Friday, July 29, 2016

LevelUp Lacquer Nekrit Expanse

I have another polish from LevelUp Lacquer's Intergalactic Flakie Collection. I love a good theme, and this theme I was totally on board. It was the Nekrit Expanse polish that definitely got me on board because it was a Star Trek Voyager reference. I loved Star Trek Voyager with Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew, you may know her as Red on Orange is the New Black). I loved seeing a female captain in Star Trek and I admired her strong yet sensitive character. Any other Voyager fans out there?

Nekrit Expanse
Nekrit Expanse is a dusty lilac with golden shimmer and chameleon flakies.

Collection: LevelUp Lacquer Intergalactic Flakie Collelction 2016

Color: This color has a lot of neat things going on. I really like the softness of this purple shade with that golden shimmer. It gives off a softer look while still having that pop of color. What makes this polish super special is definitely those chameleon flakies. I'm all about those these days and this definitely makes this polish space-worthy.

Formula: Like the other polishes in this collection the formula on this is initially sheer, but buildable. I used 3 coats above. The formula is very easy to work with apply. It is on the thinner side, but I prefer that in polish like this because you get more even coverage.

Price: This polish comes in 3 sizes 5ml-$4.50, 11ml-$8.50, and 16.5ml for $10.00. I purchased this polish with the rest of the collection for $35. The bottle I have is 11ml.

Overall: This is a great polish. I love the theme of course, but it's definitely a great color outside of that. I love this dusty purple shade, the bright golden shimmer, and those chameleon flakies are my favorite part!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday!

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Ever After Burning Twilight

I have another amazing polish to share with you today. I figured while I was out of town I'd show you the best of the best! This one is from Ever After Polish. This is actually my first ever Ever After Polish. I saw this polish featured on another blog and seconds after reading it I purchased it. Every once in awhile a polish just catches you off guard and you have to have it!

Burning Twilight
Burning Twilight is a purple/blue periwinkle with copper/red flakes and skattered holo.

Collection: Custom Polish made for Newsie Nail Novice

Color: I'm sure if you've been reading my blog for awhile you'll know why I needed this so badly. The color combination is what got me here. I love cool-toned colors paired with warm metallics. This periwinkle/cooper combo is beautiful! I love the flakies in this and the added holo.

Formula: Great formula. I used 2 coats above. It was smooth and easy to apply.

Price: This is $11 on the Ever After website.

Overall: This is a winning color combination. I love the richness of this periwinkle paired with the copper flakies. It gives off such a luxurious look. I love all the added elements in this polish that make it extra special. This is one of those where more is more, not less is more!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Wednesday!

Monday, July 25, 2016

Indigo Bananas Earth, Wind, and Fire

Every so often you come across a polish that is a rare gem. It's something you never seen before and never knew you wanted until you set eyes on it. That's how I feel about this Indigo Bananas polish. I never knew a polish like this could exist and it has one of the most stunning finishes I've ever seen. Yep. Mine. I need that!

Earth, Wind, and Fire (over a mint creme)
Earth, Wind, and Fire is a crystal flakie mix of gold-copper-green-purple plus linear holographic.

Collection: Indigo Bananas Neon, The 10th Element Summer 2015

Color: What? What? I did not know they made opalescent flakies! These are gorgeous. I love they are golden and that they are color shifting. I don't think I've ever seen a flakie polish like this one ever? If I did I would of swooped it up. These golden opalescent flakies along with the holo glitter give such an amazing effect to nail polish. My nails look like jewelry or something.

Formula: Excellent and easy to use formula. I used 2 coats over a base here.

Price: You can purchase this in a 15ml bottle for $12 or a 8ml bottle for $7.25.

Overall: I wish I had tried this last year. It would have been a shoe in for Top 25 of 2015. This is definitely one of the coolest and prettiest polishes I now own in 8 years of collection polish. Wowee! This is amazing!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Monday!

Friday, July 22, 2016

Follow Me & These Bloggers at CosmoprofNA

I'm on my way to Las Vegas tomorrow to attend Cosmoprof North America! I'll be attending the show itself followed by an indie event hosted by Cupcake Polish, Different Dimension, and Glisten & Glow. If you want to follow my updates along with my blogger friends check out the links below!
Here is a list of bloggers who will be at the show and where to follow them. If you click on their logo, you'll go to their blog, but the social media methods they will be posting on, are located under their logo.






















Thursday, July 21, 2016

Throwbacks Week: OPI DS Glamour

Last month's Throwbacks Week I featured an OPI DS color and I've decided to do the same. I really had a good look at my polish stash a little while ago while doing a destash. When I came across my OPI DS colors I knew they would definitely be staying, especially this one.

