Budget-Friendly Feature -- Sally Hansen Pixel Perfect

Greetings ladies and gents!


Today's Feature is Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Pixel Perfect". This is a glitter polish featuring different sizes of black and white hex, circle, and bar glitters.

I paid $2.49 for this at Target. 

Usually the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wears have pretty good formulas, but this was my first time trying one of their glitters. I have to say... I was not impressed. You have to do a lot of fishing and dab-placement to get a decent payoff of glitter. The sponging method doesn't really work with this because you end up with a big chunk of glitter in one spot and nothing on the rest of your nail. The clear base is also rather thin and has a tendency to pool in all the places you don't want it to.

In the photo I painted on the first coat, and then fished, and fished, and fished some more to strategically dab the rest on. (This is over Nabi "Pastel Minty", by the by)

While the polish has a pretty cool concept, the work required to make it look decent just isn't worth it, in my opinion. 

So was this glitter polish worth the $2.49 I paid for it? Sadly, I have to say no on this one. Thicken up the base a little bit and pack more glitters in there, then we might have something useful. Until then, I'd say go for one of the other black and white matte glitter polishes that are out there.

To Destash, or Not to Destash... That is the Question!

Good day, ladies and gents!

I find myself to be in a bit of a pickle. I'm considering doing a small polish purge. 

On the one hand, there are a few polishes in my collection that I just never reach for. On the other hand, I do have a system that will eventually make me go through these particular polishes. 

I abhor being wasteful, so I feel as though just getting rid of these bottles without using them would be a travesty. Yet I also wonder why I'm hanging on to them when I don't really care for them. 

While it would be nice to free up some space, that of course will inevitably lead me to spend more money on more polish. 

I have considered putting up a destash on storenvy or somesuch, but I have to wonder if it would be worth it. As I said before, it would be a small purge, and I wouldn't sell them for more than a dollar--most of them have been used at least once. 

What do you folks think? Should I try to muddle through these polishes and maybe empty the bottles in a decade? Or should I destash and send them to homes that will appreciate them more than I do?

Budget-Friendly Feature -- KleanColor Metallic White

Good afternoon folks,

Today we'll be discussing KleanColor Metallic White.

This is available as part of a 12 piece set which you can purchase on Amazon for $11.99. That puts each polish at only one dollar! 

The color is a gorgeous shimmery, glittery white. That's because the formula on this polish is basically just that: a shimmery white glitter in a clear base. The glitter is packed in there, though, making it a very thick polish. However, because it is so thick you can get this opaque in only two coats. 

If possible, wear a peel-off base coat under this gem... she will want to hang around for a long, long time otherwise.

One thing to note about the KleanColor brand is that they stink. I can't say for certain, but I don't believe these polishes are even 3-free. 

I'm constantly raving about the KleanColor metallics collection on YouTube, but I have to be honest: this polish is my least favorite of the bunch. Don't get me wrong, though. I still love it. I'm just not a huge fan of trying to get it off. Plus it doesn't work for stamping, so that's a bummer.

So is it worth a dollar? Heck yeah. Despite being more clingy than my last boyfriend, this polish is a stunning, blingy, crystal-snow-like masterpiece. 

Budget-Friendly Feature -- Nabi "Teal"

Good day, ladies and gents!

Lately I've been focusing a lot on the new YouTube channel, and my poor blog has been put off to the wayside. We can't have that now, can we? Therefore, I've decided I'm going to start a new series, entitled "Budget-Friendly Feature". In this series I'll go over random polishes in my collection and tell you about the color, the formula, whether or not I think it was worth the price I paid, and any other info I think might be relevant.

Our first Feature is Nabi "Teal" (not to be confused with "Teal II"). I bought a lot of 20 polishes from Nabi on ebay for $24.00, putting each bottle at $1.20.

Unfortunately I took a horribly shadowed picture, so the actual color is a bit hard to see. However, this is a stunning teal with just a light dusting of shimmer. 

This formula is definitely on the thinner side--it does require three coats for full opacity. I'm wondering if perhaps "Teal II" has a better formula? I may never know, since I am now on a definite no-buy. My rack is full to the brim and I just cannot justify buying more polish until I use some up! 

So is Nabi "Teal" worth the $1.20? In my eyes, yes it is. I've gone through half of this bottle. Normally I shy away from three-coaters, but the color on this baby is worth it. That's saying something, since I am incredibly lazy and the less work I have to do, the better.

What do you guys think? Would you try this polish for the price, even though the formula leaves a bit to be desired? Have you tried "Teal II"? Let me know!

Also, if ever there's a polish you've seen me use (either here, or on YouTube) and you'd like me to put that particular polish in a future Feature, speak up! 

Zoya Earth Day Exchange Haul

Good afternoon, ladies and gents!

Today I'll be going over the polishes I snagged in Zoya's Earth Day Exchange promotion. Every year Zoya has an Earth Day sale in which they'll give you a discount on their polishes in exchange for sending them your unwanted polishes to be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. This year they offered 50% off, plus free shipping. That puts each polish at only $5! Sweet! Keep in mind, however, that you do have to order at least 6 polishes. 

