FOREWORD : 


Hi there, my darlings! As part of the current indie featured giveaway with Le Polish, I've already posted a review of some of the new brand's latest creations and I'll have another quick post up shortly! But in the meantime, here's an exclusive interview with the maker, so people can get a little glimpse into the world of the face behind the brand! How can one get to know a brand without getting to know the maker a little, right? So, I present to you my interview with Allison of Le Polish! Read on for a peek into the woman behind the brand!





1. How did you first get into making polish?


Long story made short, I thought "Hey, I can do that!", so I did.  I've always loved painting my nails and once I fell down the indie polish rabbit hole, I knew I was never going back.  When I realized there was a way to make your own creations, I knew I had to try it. In my day job, I am an environmental engineer, so I have a strong chemistry background. Making polish combines my love of nail polish and chemistry. It's the perfect craft for me.



2. What was the inspiration for the name "LE POLISH"? Is there a story behind the name?


Like most women, I wear a lot of different hats - wife, daughter, engineer, polish maker, but by far my favorite is mother! L & E are actually the first initials of my two sons. They are my world and are my inspiration for almost everything I do, so it was a very natural choice.



3. What inspires your collections (or where do you look for inspiration)? What inspired your latest collection? Any hints/ideas about upcoming collections?


My collections are usually based on my interests, or things that are prevalent in my life. My last collection  (The Darth Valentine Trio) was inspired by Star Wars. Star Wars is a big part of the Tyropolis household. My kids were Darth Vader and Yoda for Halloween two years ago. This year they were Mario and Luigi, so that's probably coming at some point too!



4. Do you have a favorite indie maker(s)? Favorite mainstream brand?


One of my favorite parts of being a maker is getting to meet and work with other makers through collaborations. It's very fun! I just did the Puppy Love Valentine's Day Box with Angie from Sassy Pants Polish, Cassie from Lemming Lacquer, Chrissy from Turtle Tootsie Polishes, and Kristen from Poetry Cowgirl Nail Polish.  They were all fantastic to work with and I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them. I have some really exciting collaborations with some other fantastic ladies coming up too!



5. What are your go-to products for nail/cuticle care?


I use a lot of cuticle balm. They are easy to throw in my bag or have at my desk. My cuticles are usually a total mess though. It's something I'm working on.



6. What are your favorite colors? In general? For summer? For fall?


My favorite color is purple, in general. On my nails, I'm pretty equal opportunity though. I paint them as the mood strikes me. I don't really have set polishes for summer/winter. I'll wear hot pink in the winter and black in the summer, I don't discriminate.



7. This may be hard--but which are your 3 favorite creations so far?


Morning Frost from my Fall Shimmers Collection, You'll Shoot Your Eye Out from my Christmas trio, and Together We Rule the Galaxy from my most recent Darth Valentine Trio. Not necessarily in any specific order.




8. Do you have any other hobbies? Are you involved with any other clubs, associations, or recreational activities?


I do rarely knit and sew, and I'm generally pretty crafty, but I have two young kids and a full time job, so polish making is my only hobby right now.



9. What is your most favorite thing about being an indie maker? What are some of the challenges? What advice would you give to people considering starting their own brand? Overall, are you happy with your decision to get into the indie polish world?


My favorite thing about polish making is having a vision and making it reality. It's not always as easy as that, it usually takes a couple of iterations to get exactly what I want, but the finished product is worth it! My only advice for people looking to get into polish making is take your time and do your research. Think about things like where are you going to mix during the winter when the windows are all closed? I'm very lucky, my husband built me an awesome exhaust hood to mix under. He's so sweet; he cares about my lungs! I am so happy I started my brand! I love my customers and the creative process. I call it my me project. It's something that's all mine - Mommies don't get that very often!




10. Fun facts :

Astrological sign : Leo

Favorite comfort food : Ice Cream or Red Lobster Cheese Rolls

Favorite beauty item besides polish : Lip balm

Favorite fragrance : I don't really wear perfume.

