Earlier this month I bought you my solo pic for the 4th of July #tnttwinnails challenge in Those Nail Though FB group. Instead of doing a post for each challenge I do, which is a lot, I decided that the last post of the month will be dedicated to Challenge Nails. Today I have manis from all the challenges I did in July.
Challenge: #tnttwinnails
Theme: Summer
FB Group: Those Nails Though (TNT)
On the right, is the inspiration pic my twin and I decided on. A summer evening running in the fields chasing lightin’ bugs. On the left, my solo shot.
Challenge: purple, blue and pink gradient w/ white flowers
Theme: NA
FB Group: N/A. IG friend posted she wanted to do twin nails/mani swap
I saw a post on IG asking if anyone wanted to do twin nails and I DM’d her. She came up with the design and here is my solo shot.
Challenge: color – blue / technique – fan brush gradient
FB Group: Those Nails Though (TNT)
Every 2 weeks we do a color and technique challenge in TNT. So I decided to combine them but instead of gradient I did an ombre. I knew this would go perfectly for the next challenge I was doing. FYI…I LOVE fan brush!!!
Challenge: Blue and Yellow
FB Group: When Colours Collide (WCC)
Like I said, I knew that by doing the TNT challenge, it was an easy base to complete the (WCC) challenge and I added some yellow stamping.
There you have it, my challenge fun from July. I like finding different groups that have a challenge component. I find that it helps me practice techniques I normally wouldn’t do, helps me step out of my comfort zone AND used polishes that go un-loved. OR I realize I don’t have the color and I need to buy it…lol. I hope you come back next month and see what I’m up to. What technique(s) challenge you? Do you belong to any groups that help challenge you?
I told you to remember the name Lindsey Buck didn’t I? If you’re asking yourself, ‘what is she talking about?’ then you must not have read my review on Tonic’s Debut Collection. Its a must read in my opinion because her polishes are…simply gorgeous! If you read it, thank you. If not, we will wait for you to catch up….SO GO READ IT NOW!!! 🙂
Done? Good! Now we can all move along.
Today, Lindsey is back, but in a different way. I had the opportunity to ask Lindsey some probing questions about herself and her business and here’s what she had to say.
photo provided courtesy of Lindsey Buck
Name – Lindsey Buck Location – Iowa
Q: Birthday A: March 29
Q: Rock Band or Classical Orchestra? A: Classical orchestra
Q: Morning or Night? A: morning
Q: Meat and potatoes or soup and salad? A: meat!!
Q: Summer or Winter? A: both?! I love all the seasons fully represented – hot balmy summer’s, cold snowy winters!
Q: Night on the town with friends or evening alone at home? A: I want to answer both to all of these! Can I say evening at home with friends?
Q: Heels or flats A: heels
Q: If you were an animal, what would it be and why? A: Going to keep it simple! A bird so I could fly
Q: When and why did you decide to start a nail polish line? What makes your brand different? A: My mom is an artist. For most of my life she’s had a workshop in her basement where she creates amazing jewelry entirely by hand. I spend most of my youth watching her then later helping her make things. Summers we would travel around the Midwest going to art shows where my sister and I would help her run a booth selling her one-of-a-kind pieces. She passed her entrepreneurial spirit on to me from a young age. As much as I love jewelry I was always more interested in other kinds of wearables. I loved clothes, knitting, and nail polish and eventually attended college for fashion design. After graduating I went to New York where I worked for almost 8 years as a fashion designer, most recently specializing in sweater design. When my husband and I decided we wanted to have kids I was ready to take a break from the fashion industry, and we weren’t too keen on trying to have very young kids in NYC. We decided to move back to Iowa to be close to our families for a while. I’m very happily staying home with my boys now but have gotten to the point where I need to do something for myself that isn’t kid-related too. My great love of polish and desire to do something where I could be creative and make a tangible product again led me to polish making. I think all of my life experience, learning to make things and run a small business from my mom, designing in the fashion industry, etc. have made starting an indie brand a pretty natural fit for me! Actually starting the line was something my husband suggested. He saw how much I loved the indie polish world and said to me, “hey, you love to make things! Why not try to turn this passion into something where you can make stuff?” It’s something I had secretly wanted to do for years but was nervous to admit it. As soon as he said that I realized it was time to try!
Q: What is one thing you’re willing to share that your customers would be surprised to know about you? A: When I was I kid nail polish fumes used to make me really crabby. Anytime I was in a salty mood my friends would say, “have you been painting your nails?” Nine times out of 10 the answer was yes. Thank goodness for 3-free and 5-free indies, I’ve never had that problem with them!
