Nail Art: MoYou London Challenge Day 5 - Shadows (Bird Silhouette)

Today's nail art (which I posted to Instagram yesterday) was actually not really planned before it happened. It started off when I was swatching Wise Up, Janet from Indigo Bananas, a really pretty foil-like lavender glassfleck holo. (didn't edit the photos to post it, yet, but I posted a video swatch on Instagram!).

Sitting on my desk next to Wise Up, Janet was 2% Butterscotch Ripple and Pure Imagination. As they sat together, I thought about how the three together would make a really gorgeous and glittery dusk-like gradient.

Nail Art: FingerFood's Theme Buffet #17 - Something New

So, it looks as though I might actually have this week's contribution to FingerFood's Theme Buffet done a little earlier than usual! No last minute flailing about to try to get things in before the InLinkz expires.

The funny thing is that when I started doing this manicure, I hadn't actually intened it to be for the Theme Buffet...Yet somehow it just happened to fit all of the criteria for this week - Something New! New polish, new stamping plate, new nail accessories/accents, first time using said acccents.... Somehow the pieces all fell in place.

Swatches and Reviews: Indigo Bananas - With a Spoon in It

As I've come to be more and more immersed in the world of nail polish, there are a few indie brands that have stood out. One of those which I've heard only amazing things about is Indigo Bananas. Amazing holos, multichromes and glitters,  wonderful formulas and - truly - an artisan among indie nail polish crafters.

Today I received my first Indigo Bananas polishes and figured I might as well throw it on and take photos for the Monday Indie Spotlight.  Of the five polishes that I bought, this is the one that called out for me to try - With a Spoon in It

Reviews and Swatches: Enchanted Polish - March 2014

Wow, it's been a crazy busy week thusfar. I started a new job on Tuesday, which  meant that my whole posting schedule got out of whack. I'm going to be using this weekend to write up some posts so you don't have to deal with the unplanned breaks from here on in.

Today I'm bringing you what was originially meant to be my Monday Indie Spotlight polish. This amazingly gorgeous polish is from Enchanted Polish, and is the March 2014 addition to the company's monthly mystery polish releass.

Reviews and Swatches: Love, Angeline - Quick Change

After a two week hiatus, the Monday Indie Spotlight is back! Each week, I take a look at a different indie nail polish, swatch and review it.

This week, I'm taking a look at Quick Change, a grey crelly from Love, Angeline.

This is the third Love, Angeline nail polish that I've reviewed (the other two being Strawberry Fields  and Card Trick) and as much as I love the brand, I wish I could have loved this particular polish.

Reviews and Swatches: Philly Loves Lacquer - Avenuers

It's yet another Monday, and I seem to be back on schedule! (knock on wood). That means that it's time to bring you another nail polish from an indie maker.

I know that I've already shown you a few polishes from Philly Loves Lacquer, including Fancy Brigade earlier this month. For today's episode of Indie Spotlight, I'll take a look at another of PhLL's, with another polish that continues the Mummers theme. Esther makes some pretty holos, and Avenuers, a pretty, silvery grey scattered holo polish with subtle rainbow microglitter is a nice addition to the collection.

Reviews and Swatches: Cult Nails - Baker

Indie Nail Polish makers come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny operations run by a single person bent over bottles and scales in their home to larger operations that employ a lab to manufacture their products.

Cult Nails is one of the larger names out there in the indie/niche polish market, but the polishes are developed with love by a great designer as part of a family-run operation. Today, I'm bringing you one of the polishes I picked up in the recent Cult Nails clearance sale - Baker, a warm light tan polish with a soft gold shimmer.

Reviews and Swatches: Philly Loves Lacquer - Fancy Brigade

Living in the Philadelphia area, you grow up with the Philadelphia Mummers. Every New Year's Day, you watch the Mummers Parade on TV, or you brave the bitter cold to stand along Broad St. and watch the comics and the string bands and fancies march their way up to City Hall. Maybe you even head down to 2 Street afterwards.

In today's Monday Indie Spotlight, I'm trying out Fancy Brigade from Philly Loves Lacquer, a gorgeous deep teal holo polish inspired by our beloved Philadelphia Mummers and released this past holiday season .

Nail Art: Tri Polish Tuesday Challenge - Lovely Spring Gradients NOTD

It's Tuesday. It's also the first week of March, which means...

1. It's Tri Polish Tuesday!
2. It's time for a new set of Tri Polish colors!

So what color-filled goodness does March bring? In the spirit of Spring (oh, PLEASE say spring is coming soon!), we're going to be doing Green, Blue and Purple!

Last week, I had to skip out on the challenge. but I was eager to give it a try again this week.

Reviews and Swatches: Enchanted Polish - December 2013

Ah, Monday. Dreaded Monday. Miserable most weeks, but particularly so when it's been snowing. But at least Monday also means that it's time for me to review another indie nail polish and nail polish maker!

In this week's Monday Indie Spotlight feature, I'm going to take a look at the December 2013 color from Enchanted Polish. This is a nude-colored polish with a very subtle linear holo effect.

