Literary Lacquers Some Glad Morning

Happy Friday! Has Spring arrived in your part of the world? I've been told it's coming but as for when, not looking like any time soon. :/ It was nice last week and we were lulled into a false sense of complacency. This week? Snow, wind, cold. Blah.

To combat the yucky weather I've been pulling out all of my teal nail polish so I can pretend it's a giant, warm sea. So, it was perfect timing when I opened the mail box the other day and saw that my bottle of Some Glad Morning had arrived from Amy of Literary Lacquers. This one started as an individual custom that was graciously shared in a Literary Lacquers Facebook group (so it's not available in her shop - sorry). It's teal and holo and special and of course I had to grab it.

The formula on this one is thin but not watery so it flowed well. It is a touch on the sheer side so I used three coats and one coat of HK Girl top coat.

Dude! I'm in love.

Oh! You may notice that my nail shape isn't super consistent. I go back and forth from nubs to semi-long, oval to squoval - it's all based on my mood and if I've had any recent breaks. Plus, I like seeing polish on a variety of nail lengths and shapes so why not try them all out on myself? :)

Have a great weekend, lovelies!

Literary Lacquers

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Enchanted Polish December 2013

First thing's first... Happy Birthday, Mama!! xox

And a reminder... my giveaway closes on Tuesday. Go enter!!

Now, on to the polish. This is another one from the untried pile...

When I first saw swatches of Enchanted Polish December 2013 I wasn't sold on it but, when Chelsea announced that it would be a pre-order, I couldn't say no. Imagine my surprise when I tried it on and discovered that it just may be my PERFECT nude?! I love, love, love it. As per usual, the formula on this was perfect - good pigmentation and it flowed well. The colour is subtle but when she's out in the sun, that's where she shines. (I imagine the same can be said for most nudes...)

Shown here is two coats along with one coat of CND Stickey base coat and one coat of Glisten & Glow HK Girl.

What do you think? Have you found the perfect nude polish?

Sign up for the Enchanted Polish newsletter to find out when the next monthly pre-order will be.

 

Enchanted Polish

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Emerald & Ash Stubble Jumper and a giveaway!!

Today is a very special post. When I started this blog I decided that when I reached 100 Facebook followers I would hold a giveaway. Well, the "share the love" campaign happened and that number sky-rocketed. I also knew that I really wanted to include a custom polish in my giveaway so I started working with Ashley of Emerald & Ash to bring my vision to life. I wanted the polish to represent something that was special to me and, being a life-long prairie girl, I knew that would be my inspiration. I sent Ashley a picture and she got to work. As she tweaked things she sent me prototype pictures and to say I was excited was an understatement.

Today is the day that I am finally able to share Stubble Jumper with you and I really hope you love it as much as I do. Today is also the perfect day to share this with you because two years ago today my dad passed away and he is the one who taught me the word stubble jumper. I thought everyone from Saskatchewan would get it but maybe not. :)

Stubble jumper refers to a person or farmer who has to jump over the wheat "stubble" as they walk across the fields. That stuff is stiff and sharp and I spent many a childhood summer hopping over it. The colour was inspired by wide open prairie sky, trees, and wheat fields and I think Ashley nailed it.

Stubble Jumper is a teal crelly that sparkles with blue shimmer and yellow and green/gold micro-flakies. Shown here is three coats along with one coat of CND Stickey base coat and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri.

Ashley made five bottles of this polish and three of them are part of the giveaway!

There will be three prizes... three winners... open internationally (unless your country prohibits the import of nail polish)... closes Tuesday, April 1st, 2014.

* Unless otherwise indicated, prizes were purchased by me.

 Prize #1 includes:

- Red Shift & Boot Season from Emerald & Ash
- Stubble Jumper from Emerald & Ash
- *Raspberry Mud Pie from Eat. Sleep. Polish (* provided by Caterina of Eat. Sleep. Polish.)
- lavender nail oil from Emerald & Ash
- HK Girl Quick Dry top coat from Glisten & Glow
- 4-sided nail tool

 Prize #2 includes:

- Strawberry Jam & Dipping Chocolate from Model City Polish
- Stubble Jumper from Emerald & Ash
- *Raspberry Mud Pie from Eat. Sleep. Polish. (* provided by Caterina from Eat. Sleep. Polish.)
- *chocolate nail oil from Model City Polish and *glass nail file (*provided by Nina from Model City Polish)
- Poshé quick dry topcoat

Prize #3 includes:

- Bewitched and Love Spell from Two Gypsies Lacquer
- Stubble Jumper from Emerald & Ash
- *Raspberry Mud Pie from Eat. Sleep. Polish. (* provided by Caterina from Eat. Sleep. Polish.)
- basil sage mint nail oil from Emerald & Ash
- Poshé quick dry topcoat
- *nail file (* provided by Michelle of Two Gypsies Lacquer)


  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Emerald & Ash Happy Primary Circumgyration

 

Last week I showed you the Photometry collection from Emerald & Ash and today I'm back to show you three polishes that were created for Emerald & Ash's first anniversary (or, as they are calling it, their Primary Circumgyration).

Happy Primary Circumgyration and Deconstructed Daisy holo are both limited edition and will be available until the end of March. Deconstructed Daisy holo is also available in a duo with the original Deconstructed Daisy and a bottle of their Daisy nail oil which closely resembles Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume (and is lovely!).

* Descriptions are provided by Emerald & Ash.

Happy Primary Circumgyration
A green leaning white crelly stunner that was created especially for our Primary Circumgyration (one year anniversary). It is a pastel beauty that shifts between an aqua and green shimmer depending on the light. With beautiful micro flakes that shift from aqua to green and a helping of holo to make it come alive. Full coverage at 3 coats depending on your application, but can also be worn over a white base color.