Q: What advice/tips/best practices would you give someone wanting to start their own polish company? A: Experimentation is key. You have to be willing to try a million different things to see how they all work and figure out which ones you like best. Most of my mixing is just being curious about how different ingredients react to one another. For every decent polish I make there are probably 20 I make that are garbage, and it’s important to me to be okay with that so I’m not afraid to try crazy things that could result in something cool. Before choosing a final lineup for my first collection I spent months mixing hundreds of different colors trying to find just 8 that I thought were worthy. Also very important: keep detailed recipes of everything you make!!
Q: Besides your own, what other brands do you own/wear? A: All of them!! I don’t stick to just a few brands I love to try lots of different ones. Some of my current favorites are: BaronessX, Dreamland, Emily de Molly, ILNP, FUN, Cupcake, Anonymous, Grace-full, Femme Fatale, Vapid, Crows Toes, A England, Literary, CbL, Bear Pawlish, Lilypad, Takko, Enchanted, Digital Nails, Girly Bits, Lilypad, Indigo Bananas… I also collect HHCs and currently own every one that’s ever been for sale!
Q: Describe yourself in 5 words A: Introverted, thoughtful, mother, romantic, dreamer
Q: What is one of you favorite collections or polishes you created? A: Only one collection in but I really love every polish from it! I guess when I made Light of Lyra I was super excited and felt like it was truly something extra special.
Q: What are your top 3 favorite things to do? (Outside of making polish and filling orders…lol) A: Spending time with my family, reading, and knitting
Q: How did you come up with your company name and logo? A: My husband works in advertising and marketing so I like to run all of this sort of design stuff by him. One day we just started talking through concepts that I related to. Previously I was thinking of doing a play on my name, Buck, with like a deer head design and my husband pointed out that it implied hunting and that’s really not something I personally relate to. So we chatted about other logo designs and marketing concepts that I did like and I was thinking about going with something art deco and sort of Guimard-y. Then we were talking about one of our favorite bars in NYC called Apotheke and also this little antique glass medicine bottle I found at the old abandoned train track behind our house. We started tossing around ideas of apothecary themes and Tonic was kind of born out of that discussion!
Q: If you weren’t in the indie polish business, what’s another product you would have liked to create? A: I spent a lot of time in my previous career creating clothing. But there was a time between that and deciding on polish making when I was considering writing and selling knitting patterns for stuffed animals I design.
Q: Any spoilers that you care to share about future collections, products, etc? A: Still honing colors for my next collection, but I am working on a very moody, sultry, dreamy color I’m thinking of offering as an LE group exclusive!
Q: In 10 words or less, what would be your brand slogan? A: A dose of Tonic will cure all your ills!
Q: What do you love most about being an indie polish maker? A: I love having a physical product that I have creative control over, get to produce, and share with others. I’ve always loved polish enabling and I’m so thrilled that I get to do it with my own now! I also love the direct access between customer and maker.
Q: What other brand (just 1) would you like to collaborate with or have already collaborated with? A: So hard to choose just one but I’d have to go with Dreamland. Smitten was one of my first great indie polish loves, and I think her creativity and versatility are outstanding! Plus Noelie herself seems like such a solid and lovely person.
Q: Favorite nail art technique? A: Reverse stamping! Also love to gradient. Wish I could water marble but I’m terrible at it.
Q: What is your greatest accomplishment to date with your brand? A: Starting it!
Next collection?! Limited Edition Group Exclusive?! Yes, please. I am waiting with baited breath to see what else she comes up with and if you join me back here in 5 days (8/1), I’ll show…shhhhhhh! I promise you wont want to miss it :)!
Be sure to join and follow Lindsey and Tonic Polish
Disclosure: The questions above were sent to the featured maker (FM) for review and response. The FM was advised they could omit responses from any question they were not comfortable with answering. The responses are directly from the FM and have not been altered in any way, shape or form. The comments and responses expressed in this interview are those of the FM and the FM alone.
***Press (PR) Samples. This post contains
polishes that were sent to be from the
company/brand in exchange for a honest review,
All opinions stated are my own. For additional
info regarding PR samples, click here ***
When Kristen Bailey of In the Name of Polish (ITNOP) asks if you have time to swatch her collab neon collection, what other words would you use other than HELL TO THE YES!!?!????!?!!! Last year I purchased her Hard Knock Life neon collection and I was so impressed with its brightness, formula, finish and how easily they marbled. I knew if this new collection was anything like the last, I was in for a treat and couldn’t turn down the opportunity to get my hands on Fun Days and Neon Craze! Fun Days and Neon Craze is the amazingly, beautiful brain child of ITNOP and Christy of @cakefaceconfessofficial and the name speaks for itself! Originally, I opted not to buy this set because it was a pre-order with a 30 set cap and I didn’t want to get my hopes up and then not score a set. So I set my sights elsewhere and bought another neon set with from another maker. I’m not saying I’m not pleased with my decision, but as they say, “hindsight is 20/20.”
