Stuck With Bargain Bin on a Budget?

Greetings, folks!

You're on a budget. Spending $10 to $20 for a single bottle of polish just isn't feasible. Does that mean that you're stuck with bargain bin leftovers? 

Absolutely not. 

First off, drugstore polish makers have really upped their game. Wet 'n' Wild, L.A. Colors, Pure Ice, and Sinful Colors are all polishes that you can find for less than two dollars. Between these four brands, you can find pretty much anything your heart desires (even holo!). L.A. Colors doesn't always have the best formula, but the other three are pretty safe bets. Sinful Colors has put out... what... 7 new collections this year? And Pure Ice has some amazing formulas--"Show Stopper", for example, is a two coat yellow polish. Not even OPI has mastered that yet. Not to mention Pure Ice's glitters are amazeballs.

(There's also Sally Hansen polishes for less than $3, but I'm still mad at them.)

(Yes, I can hold one hell of a grudge.)

There's also the option of buying in bulk. This is a larger investment up front, but worth it in the long run. Nabi Cosmetics (found on Amazon and Ebay) runs great deals where you can choose a bunch of polishes for a discounted price. Several years ago I purchased a set of 20 polishes for $24.00, putting each polish at $1.20 a piece. Last time I looked (last November) their polishes were even cheaper. I also bought the Seche Vite Pro Kit from head2toebeauty.com for $18.75. This kit is 4.5 ounces--the equivalent of 9 bottles. That puts each bottle at only $2.08. You can't get that deal at Sally Beauty Supply!

Another thing to look for is sales. Oftentimes Sally Beauty Supply will have "buy two get one free" sales on their polish. Zoya is also great for sales... last year their Black Friday Sale was 70% their entire site! That meant Zoya polishes for only $3 a bottle! 

Online e-tailers are also an option. These include sites such as the aforementioned head2toebeauty, 88beauty, transdesign, and holler. 

And of course it never hurts to peruse someone's destash. There's always a destash happening! Right now there are at least three that I know of: Phoebe Moon's, Alli Evette's, and Stacey's (formerly Polished Ways on YouTube). I believe Jessika and Juanita will be destashing soon as well. You can simply Google "nail polish destash" and find all sorts of goodies for great prices. Sometimes you can even snag indie brands for super cheap. 

Oops! NOT Dupes!

Greetings folks,

I have erred in my way!

In a recent haul post, I mentioned that Pure Ice "Eskimo Kisses" was basically the exact same as Pure Ice "Don't You Wish", but with a blue tinted base. I was wrong. Here's a swatch of each of them over China Glaze "Combat Blue-ts":

As you can see, they are actually a bit different. "Eskimo Kisses" is there on the left, and "Don't You Wish" is on the right. "Eskimo Kisses" has smaller, more dense glitters with a few big glitters here and there, while "Don't You Wish" has larger, more sparse glitters. The latter polish allows a bit more of the base color to show through.

I have swatched "Eskimo Kisses" on its own. Although those glitters are fairly dense and the base is lightly tinted, I don't think you could get it opaque on its own. "Don't You Wish" definitely wouldn't get opaque on its own. 

Yes, the polishes are similar, but they are not dupes as I had thought. My apologies for the error! 

Pueen Nail Stamp Starter Kit Review

Good afternoon folks!

Today I'll be discussing the Pueen Nail Stamp Starter Kit that I recently purchased at Walmart for $9.98.

So what all do you get for $9.98? Everything you see here:

• Stamper: You'll get a single-ended jelly stamper. This is on the smaller side, and won't pick up an entire image on the plate enclosed. However, I found that it's rather easy to hold despite it's small stature. The head came ready to stamp right out of the box--I didn't even have to wash it with warm soapy water. The head is a bit firm for my tastes, but by no means as hard as the rubber heads of old. In my limited experience with this stamper, it does seem to work better if you push down on the image rather than roll, and then roll the image onto your nail. Everyone is different, however, so a different technique might work better for you.
• Scraper: You'll also get the typical crown-shaped Pueen scraping card. For me, this was a bit difficult to control. It's much smaller and more stiff than the Bundle Monster scrapers I'm used to. The one good thing about this card, though, is that it's nearly impossible to scrape too hard. 
• Plate: This kit comes with Pueen's Nail Party 01 stamping plate. The plate itself is very thick and sturdy, and the designs are well etched. There's a good variety of designs to choose from, so I think there's something here for everyone. I'm a big fan of the amoeba/blob pattern myself. 
• Polishes: No kit would be complete without some stamping polishes. Pueen included the two basics, black and white. I'll warn you, though: unlike some stamping polishes, these should not be used as regular polish. They will crack when they dry! They do work well for what they're intended for, however. Just out of curiosity I pit them against Bundle Monster's black and white stamping polishes. As you can see here, they're pretty much identical. (This is the image that's under the glare in the above photo.)