DS Glamour
DS Glamour is a denim blue holographic.

Collection: OPI Designer Series 2007

Color: What is there to say? This is a fantastic color. You'd expect in 2007 they'd either do a pastel blue or a dark blue, but this denim blue is amazing. The holo effect in this is very crisp and bright. I'd call this a scattered/linear combo as far as holos go.

Formula: Excellent formula that has stayed in tact for 9 years. I used 2 coats here. This one applies beautifully.

Price: You can catch this on eBay every so often, but it's usually pretty pricey.

Overall: This is an all star polish. It's an amazing and beautiful blue. The holo effect is spectacular. Again, what else is there to say? Glamour speaks for itself.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Throwbacks Week: Cult Nails Captivated

I wish Cult Nails was still around. I think they had some of the most high-quality formulas and colors with their polishes before the indie market became oversaturated. One of my favorite polishes from theirs was Captivated. I loved it so much I got two bottles.

Captivated
Captivated is a coral jelly with golden iridescent glitter.

Collection: Cult Nails A Day At The Races 2011

Color: I love this color combination. This is definitely reminiscent of  those early 90's jelly shoes. I adore the golden iridescent glitter mixed in there against that bright coral. 

Formula: This formula is a bit on the thick sign. I do remember it being this way when I originally had it, so it's not from age. I used 3 coats on this and I think adding a bit of thinner could be beneficial to keep it from getting too thick on the nail when building coats.

Price: N/A. This has been discontinued as the brand is no longer in business. You might be able to spot this in a destash sale though.

Overall: I have so much love for this polish. I love the brightness of the coral and I'm practically drooling over the iridescent glitter. This is a polish that has withstood the test of time as far as appeal goes. This is probably the only time in the history of Imperfectly Painted I'll do this but despite its thick formula it's definitely worth 5 golden paint splatters.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Wednesday! 

Monday, July 18, 2016

Throwbacks Week: Claire's Galaxy

It's time for another week of throwbacks. I love this week because I really get to shop my stash and rediscover some oldies but goodies. I came across this Claire's polish this past week and I was quickly reminded why it was one of my favorite black glitter polishes.

Galaxy
Galaxy is a black jelly with silver micro glitter.

Collection: N/A. I believe I purchased this in 2011 or 2012.

Color: This is definitely best silver glitter/black polish I own because it's the only one that does it right because of the balance. This is a great base to glitter ratio going on. The glitter is prominent and isn't drowned out by the base which I see in many polishes that try to do this.

Formula: This formula is good. I used 3 coats here. I think the jelly base and the use of the micro glitter is definitely what makes this polish a success.

Price: N/A. Claire's polishes always seem to just come and go on a whim. I got this around 4-5 years ago so it's long gone.

Overall: This is great polish. I think this would make the perfect base for galaxy manicures if I ever were to attempt nail art of any sort. I love the balance of glitter and base and it's an overall great look.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters
 Happy Monday!

Friday, July 15, 2016

Different Dimension Yeti Goes Stargazing

Have a told you how much I love indie grab bags? I know, I know, I've told you countless times. I was recently gifted another Different Dimension one in a recent gift exchange and this was one of the stunners in the grab bag. This polish was made as a part of charity auction last year.

Yeti Goes Stargazing 
Yeti Goes Stargazing is a rich blue-teal base with scattered holo and shredded glitter mixed in.

Collection: N/A

Color: This is one of the most richly pigmented holographic polishes I've come across. It is absolutely stunning. I love the richness and saturation of this blue-teal color. I love jewel-tones and they make amazing bases for holographic colors.

Formula: Excellent formula I used 2 coats here. It applied easily and smoothly.

Price: N/A. The only way I assume you can snag this one now is through luck with a grab bag like I did.

Overall: Different Dimension really knows how to make holographic polishes. They're definitely on my very short list of indies who make my favorite holos. They always have some special touch added either through glitter or flakies that keep them from just being ordinary holos. The color itself in this is gorgeous, but the other added holo bits and bobs gives this polish depth and pizazz.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Friday!

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Wet n' Wild Kiss My Mints

You can never go wrong with mint polish. I'm so glad mint became a thing a couple of years ago and the trend has stuck. Mint is probably one of my favorite ways to wear green polish considering I don't sport green often. It's one of those colors that I think just looks cute and chic on everyone. This one was part of Wet n' Wild's spring collection and I had to pick it up.

Kiss My Mints
Kiss My Mints is pale mint creme.

Collection: Wet n' Wild Spring Into The Wild Spring 2016

Color: I love this version of mint. It's a very pale mint shade which I worried might look too stark against my skin tone, but I like how it looks. I love the opacity of this color and how bright and and creamy it looks on the nail.