Anyways, Fun Days and Neon Craze was originally released April 22nd at 9am EST and sold out very quickly as you can imagine. This set includes 7 neon crème polishes available in the In the Name of Polish store. As of the date of this post, the sets are $55USD, however, they will go back up to $63+$7 shipping.
I’m not going to bore you with actual swatches since you can find them on Kristen and Christy IG pages, but I will say the formula is butta! Silky smooth and easy to work with…heaven in a bottle. They do dry fast with a semi-shiny finish so a gloss top coat is recommended if you want it shiny. As with all my neons, I put down a coat of white undies for and added ‘POP’ of brightness but as you can see, you really don’t need it.
Shown is Too Turnt Got You Sun Burnt w/o TC.
Right: 1 coat over 1 coat of white undies. Left: 2 coats w/o white undies.
Neon Pink – Two in the Pink
Neon Red – Too Turnt Got You Sun Burnt
Neon Orange – Lazy Days and Orange Haze
Neon Green – Shoot Tequila and Lime and Then Blow a Line
Neon Yellow – Suns Out, Buns Out
Neon Blue – Blue Balls and Beach Balls
Neon Purple – Sex Tapes and Grape Vape
Instead of swatches, I wanted to show you their marbling abilities. Now, let me preface by saying I am no marbling expert, so if I can do it anyone can. Here is my feeble attempt at watermarbling using this collection (bottom 2 pics). You may have already seen it on IG and/or FB, but if not, here it is (hangs head in shame). I did this gorgeous collection absolutely no justice. It deserves better than this. I tried to upcycle (recycle + upgrade), a few days later by adding some stamping to hide/camouflage the mistakes (top 2 pics). I think it looks better, thoughts?
I had 2 challenges that I really wanted to enter. A color challenge – white and technique challenge – radial/circular gradient. I used White by Kleancolor and Two in the Pink, Lazy Days and Orange Haze and Suns Out, Buns Out. The colors and the combination of them were blinding!!! Just for some added umph, I did stamp over it and I loved it…I wore the mani for the entire weekend and for me that’s saying a lot.
Overall, in my personal, honest opinion, this set is worth every cent…you may even want a backup set. I can see these becoming my ‘go-to’ set for neon especially if I’m going to marble. For these reasons, I give this collection ♥♥♥♥♥ out of ♥♥♥♥♥!!!
Be sure to Like, Join and Follow Kristen and In the Name of Polish on social media
***Press (PR) Samples. This post contains polishes that were sent to be from the company/brand in exchange for a honest review, All opinions stated are my own. For additional info regarding PR samples, click here ***
Hello and happy FriYAY!!! Today in the palace, I have a special treat for you! I am so excited to bring you this S&R from a ‘new to me’ brand, Great Lakes Lacquer. Up to this point I had only seen the beauty coming from Great Lakes but now, now I have first hand , real life experience of its beauty. It was such a delight to swatch these polishes and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. This LE collection goes live on August 1st at 3 PM EST and be taken down out of the shop on September 2nd at 2 PM EST. So act quickly and don’t let them pass you by.
August Limited Edition
Shells and Sand
Words from the maker, “A throw to the days of my youth playing in the sand, when every shell I found was special.”
Description: A rosy coral with a light linear golden holographic effect with hot pink and peach flecks/micro flake. Shown here in 2 coats for an opaque look, you may be able to get away with one. Price: $9
Words from the maker, “I grew up spending my summers and Christmas vacation up at Houghton Lake. It’s where I learned to swim and fish. It’s also the place where I felt most at home.”
Description: A very blue leaning light purple with blue sparks and holo micro flakes. Shown here in 3 coats for an opaque look as it was purposefully made a bit sheerer so that the micro flakes could shine. Price: $10
Words from the maker, “Known as the 2nd most beautiful inland lake in the world, we visited Torch last August with it’s purple haze at sunset. This year, I thought we could focus on the water. And what beautiful water it is. If you ever get the chance, you have to visit. Not only is it beautiful, but the area around it is as well.”
Description: A light to medium aqua with blue to green shifting shimmer and blue to pink to purple shifting shimmer. Shown here in 2 coats for an opaque look. Price: $9
Overall: I really enjoyed the colors in this collection and the formulas were easy to work with. They all apply very smooth and the coverage is great. I can’t pick a favorite because I love them all equally for different reasons. Shells and Sand, there is something about that coral color that I just cant get enough of and I think is a perfect transition color as we move into the fall months. I Left My Heart At Houghton, well how can I say anything bad about purple?!??! I do though love this shade of purple and think it will show beautifully on all skin tones. The Water of Torch Lake! YUM! Maybe its the gorgeous aqua color, maybe its the shimmer or the combination, but I do adore it.
