Lit from Within: August 2013
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Saturday, August 31, 2013

Summer Challenge - Last Hurrah!






Hello, Fireflies!

It's the last day of August, and the last day for all the summer challenges I was doing!  School started for me this week, and I think I'm going to be too busy for daily challenges, but I am hoping to keep up with the NCC and my stamping on Sundays with the Adventures in Stamping group. (I am so embarrassed to show you my stamping for tomorrow, though!)

So, in line with the Around the World/Fall is coming/BBQ theme - I give you:

The All-American Labor Day end of summer cook-out!

Barry M. Mushroom

I started with one coat of Barry M. Mushroom.  I don't know what happened to the texture, it may have been that I didn't wait for my base coat to dry enough.  Barry M makes wonderful polishes in the UK.  I got this one in a blog sale, but Ninja Polish also carries them.

Saran Wrap mani!  I actually did this with a piece of grocery bag and a bit of Zoya Louise

I wasn't worried about the messed up texture, because I was going for a Saran Wrap mani!  I actually did this with a piece of grocery bag and a bit of Zoya Louise.

doesn't it look like some meat on the grill?

With the grill marks I made with OPI Black Onyx and a striping brush, and a little topcoat, doesn't it look like some meat on the grill?

doesn't it look like some meat on the grill?

And, here's the bottle shot:  Barry M. Mushroom, Zoya Louise, and OPI Black Onyx.

bottle shot:  Barry M. Mushroom, Zoya Louise, and OPI Black Onyx

What are you doing for your last hurrah of the summer? 















Friday, August 30, 2013

Navy Glam!

Hello, Fireflies!

This is the last comparison of this week - gorgeous navy blue, one of my fave colors for a holo because it just shows all the holo goodness with so little of that greying effect.

Ninja Polish made this color, Glamorous, as a dupe for the VHTF OPI DS Glamour.
 
Glamorous, a reputed dupe for the VHTF OPI DS Glamour

I wish I had DS Glamour to compare, but I don't.  In any case, this is a gorgeous polish, and if you like deep blue holos, this is a must-have.

if you like deep blue holos, this is a must-have

NailNation 3000 Doppel Ganger is also supposed to be a dupe for OPI DS Glamour, but it's different from Glamorous.

NailNation 3000 Doppel Ganger is also supposed to be a dupe for OPI DS Glamour

This polish applied beautifully, but interestingly.  The first coat had larger holo bits, and looked like it was going to be a sheer, scattered holo.  The second coat changed everything, and it was a perfect, linear holo.  I was amazed!

This polish applied beautifully, but interestingly

Aly's Dream Polish in Navy wasn't touted as a dupe for anything, and it's a brighter blue than the other two.

Aly's Dream Polish in Navy

When Aly first set up shop, she had soooo many holos, I was overwhelmed and ended up not buying any.  Now, I wish I had bought all of them.  They are really great holos!

Aly's Dream Polish in Navy

Here's the bottle shot:  Ninja Polish Glamorous, NN3000 Doppel Ganger, and Aly's Dream Polish Navy.

bottle shot:  Ninja Polish Glamorous, NN3000 Doppel Ganger, and Aly's Dream Polish Navy

Behold, the side-by-side comparison.  No dupes!  I wish wish wish wish I had DS Glamour to compare!  It's hard to imagine any polish being prettier than any of these.  I love them all.

Behold, the side-by-side comparison

Do you need all three, too?  Or, do you have the coveted DS Glamour, and need none of these?  Inconceivable!  Must.Have.Them.All!!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Seeing the Forest Green for the Trees

Hello, Fireflies!

One of my fave holo colors is green.  I've shown you minty ones earlier in the week, and today I want to go darker.

This.Is.Gorgeous.  It might as well be called that, but it's actually Lilypad Lacquer Emerald City.

Lilypad Lacquer Emerald City

I love how it is just a *touch* blue.

just a little bit of blue!

Moving from green with a bit of blue to green with a bit of olive and brown, this is Lilypad Lacquer Wild at Heart.

Lilypad Lacquer Wild at Heart.

It is a pretty cool jungle green!

cool jungle green

This one isn't a holo, and it's way more blue than green, but the base colors look so similar in the bottle.  I had no idea it would be this blue on the nail!  This is Lilypad Lacquer Great Galaxy.

Lilypad Lacquer Great Galaxy

This has so much shimmer!  I've layered it over black on my thumb, which really makes the glitter pop.
It looks great on its own, too.

layered it over black on my thumb

This polish *looks* like it's layered over black, but it's not.  It's not layered at all, and it's only ONE COAT.  This is Carpe Noctem Woodland Camo.

