Swatch & Review: Literary Lacquers – March 2017 Pop Up Shop

***PRESS (PR) SAMPLE NOTICE ***

 WARNING: seriously gorgeous polishes ahead!!

Good Morning and happy Monday!!! I hope you all had a great weekend.  Can you believe that in 2 shorts days we’ll be in March! March you guys! The beginning of the month can only mean one thing…Literary Lacquer’s Pop-Up Shop!! The first weekend of the month Amy opens the shop with a few new and/or returning polish favorites. If you missed it last month, I’m sorry 😞, but all hope is not lost, you still have an opportunity to score some major beauties this weekend!

So let’s see what’s in store! (Get it? In Store?…never mind, bad joke.)

**All swatches are done using Commitment Issue Peel-off Base Coat by Vapid and Tonic Topper by Tonic (shiny) and Matte Me by Jior Couture (matte). Swatch photos are taken using artificial lights.**

Literary Lacquers – March 2017 Pop Up

New

Amortentia – a champagne rose gold almost metallic holo with glass flakies. Inspired by the love potion in Harry Potter, and designed with Rachel McNulty for her geeky wedding. 

Returning 

Felix Felicis (Harry Potter) – Liquid gold flakies and glass flecks

Avada Kedavra (Harry Potter) – black matte base packed with gold and green glitter

Mirror of Galadriel (Lord of the Rings) – Silver linear mega glitter holo

Color of Magic (Terry Pratchett Discworld series, formerly called Octarine) – lilac linear holo with glass flecks and flakies

Midsummer Night’s Dream (updated formula) – Deep shimmery blue, with small gold squares, black hexes, and holographic gold hexes

Overall Thoughts

Formula: no complaints. smooth and easy

Application: easy, no issues to report

Opacity: 2 easy coats

Availability: Friday, March 3, 8pm MST to Sunday, March 5, midnight MST. While, new polish is not necessarily limited edition, but she has no current plans to stock it again after this pop up.

Price: N/A

Overall: these polishes will be a welcomed addition to any collection or if you’re just starting your indie experience, these polishes have such an amazing formula that you will instantly be hooked to all things INDIE!!!

What are you shopping for this week/weekend?

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March Monthly Awareness Polish Box: Cure MS

***PRESS (PR) SAMPLE NOTICE ***

I am dedicating this post to a family member that continues to preserve over MS everyday. She is the sweetest, most kind-hearted young lady and has a smile as big and bright as the sun. You would never know her story and that she lives with this disease just by looking at her but she does, and she does it with such pose, positivity and optimism. So before you continue to read this post, please think about those you know personally or that friend of a friend, that mom, or co-worker that deals with MS and what supporting this fight means to them.

What is MS?*

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body.

Common Symptoms*

Common symptoms include fatigue, numbness or tingling, weakness, vision problems, dizziness and vertigo and pain. While there is no cure for MS, there are now FDA-approved medications advances in treating and understanding MS are made every year.

Know The Stats*

  • Women are at least two to three times more likely than men to develop MS.
  • Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, although an estimated 8,000–10,000 children under the age of 18 also live with MS, and people as old as 75 have developed it.
  • An estimated 2.3 million people live with MS worldwide

This month the Monthly Awareness Polish Box (M.A.P.B.) is supporting Band Against MS  by donating 10% of all sales to this wonderful organization. Preorder starts February 26th and goes thru March 10th and shipping will begin mid month. Please note, at this time international orders will not be accepted (this may change in the future). The cost is $52/box including all 6 polishes, $40 for your choice of 4 or $11/individually (applicable shipping rates apply).

