Mainstream Mondays: Maybelline New York Color Show Polka Dots

He-lloooo everybody!! I'm baaaaack! I missed last week's Indie Thursdays due to this little holiday called Independence Day  ;) I did a patriotic mani but didn't have time to post them (read: the boyfriend and I watched movies at the theater THE WHOLE DAY.) Anyway, today is another week and let's get back on track!

For this week's MM I have the new Maybelline New York Color Show Polka Dots nail polish.

The collection comes with four jelly-based polishes with black and white multi-sized hex glitters, plus a glitter topper in a clear base. Have you noticed that lately, mainstream brands have ventured into making polishes that look like indie polishes? It's a hit and miss, but I think this one's a hit. Let's jump right to the swatches and you can judge for yourself. ;)


First in line, we have Pretty in Polka.

With shiny top coat

With matte top coat

Pretty in Polka is a bubblegum-pink jelly base with black and white multi-sized matte hex glitters. Formula was pretty decent. It got gloopy after sometime, but maybe it's because I was working in a room with a fan. I used three coats for this swatch; one pic with shiny top coat and one with matte top coat.

Next, we have Dotty.

With shiny top coat

With matte top coat

Dotty is an orange jelly base with the same black and white glitters. This color kinda reminds me of orange soda! Formula was the same as Pretty in Polka. Again, three coats, and one with shiny top coat and one with matte top coat.

And then we have Drops of Jade.

With shiny top coat

With matte top coat

Drops of Jade is a blue-leaning minty green jelly base with the same black and white glitters. Looks like mint chocolate chip ice cream, but more blue-green. Heh. The base on this one was also more color-saturated. Again, three coats, then with shiny top coat and with matte top coat. Could probably be good with two but I like doing three.

The last of the colored bases, Blue Marks the Spot.

With shiny top coat

With matte top coat

Blue Marks the Spot is a sheer sky-blue jelly base with the same black and white glitters. I found this the sheerest out of the four. I did three coats for this one. It could've used four, but it was so glitter-loaded that another coat would've been too much. Maybe layer this over a similar creme base? Again, one pic with top coat and another with matte top coat.

And here is the glitter topper, Clearly Spotted.

Jelly sandwich using O.P.I. Glints of Glinda

Jelly sandwich using O.P.I. Don't Burst My Bubble

Clearly on Top is a, well, clear base with black and white glitters. The glitters in this topper is smaller than the colored bases, which I love. Reminds me of Hard Candy Black Tie Optional but without the bar glitter.

I did a jelly sandwich for the swatches since I haven't really done any before and thought this polish was perfect for it. For those of you that don't know what a jelly sandwich is, a jelly sandwich is where you layer a jelly polish, glitter, and then the jelly polish again, hence the name "sandwich." I put the names of the polishes I used in the caption. Then, I tried doing jelly sandwiches using more bold colors. For each jelly sandwich combo (except the one with CG Red Satin where I did one coat only,) I used two coats of polish, one coat of Clearly Spotted, then two more coats of polish.

Jelly sandwich using China Glaze Red Satin

Jelly sandwich using NYC Midtown Mimosa

Jelly sandwich using China Glaze Are You Jelly?

Thoughts? I really liked these polishes. I like "organized" glitter polishes and these are just right. They might not be the first black-and-white-glitter-in-a-colored-base polish you've seen, but they certainly are pretty enough to justify owning them too. At least for me, they aren't like any I own. The glitter payoff was also good; no fishing for glitters needed. If anything, it coud use less glitter, if that's even possible. The formula was also pretty easy to work with. The brushes are your standard thin, round brushes, although Drops of Jade had a fluffier brush than the rest. If I have any issues with these polishes, is that I wish the blue was a bit more saturated. It was too sheer for my liking. Also, I wish it came in more colors!

Would I recommend these polishes? Mostly, yes. Yes because they are pretty and fun, and easy to work with. But at $2.98 (or $4.50 depending on where you buy them) for a 7ml bottle, it might be a bit much. I personally do not mind, but some might have issues with it. This is actually the cheapest of its kind I found, so I think it's a pretty good deal. I'm also not sure if this will be a part of their core line, but at Walmart they had these in the regular display. Availability might also be an issue, since not all Walmarts carry this. I know Rite-Aid and other drugstores carry this so check your local stores for availability.