Price wise, this kit is a fairly good investment. I'm not sure it would be the greatest for beginners, though. While the stamper head isn't bad, it can be a bit finicky if you're not used to stamping. Still, $10 for a 5-piece set isn't too shabby. 

But if I knew before I purchased what I know now, would I still purchase the kit? Ehhh, probably not. Maybe I've just gotten used to Bundle Monster products, but I think I'd probably go for one of their kits instead. While they are more expensive, you get a lot more stuff and have much larger variety to choose from. 

With that being said, if you see a Pueen stamping plate you like, grab it! Their plates are phenomenal. Even their small round plates are very well etched and easy to work with. As I mentioned in the last post, I also picked up their Fairytale Lovers 01 plate, and I'm absolutely in love with that thing. Worth every penny and then some. 

More Walmart Stuffs!

Good evening folks!

So... I was naughty again. I bought more nail stuff. 

I saw NailStamp4Fun's video on the new Pueen Nail Stamp Starter Kit a couple of weeks ago. I figured, well, I need to grab some batteries for my son's toys, so I'll just pop into Walmart and take a peek at it. 

"Take a peek" turned into a mini-haul:

As you can see, I did go ahead and pick up the Pueen set for $9.98. I'll be reviewing this and comparing it to BMC products after I've had a bit of time to play with it. 

Hanging right next to the starter kit was a very interesting Pueen stamping plate called "Fairytale Lovers 01" for $3.88. This plate is gorgeous. There's not a single image on this plate I don't like. I'm not in love with the hearts image, but I do still like it. Every other image on this plate is stunning, breathtaking, awe-inspiring! Or should I say mani-inspiring? I cannot wait to play with this! 

And of course, since I was wandering through the nail stuff, I had to take a gander at some polish. Pure Ice didn't have anything that I needed, Sally Hansen is still on my shit list, Color Club hasn't yet made it to my Walmart, and Sinful Colors was nowhere to be found. However, Wet 'n' Wild had a couple of colors worth notice. One was a gorgeous sky blue that I cannot remember the name of--but I put her back, since I have soooo many blues already. But this garnet burgundy beauty I just had to bring home with me. Her name is "Burgundy Frost" and she cost me a mere $0.93. Don't let her name fool you, though. She is not at all a frost finish. She's a lovely luster with an easy two-coat formula. 

All in all, a pretty good haul for only $15!

Budget-Friendly Feature -- Wet 'n' Wild Ready to Propose

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!

Today I'll be featuring Wet 'n' Wild "Ready to Propose". This is a lovely gold polish that I purchased at Walgreens for $0.99. 

I have a tendency to prefer my gold polishes a bit more on the yellow side, but I have to say that this is probably my favorite gold that I own. It definitely leans more brown than yellow, but it's not that murky kind of brown that you can find in some golds (Sally Hansen "Golden-I", for example). 

The formula on "Ready to Propose" is phenomenal. It glides on smooth, isn't too runny, and is opaque in two easy coats. It's also great for stamping and water marbling. It does have a tendency to show a wee bit of brush strokes, though, so if that's something you abhor... this may not be the best option for you. I, of course, don't mind brush strokes at all, as I've mentioned before. 

The only downside to this polish isn't so much about the polish itself, but the entire line in general. I always have an issue with the Wet 'n' Wild Wild Shines not letting go of their brushes. You know... when you go to open your bottle and the cap comes off but the brush is still stuck in the bottle? Argh! I know this can happen with any brand, but it sure seems to happen a lot more often with the Wild Shines. And you know what I find a bit humorous? I have some Wet 'n' Wild polishes that are about 20 years old (no joke! still use 'em!) that very rarely have the brush-sticky issue. 

So, is "Ready to Propose" worth the $0.99 I paid for it? Absolutely. I mean, you really can't go wrong with something that cost you less than a dollar. And this is such a pretty color, with a great formula, that works with all types of nail art. I highly recommend! 

I'm Not Sure I Want to Play with Sally Anymore

Good evening, folks.

Remember in the last post how I was talking about how Sally Hansen "Royal Rage" was a bit of a disappointment?

Yeah... "a bit" turned out to be a big understatement. 

I'm sure by now you folks know I'm a big blue fan. So for me to say any blue polish is absolute junk is pretty dramatic. 

This polish is absolute $(#!*ing JUNK! 

I'm fairly certain I have never bought a polish, worn it once (for ONE DAY) and said, "Yeah, this shit needs to go." Especially relating to a blue polish. 

"Royal Rage" is a royal pain to apply. I know I probably got a little spoiled considering my first jelly polishes were Zoyas, but this Sally Hansen is so incredibly awful!! It's really more of a crelly formula, though. A really crappy crelly. It runs everywhere. It's streaky. It's patchy. It drags on itself. Even after three coats it wasn't opaque, and it was bumpy. This polish has the worst formula I have ever dealt with, hands down. Don't waste your $2-3!!