March Makers and Brands features:

  • Hillary Wilson of Lifestyle Lacquer
  • Sophia Jewels of O My Jewels
  • Lindsay Johns of Night Owl Lacquer
  • Virginia Shaw of Pretty Beautiful
  • Victoria Greathouse of Blush Lacquers
  • Angie Cavaiuolo of Sassy Pants Polish
 **All swatches are done using Commitment Issue Peel-off Base Coat by Vapid and Tonic Topper by Tonic (shiny) and Matte Me by Jior Couture (matte). Swatch photos are taken using artificial lights.** 

 

Made Strong
 Hillary Wilson of Lifestyle Lacquer
A green base with gold shimmer, a mix of blue and green translucent flakes and shifting gold/green UUC flakies

Inner Struggle
Sophia Jewels of O My Jewels
A brunt orange crelly with a opal flash swimming with fuchsia micro flakies and tiny matte glitters

Light in the Darkness
Lindsay Johns of Night Owl Lacquer
A black base with 3 different shades of color shifting micro flakes & holographic micro glitter

Bruised But Not Broken
Virginia Shaw of Pretty Beautiful
A blackened purple holo base with violet micro shreds, micro purple flakies. Blue/violet/red/orange shifting pigment, purple to blue crystal flakies and chameleon glitters in various sizes

Hidden Scars
Angie Cavaiuolo of Sassy Pants Polish
A cornflower blue with shimmer and smoky blue flakies.

MS Gets On My Nerves
Victoria Greathouse of Blush Lacquers
A fuschia based polish with a blue flash, magenta to blue micro flakies, holo flakies (not glitter) and holo

**Be sure to check out more swatches and reviews**
Jessica Federoff of SloppySwatches – Blog / FB / IG
Courtney Stemple of nails_by_courtney.s – IG
Samantha Hickernell of samhnails – IG

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!
M.A.P.B. will be hosting a giveaway of this box. Be sure to check out the IG page for all the details to enter! GOOD LUCK!!

Shop, Follow, Like and Join the
Monthly Awareness Polish Box 

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*All information sourced from the National MS Society

Up Close & Personal with Chrissy Gieringer of Turtle Tootsie Polishes

 

It’s humpday Wednesday and I survived!!! I survived my daughter’s 10th birthday party, which was a blast btw, and I survived their extended weekend. If you remember from Monday I told you my kids had Monday and Tuesday of this week off from school, ugh, but I got through it but most importantly, THEY got through it alive…lol!!

So here we are 9 weeks and 3 days away (not that I’m counting) from one of thee most exciting events of my life. I have been looking forward to it since it was announced last year…POLISH CON!!! This year Polish Con will be taking over NY and it’s gearing up to be a polish-tastic event. One of the makers I’m looking forward to meeting is Chrissy of Turtle Tootsie Polish. But we don’t have to wait until April, let’s get Up Close and Personal now!


Name: Chrissy Gieringer
Location: Schnecksville, PA
Birthday: February 12

Biggest pet peeve(s)?
People that don’t use their turn signals….ughhh they are there for a reason!

Favorite meal of the day?
Dessert. I love everything cake.  

What cartoon character best represents you?
Smurfette. I’ve always loved her. A powerful woman.

Heels or flats?
Flats, I’m 5’10” so yeah, no heels

Jeans or Dress?
Jeans

If you were an animal, what would it be and why?
A cat, because they have such a tough life laying around all day and night

Live without your sense of smell or taste? Why?
Smell, although without smell I don’t think you can actually taste…

When and why did you decide to start a nail polish line and what makes your brand different?
I decided in 2012 after a rough battle with breast cancer, II wanted to start making polish, bought supplies, got a testing group together and began. 2 1/2 years later I launched! What makes my brand different is I do the kind of polishes I want to do. I don’t always follow the “latest” trend. I’m more personal than that.

What is one thing you’re willing to share that your customers would be surprised to know about you?
I’m married to another cancer survivor. He survived thyroid cancer.What advice/tips/best practices would you give someone wanting to start their own polish company? Have a good business plan and research, research and research again. It’s expensive and difficult. Don’t expect to make a profit for a long time, but don’t give up!

