Hard Candy Soda Pop

Happy 4th July to all my American readers!

This is one of my favorite holiday  for reasons I'll spare you this year. I've explained it on my blog every other year! Long-story-short, family friends had a pretty awesome 4th of July party every year I was growing up, so it left great memories!

I have a 4th of July themed polish to share with you today by Hard Candy

Soda Pop over China Glaze Bahamian Escape

Soda Pop is a mix of matte red, white, and blue glitters in a clear base.

Color: This one is pretty straight forward. I love that these are matte glitters. I'm used to many red,white, and blue glitter polishes being metallic.

Formula: Great formula. This is definitely made ot be a topper. I used 2 coats above.

Price: I bought this at Walmart for $4.

Overall: Awesome little patriotic glitter topper! No complaints here.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday!

Hard Candy Party Central

I have a new Hard Candy polish for you today. This one is from the Crystal Confetti line. This line has a bunch of fun mixed glitters that are reminiscent of many of the indie polishes out there. The best part about these is that they're easy to find and cheap!

Party Central over Cult Nails Nevermore

Party Central is a mix of blue, pink, copper, and white glitters in a clear base.

Color: I love the addition of white glitters to this polish. This takes it away from all the other rainbow glitters out there. The white glitter really pops and adds a really nice touch to the other color glitters.

Formula: The formula on this was easy to work with for a glitter. I used 2 coats of this over a base. I didn't have any problems with it.

Price: I paid around $4 for this at Walmart. These are smaller than your average size nail polish, but that doesn't bother me for this unique of a polish to find at Walmart.

Overall: This is a awesome glitter topper. I'd say for glitter fans out there this would be quite at home in your collection!

My Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday!

Hard Candy Piece of Papaya

* I received the following product for my honest review by Hard Candy.

It's time for another new Hard Candy polish! I know the Candy Sprinkles line of these polishes is favorite among many of you, but I have to say I'm pretty partial to the Itzy Glitzy line. I love sparkling intense shimmers in bright colors especially as we start to head into summer. This next polish is a stunner.

Hard Candy Piece of Papaya

Piece of Papaya is a warm pink-coral with an intense golden shimmer. 

Color: This is much more pink-toned than some other polishes that might come to mind when you see this. This is a warm punchy pink that leans a bit to the coral side. The shimmer in this is undeniably beautiful, and really is the highlight of this polish.

Formula: The formula on this is really nice. I did not have any problems, it applied well and evenly. I used 3 coats in the swatch. 

Price: This can be found at Walmart and the Walmart website for around $4.00.

Overall: This is one of those polishes that has a real wow factor  This is beautiful, shimmery, and all around great polish. No complaints. I highly recommend it! 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

* I received this product for my honest review by Hard Candy.

Happy Friday!

Hard Candy Pink Taffy

*I received the following product for my honest review by Hard Candy. 

Today, I have for you another polish from the new Hard Candy nail polishes. This one is from the Candy Sprinkles line. I know this line is favorite among many of us!

Pink Taffy

Pink Taffy is a bubble gum pink base with black, red, and silvery-white glitters.

This is probably my favorite of the Candy Sprinkles line. I know many of you are fans of the blue and green versions, but I love a pink that is spiced up in such a fun way. It's always nice to see classic nail polish color given a twist.  I used 3 coats here, and found this applied nicely.

You can purchase this one at Walmart for $3.97. You can also find these on Walmart's website.

*I received this product to review by Hard Candy.

Happy Friday!

Hard Candy Jelly Bean Blue

I have another Hard Candy polish to show you today. This one is from the Candy Sprinkles line. I know this line of the new polishes has been among one of the favorites. I definitely can see why! These polishes definitely reflect what a lot of high end brand polishes are releasing at a very affordable price. Way to go Hard Candy!

Jelly Bean Blue

Jelly Bean Blue is a pastel blue jelly base with blue, black, and silver glitters.

How cute is this polish? This is a great color combination. Jelly Bean Blue is definitely and cool and fun polish. I love the way this applied too. I was surprised how easy this was to apply and it built up very nicely. Great polish!

I purchased this one from Walmart for $3.97.

Happy Monday!

Hard Candy Little Bo Pink

Time for another newbie Hard Candy polish! I hope more of you have been able to get your hands on these polishes. I'm a glitter junkie, but I found myself really gravitating towards the "Itsy Glitzy" line of polishes. These polishes have what I describe as sun-kissed look to them. You know how when the sun touches water and it gives the water that glistening sparkly effect? This is how these polishes look to me. I have Little Bo Pink from that Itsy Glitzy line to show you today.