I say, why not treat yourself to another polish, or two…or 3! Again, these August Limited Editions will only be around for a short time. Don’t forget to mark your calendar for August 1st at 3 PM EST and the last day to order will be September 2nd at 2 PM EST.
Be sure to Like, Join and Follow Mariah and Great Lakes Lacquer
Behind every great brand there stands someone with a vision, determination, drive and a go-getter attitude. This is the exact embodiment for the creator of Anonymous Lacquer (AL), Mildred Edwards.
I was introduced to Anonymous Lacquer via Hella Holo Customs FB Group where I fell in love with Vampire Barbie, I Wanna Do Real Bad Things With You and Baby Vamp in December 2015. Since then, I have managed to collect a small, but might army of AL. Recently, I also worked with Mildred to create the 2 custom polishes for my giveaway (now closed), Poisonous Venom and Golden Mane. So it was only befitting to interview her for my Indie Maker Series.
Q: Rock Band or Classical Orchestra? A: Late 80s to mid 90s R&B, hip hop and rap.
Q: Morning or Night A: Night
Q: Meat and Potatoes or Soup and Salad A: Meat and potatoes
Q: Summer or Winter A: Winter
Q: Night on the town w/ friends or evening alone a home A: Evening home mixing polish!!!
Q: Heels or flats A: Flats
Q: If you were a an animal, what would it be and why? A: Unicorn cuz I’m freaking mystically fabulous!!
Q: When and why did you deicied to start a nail polish line and what makes your brand different? A: May is Anonymous anniversary. This was my 3rd year. Started making cuz swatching and blogging wasn’t my thing. So making was the only way I was gonna continue to support my polish habit!! Honestly, I’m a DIYer and very creative by nature. So when I figured I could make it, I wanted in!! I have been franking polishes for years actually. Not just for bails but for DIY project as a kid. I’m different because I try to always be approachable. I give my customers what they want. I don’t try and overload them with collections.
Q: What is one thing you’re willing to share that your customers would be surprised to know about you? A: Hmmm I’m not sure. I feel like I’m an open book.
Q: What advice/tips/best practices would you give someone wanting to start their own polish company? A:Test, Test, and Test. Treat your customers like you would want to be treated!!!
Q: Besides your own, what other brands do you own/wear? A: Gahhh!! Soo many I think Ever After and Crows Toes is probably my favorite. They have some of the most unique stuff!! China Glaze and Color Club would be my mainstream favs. I don’t have many but Caption (young nails) is a mainstream fav too.
Q: Describe yourself in 5 words A: Loyal, Honest, Creative, Compassionate, Professional
Q: What is one of yours favorite collections or polishes you created? A: That’s so hard!!! The Brotherhood Collection. It was modern and bold!! But I think my newest not yet released will be my fav!! They are all bold and fun!!! Carnival colletion.
Q: What are your top 3 favorite things to do? (Outside of making polish and filling orders…lol)? A: Gardening I’m not good at it. Reading, but I listen to books now while I’m mixing!!! I know this is dumb but I love binge watching TV series.
Q: How did you come up with your company name and logo? A: That’s a long story. I was supposed to have a partner. When I made our original logo he posted it on Instagram. He didn’t mention me or anything about us. So I had to go on my own and I really didn’t want him to know. That’s how I became anonymous and what best goes with that then a mask.
Q: If you weren’t in the indie polish business, what’s another product you would like to create? A: I would love to refurbish furniture.
Q: Any spoilers that you care to share about future collections, products, etc? A: Cuticle care items.
Q: In 10 words or less, what would be your brand slogan? A: I don’t have one. But I really want one!!
Q: What do you love most about being an indie polish maker? A: I love my fans and I love the creativity.
Q: What other brand (just 1) would you like to collab with or have already collabed with? A: I have worked with alot of makers for the Awesomesauce Box. I fan girled the most with Cupcake. I’d really love to collab with Crows Toes.
Q: Favorite nail art technique? A: Water marble!
Q: What is your greatest accomplishment to date with your brand? A: I would say 2 things. Hella Holo Customs and Awesomesauce Box.
That’s my kinda lady and yes, she is mystically fabulous and her polishes prove it. Mildred is amazing and has been a complete pleasure to get to know. I look forward to her next releases and hope you have enjoyed getting to know her too.
Be sure to follow, like and join Mildred and Anonymous Lacquer
Disclosure: The questions above were sent to the featured maker (FM) for review and response. The FM was advised they could omit responses from any question they were not comfortable with answering. The responses are directly from the FM and have not been altered in any way, shape or form. The comments and responses expressed in this interview are those of the FM and the FM alone.
