A note as from a single place,
A slender tinkling fall that made
Now drops that floated on the pool
Like pearls, and now a silver blade.
---Robert Frost "Going For Water"





This was just a dollar at Dollar General. I had high-hopes, since I have had decent luck with L.A. Colors. Unfortunately, this one sort of bombed. Shown is 5 coats and as you can see, there is still VNL. It was pretty aggravating. Also, it just wasn't as lustrous and I wanted it to be, it just looks milky. And it's too brush-strokey for layering, so this lacquer is just sort of useless to me. I have since frankened with mine and it doesn't even seem useful for that either.

Report card:

Color= C- (bleh- too frosty, too milky)
Formula= D- (wayyyyy too thin and sheer)
Brush= B (actually ok here)
Price= A+ (just a dollar, so if it sucks, you haven't wasted much)

Overall= C+

Essie- Nude Beach

"Now that nude-beach season is in full, um, swing, taking things off is once again a public matter. It comes with the additional difficulty of hot sand under one's feet and the unavoidable, inescapable truth that gravity always wins."
---Elizabeth Rosner




Yeah, my nails are stained. It's a shame because this is lovely on its own in my opinion. This is similar to a polish I used to have, Sahlly Hansen used to make it. It was from the Star Opal line but I can't remember the name. Oscar broke my bottle and I forgot to find the name. So, I scoured the internet and bought what most looked like it, which was Pure White Opal. But it's not pure white at all, it's a beigey milky color. Maybe it's old and has yellowed. Eithey way, it looks gross. But this polish looks virtually identical to my original polish, so I think I am not going to worry about it any more.

I love it for "lazi manis" where I just swipe on a single coat for some subtle shimmer and then go on about my day.

Report card:

Color= B- (not the most original, but I like it, and it's nice for layering)
Formula= A- (it's good, dries nice and stuff, not too gritty, etc etc)
Brush= B (average)
Price= D (seems like it runs 5 to 8 bucks, depending on where you find it)

Overall= C+

Comparison- Sheer opalescents

This is one of my favorite type of polishes. Shiny, shimmery, duochromatic, opalescent sheers. Above, from left to right, we have: Nina Ultra Pro "Molten Copper," Borghese "Patina Pearl," Pure Ice "Sea Shell," which is discontinued, and Sally Hansen "White Diamond," also discontinued.

The Pure Ice polish is my oldest actual bottle of polish. It was the originator of my "lazy mani" attitude of swiping on one coat of a sheer, opalescent polish and going on about my day. "Molten Copper" I bought back when I first got back into nails, this fall. Sally was having a buy 2 get 1 free for that brand I believe. The Borghese polish I found on sale recently at Walgreens, for $2.19 down from $8.17. I knew I already owned the similar Sally Hansen one, but I haven't been impressed with its quality, so I picked up the Borghese one to put them both through the gauntlet. I found the Sally Hansen one at my local Dollar Tree, along with other Sally Hansen polishes.

Now, when I swatched these, it was obvious that "Sea Shell" and "Molten Copper" looked nothing like the other too, so since my camera was getting full, I decided to just take pics of the Borghese and Sally Hansen polishes.




They were both pearly in general, with green on one side and pink on the other. They looked so similar, although the Borghese has a slightly stronger pink flash than the other. Ultimately, I liked the Borghese finish, and application, best. Poor Sally Hansen "White Diamond" now sits in my to-franken bag. It just takes way too long to dry and smudges like crazy. It is slightly more sheer and better for layering though, I'll give it that.

Borghese- Angelica Blush

Baby
You're my angel
Come and save me tonight
You're my angel
Come and make it all right
---Aerosmith "Angel"



This is a polish I picked up on clearance for 2.19 at Walgreens right after Christmas. My L.A. Colors Classic Pink for french manis turned out bupkis. It was streaky and sheer, so I slated it for frankening (it now has a new life as a yummy golden-pink champagne color, which I've dubbed Aurora and I'll feature soon, or dreckly as my granny says.)

So, I picked up this color, hoping it would fill that now-empty spot. It is a mixed review. On one hand, it was thickish and somewhat streaky- at first application. Luckily, it smoothed out and took on an even glossy, milky-pink tone at 2 applications. My advice is to do the first application thin, then a moderate coat for the second application, to have even coverage and a nice, cushy finish once dry.

Ultimately, this will suit my purposes well and I am no longer in search of a sheer pink for french manis.