You don't absolutely have to send in old polishes--you can take advantage of the promo regardless. If you'd rather, you can donate your polishes to a shelter, which is what I'll be doing. I'll be donating 12 polishes, some makeup, baby diapers and wipes, nursing pads, feminine hygiene products, and some baby food. 

This promo runs until May 10th, so if you'd like to get on board you still can. 

Let's get into the fun stuff, shall we?

From left to right we have the Naked Manicure Lavender Perfecter, Dove, Giovanna, Frida, Estelle, and Indigo.

The Lavender Perfecter is Zoya's award-winning color corrector. It is supposed to reduce the appearance of discoloration and staining. Does it work? Well, I'll have a first-impressions video up on YouTube soon!  ;) 

Dove is a very light grey creme. She does seem to be a wee bit on the taupe-y side to me, but I've been needing a light grey for a while and she'll do nicely.

Giovanna is a gorgeous metallic green with a hint of blue. I do have a similar polish in Finger Paints "Van Gogh's Verdigris", but the formula on this one is much better.

Next up is Frida, which is a teal jelly. If you recall, I also picked up Katherine a while back, which is Zoya's purple jelly. I'm not entirely sure whether the formula on Frida is better, or whether I've just gotten more attuned to working with jellies--either way, this one applied with fewer patches and streaks. I'm looking forward to trying some pond manicures with her!

Then there's Estelle. Oh dear Goddess... Estelle is... she's goooorgeous. She runs in the same family (collection) as Ember and Cinnamon--though I had no idea all three were in the same collection until after I had ordered Estelle. She is a stunning blue chrome. I thought to myself, "If Estelle is the blue version of Ember, she may just replace my current favorite polish." Unfortunately, she's quite a bit darker than I had thought, so the crown still remains with Nabi "Cobalt Blue". She's still amazing though, so I have no regrets about snatching her up.

Last but most certainly not least, we have Indigo. I was stuck on Zoya's website with 5 polishes in my cart and couldn't decide on which polish to go with to hit that 6 polish requirement. I finally settled on Indigo, which is a rich indigo (go figure) color with a tiny smattering of holo. I wasn't super excited about this one... until I pulled it out of the box. She is so gorgeous!! She instantly became my favorite of the order, and quite possibly my favorite Zoya! In fact, I'll be using her for the manicure commemorating my son's first birthday. I'm in love...

If you've taken advantage of this promo, or are considering doing so, let me know what polishes you pick(ed) up!

Water Marble Tips

Greetings folks!

In this post I'll be sharing some tips I've learned over the years about water marbling. Some tricks I've learned from Colette at My Simple Little Pleasures (if you haven't yet checked out her YouTube channel, please do!), and some tricks I've learned through trial and error. 

The Container:

• You don't want to put your water in a container that's too large. Unless you have larger fingers and plan on dipping all five at once, you don't want to use a bowl. Try to find something that's relative to your finger size and how many fingers you want to dip. Otherwise, it will take quite a bit of time and polish to build your bullseye, and when it comes to water marbling time is of the essence
• Don't use a container that's too small. Again, you'll want something relative to your finger size and dipping plan. Even if you only plan to dip one finger at a time, too small of a container won't allow you to drip many rings and you may end up with a lackluster design.
• Use a container that's deep enough to allow you to dip your fingers through the polish and not bump your nails on the bottom.
• For simplicity and cost-effectiveness, use a sustainable container--something that you can re-use every time. You can clean it with acetone after every marble, or if you're lazy like me you can clean it after every dozen marbles--it doesn't affect how your next marble will turn out.
• I use a glass tea-light candle holder. I have thin fingers, and can dip three fingers at a time.

The Water:

• Use room temperature water. I cannot stress this enough! If your water is too cold, your polishes will dry too fast and you won't be able to draw your design. If your water is too warm, your polishes will become thick and gloopy and won't spread. They'll also tend to blend together more if they're too warm, which will result in a "muddy" look. I put my water in a bottle and leave it out for a while (at least a day) so that it's the right temperature when I'm ready to use it. Putting it in a bottle will also keep my cats from drinking it!
• If you have hard water, I strongly suggest using filtered or bottled water. Hard water has a lot of minerals that may make it harder for your polish to spread. I have hard water where I live, and get much better results using filtered water. If you don't have hard water, you may be able to get away with regular tap water. 

The Polish:

• No one brand of polish has great marblers across their line. It's always a good idea to do a test run with all the polishes you plan to use to make sure that they'll spread and won't dry too fast.
• In my experience, polishes that tend to spread well are the ones with thinner formulas. Drugstore brands are great for this, but again, no one polish brand has perfect marblers across the board. 
• Don't be afraid to use different brands in one marble. 
• If one color doesn't want to spread too much, go ahead and drop your next color. Sometimes a polish will push the previous ring out. If it doesn't, that previous color may have to be abandoned.
• Most glitter polishes won't work for water marbling. However, if you really want a glitter in your marble, try it out! 

