a-england Sleeping Palace

I've caught the holo bug. That seems silly to say because I never wasn't into holos. I always loved them, but I rarely wore them. I think I finally resigned to the fact that holos are not rarities anymore, and I can wear them, enjoy them, and not fear they will disappear again. Thank you indies for making holos!

A recent holo I picked up was one from a-england

Sleeping Palace

Sleeping Palace is a deep plum scattered holo.

Color: Sleeping Palace is a very rich and saturated deepened plum. I'd say this shade leans toward the warm red-violet side. I love the depth of this shade, and how it is not compromised by the holo pigment.

Formula: Superb. a-england holos have a buttery formula. They apply so perfectly. I do not experience any patchiness or streaks. Perfection!

Price: This is $10.00 on Color4Nails website.

Overall: Gorgeous polish, excellent formula, and great brand. Exceeds my expectations.

My Rating 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday!

Throwback Thursday: China Glaze Kinetic Candy

I think I'm going to do a "Throwback Thursday" feature on my blog. I have plenty of untried older nail polishes, and plenty of older nail polishes I still purchase today. I rarely see nail polishes on blogs (unless used in nail art) that are over a year old. I love seeing older polishes because sometimes while they didn't catch my interest during their first release, I come to appreciate them later on!

So on Thursdays I'll be showing you nail polishes that are one year or older. I'm going to try to make sure the polishes I show you are still available for purchase somewhere and in their normal price range. I may throw the occasional HTF/VHTF gem for fun, but 99% will be ones you can easily find and purchase now.

Let's start off with a China Glaze.

Kinetic Candy

Kinetic Candy is a soft dusty pale light blue creme.

Collection: China Glaze Electropop Spring 2012

Color: I love this color because it's not your standard pale blue. Kinetic Candy has hint of gray added to this blue that gives it a nice muted feel.

Formula: The formula is on the thick side. Pastels tend to be like this, and it's my least favorite thing about them. I used 3 coats above.

Price: You can find this in the $4.25-$6.00 range on either Cherry Culture or Amazon.

Overall: Beautiful soft blue with a touch of grey. This is a great color spring regardless that his came out in 2012! Formula leaves a little left to be desired, but was still manageable.

My Rating 4.0 out 5 of Paint Splatters

Happy Thursday!

Way-Cool Mani Wednesday: Busted Fancy Pants

I've really been trying to shop my stash lately. This hasn't stopped me from buying new polishes, but it at least it has me re-visiting some stuff that hasn't been used in awhile. I'm challenging myself every week to do a mani using nail polish that is 1 year or older in my stash. This week I used two!

Polishes Used: China Glaze Fancy Pants and Pure Ice Busted

Fancy Pants actually has a subtle shimmer to it, but I wanted to amp it up. I wanted to steer clear from glitter, that is always my go-to, but I'm trying to go outside the box. I found Pure Ice Busted. This is probably one of my first polishes I ever bought when I got into nail polish. It is probably 5 years old. I had to revive it with some thinner! It all worked out nicely!

Happy Wednesday!

Sephora X Equinox

When I first saw/heard about the new Sephora X line of polishes I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. This line has an amazing range of beautiful finishes which are divided up into categories. These are pretty much the best nail polishes I've ever seen.

I avoided Sephora for a very long time because I feared these. I feared I would see them in person, and would need all of them. My fears were confirmed 2 weeks ago when I went in there and had to pick my jaw up off the floor again. The snag with these is the price. The ones with cool cool finishes are $12.50.

I told myself I'd get 3 tops, and it was impossible. I loved so many so much, I pretty much threw in the towel. I settled on one. This isn't because I only liked one but I it was such an overwhelming experience of amazing nail polish I couldn't deal #firstworldproblems. I couldn't decide between multiple colors, so I put them  back, and picked up the one I 100% knew I wanted. Can someone relate to this?

Equinox

Equinox is a sheer purple base with purple glass-fleck glitter.

Color: This is one of those polishes that is just too pretty for my camera. This photo could not capture how amazing this polish is. This is a lit-from-within, beautiful, glowing, sun-kissed, and rich purple. I love it. This polish part of the Liquid Crystals line of Sephora X.

Formula: Good formula and easy to apply. I used 3 coats.

Price: $12.50 at Sephora. I loathe this price. I'd feel better if they were $10. I feel like I could justify buying more at $10 than $12.50. $12.50 is a stretch for my budget. Le sad.

Overall: This is stunningly beautiful polish. I think what stands out to me is this is a glass-fleck polish, a finish we haven't really seen much lately. We've been so glitter-frenzied in indie world (nothing wrong with that) that shimmers,glass flecks, foils, and etc. have been put on the back burner. I rarely see any notable ones in mainstream brands lately. Sephora X has reignited my love for this finish, and I hope we can see it in more affordable brands this year done this nicely!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Glitt-A-Licia Guest Post: Weekend Getaway

Hello Dear Reader!!

I have some UBER exciting news today! You know when someone describes something UBER, it is really exciting stuff!

My hubby is taking me on a weekend trip which means by the time you read this I will be chillaxin at the beautiful IP resort on Biloxi Bay. Yes, I know my home state is not known for it's luxurious getaways, but this is a really nice hotel and casino. It is probably the nicest place I have stayed since the hubs and I went to Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii (check out the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall if you want a peak at it.)

 Yes I also know it is February and most of the country is freezing. Down in Biloxi we are going to be close to 70 degrees...and oh wait! Did I mention that I don't care how cold it is???! I am getting out of the house for 3 nights with no kids! Just me and the hubby baby! We have not gone on a short vacay alone in over 2 years!

*Fun Fact-The last little vacay we had, we drove a few hours to see Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 at a 3D IMax. We stayed one night and came back home. That was considered the last vacay. Now you can see why I am so excited to spend 3, count em 1-2-3, nights away from home!

Anyhoo! With the excitement of the trip, comes the "OMG! What am I going to pack?!!!!" I has been so long that the hubby and I actually did something romantic, I have no idea what to pack!! The anxiety is a little overwhelming, so I start small.

The reservations and tickets to the comedy shows were the first thing packed. Check!!

Next, gotta clean out the purse! I am analyzing each and every item that weighs my purse down to see what NEEDS to be in there.

Very carefully now...

I think I can leave out the crayons and fish toy.

Ok! Purse looks good! Wait! I need more ponytails!!

Now purse looks good! On to make up! Omg! Panic attack time! I rarely wear more than chapstick, so this takes a lot of thought and planning. Where is my eyeliner! Where is my EYELINER?!!!!

Ok, looks good for a night on the town!

Now,

WHAT NAIL POLISH TO TAKE?!!!!!

I settled on Super Black Murdered Out and Cult Nails Wicked Fast.

All packed and ready to go! I love glitter so much that my bags sparkle!!

So, reader! What is your go-to-beauty products for a quick getaway? I hope yall have a great weekend!!!

Shine On Reader, shine on!!

Love,

Licia