Favorite vacation destination : The Cape (Cape Cod, Massachusetts for you non-New Englanders.

Favorite candy : I am an equal opportunity candy enthusiast, but I like peanut butter M&Ms, Skittles, Starburst, Kit Kats.

Favorite celebrity : I don't think I really have a favorite celebrity.

Favorite family member or friend (you can pick one of each) : Nope, not going to do that! Everyone in my life is important for different reasons and I'm grateful for all of my family and friends.

Most recent read : Hands Are Not For Hitting - Oh, did you mean adult book? I recently read Gone Girl, I read a lot of Jodi Piccult.

Most recent movie you loved : I don't often get to watch adult movies, but we saw the new Star Wars and I really liked it.

Favorite TV show and character : Gilmore Girls is my favorite show of all times, but my current favorite show is The Walking Dead because it's the only show my husband and I both watch together.

If you won a million dollars, first thing you would buy is : I'm so boring, I would probably pay off my mortgage and put the rest in the bank. Maybe some projects around the house, but I'm not the type to run out and buy a Ferrari or something.



So there you have it, my darlings! A little glimpse into the world of Allison of Le Polish!


I have a review of her The Darth Valentine trio HERE and if you like what you see and want a chance to win one of them, don't forget to enter our giveaway HERE!


As always, I'm thrilled to hear from you, so don't hesitate to leave me your thoughts in the comments section below!



Until next time,
<3
B




Hi there, my darlings! So, as I grow more comfortable with my new short nails, I'd like to share my very first review of Londontown USA's lakur line of polishes--today, I have 4 totally wearable, everyday shades that make up their After Hours collection.


Murray Me is a ivory creme. This was a bit of a challenge to work with--quite sheer and pretty patchy, it took 3 coats and a generous coat of their  Protective Top Coat to level out to my satisfaction. A nice enough neutral--if only the application was better!






The Full Monty is a nude creme. This too was a bit patchy on the first coat but unlike Murray Me, it leveled out quite nicely with subsequent coats. The swatches below show two generous coats, tooped with 1 thin coat of their Protective Top Coat. A very flattering nude!






Mauve Over is a light mauve creme. This applied beautifully and the swatches below show two easy coats, topped with 1 thin coat of their Protective Top Coat. Such a pretty shade!






Lady Luck is a vampy dark burgundy red with a crelly finish. Smooth, easy formula and application--the swatches below show two generous coats, tooped with 1 generous coat of their Protective Top Coat. My personal fave, I love how this shade looks on my shorties! So sexy!






These polishes are pretty enough, true, but let's talk about their Instant Smudge Fix for a minute or two. Now, as someone who swatches a fair amount of polish AND can be pretty clumsy on some days, I know that there really ain't nothing like a Smudge Fixer. Hmmph. No amount of gasping or groaning or surreptitious licking (yes, you know you do it too!) can REALLY fix a truly awful smudge or ding, amirite? The only reliable solution is to just re-do that nail. Yeah? The cynic in me totally agreed so I put this so-called Instant Smudge Fix through the wringer. And...I'm going to let the results and the pics speak for themselves.


Here's a pic of my index finger smudged :




Not satisfied with just a little, harmless smudge like that, I really went into my middle finger :




And then, I put the Instant Smudge Fix to the test. The instructions were simple : 1 coat of Smudge Fix, 1 coat of Protective Top Coat, allow to dry. The results? Shocking, to say the least! Take a look :


FROM UPPER LEFT, CLOCKWISE : Smudged, With one coat of Smudge Fix, With 1 coat of Smudge Fix + 1 coat of Protective Top Coat, Macro (after dry)


FROM UPPER LEFT, CLOCKWISE : Smudged, With one coat of Smudge Fix, With 1 coat of Smudge Fix + 1 coat of Protective Top Coat, Macro (after dry)


Um...like WHOA!!! This product truly works and is worth every single penny! A true godsend for a blogger like me! I leave you with a couple of comparisons collages :


FROM LEFT TO RIGHT : Smudged, With one coat of Smudge Fix, With 1 coat of Smudge Fix + 1 coat of Protective Top Coat, Final result (dry)


FROM LEFT TO RIGHT : Smudged, With one coat of Smudge Fix, With 1 coat of Smudge Fix + 1 coat of Protective Top Coat, Final result (dry)


So there you have it, my darlings! The After Hours collection is available now on Londontown USA's website HERE for the price of $16 for a full-size, 12 mL bottle. You can pick up their Protective Top Coat or their Instant Smudge Fix for $25 and $14 respectively.