***Press (PR) Samples. This post contains
polishes that were sent to be from the
company/brand in exchange for a honest review,
All opinions stated are my own. For additional
info regarding PR samples, click here ***
Hey party people, I’m back at it with another Swatch and Review of the newest collection from 2-Bit, Eat Kale and Be Sad which is the sophomore collection to The Cheat Is Grounded Full Collection. This new collection was inspired by different types of fruit, fruit based things like merlot (yum!!) and fruit salad. So I hope you’re hungry for something sweet and ready for the picking. Lets get started.
*Please Note – All swatches are done w/ 3 coats of polish and w/o base or top coat*
Eat Kale and Be Sad
Trampin Grapes
Tramplin Grapes – a very deep dark red/black cherry colour similar to Merlot.
Formula: I may be a little bias on this one as I am a lover of dark, vampy colors but I love this polish. Its formula is warm and silky. Its applies like a dream and without difficulty.
Price: $12
Fruit Salad – ultra chameleon multichrome shifts from blue, purple, red and green.
Formula: this shifty little vixen was hard to capture, hence all the different shots. While the formula is a little on the thin side, it’s fantastic and smooth.
Price: $12
Can’t Elope Crush- cantaloupe color with a gold shimmer.
Formula: Just like the inspiration behind this collection, this polish is sweet and satisfying. I was surprised how well the gold shimmer really came through and loved this polish from every angle. The buttery formula applied even and with complete ease.
Price: $10
Plastic Fruit- chameleon flakie with a bit of scattered holo in a blue fluorescent jelly base.
Formula: I was pleasantly surprised how well this polishes built up after 3 coats. I don’t normally wear jelly polishes but this one was easy to work with and dried smoother than I imagined since it has flakies.
Price: $10
Plum Tired – a blurple shimmer.
Formula: as with most shimmers, this formula leaves slight brush strokes but the beauty of the color you barely even notice them. The application is effortless and incredible.
Price: $10
Upon initial receiving and opening of the polishes I thought Tramplin Grapes would be my favorite because I LOVE dark vampy colors. But then as I swatched them and photographed them, I soon realized that I couldn’t pick just one favorite because they are all so different and beautiful in their own special way. Be sure to mark you calendar and set an alarm for July 30th when the pre-order starts.
Shop 2-Bit here
Eat Kale and Be Sad
Pre-Order: 7/20 – 8/10
Regular Sale: 8/11
***Press (PR) Samples. This post contains
products that were sent to be from the
company/brand in exchange for a honest review,
All opinions stated are my own. For additional
info regarding PR samples, click here ***
Hey y’all, before any good party, I have to pamper myself; go shopping for a new outfit and shoes, get my hair did and do my nails. That is exactly what I did today! After all the swatching to get ready for Vapid’s #vapibirthday, my nails are in need of some R&R. By now I’m sure you have heard, seen and used mani bombs and have fallen in love with the way your hands feel after. Today I’m treating myself to a full mani with a twist! After optional step #5 of Manicure Must Haves, I soaked my nubs (yes…I had to cut my nails down even more after suffering an nailjury during the 4th of July holiday weekend) in Vapid’s Digit Dust!! I was sent two 2oz packages of Digit Dust to review and what better time to use them than now as they are being released during the #vapibirthday on 7/16/16 at 1pm CST. The surprises never stop!
I’m a sucker for anything sweet smelling i.e. food, candles, etc. and these 2 scents hit the mark. As soon as you open the pouch the sweet fragrance hits you and I imagine this is was unicorn farts smell like…lol. To 1 cup of hot/warm tap water, I added a tsp of Unicorn Milk (right) and Cotton Candy (left) and watched as magic happened right before my eyes. Depending on the body part you are using Digit Dust for, you will need to adjust the amount used.
Once the dust settled (hahahaha…a little digit dust humor there), I immediately soaked my hands for a good 3 minutes and didn’t want to take my hands out. I caught myself think how amazing this is going to be during a pedi or in the bathtub. A glass of wine, warm water, vanilla scented candles and Digit Dust (sorry for my little tangent there, I tend to get a little side tracked).
However, I succumbed to cooling water and removed my hands. I gently toweled off, applied my base coat and finished off with some cuticle lovin using Vapid’s Nail Sauce in Cotton Candy scent. The smell in the air is warm, sweet and relaxing. Even my kids asked for some candy and I had to explain that it was Digit Dust, NOT FOOD!!!
So as I sit here with naked nails, pondering my next mani, I just can’t help but wonder what my nails would say if they could talk (that would be kinda weird and scary). But if they could, I imagine they would say “Thank you, Krys and Vapid team, for this amazing new product that has us feeling soft, smooth and smelling so yummy!” This is a definite must have for any good mani and has officially made its way to my Manicure Must Have list. I’m so excited to see what other scents are released and what other products they come up with next.