Carpe Noctem Woodland Camo

I love when a polish gets those blackened edges and really shines in the center, like it glows.  The formula was perfection.

I love when a polish gets those blackened edges

Leaning a little more olive again, is Cameo Colors Lacquer This Is War.

Cameo Colors Lacquer This Is War

This one I layered over black on my thumb.  By itself, it takes 3 or so coats to get opaque, and it's still a little watery-looking, but it has great shimmer.

good layering polish

Here's the bottle shot:  Lilypad Lacquer in Emerald City, Wild at Heart, and Great Galaxy, followed by Carpe Noctem Woodland Camo and Cameo Colors Lacquer This Is War.

bottle shot:  Lilypad Lacquer in Emerald City, Wild at Heart, and Great Galaxy, followed by Carpe Noctem Woodland Camo and Cameo Colors Lacquer This Is War

Side-by-side comparison - no dupes here, not even close.

Lilypad Lacquer in Emerald City, Wild at Heart, and Great Galaxy, followed by Carpe Noctem Woodland Camo and Cameo Colors Lacquer This Is War

They are all so gorgeous, it's hard to pick a fave.  I was really surprised how blue some of them are!  What's your favorite?

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

That's Teal-ly Hard!

Hello, Fireflies!

I want to continue these comparisons with a favorite, teal.

Or is it?  I had such a hard time deciding if something was teal or turquoise, or aqua, etc.  By the time I was done, I didn't know what was what.  So, here's the deal:  I picked 5 colors in my untrieds that I thought were fairly close, and whatever they are, they are some kind of blue/green color.

First up is Literary Lacquers Lake of Shining Waters.  This is the color *I* think of when I think of teal.

Literary Lacquers Lake of Shining Waters

This is a gorgeous holo, and it really does look like a mystical lake, or what I can imagine the lake in Anne of Green Gables looked like, as this polish collex was inspired by the book.

it really does look like what I think a mystical lake should look like.

Avon Cosmic Celestial is not that teal.  I think of this as more aqua.  There is some green in there, but it's pretty subtle.

Avon Cosmic Celestial

It is a really pretty scattered holo.  Blue/aqua/grey/green... what do you think?

Avon Cosmic Celestial

Above the Curve Gratitude looks more teal to me, but it has a completely different finish - it's still holo, but it has a frosty shimmer, too.

Gratitude has a frosty shimmer

It almost has a metallic look to it, but it's sheer at the same time.

Gratitude is metallic, but sheer

Indigo Bananas Telephasic Worshop looks teal in the bottle, but it has a purple shimmer that is the kind of purple my camera hates to photograph.  It's quite strong, really, but I guess you'll have to take my word for it.

Indigo Bananas Telephasic Worshop

This pix shows you a *hint* of the purple. It also dries matte!  I put topcoat on it for these swatches, but in the comparison shot at the end of this post, I left it matte.  It totally changes the way it looks, though both are pretty cool.

a *hint* of the purple. It also dries matte

Last, but not least is NailNation 3000 Gina...So Guess What?  which is her tribute polish to her friend and polish blogger.  NailNation is known for her holos, and this one is pretty holo!

NailNation 3000 Gina...So Guess What?

Is this teal or turquoise?  Or neither?

Is this teal or turquoise?  Or neither?

In the bottle, the differences are there, but harder to see.  Bottle shot:  Literary Lacquers Lake of Shining Waters, Avon Cosmic Celestial, Above the Curve Gratitude, Indigo Bananas Telephasic Workshop, and NailNation 3000 Gina...So Guess What?

Bottle shot:  Literary Lacquers Lake of Shining Waters, Avon Cosmic Celestial, Above the Curve Gratitude, Indigo Bananas Telephasic Workshop, and NailNation 3000 Gina...So Guess What?

I suppose this would be the 'money shot'.  All the polishes next to one another for best comparison.  No dupes!  So many different finishes.


Teal, turquoise, aqua, blue... they are all beauties! Which is your favorite?

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

That's Plum-Crazy!

Hello, Fireflies!

I made it to day 2, with an awesome plum holo compilation and comparison to show you!  I love plum.

Hmm.  Another Lilypad Lacquer?  Yep! This is Velveteen.

Lilypad Lacquer Velveteen

I do so hope it's named for the Velveteen Rabbit, which is one of my fave stories.  Also, why I may still have one or two of my fave, well-loved stuffed animals from my childhood.  This polish is also going to be well-loved in my collection.  Great application, lovely holo, perfect plum.

Great application, lovely holo, perfect plum

Girly Bits What Happens in Vegas...Ends Up On Facebook was an LE made for a convention, and then released to the general populace for a few mins before it sold out.