And that's it for this week's Mainstream Mondays! I hope you enjoyed this post, and please stay tuned for the next one. :)

*I bought these polishes with my own money. Pretty in Polka, Blue Marks the Spot and Clearly Spotted were purchased at Rite-Aid for around $4.50 each bottle. Dotty and Drops of Jade were purchased at Walmart for $2.98 each bottle.*

*Disclaimer: Due to variations in screen displays and resolutions, polishes may appear different to each reader. I try my best to capture colors as accurately as I can, and if I can't, then I try to describe the color/s to the best of my ability.*

Mainstream Mondays: Essie Naughty Nautical Summer 2013 Collection

Hellooooo errbodyyy!!! It's that time of the week again! Today I have the six polishes from the Essie Naughty Nautical Summer 2013 Collection to share with you.

This collection has been out for sometime now, but I only got the chance to own it a few days back. I don't own many Essie polishes, but these colors caught my eye! They're a bright and fun way to celebrate summer.

So, let's get right to the swatches, shall we? :)


First, we have The More The Merrier.

The More The Merrier is a slightly dusty lime green crème. Not as bright as neon but not so murky either. It actually looks like a pea green to me lol! It's brighter and lighter in person. This polish was a bit difficult to work with, or maybe it was just me. I've been having a terrible time with polishes lately, hence the lack of nail posts on IG and the blog. I found this one to be a little on the thick side. I used three coats plus top coat for this swatch. Also, this is the only polish without the silver shimmer.


Next is the namesake of the collection: Naughty Nautical.

Naughty Nautical is a teal, that leans towards more to the green side of teal, with fine silver fleck shimmer running through it. This one wasn't as hard to work with as TMTM, but I did use three coats for this swatch just because I felt like it didn't look as good with two coats. Again, it might just be me and not the polish itself.


And now we have Rock the Boat.

Rock the Boat is a pale periwinkle with the same shimmer as Naughty Nautical. It's less bright and blue than it shows on the pictures. In fact, it's actually very pale! This was also the one I had the most problems with. I used four (yes, four!) coats plus top coat and it still didn't look even to me. I even reswatched but still the same results...


Next, we have Full Steam Ahead.

Full Steam Ahead is a pastel violet, but with the same shimmer as NN and RtB running through it. I liked this one! It was easy to work with, had a good formula and leveled itself out. For this swatch I used three coats but that's because I'm a three-coater person. You could get away with two if you're careful and patient enough.


And here we have The Girls Are Out.

I would describe The Girls Are Out as an orchid violet, with the same shimmer as NN, Rtb and FSA. I thought this shade looked familiar and it did remind me of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Cherry Cherry Bang Bang, but that one doesn't have shimmer. This was also easy to work with, good formula and leveled nicely. I used three coats (surprise, surprise) because I felt like the color wasn't saturated enough with two. The color is also darker and more saturated in person.


Last but not the least, we have Sunday Funday.

Sunday Funday is a bright peachy coral with the same shimmer as NN, RtB, FSA and TGAO. It's not as... orange... as it appears on the picture. I don't know why it insists on showing up that way! It's more peachy in person. I personally don't like the way it looks on me, as it makes me look darker than I really am, but it would probably look better as a pedi or something. That's not saying it's not a beautiful color because it is a pretty color, but probably more suited to a fairer-skinned person. I used three coats for this swatch but you can get away with two.


Thoughts? I like most of the colors in this collection. The ones I liked the most were Naughty Nautical, Full Steam Ahead and The Girls Are Out. Sunday Funday was so-so for me. The ones I liked the least are The More The Merrier and Rock the Boat, both because of the colors and the formulas. There probably are colors similar to these, but what makes them a bit different is the fine silver fleck shimmer running through it. The formulas are alright, most were like crelly to me. Only The More The Merrier was the one that applied more like a crème.


Would I recommend these polishes? Yes and no. I would recommend these just because the shimmer is pretty and the colors are beautiful, but if you don't like some of the colors from the collection then you can just pick your favorites. I personally would recommend Naughty Nautical, Full Steam Ahead and The Girls Are Out.


That's it for this week's Mainstream Mondays and I hope you join me again next time!