So don’t forget, #vapibirthday is Saturday, July 16th at 1pm CST and a host of old friends returning along with the 2016 Summer Shimmers, Digit Dust and Cat Suit with a doe foot applicator which I used for my 4th of July mani.
Digit Dust will be available as shown, in 2oz packages for $3.00. Scents are Limited Edition for July and the summer but Digit Dust is sticking around. What’s on your wish list for this release?
(Side note, you may be wondering why these packages have different names. Well, here’s the inside scope. I was originally sent Dragon Dust when I was sent Ride or Die to swatch and review but hadn’t gotten around to using it. When I was sent the release polishes for #vapibirthday, it included Digit Dust. I inquired about the difference and was advised they are one in the same but there was a name change from Dragon to Digit Dust.)
***Press (PR) Samples. This post contains
polishes that were sent to be from the
company/brand in exchange for a honest review,
All opinions stated are my own. For additional
info regarding PR samples, click here ***
Krys and the Vapid team, cordially invite you to their event of the year!!!!!!
This month Vapid is celebrating their 3rd birthday!!!!!! But not any birthday, oh no, a #vapibirthday!!!!!! YAY!!!!!! There are a lot of surprise guests in attendance that have already RSVP’d for the wonderful occasion, so lets get started…
Hitting the red carpet run way first are some classics and they brought along a new friend!Here’s……
Bullied
Bullied – a charcoal black shimmer polish shown here in 2 coats.
And…Bruised – a dark, deep aphotic blue jelly with sapphire blue, black and purple holographic ultrafine glitters and a purple/blue shimmer shown in 2 coats.
Unicorn Egg – a creamy white crelly with holo micro glitter. YUM! shown here in 3 coats.
Man, oh man, Vapid sure has pulled out all the stops. Overall, these polishes prove to make this #vapibirthday a star-studded event. The formulas on all of them is fantastic. Even with different finishes from shimmers to flakies to micro-glitters, the formulas are buttery smooth and easy to apply. As with most shimmers, they dry with a satin finish and a high gloss TC, is highly recommended to really show off what they’re working with.
I know I’ll be there because I do love a good party and this is sure to be talked about amongst the who’s, who…lol. So, shall I put you down as attending? If so, who are taking home with you at the end of the night?
Price/ Size List
The SUMMER SHIMMERS for 2016:
Full size $9 and Schmediums $6 will be available
Classics $9 (Bullied $10, Be the Cream, Bruised and Unicorn Egg)
ONLY full-size will be available
Ever feel like everyone is talking in a different language when it comes to their nails? Between IG, FB, YouTube, Twitter and the blogs, nail enthusiasts are describing their manis in more technical terms nowadays. No need to feel left out, you’ve come to the right place. No more scratching your head wondering what is being said, after reading this post you’ll be able to, read, write and speak fluent nailish (like English, but nail…oh never mind you get it).
A,B,C‘s
*3*
3-Free: a polish that does not contain Toulene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) and Formaldehyde
3-Stroke Method: a method of applying polish where only 3 brushstrokes are used.
*4*
4-Free: a polish that does not contain Toulene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde and Camphor.
*5*
5-Free: a polish that does not contain Toulene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde, Camphor and Formaldehyde Resin.
*A*
Accent Nail / Statement Nail: one nail that is painted differently from the others
*B*
Base Coat: base coat is your first layer. Usually clear or clear with a slight tint. It’s often sticky and “anchors” your polish. It also helps to prevent staining and gives a nice smooth surface
BN: Brand New also BNNU: Brand New Never Used, BNNO: Brand New, Never Opened BNIB: Brand New In Box, BNWS: Brand New With Seal.
Brushstrokes: visible brush marks seen usually with shimmer, frosted or metallic polishes.
*C*
C-Curve: the curvature or arch of a nail as seen when looking at the nail from the tip down.
Caviar/Nail Caviar: caviar is miniscule beads
Chrome: a highly metallic polish
Cinderella Hand: the hand that does all the work and gets none of the credit. (ie: non-dominant hand)
Clean-Up: the process of removing the excess polish on fingers and around cuticles after application of polish, and nail art with a small brush dipped into acetone or polish remover and going around the cuticle and walls of the nail.
Core line: part of a brand’s permanently available collection
Crack/Crackle: polish that is meant to form gaps in an irregular pattern during drying
Crelly: a cross between a creme and a jelly polish with characteristics of both.
Crème: a polish formula that is opaque can be available in glossy, matte and textured finishes
Cruelty Free: products that are not tested on animals.
*D*
Dabbing: polish application needed with some glitter polishes or nail art techniques.
DC: this can mean two things. Discontinued in terms of polish or Delivery Confirmation in terms of shipping
Decant: a mini sized bottle of polish created by pouring polish from a full sized bottle.
