Fire Dancer...oh and check out You're Blue-tiful while you're there...find them HERE for $10 for a full-size, 0.5 oz bottle!

Love these? Which is YOUR favorite? Tell me in the comments section below!

Until next time,
<3
B


****Products were sent to me for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.****
Hi, my darlings! I'm really excited to present the next set of posts--I'll have 2 review posts for one of my favorite brands, followed by an interview with the maker! SQUEE!

Early on in my journey as a blogger, I was introduced to and came across Amy of Amy's Nail Boutique and promptly fell in love hard with her creations--from the bottles to the cute charms around the rims to the actual shades of holographic beauty, I LOVED it all!!! As time went by, I came to be better acquainted with Amy too and found her to be as awesome as her polishes--she's sweet, funny and goes out of her way to make sure her customers are 100% satisfied! That kind of dedication endears me to a maker!

So, for this first post, I have for review 3 polishes that started my obsession with Amy's Nail Boutique--Just Keep Swimming, Get Your Sexy On and Sapphire Sparkle.

First, I have for you Just Keep Swimming--a gorgeous ocean blue with a loose linear holographic effect. The application, as with most of Amy's creations that I've tried, was perfect--the polish went on smooth and easy and I used 3 coats for the swatches below! Isn't this such a pretty blue?






With flash!






The second polish, I knew I had to have as soon as I laid eyes on it in her shop--Get Your Sexy On! is a stunning fuschia/dark pink linear holographic polish! The formula on this is on the thinner side, which I like, because it allows you to add the level of depth and opacity that you desire with each subsequent coat--I used 4 coats for the swatches below. I'm SO in love with this color!






With flash!






Last but definitely not the least, the most holographic of the bunch--Sapphire Sparkle is a jaw-dropping sapphire blue linear holographic polish. The application on this was fabulous, not too thick nor too thin, and I used 3 coats for the swatches below. Isn't this an amazing polish?






With flash!










So, there you have it! Three polishes that sealed the deal for me and my love affair with Amy's Nail Boutique! Unfortunately, Just Keep Swimming and Sapphire Sparkle are both discontinued but you can grab Get Your Sexy On! HERE for $10 for a full-sized, 0.5 oz bottle! Don't miss out!

Which of these three is YOUR favorite? Tell me in the comments section below!

Stay Tuned for Part II!

Until next time,
<3
B


****Products were purchased for my own personal collection. All opinions are my own. ****
Hi there!! How's everyone doing today? Counting down to the long weekend? I know I am! So, as we wait impatiently for the arrival of the Labor weekend, let's distract ourselves by looking at some pretty polish, shall we? =)

Today, I have four more polishes from Glitterfied Nails up for review--Polished Penny and Peachy Keen as well as two polishes from Andrea's recent Team Spirit Collection, Defensive Line and Kickoff!

First up, I have for you is Polished Penny--a shimmery copper polish with copper and teal green microglitter. This polish is rather on the thick side so you can definitely get away with one generous coat and a thick layer of topcoat. I used 2 coats for the swatches below.






With flash!






Next, I have the first of the two polishes from the Team Spirit collection, Defensive Line--a clear glitter topper including red, blue and silver hex and microglitter as well as holographic silver squares. The application on this polish was great--even the larger silver squares came out fairly easily. I used 2 generous coats over 2 coats of Barielle's Tres Chic (from the upcoming Sophisticated Lady collection reviewed HERE), topped with one coat of G&G's HK Girl to finish the look!






With flash!








The third polish I have reviewd is Peachy Keen--a peach polish with red, orange and gold microglitter. The application on thsi was pretty good and the polish itself dried quite quickly to an almost matte finish. I used 2 coats for the swatches below, topped with one coat of G&G's HK Girl to finish the look.






With flash!






Last but not least, I have the second polish from the Team Spirit collection, Kickoff--this clear-based topper is a true glitterbomb, full of a plethora of orange and teal hexes as well as white squares. The swatches below show two coats over Peachy Keen, topped with two coats of G&G's HK Girl to finish the look.






With flash!








So there you have it! Some new polishes from Glitterfied Nails, which you can find HERE for the price of $8.75 for a full-size, 0.5 oz bottle! What team do YOU support? =)

As always, your feedback is welcome and appreciated--please feel free to leave me questions, thoughts or suggestions in the comments section below!

Until next time,
<3
B


****Products were sent to me for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.****




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