*I bought these polishes with my own money from Nuvia of @girlsobsessionz on IG. You can also contact her on Kik at pinkluv3r. The whole set was $35 including shipping.*


*Disclaimer: Due to variations in screen displays and resolutions, polishes may appear different to each reader. I try my best to capture colors as accurately as I can, and if I can't, then I try to describe the color/s to the best of my ability.*

Mainstream Mondays: Revlon Cabana Queen and Coast is Clear

Hi errbody! It's that time of the week again. Time flies by so fast, doesn't it? Well today I have two Revlon polishes for ya, Cabana Queen and Coast is Clear.

These two polishes are from the Revlon Haute Tropics 2013 collection. It has been available for sometime now, like a few weeks ago. I bought these polishes a while back and it has been sitting in my untried pile since then. So now I decided to bust them out for this week's Mainstream Mondays' post.

Photo credit: Steph's Closet

Looking back, I now wonder why I didn't purchase the other blues in this collection, knowing my love of blues. Oh well. Anyway! Let's get right to it!

First up: Cabana Queen.

Sorry for the crappy watermark, I've been experimenting with a new watermarking app .

Cabana Queen is a very light gray with opalescent microshimmer throughout. The shimmer makes it so that it is not your average grey creme. Application was like a crelly, felt more like a jelly to me but more opaque. I used four, yes FOUR, coats for this bad girl, plus top coat. Not that it needed it, but I just like to finish swatches off with top coat.

And here is Coast is Clear.

I need to trim my nails!

Coast is Clear is a minty green, I guess you could say seafoam since we seem to be going with a summer theme here. Like Cabana Queen, this one has an opalescent microshimmer throughout. It's a little less brighter, more green than turquoise in person. I like this color but again, I used four coats plus top coat, though it didn't really need a top coat for shine.

Thoughts? I have conflicting feelings about these polishes. While I like the color, the amount of coats it took me to cover up bald spots is turning me off. I've tried waiting for each coat to dry completely before applying the next coat but it still leaves bald spots. It's also a bit runny, and will tend to pool in your cuticles if you get too close. It's a shame because the colors are pretty.

Would I recommend these polishes? Yes and no. If you're okay with the amount of coats that it takes to cover up bald spots, then go for it. Personally, I don't mind the number of coats but if you do then I suggest skipping it and finding a color similar to it.

That's it for today's post! I hope you'll join me again next time. :)

*I bought these polishes with my own money. Revlon can be found in most retail stores and drugstores. These were bought at Walgreens for $4.99 each.*

*Disclaimer: Due to variations in screen displays and resolutions, polishes may appear different to each reader. I try my best to capture colors as accurately as I can, and if I can't, then I try to describe the color/s to the best of my ability.*

(Late!) Mainstream Mondays: Zoya Aurora, Blaze and Storm

Hi everyone! Yes I know it's Tuesday today, but I still decided to do Mainstream Mondays. For today's post I have for you three Zoya polishes from the Ornate Collection Holiday 2012: Aurora, Blaze and Storm. I'm a bit late in the game, so I didn't know about these polishes til early this year. But wait and you'll see why I chose to feature these polishes today. A bit more photos than usual too because I am trying some new hand poses and I also just want to showcase these polishes. ;)

Who is Zoya? Here's the description from their website:

Zoya Nail Polish has been awarded as the longest wearing natural nail polish by an independent panel in Women’s Health Magazine. Zoya Nail Polish is a nail polish free of toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor. Nail Polish by Zoya offers over 300 gorgeous nail polish colors to choose from, plus 4 seasonalcollections of nail polish every year. Zoya Nail Polish was specifically formulated to deliver the longest wear possible on natural nails. Zoya Nail Polish can be found in better beauty salons, spas and online at www.zoya.com

While Zoya is still exclusive to their website, salons and Ulta, I still consider this a mainstream polish just because it is more widely available than indies. There are some beauty supply stores that sell these, although I haven't seen any yet. Zoya is one of my favorite brands, even though I don't own that many (yet, I plan to remedy that situation!) it is still one of my top brands. You'll see why in a bit.


First up: Aurora.

Aurora is described as "a full-coverage, medium sugarplum purple flecked with a high concentration of microfine diamond holographic glitter." I can only describe it as a jelly-ish magenta-purple with tiny holo glitters. Isn't it gorgeous? Opaque in two coats, but I used three coats plus top coat because I felt like it was still kinda sheer for my taste with two coats.


Next in line is Blaze.