Now, I know that Sally Hansen has some good polishes. I have "White On" and "Golden-I" and I love them. Yet... I have more fails than wins. "Royal Rage", "Pixel Perfect" (which I have mentioned in a previous post), "Jazzy Jade", and "Tango-rine" aren't so awesome. "Jazzy Jade" doesn't have a bad formula, but the color looks nothing on the nails like it does in the bottle--it's very flat and not at all jazzy. "Tango-rine" is a great color, but the formula is soooo thin that it's easily a 3 to 4 coat polish. 

So after the "Royal Rage" fiasco (did I mention it chipped in less than 18 hours??), I'm really starting to think that I should just stay away from Sally. Why bother when I can grab a Pure Ice or Sinful Colors polish for cheaper that will probably have me singing rather than snarling?

Yeah, bye bye, Sally Hansen.

Larger Haul from Walmart.com

Good evening ladies and gents!

Today I'll be going over some goodies that I purchased from Walmart.com. I'll give you a forewarning, though... this post will have a bit of ranting in it.

So my mom came to me one evening and said that she wanted to place an order online, but needed $5 worth of more stuff to get the free shipping. "Want some polish?" she asked. Well now, you know, and I know, and she knew that was a silly question.

Of course I do! So I managed to narrow the gobs of bottles down to 3 to hit that $5 mark for her.

But then I ran into a problem. I realized that I only had two spaces left in my wall rack! OH NOES! 

So what did I do to solve the problem? 

... I bought another rack. And some more polishes to fill it. 


Yes, addiction has me in its clutches.

Including the three that Mom got with her order, I ended up getting 11 polishes--it was supposed to be 12, but apparently one was on backorder so Walmart refunded me for that one.

First on the left is Pure Ice "Moonlight", which was $1.98. Here begins the rant. Online, it looked to be a deep blue with silver shimmer. It is in fact a muddy grey/brown with purple shimmer. That shimmer doesn't even show up on the nail. Thus, you're left with... mud, basically. This polish was the biggest disappointment of the bunch. I didn't even think Pure Ice could make a bad polish, but this one proved me wrong. I don't like it one bit. I'll use it, somehow, someway, because I paid for it... but I won't enjoy it.

Second comes L.A. Colors "Dimple". This is just a basic pumpkin orange creme. It's a teeeensy bit streaky on the second coat, but I think with careful application it can work. Certainly worth the $0.98.

Third up is Pure Ice "Eskimo Kisses". This looked pure white online, which would make sense given the name. It's actually a holo glitter in a slightly blue tinted base. While pretty, the base isn't tinted enough to change any base color other than white. So if you already have Pure Ice "Don't You Wish", don't bother buying this one. They're exactly the same except for that tinted base.

Next up comes Sinful Colors "Mint Apple". Online? Mint creme. In reality? Very dark mint with tons of gold shimmer. Cute, but not what I really wanted. Was it worth $1.98? Eh, sure. I'll use it.

Fifth in line comes the second biggest disappointment. I paid $2.49 for Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Royal Rage". Online it looked to be an in-your-face neon royal blue. Nope. It's a dull blue with an awful crelly formula. This one's a three-coater--there's no way to hide the streakiness on that second coat. Still, it is a blue, so it'll get used.

In the middle of the pack we have Wet 'n' Wild "Casting Call", which was $0.98. This one was actually a pleasant surprise. I thought this would be much more pink, but it turns out it's actually more of a terra cotta color. I'm in love with it! The formula is great, too. Bonus: it water marbles like a champ.

The seventh polish was a roller coaster. Online, Pure Ice "Chrome on Over" (which was only $1.55 instead of the usual $1.98 Pure Ice price, for some reason) looked to be a gunmetal color. I was upset when I received it and discovered it's more of a purple. But then I swatched it, and ohhhh my goodness. GORGEOUS! This baby is my favorite of the bunch. Oh, and she's a one coater! 

Next is Pure Ice "Dollface", which was actually true to color. She's a lovely light peach creme. I put this in a water marble with "Casting Call" and it turned out great!

Then there's Pure Ice "Teal Appeal". I had seen this one in stores for quite a while and always thought about snagging it, so I finally did. She's a little closer to navy than teal, in my opinion. There's really not a whole lot of green in there. Still a great creme polish for the price, though, and I'm glad I picked her up.

The tenth polish is Wet 'n' Wild "Who is Ultra Violet?". This is a lot more pink than it looked online, but it's still a very nice purple creme. I was very bummed when it didn't work with the next polish in a water marble. I'll have to experiment some more to see if it cooperates with other polishes. 

Last but definitely not least we have Pure Ice "Sweet Serenity". This is a lovely light lavender creme (that I am wearing right now!). She's almost opaque in one coat, but I did get a patch here and there. I do tend to be a bit heavy-handed though, so those of you who aren't so aggressive might be able to get this polish opaque in one coat. That's pretty impressive for such a light colored polish. Absolutely worth every cent of the $1.98 that I paid.