Besides your own, what other brands do you own/wear?
I have tons of Smokey Mountain Lacquers and 77 Nail lacquer. Of course I have a bunch of Cupcakes as well! I love supporting other brands, I feel we all should support each other.

Describe yourself in 5 words.
Sarcastic-Funny-Stubborn-Persisitent-Underated

What is one of you favorite collections or polishes you created?
My Easter collection from last year is my favorite. I’m a total pastel holo freak and Iove this collection!  

What are your top 3 favorite things to do? (Outside of making polish and filling orders…lol)
I’m a crafter so I like scrapbooking, crocheting and knitting, and going to baseball or hockey games.

How did you come up with your company name and logo?
I’m a turtle lover and I love things that are cute. This brand stuck in my head and nothing else I came up with worked for me.

Any spoilers that you care to share about future collections, products, etc?
My Spring collection was inspired by an idea from my youngest son and is quite “:yummy” My Summer collection is “bright and sparkly”

In 10 words or less, what would be your brand slogan?
Painting happiness one nail at a time

What do you love most about being an indie polish maker?
I love the interaction with the fans and being able to make polish as a form as stress relief. My “normal” job is very stressful and polish is my ‘outlet’.

What other brand (just 1) would you like to collaborate with or have already collaborated with?
There are too many to name just one, I’m always up for a good collaboration.

Favorite nail art technique?
Stamping! I’ve become obsessed with this over the last few months but don’t get a lot of time to do 

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Swatch & Review: Alter Ego

***Press Sample***

Happy Monday, back to the drawing board…sigh. My kids, yes all 3, are off from school today for President’s Day AND tomorrow for ‘Professional Development Day’…whatever that means. Like they need another day off, to sit home and fuss and argue and eat. My goodness, that 14yo of mine eats and drinks everything in sight. And the 2 girls…don’t even get me started. So pray for me today and tomorrow that I make it through alive. If you don’t see a post from me on Wednesday, please send help.

Today I have swatches for you from a brand sorta, kinda new to the the Queendom, Alter Ego. You may remember this brand from Rachel’s Rainbow Box, November and January MAPB, if not, be sure to take a look. Cynthia Decker, maker and creator of Alter Ego sent me 3 polishes to swatch and review and I’m pleased as pie to have them for you today. You’ll notice, ‘From the Maker’ notes for each polish and their description, I decided to include them to help set a visual.

Enjoy!

**All swatches are done using Commitment Issue Peel-off Base Coat by Vapid and Tonic Topper by Tonic (shiny) and Matte Me by Jior Couture (matte). Swatch photos are taken using artificial lights.**

Barrel Setter

From the Maker: “Anybody I know that lives in an area that has a true four seasons doesn’t refer to them any way but winter & road work time! One has to admire Barrel Setters, I’ve gotten stuck in traffic jams & watched them putting out the barrels…it’s a thankless job but someone’s gotta do it 🙂 Brilliant orange base with iridescent glitter.”

L: 4 coats w/o white base coat and R: 2 coats with white base coat

Girly Girl

From the Maker: “Oooohhh…you can’t help but notice this vivid, vibrant, lively Girly Girl wherever you go, she always stand out in a crowd! Brilliant pink shimmer with sparkly lighter pink & barely there light blue accent glitters.”

L: 3 coats w/o white base coat and R: 2 coats with white base coat

Trusty Rusty

From the Maker: “Hubby’s riding lawn mower is OLD! We don’t know how many owners the ol’ gal has had but she must have been well maintained. He has had her several years now and while she sometimes coughs upon starting she is still his Trusty Rusty 🙂 We count on her to not only mow the grass but move firewood and if he does it right, move his lil fishing canoe too! This rust colored base has metallic brown, metallic black & holographic silver glitter.”

Overall Thoughts

Formula: Barrel and Girly are a bit on the sheer side, very jelly, but intended to be that way. Because I prefer NVL, I would definitely use them with a white base. 