Little Bo Pink

Little Bo Pink is warm medium pink filled with an intense pink/golden shimmer.

This is a great pink! I was really drawn to this one because it's a warmer pink with this gorgeous finish. I know us nail addicts are not new to cooler pinks with intense shimmers, but this shade of pink is completely new to my collection. This shimmers and sparkles beautifully. This is on the more sheer/thick side as far application, but totally workable. I did not feel it was much trouble at all. I used 3 coats in the picture above, and I'm happy with the finished look!

I purchased this from Walmart for $3.97.

Happy Wednesday!

Hard Candy Break Up

If I could go back in time, and talk to my pre-teen self, I would tell myself to buy all the Revlon Street Wears, and hold on to them forever. The Revlon Street Wear polishes were some of the best polishes out there. A lot of their glittery polishes were so innovative and funky at the time. You can still find some of these on ebay if you're lucky. I notice most of the cooler ones sell on there between $25-$30. That's a lot of money. I've have come to terms with the fact that some of the ones I want the most I will most likely never ever see again or I don't want to pay the hefty price tag for them.

 I came across a post by Polished Claws Up! on Revlon Street Wear Jewels, and my heart ached. I want this polish so bad, but I think it's pretty much guaranteed I will never have it. What's the next step? Try to find a dupe or something similar. There are a lot of iridescent glitters out there, but none quite like Jewels. My closest guess was Hard Candy Break Up. Sadly, I never bought that one, and it was long gone from Wal-Mart. I did find it on ebay though for it's regular price. Did it do the trick?

Hard Candy Break Up over Milani Black Swift

Break Up is a mixture of medium hex translucent iridescent glitters and fine micro glitter.

Now let's take a look again at Polished Claws Up! swatch of Revlon Street Wear Jewels.

No dupes. Not even close really. They do have similar elements. The glitter in Break Up is too translucent. The glitter in Jewels is more opaque. Jewels also has more density to it. There are also small glitters in there that are also iridescent, while the small glitters in Break Up are pretty flat. Jewels is just so so so much better. They're different. I'm disappointed. I will never get Jewels, however, I'll move on.

Despite my disappointment that I have not found a dupe, I still really like Hard Candy Break Up. It is a beautiful glitter. It will be a beautiful layering polish over any color I'd imagine. So, don't count it out because of my comparison. I think I need to pick up China Glaze Make A Spectacle. I know it's not a dupe to Jewels either, but I think it has similar opaque glitter/color. That maybe my closest bet.

Happy Monday!

Orly Bubbly Bombshell & Hard Candy Fabuluxe Comparison

I got another comparison request recently from Sarah V. She wanted me to compare Orly Bubbly Bombshell and Hard Candy Fabuluxe. I haven't reviewed either one of these polishes yet, so this will be 2 reviews and comparison in one!

Orly Bubbly Bombshell

with flash

under lamp no flash

Orly Bubbly Bombshell is a purple suspended in a clear base.  The glitters in this come in varying sizes, but create a very smooth finish. The reason I took two different photos of this is because the flash tends to wash out the red tones in this. It is definitely a purple glitter, but it leans slightly to the red side versus blue. This is a great glitter because for me it was opaque in 3 coats!

Hard Candy Fabuluxe

Fabuluxe is magenta and purple glitter suspended in a sheer magenta base. This is chunky and messy glitter. It looks spectacular on the nails, and this picture does not do it justice. However, it doesn't really have a smooth finish and it's not easy to work with. This is also a top coat eater!

1st & 3rd fingers Bubbly Bombshell 2nd & 4th finger Fabuluxe

I realize the my under the lamp photo of Orly Bubbly Bombshell really confuses this situation. I know this photo makes them look like distant cousins, but I was a dummy and didn't take one with out flash. Color-wise they are actually somewhat similar, despite what this photo depicts.

I'll break it down

-Bubbly Bombshell leans more purple, glitter in clear base, smooth finish
-Fabuluxe leans more towards magenta, glitter in sheer magenta base, gritty finish

These are both gorgeous glitters. Personally I prefer Fabuluxe's color , but the Bubbly Bombshell's finish is so much better! I'm sorry for this confusing post. Some colors just don't coporate with the camera, and I'm bad blogger for not taking another photo with out flash. :(

Happy Tuesday!