Want to know more about Londontown USA? Don't forget to follow them through the social media outlets below :

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Pinterest


Do you like these kind of everyday shades? Which of these is YOUR favorite? I would love to hear from you 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 there, my darlings! So...guess whose nails FINALLY grew back to a semblance of a normal shape allowing her to discard the beautiful but pain-in-the-butt falsies?! You guessed it! Yours truly! Along with my excitement, tinged with a little nervousness because I never really like super shorties on myself (so please be gentle!), I'm super excited to bring to you all a brand-new indie brand to the blog--I'd like to introduce you all to Veronica and her ethereal brand Fae Polish! Today, I'll be sharing her beautiful Earth's First Love collection for Valentine's Day 2016, inspired by one of the very first, if not THE first, tragic love stories--that of Adam and Eve, This collection comprises of five strong linear holographic polishes...and one mysterious jelly!


Before we get to swatches, let's talk quickly about the formula and application of these polishes Whenever I have the opportunity to swatch and review for a new brand, I'm always intensely curious about formulation--polishes may look pretty in a bottle but application is a pain, there are a dozen other indies that deserve your money and my recommendation! However, I'm really happy to report that I was really impressed with the formula and application of these polishes--across the board, each holo applied beautifully and was perfectly opaque in just 2 easy coats. To be very honest, if you tend to paint thicker coats, I bet you can get away with just ONE COAT! As for the last mysterious jelly, this one was the most surprising--smooth, easy application and fully opaque in just 2 coats! The swatches below show 2 easy coats of each holo by itself and topped with 2 coats of Glisten & Glow's HK Girl topcoat in the case of the jelly. With all that out of the way...on to swatches!


Adam is a light blue polish with a strong linear holographic finish and a strong pink shimmer. This beauty reminds of Cinderella's ball gown or Elsa's dress of choice! Lovely!










With flash!




Eve is a light blush pink polish with a strong linear holographic finish. So delicate, so feminine, so befitting its namesake!










With flash!




Forbidden Fruit is a rosy red polish with a strong linear holographic finish and a touch of added holo microglitter. Enticing with that extra pop of holo!










With flash!




Garden of Eden is a light green polish with a strong linear holographic finish and a hint of blue undertones. Now you know, I'm not a huge fan of greens but this was my absolute fave of this collection! Such a gorgeous green!










With flash!




Serpent is a light purple polish with a strong linear holographic finish and a touch of added pink flakies. So pretty, so beguiling!










With flash!




Love Bites is a grayed, mauve-toned plum jelly polish laced with strong pink/purple shimmer and a hint of gold sparkle. I had THE hardest time describing this beauty--just like Love itself, it's indescribable but oh-so-beautiful!










EDIT : Now, I didn't realize this was a thermal until Veronica mentioned it to me after my review went live. So I just re-did it after a quick hot shower tonight and sure enough, this baby is a light grayish-blue when warm! The transition is really easy, since I didn't have to dip my hands in hot water for it to happen--my hands were warm enough after my shower! And that shimmer is much more visible when it transitions! So gorg!




So there you have it, my darlings! The Earth's First Love collection will be launching Sunday, January 31st on Fae Polish's website HERE. Want to know more about the brand? Don't forget to follow Veronica of Fae Polish through the social media outlets below :

Facebook Group
Instagram


Which of these are YOUR favorites? Will you be adding them to your collection during the launch? I would love to hear from you 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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