Application: easy to apply however, if not using a white base and applying multiple layers, dry time is prolonged.

Opacity: without white base swatches show in 3-4 thin coats. With white base, 2 easy thin coats

Price: $9 (17 ml) and $4.50 (8.5 ml) 

Availability: current

Overall: Well you all know that pink is my favorite color so Girly Girl was my favorite of the 3. Not saying I didn’t like Barrel Setter and Trusty Dusty, because I did. Barrel Setter, especially with black nail art, gave me a Tony the Tiger feel and Trusty Dusty made me miss the fall season that we here in MD skipped over. I can definitely see me using the orange and pink with the yellow from Rachel’s Rainbow Bow for a gradient.

Not only does Alter Ego sell polish, they also offer body care products including soap and lotion and wax tarts. Be sure to check out the online store to score these polishes and more goodies!

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Swatch & Review: Native War Paints – Copper Penny Collection

***Press Sample***

It’s FriYAY!!! Tomorrow my middle baby will be 10 years old, feels like I just brought here home from the hospital. #slowdownfathertime! Anywho, tomorrow my house will be filled with 8, yes 8 of her closest friends and cousins for her party. But a party ain’t a parry unless there’s polish. Instead of the usual bowling or movies and pizza, the girls will be making their own custom polishes and tie-dye/puff paint shirts! And of course I had to make sure I had enough for me to join in on the fun. So brace yourself indie world, I could be fostering the creative genius of the next big indie polish maker.

Today, I promise to keep the remainder of this post short and sweet because by now I’m sure you have already seen swatches of the Copper Penny Collection by Native War Paints (NWP). If not, then you’re in for a real special treat. This 6 polish collection is releasing today, 2/17, in less than an hour so who’s ready to do some shopping?! All the polishes in this collection have 1 thing in common…COPPER SHIMMER!!! If shimmer is wrong, I don’t wanna be right. So lets get right in to the swatches!

**All swatches done using Commitment Issues by Vapid, topped with Tonic Topper by Tonic (shiny) and Matte Me by Jior Couture. Swatch photos are taken using artificial daylights.**

Moneypenny
A pale lilac with copper shimmer.

Copper Mugs and Moscow Mules
A super pale grey with copper shimmer

Penny, Penny, Penny
A vibrant fuchsia with copper shimmer


My Favorite Copper Sweater
The copper shimmer version of My Favorite Sweater and My Favorite Sweater and Jeans. This is a teal with copper shimmer


Penny For Your Thoughts
A deep purple with copper shimmer


Copperpot
A dark blue with copper shimmer


 OVERALL THOUGHTS

Formula: da bomb dot com

Application: easy, peasy, lemon squeezy

Opacity: 2 thicker coats of the light shades and 1 coat for the darker.

Price: $8/each or $45/set during pre-order and $9/each or $50/set thereafter

Availability: Preorder begins 2/17 at 10am est thru 2/26 at 11:59pm est

Overall: Honeslty, these are some of the best shimmers on the market!

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Up Close & Personal with Allison Tyropolis of LE Polish

I’m such a slacker! Hubby and I took the day off yesterday to spend Valentine’s Day/wedding anniversary together and have a date day. We enjoy date days because hello…no work and kids are at school so we don’t have to find a baby sitter, win win! But even as of this morning I am still finishing up this post…ugh!

Even though the day of love has passed, I am still in a loving spirit because today’s featured maker is Allison Tyropolis of LE Polish. You may remember Allison from previous posts including 12 Days of Polish where she teamed of with 11 of the best bloggers, and me, to create 12 custom polishes or from Libra Scale Birthday Club Custom, but today she here so we can get Up Close and Personal.

Name: Allison Tyropolis
Location: Ellington, CT
Birthday: August 18th 

Are you an early bird or night owl?
Both. The afternoon is when I accomplish the least.

