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!

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.

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.

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?

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

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

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.
 

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.

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

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!

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

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!

Here's the 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.

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

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.

I love how it is just a *touch* 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.

It is a pretty 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.

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.

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.

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

Leaning a little more olive again, is 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.

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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. 

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.

I love this type of 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.

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.

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