Dripping:

• Drip relatively close to the surface of your water. If you're dripping from too high, the polish will sink to the bottom of your container.
• Work quickly! You don't want your polish to dry before you've had a chance to draw your design. It's a good idea to have all of your polishes open and ready to go.

The Design:

• Use a tool with a fine point. A specialized water marble tool, an orange stick, or a pin will all work. I use a toothpick.
• Use your tool to anchor your bullseye to the container by lightly pulling the outer ring to the sides of your cup in a few places. This will keep the bullseye from moving around while you're trying to draw your design.
• Start drawing at the second or third ring. The outer ring is typically dry by the time you get to this point.
• Use a very light touch when drawing through the polish. Going in too deep can drag the polish or create holes in your design. 
• Wipe your drawing tool off on the side of your cup or on a paper towel after every swipe through the polish. 
• If your design requires that you draw into the center of your cup, you'll probably get a clump of polish in the center. Use your tool to lightly dip through the clump to remove it.
• Try to work quickly. If you allow your polish to dry, you won't be able to draw your design.
• There's no hard and fast rule as to what design you should use. Experiment! Go crazy! Be completely random! HAVE FUN!

Dipping:

• Try to dip your finger(s) as parallel to the water as possible.
• If you're dipping more than one finger at a time, try to dip your fingers at exactly the same time. Otherwise, the first finger dip will pull the polish and skew the design on your other finger(s).
• Don't bump your nails on the sides or bottom of your container! I'm a klutz and have done this more times than I can count...
• Before removing your fingers from the water, make sure that you clean the surface to ensure no leftover polish clings to your nails. Try not to bump your nails with whatever cleanup tool you're using (I've done this too. Meh.).

I hope these tips were helpful! If there's anything I've forgotten or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave me a comment and let me know!

Pure Ice "Girl on the Run"

Greetings gals and guys!

Today we'll be going over this beauty here. This is Pure Ice "Girl on the Run". She is a quick-dry glossy top coat. I'll be discussing her pros and cons, as well as how she compares to Seche Vite.

I'm a huge fan of the Pure Ice brand. They have fun, funky colors for a great price. Every time I'm in Walmart I'm scoping out their stuff.

...But I never knew "Girl on the Run" existed. Crazy, right? Thankfully SistaChic mentioned it in her "Unpopular Opinions" YouTube video. If only that video had come out before I purchased the Seche Vite Pro Kit--the equivalent of nine bottles of Seche Vite... I had to try it, though. I had to! So here's what I think:


Pros:

• Price: "Girl on the Run" costs the same as other Pure Ice polishes--just under two dollars a bottle.
• Dry time: Pure Ice really surprised me on this one. This stuff dries within five minutes, easy.
• Shine: She's a high-shine beauty. She's got a gloss that won't fade for several days.
• Consistency: She's nice and smooth and a bit on the thinner side.
• Nail art: "Girl on the Run" has not smeared my nail art once. Sweet!

Cons:

• Wear time: Unfortunately I noticed some major tip wear after only a couple of days. After about the third day she'll start chipping like crazy. For me personally, this isn't really a huge problem since I rarely wear a mani for more than four days. However, for someone who wants longevity, this may not be the best top coat.
• Smell: "Girl on the Run" does have a bit of a funk to it. You won't be able to smell it once it's dry, but if you're sensitive to smells this might put you off.

Compared to Seche Vite:

• Price: Seche Vite retails for around eight dollars a bottle. If you get the Pro Kit, you'll pay about $2.08 per bottle plus shipping. That's a great price for Seche Vite, but it still can't beat out Pure Ice.
• Dry time: I daresay the two are pretty even on dry time. 
• Shine: Pure Ice wins out here, too. The shine on Seche Vite does tend to fade after a couple of days.
• Consistency: Again, Pure Ice is the winner. Seche Vite will get very thick and goopy once you've made it through half the bottle. With Pure Ice, you won't need to add a thinner to use the whole bottle.
• Nail art: Both top coats are great for nail art. Neither will smudge your work (if you're careful).
• Smell: Both products have a smell to them, though I would have to say that Pure Ice's is a bit worse.
• Wear time: Here's where Seche Vite wins out by quite a stretch. I once wore a water marble mani topped with Seche Vite for three weeks. I'm not sure that mani would have lasted a week with the Pure Ice. 
• Availability: You can easily find Seche Vite at any Sally Beauty Supply, as well as a few online retailers. "Girl on the Run" is only available at Walmart, and tends to sell out quickly.

So who's the winner? I think that depends on what you intend to do with your mani. If you want your manicure to last a good long while, I would say stick with Seche Vite. But if you're like me and change it up at least twice a week, Pure Ice has the upper hand--if you can find it. 

If you can find it, I'd really recommend giving "Girl on the Run" a try. She's inexpensive, and if you end up not liking her, chances are one or two (or a dozen) of your friends would be willing to buy it off you. 

I know my next top coat purchase will be another bottle of "Girl on the Run". Now I just need to get through these nine bottles of Seche Vite...