Stranded on a desert island, what 5 things would you must have?
The practical side of me wants to say food, water, shelter, clothing, and firewood, but that’s no fun, so I’ll go with my family, nail polish, books, flavored seltzer, and lip balm.

What cartoon character best represents you?
Daria (p.s. this might be a hint at things to come!)

Night on the town with friends or evening alone at home?
Evening alone with my Netflix please!

Favorite 90s TV show or artist/song?
I’m going to go with Daria again. Although TGIF was my jam back then!

If you were an animal, what would it be and why?
Well, my brand logo has a bee, so probably that. Plus bees are nature’s environmentalists!

Read a book or watch a movie?
Book first, then movie.

When and why did you decide to start a nail polish line and what makes your brand different?
I had been an indie fan for a while before I decided to try my hand at mixing. Once I finally tried mixing my own polish, I knew I couldn’t turn back. I’m a creative person by nature, so I like making and producing things for other people to enjoy. My brand is different because it’s a representation of me. I love the vintage romantic style and I try to let that show through in my branding and packaging. As far as polish is concerned, although I try to mix it up, I love making crellies and feel like my crellies are somewhat different than many you see out there.

What is one thing you’re willing to share that your customers would be surprised to know about you?
Anyone who’s in my FB group already knows this, but I can’t do nail art. Not even a little bit. So I’m always so in awe when I see the beautiful nail my customers produce!

What is one of you favorite collections or polishes you created?
I love all my babies equally like a good polish mommy, but I have to say if you twisted my arm, I really loved my Love Your Mother Earth Collection. It’s fun and bright and sparkly, it has a Greek goddess and Earth Mother theme. It was one of the first collections I did that really showed my signature crelly style. 

What are your top 3 favorite things to do? (Outside of making polish and filling orders…lol)
Business-wise, I love interacting with my group and planning events – like giveaways, launches, restocks, etc. I probably should have been a party planner in another life. I love seeing customers enjoying and using the polishes that I make. Please keep posting your mani shots ladies! I love collaborating with other makers, whether it’s to create a box, or just to bounce ideas off one another. It’s refreshing to get a glimpse into someone else’s creative process.  

How did you come up with your company name and logo?
le polish is named after my two sons (l and e are their first initials – this is also why they are both lowercase. I didn’t want to capitalize one and not the other). The logo was a labor of love. My first logo was fairly generic. I went for something simple and cute, but when it came down to it I was never really happy with it. For my 1 year brand anniversary I decided to change it to something that represented me and my brand. I’m very into vintage things, so I knew I wanted a vintage look. And I consider all the women in the polish world to be queen bees, so the queen bee was a perfect fit!

If you weren’t in the indie polish business, what’s another product you would have liked to create?
I have knitted since I was a little girl. I’ve taken a few custom orders for knitted pieces, and if I had time, I’d like to get into that a little more.

Any spoilers that you care to share about future collections, products, etc?
Right now I’m working on getting my limited editions for Polish Con all wrapped up! I can’t wait for you guys to see them and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone who can make it to Polish Con NYC!!!

In 10 words or less, what would be your brand slogan?
My brand slogan is actually “Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful.” I stamp it on all my packages. The great thing about the indie community is we’re very supportive of individuality, which I love and wanted to celebrate!

What do you love most about being an indie polish maker?
I love the creative process. I get inspired by things around me and my interests and I make it into something pretty you can wear on your nails. What’s better than that? I also love interacting with my customers and other makers and bloggers. My customers and bloggers are the best and other makers have been so friendly and supportive of me. I love our tight knit community. 

Well that will do it for today. Be sure to join us back next time! 

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Swatch & Review: Great Lakes Lacquer – Polishing Poetic Collection 

 ***PRESS (PR) SAMPLE NOTICE ***

It’s literally Saturday evening at 6:20pm est and we’re on the way home from my FIL bday diner and I just remembered…my post isn’t ready for Monday. Thank goodness for the WordPress app because this is one post that the people won’t want to miss. So while hubby is driving, I can sit back and finish up. This post is filled with amazingness so please be ready to take notes and set an alarm! 