Shown here is three coats along with one coat of CND Stickey base coat & Sally Hansen Insta-Dri. This white is so pretty. The green shimmer adds a touch of uniqueness and really makes the polish glow. The formula was good and coverage was good for a white!

Ash & Emerald
A fun play on our name and the colors we use in our packaging. This ash colored crelly comes alive with a flash of emerald green shimmer and a spattering of green micro flakes. Full coverage at 2-3 coats depending on your application.

Shown here is three coats along with one coat of CND Stickey base coat and one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri. I am legit in love with this colour! It is so unique and gorgeous and the green shimmer and flakies make this polish come alive. The formula on this one was also great!

Deconstructed Daisy holo
The polish that started it all. It’s still the same polish that everyone has grown to love. Full of various sizes of green and white glitter with a speckling of yellow micro glitter. The added bonus is a spattering of holo. Not too much, so that you can see the polish you wear as a base coat, but enough to make it sparkle in the sun.

Shown here is one coat over Happy Primary Circumgyration and Ash & Emerald. This is PACKED with glitter and I didn't need to do much dabbing - coverage was effortless. The holo is pretty subtle but adds the perfect amount of sparkle in the sun. I added one coat of Gelous to smooth out the glitter.

Remember, Happy Primary Circumgyration & Deconstructed Daisy holo are only available until the end of March. Head over to Facebook and wish Ashley & Nate a Happy Primary Circumgyation!

 

Emerald & Ash

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Emerald & Ash Photometry Collection

Guys, I'm super excited about today's post. I have a soft spot for this particular brand because, spoiler alert, Ashley is awesome and I'm lucky to consider her a friend. That said, our friendship does not influence my review, I just genuinely like her products.

The Photometry collection from Emerald & Ash is something that has been in the works for a long time and after extensive testing and tweaking (which is the norm for E&A) Ashley and Nate were ready to release it. It was worth the wait because, man, the results are stunning. Oh, did I mention that Emerald & Ash is a husband/wife team? One thing that is so great about this brand is that they are able to combine Nate's passion for physics and science with Ashley's passion for polish and come up with some truly unique and inspired collections; this one is no different. Here is the collection description directly from Ashley.

The Photometry Collection has actually been in the works since we created our line over a year ago. It was always our intention to bring Nate’s job into the mix as it is such a huge part of who he is and what he loves. In case you’re wondering what that job is and why he’d be drawn to this type of thing, he is a Quantum Physics major and is currently a teacher of core physics at a university. A lot of his studies have included light and optics, so we took that and created polishes based on the colors that different light phenomenon create. The thing that ties these polishes together is that they are filled with glass flakes and a touch of holo. We wanted them to dance and change in whatever light source they are seen in.

The Photometry collection consists of five gorgeous polishes that are full of shimmer and flakes. They are simple and yet so lovely in their simplicity - the perfect balm for those suffering from glitter fatigue.

One note about my particular batch - when I was swatching these I noticed that the brushes were slightly bent or curved. It didn't affect the application of the polish but it was something I mentioned to Ashley. She wasn't sure what the issue was but offered to send new brushes to replace these ones. Ashley has always put customer service first and she stands behind her products. I checked the brushes again tonight and they are starting to self-correct. Ashley thinks it's possible that the coating that is on the brushes to prevent fraying hadn't been completely dissolved by the chemicals in the polish. Either way, she appreciated the feedback and I ALWAYS appreciate top-notch customer service.

Now, on to the polish. With all five I used one coat of CND Stickey base coat and one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat.

* All descriptions come directly from Ashley.
 
Aurora
A charming softened green shimmer with pops of red and green micro flakies and a slight touch of holo. Full coverage at 2-3 coats depending on your application.

Shown here is three coats. This green is perfect for spring.

Cherenkov Radiation
A brilliant bright blue jelly with aqua undertones and shimmer that is filled with glass flakes and a slight touch of holo. Full coverage at 2-3 coats depending on your application.

Shown here is three coats. This polish is STUNNING in person. Like I could not stop staring at my fingers.

Mie Scattering
A pure white crelly with white shimmer that is filled with micro flakies and a slight touch of holo. Can be worn alone with coverage in 3 coats or layered over a white base.

Shown here, starting with the index finger: index - one coat white (Revlon Spirited) and two coats Mie Scattering; middle and ring - four coats Mie Scattering; pinkie - two coats white and one coat Mie Scattering. As most white polish tends to be this is fairly sheer, but I think I prefer it with four coats on its own - I found that layering it over white took away from the flakes.

Sodium FASOR
A yellow-orange shimmering stunner with copper flashes and a surprise red color shift once on the nail. It is filled with micro flakies and a slight touch of holo. Full coverage at 2-3 coats depending on your application.

Shown here is two coats. I'm a fan of orange polish when it's well done and this one definitely is.

Spark Gap
A lovely lighter, yet vivid, purple crelly with violet flashes and a lot of shimmer that is filled with micro flakies and a slight touch of holo. Full coverage at 2-3 coats depending on your application.

Shown here is three coats. I had a hard time capturing how pretty this is. Just trust me, it's lovely in person.

They're great, right? I'm sure you picked up on it, but my favourite is definitely Cherenkov Radiation (I always want to type CherNEkov). I think it's one of the most brilliant and gorgeous blues I've ever seen.

Later this week I'll have another Emerald & Ash post - the Happy Primary Circumgyration collection!

Emerald & Ash

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