Destash: a sale of previously owned, lightly used or sometimes new, nail polishes and/or nail related items. This can be done on various platforms: FB groups, IG, Storeenvy, Pintrest, etc
(D)ISO: (Desperately) In Search Of
Drag: also known as balding, or cuticle drag, it refers to the bald spots that sometimes occur when you paint a second coat and the second coat appears to remove a section of the previous coat and makes application look streaky.
Duochrome/Multichrome: polishes that change color depending upon the angle from which they are viewed. Duochrome = two color change, Multi = multiple
Dupe: an almost exact color and texture finish of a polish. It can also refer to an exact polish that you bought twice
*E*
Enablers: those evil nail group ladies who encourage you to buy more polish, by posting alluring and beautiful pictures of swatches and discount codes for companies….lol
*F*
Fimo: a type of clay used to create sticks with designs rolled into them which are then cut into very thin slices and used to glue on nails for decoration.
Finish: a particular texture or appearance when the polish is dry
Fishing: putting in a lot of effort to get glitter from a nail polish onto the brush. Sometimes requiring tools to mix up the polish and get at the glitters.
Flakies: a type of irregular shaped glitter made from mylar, usually iridescent or translucent and incorporated into top coats
Flocking Powder: a velvety looking powder.
Flooding: refers to the pool of polish gathered up in and around cuticles and flooding down into the walls
Foil: refers to a type of metallic polish with ground up metal particles that is somewhat reflective OR a sheet of material with printed design used with adhesive to transfer the printed design to nails.
Foil Method: nail polish removal technique difficult-to-remove polish such as glitters.
Franken: combining two or more polishes or pigments to create a new color.
Free Edge: the white part of your nail that extends past the tip of your finger.
Frost: a type of finish of polish; shimmering and pearlescent
FWNPP: First World Nail Polish Problem
*G*
GB: Group Buy – when a bunch of people make a group order
Gap: the cuticle gap, the space between where your nail polish starts and your cuticle ends.
Gel Polish: a very popular long lasting type of polish that requires a UV or LED lamp to “cure” it, and give it a glass-like finish.
Glass Fleck: glass fleck polishes contain medium sized translucent glitters, more pronounced effect than a regular shimmer and can look like ground glass particles shimmering in light.
Glequin/Glitter Placement: loose hex glitter applied in rows and patterns like sequins.
Gradient: two or more colors all gradually fading smoothly from one to another.
*H*
Haul: Nail Haul or Nail Mail. Your shameful pile of goodies that “fell into your cart” and you humbly post pictures
Helmer: a metal storage unit with drawers sold by Ikea.
Holo: brilliant colors that shift with light, resembling the colors formed by refraction of light through a prism. Holo polishes come in many different forms: Linear, Scattered and Glitter
Hybrid Polish: applies like regular polish with the finish of gel polish (does not require a lamp to cure it).
*I*
Indie: Independent brand of Nail Polish not available in drug stores. Artisan made nail Polish, often 3, 4, and 5 free.
*J*
Jelly: colored polish that is not opaque, it looks like jelly.
Junk Nail/Mani: an accent nail or entire mani, consisting of everything you can possibly put on the nail/mani – ie charms, bows, flowers, gems, glitter, chain, studs etc.
*L*
Latex (Latex Barrier or Liquid Latex): a product that is applied around the nail bed to protect the skin while creating nail art that is easily peeled off when finished.
LE: Limited Edition polish. Only available in limited quantities for a short time
Lemming: a nail polish you want so badly that you’d consider giving up your firstborn for it.
Lobster hands: when a nail color makes your hands look more red than they actually are.
Low-buy: you promise yourself you’re going to limit your polish purchases or put yourself on a budget. (See “No buy” below)
*M*
Manicure/Mani: a cosmetic treatment of the hands involving cutting, shaping, and often painting of the nails, removal of the cuticles and softening of the skin.
Mani Shot/Mani Bomb: similar to a bath bomb but in a smaller size that when placed in water it fizzes and bubbles. It’s used to moisturize and soothe hands and/or feet.
Mainstream: a polish made by a large company; usually sold in drug and/or department stores
Metallic: a type of finish that is high in shine and mirror-like.
Mannequin hands: having nails painted with a nude color, making your nails the same color as your skin tone.
Matte: matte polishes are formulated to dry to a flat finish, without any shine. They are intended to be worn without any top coat
Melmer: a particle board version of a helmer, sold at places like Michaels
*N*
NOTD: Nails of the Day, a picture of today’s manicure.
Nail Cleavage: the underside of the free edge.
Nail Fail: or when it’s very bad, Epic Nail Fail. When your Nail Art goes wrong.
Nail Mail: basically, anything received in the Mail that is for use on your nails.