From the upcoming and highly anticipated Polish Con (PC) to Multichrome Madness FB Group Customs one would think that would be enough for any maker. But not Mariah of Great Lakes Lacquer, oh no, she goes and creates more goodness, more beauties, more polish. Today I have the newest collection releasing this Friday, the Polishing Poetic Collection. This collection features 8 polishes mulitchromes and holo/multichromes.

Let’s get this party started.

**All swatches are done using Commitment Issue Peel-off Base Coat by Vapid and Tonic Topper by Tonic (shiny) and Matte Me by Jior Couture (matte). Swatch photos are taken using artificial lights.**

Ease One Life The Aching
Multichrome holo with shifts from purple to pink to orange to gold

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If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
`Written by Emily Dickinson

I Carry Your Heart
A red multichrome with shifts of purple, fuchsia, red, gold, bronze.

1486591342823

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;
which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)
`Written by E. E. Cummings

In A Handful Of Dust
A maroon red multichrome with shifts of fuchsia to orange to gold to green

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You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water. Only
There is shadow under this red rock,
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.
`Written by TS Eliot

Leaves No Step Had Trodden Black
A deep grass green multichrome with shifts from gold to green to aqua

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And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
`Written by Robert Frost

Like Air, I’ll Rise
Multichrome holo with shifts from sea green to aqua to pink to purple to gold

1486591989297

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
`Written by Maya Angelou

The Centre Cannot Hold
Multichrome holo with shifts from reddish pink to gold to green

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Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
`Written by William Butler Yeats

The Dying Of The Light
An inky dark blue multichrome with shifts from purple to red to orange to gold to green

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Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
`Written by Dylan Thomas

The Tune Without Words
A sky blue multichrome with shifts from bright aqua to purple to orange

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‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—
`Written by Emily Dickinson

Overall Thoughts

Formula: I need to find another way to describe formula because, perfect, awesome and amazing just doesn’t come close. FLAWLESS!!! I like that! 

Application: remarkably sensational!

Opaqueness: 2-3 coats

Price: $11-$12

Availability: Feb. 17th

Overall: If you already own GLL then you are familiar with the brands amazing quality and beautiful polishes. This collection is all that AND an bag of chips!! But don’t take my word for it, buy them and see for yourself. 

What do you think of this collection? Will any make it home with you?

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Center Stage with Samantha Hickernell

Happy FriYAY!! Anybody else looking forward to the weekend? I am!!! This weekend is full of fun and family…just the way I like it. My father-in-law’s birthday was the 7th, same as my dad, and we are all going to dinner to celebrate. And by all I mean all of his 7 children and their families, it’s sure to be…..amusing. Sunday, is cousins day and we’re taking the kids to Sky Zone, an indoor trampoline activity center. Please pray, send good vibes, whatever you do so we all come home in one piece…lol.

Enough about me, lets get into todays guest. Samantha Hickernell is her name and vlogging is her game! But you might know her better had Sam H Nails on YT and IG. With almost 800 subscribers on her YT channel and over 14k followers on IG, Samantha is proving that she is a force to reckon with. Samantha and I were “introduced” to each other on FB as we both swatch the Monthly Awareness Polish Box (MAPB). From there, I followed her on IG and started watching her very entertaining, yet informative YT videos and now I feel like we are old friends.

So let’s see check out what’s up with Samantha and how she got started.

Name: Samantha Hickernell 
Age: 28
Location: Northern California 

Kids? If so, how many?
I do, and I have three. They’re 10.5, 6.5, and just turned 3. 