Girly Bits What Happens in Vegas...Ends Up On Facebook

This is a lighter plum base with lots of holo.  Girly Bits was one of the first Indie Polish makers, and she's still got it.

lighter plum base with lots of holo

Of all the Enchanted Polish Calendar polishes, I think February 2013 had the widest distribution.  I was very happy to get one because I love purple, and February is my birth month.  Go, Aquarians!

Enchanted Polish Calendar polish February 2013

This one has a green duochrome effect that I couldn't capture well, but you can kinda see it a little in this pix, along the tips. 

February 2013 has a green duochrome effect

Lastly, I want to show you this beauty, Euphoria, from Superchic Lacquer (WonderBeauty Products).  It comes the closest to the dark plum base of February 2013, but doesn't have the green shift.


Euphoria, from Superchic Lacquer (WonderBeauty Products)

I love this type of deep, rich plum holo. 

Euphoria is a deep, rich plum holo

Here's the bottle shot:  Lilypad Lacquer Velveteen, Girly Bits What Happens In Vegas...Ends Up On Facebook, Enchanted Polish February 2013, and SuperChic Lacquer Euphoria.

 bottle shot:  Lilypad Lacquer Velveteen, Girly Bits What Happens In Vegas...Ends Up On Facebook, Enchanted Polish February 2013, and SuperChic Lacquer Euphoria

No dupes here!  Velveteen seems to be lighter on the nail than in the bottle, and the Girly Bits does, too.  February almost seems darker on the nail than in the bottle.

the money shot - comparison of plums

Are you plum-crazy for plum holos?  Which is your fave, even if I don't have it here?

Monday, August 26, 2013

Ah! Minty Fresh!

Hi, Fireflies!

I have an idea this week to do a bunch of comparison posts.  Let's see if I can make it all week!

First up, I wanted to go mint!  Seems like mint is a hot topic lately in the polish-sphere, so I pulled some of my mint untrieds to compare.

If you haven't yet heard of Lilypad Lacquer, you need to.  They are a newish Indie out of Australia, and her holos are really quite beautiful.  This is My Enchantmint

Lilypad Lacquer My Enchantmint

This is a crisp, green mint with a subtle linear holo.  Application is flawless.  I did not want to take it off... but I have more mint to show you!

Lilypad Lacquer My Enchantmint

I'm glad I was able to get Enchanted Polish July 2013.  It's a gorgeous mint with a nice subtle linear holo. 

Enchanted Polish July 2013

This is a little bluer than the Lilypad, and not as opaque, but it is probably one of my fave EPs.

Enchanted Polish July 2013

This polish, Enchanted Polish A Little Fishy Told Me is a charity polish for BASE camp in honor of Talia Joy.

Enchanted Polish A Little Fishy Told Me

I'm not sure if it's a traditional mint, really.  The blue shimmer is pretty, but it makes this polish look grey/blue.  I actually really like it, but I can see where people might be disappointed that it's not a Talia Joy mint.

people might be disappointed that it's not a Talia Joy mint

This polish surprised me!  In the bottle, Layla Emerald Divine looks very light and pale!  It's actually an in-your-face gorgeous green holo.

 Layla Emerald Divine

Layla formulas are a little finicky, and usually apply better if you have an aqua base on, or have buffed your nails.  I find that a ridge-filling base coat works pretty well for me, especially since this type of mirror-chrome holo shows every ding and divot in my nails.

Layla formulas are a little finicky

Urban Lacquer Mother Minter isn't a linear holo, but it's a lovely mint jelly with a smidge of micro holo glitter.

Urban Lacquer Mother Minter

It's very sheer, and I would definitely recommend layering it unless you want to wear 4 coats like I am. 

Urban Lacquer Mother Minter is a very sheer mint jelly polish

Here's the bottle shot.  It never ceases to amaze me how similar these polishes can look in the bottle and be totally different on the nail.  From left to right, Lilypad Lacquer My Enchantmint, Enchanted Polish July 2013 and A Little Fishy Told Me, Layla Emerald Divine, and Urban Lacquer Mother-Minter

Lilypad Lacquer My Enchantmint, Enchanted Polish July 2013 and A Little Fishy Told Me, Layla Emerald Divine, and Urban Lacquer Mother-Minter

No dupes.  The Lilypad is close to EP July in color, but the finish is different. 

Lilypad Lacquer My Enchantmint, Enchanted Polish July 2013 and A Little Fishy Told Me, Layla Emerald Divine, and Urban Lacquer Mother-Minter

So, what do you think of all this mint?  Any faves?
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