Nail Mail Buddy: a fellow polish enthusiast, with whom you enter into a verbal contract that each will supply the other with a pre-agreed package, at a set time, every month, or week.
Nailgasm: a manicure so fabulous, so awesome, you are amazingly excited by it, and post pics of it everywhere.
Nail Porn: any nail related picture, a manicure, a nail haul or nail mail that makes you encounter a Nailgasm.
Nailspiration: nail inspiration for your next nail art. Involves fruitless searching of Google, Pinterest, Instagram and photos in all your favorite Facebook groups.
Nail Vinyls: sheet of adhesive shaped tapes in pre-cut shapes such as chevron, lightning bolt, or right angles.
No-Buy: an allotted amount of time picked out by an individual during which they will not buy any nail polish.
NP: Nail Polish
Nubbins: very short nails
*O*
OOAK: One Of A Kind nail polish. A custom polish, available only once, only one batch (and sometimes one bottle) was created, and it will not be available again.
Ombre: is the gradual blending of one color hue to another, usually moving tints and shades from light to dark.
One-Stroke: a method of painting that creates a light to dark fade in one stroke.
*P*
Pedicure/Pedi: a cosmetic treatment of the feet and toenails involving cutting, often painting of the nails, and softening of the skin.
Peel-Off Basecoat: a type of basecoat, usually used under hard to remove glitter polishes that peels off the nail without damaging the nail bed.
*R*
RAOK: Random Act Of Kindness.
*S*
Satin: a type of finish that give the polish a not shiny but not entirely matte finish.
Scraper: a product made of thin, flat plastic that is used to scrape the excess polish off of a stamping plate while doing stamping nail art. It could be something as simple as an old gift card or credit card, or a piece of plastic specifically designed for this.
Sheer: a sheer polish have more of a tint than an actual coating of color. They’re very difficult to build to opacity, but then, they’re supposed to be.
Shimmer: a popular polish finish, shimmers contain particles that “shimmer” in the light.
Shrinkage: when a polish “shrinks up” as it dries and is most often seen with quick-dry top coats. The polish underneath shrinks away from the tips (and/or cuticles) of the nails making it look like there is obvious wear/tip wear.
Smile Line: the smile line is that (usually) curved line where nail bed ends and the free edge begins.
Spectraflair: often used by indie makers or frankeners to create linear or scattered holographic polishes.
Stamper: a nail art tool used to transfer stamping designs, usually with a silicone top/head that is fitted in a metal or plastic handle.
Stamping Plates: metal plates with designs etched into them that are used for stamping nail art. There are many different brands that make them and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs.
Stamping Polish: nail polish that is very opaque and thicker than regular polish and is used for stamping nail art.
Stash: a person’s personal collection of nail polish.
Striping Tape: very thin sticky tape
Suede: at the intersection of matte and shimmer, suede polishes are shimmers that dry to a flat, shine-free finish.
Swap: when you and a friend/nail buddy swap polishes, nail supplies and/or treats.
Swaplifter: person who makes a deal with you to swap nail polish or goods but they never hold up their end of the deal.
Swatch: photo of polish applied to the nail or a nail wheel to show others what the color/finish looks like. Usually done in order to photograph it for a blog post
Swatch Stick: a plastic stick with a fake nail attached to it.
Swatch Wheel: aka Nail Wheel. A plastic circle with multiple fake nails attached to it.
*T*
Teabag method: one way to patch a crack on the side of a nail. Similar to using silk wraps, but you use part of a teabag instead of a silk patch.
Texture: type of finish that purposely has a gritty, bumpy, lumpy and/or other textured appearance.
The Angry Vag aka Scrubby Tub or Up and Up NP Remover Dip: jars with sponge or brush soaked in acetone using to remove nail polish.
Thermal: a type of nail polish that changes color when warm or cold.
Tipwear: when polish has worn off at the free edge.
Topper: a topper is a polish specifically intended to be worn over others, such as a glitter or flakie.
*U*
Undie/Underwear: the undercoat of polish, the first color of your manicure, not to be confused with base coat.
Untried(s): polish(es) that you have purchased but remain unused.
*V*
(V)HTF: (Very) Hard To Find, referring to polishes that are literally hard to find
VNL: Visible Nail Line.
*W*
Wrapping: this technique helps prolong the life of a manicure by lightly swiping the brush across the front edge of the nail as well, reducing tip wear and shrinkage from quick-dry top coats.
Wraps/Nail Wraps – An easier way to have detailed Nail Art. Manufactured by many different companies nowadays
Whew…did you make it all the way through? Did you see a term you didn’t know? Be sure to comment and let me know. Or comment if you think something needs to be added, as our world grows so shall our terminology. Stay turned for Part II: Nail Art Techniques.
Queen of Nails 83 