Marital Status?
Married for 8.5 years

Birthday
July 1st

Pets? If so, types and how many?
We have a dog. She’s a golden retriever named Molly. We got her right after we got married and she’s a spoiled rotten, pain in the butt, extraordinarily loved, world traveling, fatty. Lol

Best Vacation Taken?
Spring break 2015, Dublin Ireland 

Beach or Pool?
Beach

Best character trait
I am an incredibly giving soul. I’ll give you the food off my plate if you need it. 

Favorite past memory?
Way too many to list. But I’ll be cliché and say our wedding day and the birth of our children.

Favorite food
Mexican 

Movie night at home or theater
At home, all of us piled up on our bed.

Favorite season
Spring.

What got you started doing your nails?
When my husband and I moved to Italy their prices for a simple mani/pedi were outrageous. I couldn’t justify the money so I started painting them myself. I into nail art about 4 years ago. My best friend has flawless nails and she started doing mine when I was too pregnant to reach my toes. As I was watching her do them, I thought, “I can do that!” And she sent me to Robin Moses on YouTube and I haven’t looked back. 

What was the first brand you swatched for?
All Mixed UP Lacquers and LJ is still one of my favorite indies out there 

What is your ‘go to’ cuticle oil?
LillyAnnesGarden cuticle oil in any scent. It’s the best on the market.

Do you have swatch/mani routines?
Uhm, sort of. I need to put myself on a painting schedule to make life easier, but currently I have a box that I place my swatch mail in, in order of when it arrived/release dates. And I just work my way through it. After the official swatches are done they go in another “to use” box. I try to do as much nail art with them as possible before putting them all away and starting on the next batch.

What tips would you give an aspiring swatcher/blogger/vlogger?
Do NOT compare yourself to the people around you, ever. The only person you should be in competition with is yourself – if you can beat you out, then you’ve accomplished something great and will continue to get better and better and better. Social media can be an awful place to be, you get so wrapped up in your numbers, you let the hate bring you down, and then you forget why your originally started. make sure you’re doing this for YOU, because painting is something that brings you joy, and you’ll never go wrong. 

What’s one nail related item you can’t live without?
LillyAnnesGarden cuticle care products 

If you were to start an indie line of polish what would you name it and what would the first collection be inspired by?
I’ll never start my own line – mixing pigments to create a color is just something my non-artistic mind can grasp. With that said, I’m currently working on something, so keep your peepers peeled. I will say that it’s inspired by a soon to be released Disney movie, and the entire collection was brought about by 3 fantastic, flakie loving, fanatics. It’s going to be amazing!

For those of you who may not know, Center Stage is the old Swatcher Spotlight. I had to change it up a bit as this series doesn’t only focus on swatchers but bloggers and vloggers as well. If you or someone you know is a swatcher, blogger or vlogger and should be Center Stage, leave a comment down below. Have a great weekend, see ya’ Monday! 

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Swatch & Review: Multichrome Madness Group Customs – Great Lakes Lacquer

***PRESS (PR) SAMPLE NOTICE ***

Hey y’all, before we get into the swatches I have to share with all how devastated I am about what happened to me last night. I had to register my son, my first born, my baby for high school classes. I knew this day would come but I think I was in denial about it because I didn’t want to face reality. As I sat there in the middle school auditorium and listened to the high school department heads discuss mathematics, science, social studies, etc, I wondered, ‘how am I going to get these next 4 years?’ things are happening so quickly. I guess I’ll have to drown my tears in polish.

Today I  have swatches of the upcoming Multichrome Madness FB Group Customs. This month’s customs are created by none other than Mariah of Great Lakes Lacquer (GLL). I don’t need to tell you how amazing GLL are because if you’ve been following my blog for the last couple of months, then you can see for yourself. I will say though, that the Multichrome Madness FB Group is killing it with the group customs. They are working with the best of the best and the makers are stepping up to the challenge and knocking it outta the park.

Let’s check ’em out!!!