Hard Candy Hot Lava

Before I get into today's post I'm going to do something out of the ordinary for me. I'm desperately looking for a bottle of OPI Pink Me I'm Good. It's on Ebay for $25 which is out of my price range for me. If anyone has an extra bottle they're willing to swap,sell, or some how share with me (I guess by pouring a bit in an empty bottle?) which I would pay or swap for, please let me know either in the comments below or by email. I'd be very grateful. This one has been on my wishlist for awhile and I can't find it at all :(. No pressure. I just figured I'd throw that out there before I may decide to spend the $25 on it.

Back on topic!!! Hard Candy Lava is the only polish I have from the Hard Candy line. The Wal-Mart closest to me doesn't have Hard Candy stuff and is nightmare to go to, and the other Wal-Mart is kind of out the way so I haven't been able to pick up more these. I love this color. I knew when I first started seeing swatches, it had to be mine! I took pictures of it at different angles because my camera hates red glitter polishes.

Lava

I'd say Lava is right on the money when it comes to comparing it to actual lava. Lava is a fiery red-orange packed with gold and red glass-fleck glittery foily goodness. I don't know if this really a glass-fleck, a glitter, or a foil. I think it's all three. I don't care really care, it's greatness! This color hot! I love it. :)

I need move my butt on to Wal-Mart because I need to get more of these. Do they even still have these at Wal-Mart? I'm so behind the times. I really want Mr. Wrong!

Happy Saturday!

Red Glitter Comparison Swatches

There are lots of glittery reds out there and many of them could be considered dupes and others are clearly unique. I figured I'd compare the ones I have for you guys. I also will try and give you some detailed descriptions for each one. I did these on a nail wheel because my camera was having a hard time capturing these on my nails.
Here are the ones I'll be comparing..

L-R: Milani-Garnet Gems, OPI-Red Dazzle, BB Couture-Napa Valley Red, Orly-Glam, China Glaze-Ruby Pumps, Maybelline-Red Comet, Milani-Ruby Jewels, Finger Paints-Candy Cane Shimmer, Hardy Candy-Lava


Here are the swatches.
1.Milani-Garnet Gems 2.OPI-Red Dazzle 3.BBCouture-Napa Valley Red 4.Orly-Glam 5.China Glaze-Ruby Pumps 6.Maybelline-Red Comet 7.Milani-Ruby Jewels 8.Finger Paints-Candy Cane Shimmer 9.Hardy Candy-Lava



1. Milani Garnet Gems is a blackened jelly base with red glitter. The glitter in this is little more subdued. You can see it, but it is more noticeable in light or sunlight.
2. OPI Red Dazzle is warm toned red jelly base with gold and red glitter mixed in. This glitter is more noticeable than Garnet Gems.
3. BB Couture Napa Valley Red is deep red/violet jelly base with red glitter. The glitter in here is more subdued on the nail but it really pops in the light.
4. Orly Glam is a medium red-violet jelly base with sparse red,magenta, and silver glitter. The jelly finish in this polish is more of a prominent factor than the glitter. The glitter still does make statement and add dimension to this polish.
5,6, & 7. China Glaze Ruby Pumps, Maybelline Red Comet, & Milani Ruby Jewels by my best judgment are dupes of each other. These are all cooler toned red jelly bases with red glitter mixed in. The glitter in these stands out and really makes for a beautiful polish. If you have one of these I really don't think you need either of the other 2.
8. Finger Paints Candy Cane Shimmer is pink toned red with chunky gold, silver, and pinkish shimmer.
9. Hard Candy Lava is a bright red-orange with red and gold glitter flecks mixed in.

All of these should be easy to find with the exception of OPI Red Dazzle and Finger Paints Candy Cane Shimmer. I have seen OPI Red Dazzle minis being sold on Ebay for under $10. I know I have seen some Finger Paints Candy Cane Shimmer in various Sally's Beauty Supply in their Clearance sections.

BB Couture Napa Valley Red can be found on Overall Beauty. Hard Candy Lava can be found Walmart. The rest can be found at various drugstores, Dollar Tree, Sally's, or different e-tailers.

That is all for now. What are your favorite red glitters?

Recent Swatches, Your Best Buys, & Deals

I have to say I'm not looking forward to today. I have a final exam tomorrow for my Business Math class, so I'm going to be studying ALL DAY. I feel completely unmotivated, but I'll get it done. I figured I only need to get a 55 on the final to finish the class with an A, but I'm perfectionist I want an A on the final. :P Anyways, here are some swatches of my recent purchases. Enjoy!

