#itrustindiepolish

Hey guys. So, before we get back to our regularly scheduled swatch posts (I have a gooder from Pretty & Polished!), let's switch gears a bit and talk about why I love (and trust) indie polish.

Source: http://www.the-crumpet.com/2015/08/indies-i-trust-crumpets-top-10.html

You may be aware of the recent, incredibly scary issues that people are having with Mentality Polish - sensitivity, tingling, what looks like chemical burns, nails lifting from the nail beds, NECROSIS! It's a legit (and legal) shit-storm. I'm not going to get into the specifics and timelines because there are many awesome blog posts out there that contain lots of information - see Ashley Is Polish Addicted, Imperfectly Painted, Lab Muffin, and Betty's Beauty Bombs for a start. There is even a Facebook group dedicated to keeping people up-to-date.

Now, while bloggers have been doing their best to share information while still stressing that this is an ISOLATED INCIDENT, a few more mainstream outlets (Jezebel and Seventeen Magazine) have also picked up the story which, in my opinion, may be doing more harm to the indie community as a whole than good. Do I think that informing the masses is a bad idea? Never! I am a huge advocate of the freedom of information and I'm positive there are people who own some of the affected polish that aren't on Facebook or Instagram and are perhaps wondering what the hell is going on with their nails.

The problem I have is that several of the articles are using minimal sources and haven't spoken to other makers in the community. They aren't letting their readers know that this is a crazy one-off and that MOST makers do in-depth testing (and, uh, have liability insurance) to ensure the safety of their product. To the average, mainstream consumer these articles are painting the indie polish community with a "I mess around in my basement and have no idea what I'm doing" brush. Not a great perception for a community that we love and hold dear. A few outlets, like Refinery 29 and Nail It!, do have a more balanced approach rather than alarmist.

UPDATE: Consumerist also has a well-written article posted.

So, when I saw posts on The Crumpet and Phyrra listing indie brands they trust, I thought I'd follow suit with my own list. I am going to go with Debbie's criteria so these have to be brands that I have used (and worn, not just swatched) and have spoken with and have some sort of relationship with the maker.

#itrustindiepolish

KBShimmer

Wingdust Collections (on vacation)

Emerald & Ash (on vacation)

Elevation Polish

Literary Lacquers

Eat. Sleep. Polish.

Pretty & Polished

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer

Firecracker Lacquer

Glisten & Glow

There are TONS of other amazing brands, many of the makers I've met and spoken to in person, but I wanted to keep the list to ten that I use regularly, otherwise this list would be a mile long. ;)

Which indie brands do you trust? List them in the comments! Let's show our favourite makers some love.

Glisten & Glow : Cocktails, Anyone? collection (pic heavy!)

Hold on to your seats and grab your sunglasses, these suckers are crazy!

On the Monday evening of Cosmoprof, Missi of DIFFERENT dimension, Jill of Glisten & Glow, Sara of Cupcake Polish, and Linda of NailVinyls hosted a blogger & indie maker event. It was a crazy fun time that was capped off with the receipt of not one but TWO swag bags. Generous, right? These bags included samples - Cosmoprof exclusives, current collections, and upcoming collections - from the makers at the event. (The Elevation/Pahlish duo from Friday was also in the swag bags.)

At the end of the event most makers said they didn't want to carry all of their stock home and so were unloading it on delirious bloggers, makers, and friends. I happened to be chatting with Jill when she dumped a crap ton of stuff into my bag, including these eight beauties.

Across the board, the formula on these was great! Some were more sheer than others but none needed more than three coats! In the sun, these babies rock my world. Without fail, when I went to take a pic in the sun, I'd step outside, look at my nails and go WOAH! These are intense, ultra linear holographic polishes. *drool*

Please note that I didn't use base or top coat for any of the swatches. They are that good!


Blue Hawaiian is a light blue linear holographic. Shown here is three coats.

Grape Groove is a lilac purple linear holographic. Shown here is two coats.
 

*Note: A storm decided to roll in at the end of my swatch session so this is the only one taken outdoors with flash.*

Hpnotiq Hurricane is a teal blue linear holographic. Shown here is two coats.
 

Midori Sour is a yellow-toned green linear holographic. Shown here is three coats.

Peach Bellini is a yellow-toned orange linear holographic. Shown here is three coats.

Raspberry Margarita is a bright pink linear holographic. Shown here is two coats.

Silver Streak is a silver linear holographic. Shown here is three coats.

Tequila Sunrise is a red-toned orange linear holographic. Shown here is two coats.

Glisten & Glow

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