Reviews and Swatches: Love, Angeline - Strawberry Fields

Yep, it's Monday. Time for another trip into the Indie Spotlight, where I try out indie nail polishes from amazing polish makers from right here in our nail community.

Last week, I took a look at Card Trick by Love, Angeline. This was a great polish, and while I normally wouldn't do two similar polishes two weeks in a row, I wanted to try this one, Strawberry Fields. Well, there's also the fact that I only have a limited supply of indie polishes to work with at the moment.

Plus, with all of the miserable weather this winter, my nails needed the spring vibe that this polish gives off

Reviews and Swatches: Love, Angeline - Card Trick

It's Monday, which means it's time for another Indie Spotlight post!

About two weeks ago, I ordered several polishes from  Love, Angeline. I've had my eye on a few of these amazing glitter-filled crellies for a while now. Finally, I caved and treated myself to a couple on my wishlist, and I'm  really glad I did.

Today I'm going to take a look at the first of my purchases: Card Trick <3

Swatches and Reviews: Pahlish - Mad Man With a Box

2 coats, no topcoat

A few weeks ago,  I mentioned in a post about how I love supporting independent artists and creators and that the indie nail polish community has really caught my interest.  In that post I mentioned that I was looking at the new offerings Pahlish had put out, and that I'd caved and spent a few of my spare dollars on one of their polishes.

That polish was Mad Man With a Box from part one of a series inspired by Doctor Who. Being a fan, this polish combined so many of my favorite things: Doctor Who, nail polish and BLUE. <3 Care to see some swatches of this beauty?

Swatches and Reviews: Philly Loves Lacquer Eagles Duo Part 2 - "Go Birds!"

First of all, I want to apologize for the delay in getting this review out. Between birthday celebrations on Monday (33, would you believe it?) and the foot of snow dumped on Philadelphia yesterday, I've been a bit busy.

In any case, today I'm bringing you part 2 of my review of Philly Loves Lacquer's Eagles Duo. You can find part 1 covering "I-G-G-L-E-S!" here.) This time, we're going to take a few minutes to look at "Go Birds,"  a clear glitter topper that's great for both Eagles fans and those who want to add a bit of teal-colored whimsy to their nails.

Swatches and Reviews: Philly Loves Lacquer Eagles Duo Part 1 - "I-G-G-L-E-S!"

Growing up in the Philadelphia area to a sports-loving family, it was practically a requirement that I become a Philadelphia Eagles fan or risk being disowned.  Okay, perhaps that's an exaggeration, but my family HAS had season tickets for 30 years and I've faithfully watched the Eagles over the years - through so many bad seasons and so many good. We were born to bleed green.

I've been eyeing up Philadelphia Loves Lacquer polishes a lot lately. I may have missed out on the gorgeous holos in her "Holo-day on Broad" collection, but imagine my joy at finding that Esther put together a duo in honor of our beloved Birds. The duo consists of I-G-G-L-E-S! - a white crelly with various glitter - and Go Birds!, a clear base with the same assortment of glitter. 

For my own convenience since I'm a bit short of time (today is my birthday!) , I'm going to post the two reviews separate. Expect a second post on "Go Birds!" later this afternoon or early this evening!  (UPDATE: You can find part 2 of this review here).

Indie Nail Polishes and a Look at Things to Come

The mail faeries paid me a visit today with a purchase from local indie nail polish maker Philly Loves Lacquer. I hope to swatch these polishes in the next day or two. The photo to the left is a bit of a preview of things to come!

Which brings me to my question: Do you use indie polishes? Which brands do you recommend? I'm looking for recommendations on new brands to try, and I love the satisfaction that comes along with supporting independent makers and artists. So, please send me your links/recs!

Indie Spotlight - Pahlish

Credit: Pahlish

I love supporting independent businesses, artists and individuals. This isn't necessarily in opposition to monolithic corporate culture, but rather that I appreciate the work, effort and ingenuity born of indies.

The one thing that we can be grateful for in this age is how the Internet allows for visibility. Without a network of blogs or through word spread across social media, I would have never known about the various independent nail polish creators that existed out there. Through sites such as Etsy, through blogs and through word-of-mouth, independent nail polish creators have found their niche in the nail art community.

Some of the craziest glitters and most innovative formulas can be found among indies. Mainstream polishes like Maybelline's Color Show Street Art  and Polka Dot collections  owe a lot to products and an aesthetic nurtured by indies.

This isn't to say that indie formulas are perfect - just that they offer an alternative. It doesn't matter whether these indie shops are made of a single person hunched over tiny bottles, painstakingly pouring each batch by hand, or whether they send their formulas off to be manufactured; each bottle is a work of art

As I unfortunately remain unemployed, I'm unable to support these small businesses with my wallet, but I love to explore the offerings they have. (Okay, full disclosure: I may be amassing a wish list for the day that I am once again gainfully employed and can thus afford to shovel my money over to these indies).

Pahlish is one of those companies whose polishes have captured my heart, thus why I'll take a look at it first. Founded in 2012, they are indepently owned and operated and polish makers based in Jonesboro, Arkansas (or so says their facebook page).