Hard Candy-Lava



Wow! This is a winner polish for me. It really looks like lava. I'm sorry I couldn't capture a better photo. I have noticed my camera has a hard time capturing any reds with glitter. This is a red orange with flecks of gold glitter through out. It is a HOT color, which I love! I used 2 coats.

Sally Hansen- Antique Bronze



This is a color I never would buy. I have no copper or bronze colors and I don't know why, because I really do love bronze/pink lip glosses and lipsticks. I decided to push myself and got this one. It reminds me a lot of a nail polish version of MAC Mythology eye shadow. It's pinkish copper/bronze frosty metallic with tiny flecks of holographic glitter. Honestly, I don't even notice the glitter on my nails only in the pictures so it's very subtle. I do love this color and I think I'll be wearing it later on this week. I used 2 coats.



Now on to everyone's best buys of the week! I appreciate all of your comments!
Jean of War Paint got
-Milani-Sugar
-Milani- Parfait
-NYC- Sun Goddess
all for $8 @CVS because she had $3 extra bucks from CVS Rewards.
She said CVS is having a deal right now where if you spend $10 on Revlon products you get $3 CVS extra bucks! Her Revlon purchase consisted of Minted, Gumdrop, and Cotton Candy.

Tip: If you all do not have a CVS rewards card. I definitely recommend you get one! I get some amazing coupons by using it and you sometimes get extra bucks you can use on things in the store depending on your purchases.

Bec of Bec's Beauty Buzz really hit the jackpot this week she got 35 bottles of nail polish for $69.27 on Ebay!
-3 Color Club lots of 5 for $5
-Orly Foil FX Collection, Poison Apple, & Enchanted Forest ($23)
-China Glaze Sci Fi, Emerald Sparkle, & Flip Flop Fantasy. ($11)
-Nubar Polish Prisms Absolute and Brilliant ($13)
-Essie Ridge Filler, First Base, Good to Go, Apricot Cuticle Oil, Quick-e Drying Drops, Shine-e and Millionails all for $7.27!

Around her town she picked up
-4 chrome polishes for $5 each
-2 matte polishes and some nail decals from the BYS range for $33

I think this haul deserves a standing ovation!


Tip: Ebay is a great place to look for polishes. You can also find polish lots for reasonable prices. Just make sure to check your seller's ratings before you bid or buy!

I also wanted to point out a great deal going on at CVS too thanks to tips from Nouveau Cheap & Polish Beauty Blog. Right now N.Y.C. & Rimmel cosmetics are BOGO free, but that's not all if you go to RedPlum you can print off coupons for a $1 off N.Y.C. Products & $1 Rimmel Products. So, basically you are going to pay next to nothing for 2 products from N.Y.C. & Rimmel. Sounds like a plan to me. If you're confused (because I know it's a mouth full) you can click on Polish Beauty Blog for a more detailed explanation of this deal.

That's it for today. Time to study -blech-

Revlon Lilac Pastelle & Haul Bottle Pics

I got Revlon's Lilac Pastelle yesterday at CVS. I must say pastels usually scare me, especially the cooler toned ones. They usually end up making my hands look dead. I saw Lilac Pastelle and had one of those conversations in my head with myself whether or not this will look awful on my skin tone. Well, I said screw it and got it anyways because it was a pretty color!



I think it looks good or am I horribly mistaken? LOL. I think it has more of pinkish tone to it which makes it work for me if it was more blue toned it wouldn't be pretty. It's a great color, it's not a typical color I'd pick out, but that's what makes me like it more. It seems trendy, different, and perfect for spring and summer. This is 3 coats. It went on smoothly and probably would look even better if I had a bit of tan going on, but overall I love it! <3

They also had Minted there which is a mint green -sigh-. Mint green is a very popular color among nail polish fans, but I have yet to find the perfect mint for me. I am scared of the mint green. Yes, I treat as if it's some evil monster who purposely doesn't mix well with my skin tone just to spite me! I think I'll leave my mint green and green polish story for another blog post, because maybe you guys can help me!

Anyways here are some polishes I snagged recently. I'll swatch these at some point for you all, or let me know if there is one specifically you want to see, so I can do it sooner.

L-R:
NYC-Canal Street, Sally Hansen- Pink Promise, Sally Hansen- Antique Bronze, Sally Hansen-Zip, Hard Candy- Lava, & China Glaze- Bing Cherry




Happy Friday! Yay weekend and yay sleep!