Blaze is described as "a full-coverage, cool-toned medium mulberry red with a high concentration of microfine diamond holographic glitter." To me, it's a jelly-ish (like Aurora) blue-toned dark red with holo glitters. I love how the glitters add pizzazz to an otherwise plain red. Opaque in two coats but again I felt like it was still a bit sheer, so I used three coats plus top coat.


Last but certainly not the least: Storm.

Storm... oh Storm. I have no words for this polish. Storm is described as "a full-coverage, holiday black with a high concentration of microfine diamond holographic glitter." All I can say it, this polish is GORGEOUS! It's like a galaxy in a bottle. I mean, can you SEE those holo glitters?! Obviously this is my favorite out of all three. I loved it so much I did all ten nails with this color. It's a jelly-ish black that's completely opaque in two coats. I did two coats with top coat.


Thoughts? I freaking love Zoya polishes! They have one of the best formulas I have encountered. They were a little on the thin side but if you're careful enough and don't overload the brush, it won't flood your cuticles. The polishes also even out quite nicely. The brushes are also one of the best I have worked with. It fans out quite nicely and not streaky at all. Dry time is also fairly fast, about a minute or two per coat.

Would I recommend these polishes? YES, definitely. It's a bit expensive at $8 per 0.5oz, plus shipping, but they are definitely worh the expense. Plus, Zoya has deals from time to time so be sure to like their page on Facebook and check their website from time to time. They also have a wide array of beautiful colors.


That's it for today's post! I hope you'll join me again soon. :)


*I bought these polishes with my own money. Zoya nail polishes can be purchased from their website, select salons and Ulta. They are $8 per 0.5oz.*

*Disclaimer: Due to variations in screen resolutions, polishes may appear different to each reader. I try my best to capture colors as accurately as I can, and if I can't, I try to describe as much as I can.*

Mainstream Mondays: Sinful Colors Sail La Vie Collection

Hi there! First of all I would like to apologize for neglecting my blog... There are so many polishes, I don't know where to start! But, I realized a solution. I will have a theme for each day! Well, maybe not EVERY day, but certain days. And... For the first day of the week (which I totally realize was YESTERDAY) I present to you...

Mainstream Mondays!

Mainstream Mondays will be posts consisting of, you guessed it, mainstream polishes, or brands that you can  find in major retailers and drug stores. And for today's post, I have one of my favorite cheap drugstore polishes: Sinful Colors.

Sinful Colors can be found at most drugstores (Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid to name a few,) Target, and Walmart. They retail for $1.99 each (plus applicable sales tax, depending on your state.) I love Sinful Colors because they are relatively inexpensive, therefore I don't feel bad if I buy a bunch at a time lol... And they have a wide array of colors, plus limited edition polishes that they re-release from time to time. Ok, without further ado, here are three polishes from the recently released Sail La Vie Collection.


First up, the namesake of the collection: Sail La Vie.

Sail La Vie is a pretty light blue that leans just a smidgen periwinkle in real life. I used three coats for this, plus top coat. Being the heavyhanded person that I am, I had to do three coats when using light colors. You can probably get away with two if you're careful enough. Formula was a bit runny, and you need to really make sure to wipe the excess polish from the brush stem because it will surprise you and just drop this huge glob of polish when you least expect it.


Next up is My Buoyfriend.

My Buoyfriend is a little less brighter than it shows in pictures. Formula was a little bit thick but runny at the same time. Again, be sure to wipe up the brush stem because it will threaten to do the same thing as Sail La Vie. Shown is two thickish coats with top coat.

Last but not the least is Into the Blue.

Into the Blue is a gorgeous dark blue. Not quite navy blue, it has a bit of purple in it. Only thing was, the polish got a little thicker as I kept working with it, so this is two thickish coats with top coat. Nevertheless, it wasn't too much of a bother, and nothing a little thinner couldn't fix.


Overall, I am pretty satisfied with these polishes. The colors may not be the most original of all, but hey, you can never have too many blues! I have actually looked in my stash if I can find a dupe, but I didn't find any. Bottom line: I recommend these if you love blues.

Oh! Here's a bonus gradient I did with these polishes.

Then I added China Glaze Fairy Dust, just because glitter makes everything better, lol.

I hope you enjoyed these swatches and gradients!


*Disclaimer: Due to variations in screen resolutions, polishes may appear different to each reader. I try my best to capture colors as accurately as I can, and if I can't, I try to describe as much as I can.*