Formula: This actually had a great formula, but I think that's due to the brush. I'm usually not a fan of wide brushes, but with pastel cremes like this they work well. They spread the formula evenly on the nail better than thinner brushes. This formula had a nice consistency. It wasn't too thin or too thick and applied evenly in 2 coats.

Price: I paid $1.99 for this at Walgreens. Sadly, this collection has left stores though.

Overall: This is a great all-around mint creme. I love the consistency, the color, and the application of this polish. This is just one of those polishes that doesn't do you wrong.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Wednesday!

Monday, July 11, 2016

China Glaze What I Like About Blue

I have another polish from China Glaze's Lite Brites collection to share with you today. This was a collection from China Glaze that really caught my eye. I haven't been too thrilled with China Glaze collections as of late. I wish I could say this polish was all I wanted it to be, but I hit a few snags with it.

What I Like About Blue
What I Like About Blue is bright aqua with a golden shimmer.

Collection: China Glaze Lite Brites Summer 2016

Color: There is absolutely nothing wrong with this color. This is what attracted me to this polish. I love this aqua color and you know me with gold shimmer. This color reminds me of tempting and beautiful swimming pool you just want to jump in on a hot day. It's stunning.

Formula: This is where I hit my snags, and I'm wondering if it's just me because I'm not seeing any other formula issues reported from other bloggers. This formula too me was sticky, goopy, and uneven. When I say sticky, it didn't want to lay flat and spread out on my nail it just wanted to stick to itself and the brush. I found this formula such a pain to apply. I used 2 coats here, but they weren't easy coats for me.

Price: I got this on eBay for around $4. I always get better deals on China Glaze on e-tailers.

Overall: While I love and adore this color I just can't get behind the formula. I don't know if I got a bad bottle or what it is going on with it. I'd love to give this polish stellar reviews, but that sticky weird formula is holding me back.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Monday!

Friday, July 8, 2016

Different Dimension Totally 2.0

I've mentioned before that I love indie grab bags. I really think indie grab bags are my favorite way to shop indies. I'm entirely too overwhelmed and too busy to keep track of what is available in the indie market. It's just too hard to narrow down favorites and make decisions, so grab bags are perfect for someone like me. I always tend to put them on wishlists too for gift exchanges which is how I ended up with this Different Dimension beauty!

Totally 2.0
Totally 2.0 is a neon highlighter yellow with scattered holo.

Collection: 80's Baby All Grown Up Summer 2015

Color: I'm not really a yellow polish person at all, unless it's really special. This one is pretty special. It's very blinding and I love the saturation of color. The holo effect in here is subtle, but I prefer it that way. It gives this polish some dimension and depth.

Formula: The formula on this was OK. It does have some typical yellow polish traits. I used 3 coats here and you can tell the formula is a bit thinner in some spots. It was easy to apply though. In hindsight, I should have added a top coat because this does dry down to a satin finish.

Price: N/A. This one isn't available for individual purchase, but it could end up in a grab bag!

Overall: I do really like Totally 2.0 even though I'm not a big yellow fan. I love the vibrancy of this shade and the subtle holo effect. The formula was easy to apply, though it did have some expected yellow polish properties. All in all, a nice polish.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Friday!

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Fresh Paint Guava

Fresh Paint is a brand I discovered this past year at Five Below. I have really come to love the brand because they're really well-made polishes that come in a variety of colors. They're not indie innovative like polishes, but they're solid staple colors for a collection. I haven't come across a polish of theirs I didn't like until now.

Guava
Guava is a neon coral pastel creme.

Collection: N/A

Color: It's not the color I have a problem with. Neon pastels have been a thing for the past 3 years and I think they still are. This is very neon and very pastel. It's a great coral shade that gives me fingers and instant tan.

Formula: Here is where we go amiss. Pastel neons as pretty as they are can have some of the least forgiving formulas. This formula was rather chalky, thick, and not a pleasure to apply. It's very hard to have precision with formulas like this and it definitely shows if you're not a perfect polisher. It's clear I don't have uniform lines, especially around the cuticle. Normally, I'd blame myself since I am "Imperfectly Painted", but it's really the pain in the butt formula to blame. This one is just too much effort than it's worth.

Price: I bought 3 polishes for $5. That's the sale Five Below has with a majority of their nail polishes.

Overall: Nice color, not a great formula. This is the type of polish where you know as you put the brush to your nail you're going to have a bad time. I hate my paint job with this one because of the formula, so I have irrational rage towards this polish now. Go away Guava. I hate you.

My Rating: 1 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Wednesday!