**All swatches are done using Commitment Issue Peel-off Base Coat by Vapid and Tonic Topper by Tonic (shiny) and Matte Me by Jior Couture (matte). Swatch photos are taken using artificial lights.**

Teal or No Teal

A deep teal linear holo with a strong shift from lime to aqua to purple.

Why Does The Air Hurt My Face?

A medium purple leaning gray linear holo shifting from red to pink to gold to green.

Perma Frost

A multichrome linear holo shifting from lime to aqua to gray to beige like pink.

Overall Thoughts

Formula: ideal

Application: melted like buttah on a hot biscuit…lol aka perfect!!!

Opaqueness: 2 coats for complete opacity and no VNL

Price: $12/each or $30/trio

Availability: Friday, Feb. 10th @ 3pm est – Tuesday, Feb 28th @ 9pm est 

Overall: This must be the year of the multichrome and Mariah has created and set the bar super high with these amazing colors, shifts and finishes. I’m not going to say, “these are a must have!” because that should be assumed. I will say that you will be disappointed if you miss them.

Notes: Because these are group customs, to purchase please put Facebook name in the comments section of order.

Join and Follow Multichrome Madness Facebook Group 
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Swatch & Review: Ever After & Tonic Sweetheart Quartet

***PRESS (PR) SAMPLE NOTICE ***

Good Morning! I hope you all had an amazing weekend. Personally, I’m a little tired but that’s life and what I get for staying up past my bedtime to watch the Super Bowl. Speaking of which, how many of you tuned in to Super Bowl 51 last night? It was a great game….the way football should be! The commercial were just…ok, but that halftime show thought! Lady Gaga did her thang and was amazing. I couldn’t help wonder if I had a polish reminisant of her costume, all bright and glittery…lol. Tell me you weren’t thinking such things too?!

Anyway, today I have more awesomeness, swatches of the Ever After and Tonic Sweetheart Quartet. I’m going do my best to keep this post short and sweet because TODAY IS THE LAST DAY to pre-order and trust me, you don’t want to miss out.

Before we head into the swatches, I just want to say how would have loved to be a fly on the wall when Rachel, Miranda and Lindsey decided to create this quartet. I imagine it went something like this.

Rachel: “Hey Lindsey, why don’t you create some awesomeness and Miranda and I will create some awesomeness and we’ll make a quartet?!.”

Lindsey: “Sounds like a great idea, Rach. Together we’ll take over the world!!”

LOL 😂

Even if it didn’t happen this way, both brands created gorgeous masterpieces! Don’t believe me, just watch (in my Bruno Mars voice)!

**All swatches are done using Commitment Issue Peel-off Base Coat by Vapid and Tonic Topper by Tonic (shiny) and Matte Me by Jior Couture (matte). Swatch photos are taken using artificial lights.**

Kiss Me

A berry shifting chrome with strong scattered holo and gold holo glitters

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 Purr-fect

A pale lavender purple to green multi chrome with gray understones and holo sparkle

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Sweet Pea

A creamy pea green with a strong pink-peach-lemon yellow shifting shimmer and a slight hint of scattered holographic sparkle

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 4 Ever

A creamy wisteria purple with a strong aqua shimmer and a hint of scattered holographic sparkle

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Overall Thoughts

Formula: exceptional!!!!

Application: none to report

Opaqueness: 2 easy coats for complete opacity and no VNL

Price: $40 + shipping

Availability: Released February 3rd only through the Ever After web shop. There was 40 sets available for immediate shipment and now a three day pre-order window for any additional orders which CLOSES TODAY 2/6 AT 8pm est.

Overall: I love the non traditional Valentine’s Day shades. These two makers did an amazing job with this quartet and it’s a must in any addicts collection. 

Don’t miss out on these polishes!!!

Shop, Like, Follow and Join Ever After

Shop / Facebook Business Page / Instagram / Facebook Fan Group

Shop, Follow and Join Tonic

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