Report card:

Color= C+ (this is 'bout as generic as it gets, but hey, classics are classics for a reason I guess)
Formula= B- (suitably average, but would be nice if it were quite so thick)
Brush= A+ (love Borghese brushes)
Price= F (these run $8+ a Wags. If you want to spend that, buy OPI or something else)

Overall= C+

Nicole by OPI- Scene Stealer

"The scene is dull. Tell him to put more life into his dying."
---Samuel Goldwyn




I loved this color in the bottle. It is so pretty and demure and classy and fitting for all occasions. I love it. It's a light violet-toned pink. It has a very extremely faint shimmer that in my opinion was not detectable hardly at all once dry.

Now, for all my high expectations for this, considering that I have never really had a bad experience formula-wise with Nicole by OPI polishes, I must say, I am quite disappointed. It was very sheer. That I can deal with. But it was also thick and globby and streaky and dried after like...eons. And when I say dry, I mean, it was "dry" but still was easily imprinted and smudged. 48 hours later, it was STILL imprintable and smudgey. But, I love the color so much, I plan on retrying it soon. Maybe something was off that day.

Report card:

Color= A (really pretty and flattering for most people I'd say)
Formula= C (thin, sheer, took forever to dry, was smudgey forever)
Brush= C+ (too flimsy for the polish's consistency)
Price= D- (I got mine in a 2 pack for $6.99, but normally they are 7.50, which is pricy, considering you can get China Glaze or Orly for less, and OPI for similar)

Overall= C

Pure Ice- Sea Shell

She sells sea shells by the sea shore...




This is an ancient polish of mine, from high school I'd wager. I was (and still am) all about pearlescent, opalescent, duochrome awesomeness, and especially sheer polishes, so this was a love of mine. It was the birth of my love of "lazi mani's". One coat and I'm good to go, my nails are interesting and subtly fancified. I'm normally not much of a girly girl.

My mom found this amongst her polishes at their house and gave it back to me. I must have overlooked it when I packed for my new house. I decided to give it a whirl, to see if it was still worth keeping or if it had not aged well, and whether it was analogous to any other polishes I have. It doesn't appear to be, except maybe a Sally Hansen Nail Prisms "White Diamond." I'm going to do a full on comparison soon.

Sea Shell is very aptly named, as it looks like that mother-of-pearl type flash you see inside shells. It has a golden and silver flash and then a very rosy pink on another. As I wore it, I kept thinking about how it might look interesting for layering, especially wondering how it might look over a brown. I added layering it over Orly Prince Charming to the list of experiments. Kind of a cherry cordial look perhaps?

It's also very sheer, this is 3 coats, which I wanted to do only to see if it could gain full opacity. I actually prefer it sheer, as was it's original intention, for my lazi manis. I still like it for that. It is a discontinued polish but I noticed in googling for other swatches that it is in stock at ABeautifulSecret.com in case you'd like to own it. It has an interesting smell too, almost a citrusy or perfumey aroma, these might have been a scented collection? It smells unlike any of my other polishes. If I had to guess, it is not Big 3 Free. Mine does not say.

Report card:

Color= C+ (I understand that this isn't a color for everyone)
Formula= C+ (it is kinda slow-drying and was prone to scuffs and scratches for about 12 hours, which was annoying, especially since it's been my experiences that sheers should dry quickly)
Brush= B (average)
Price= B+ (I think it was $2 and that's what Pure Ice runs even now)

Overall= B-

L.A. Colors- Megawatt

I llllloooooooovvvvvveeee this song from a show my kids watch on PBS- The Electric Company






I found this polish along with half a dozen others at Dollar Tree, a buck each, obviously, lol. I was most excited for this color. I love peachy/pinky/beigey shades, since I am fond of "lazi mani's" where I just put on a single coat of a sheer polish and call it a day. It gives a nice gloss, hint of color, and protects my nail in just a single step.

This one however didn't look right as one coat, at least, not with my stained nails. I can't remember what it was that stained them, but I think it was CG Classic Camel, and that was in September I believe? Or October? Either way, the stained portion is just now over halfway grown out. I'm sure there are ways to lighten it, but I don't know any. I already scrubbed with toothpaste and even buffed it heavily, but this orangey stain is still very visible with clear or sheer polishes.

Mega Watt is a peach-toned beige with very faint gold and silver fine-grade shimmer. First coat, I expected it to be sheer. Second coat, it looked hardly even a smidge more opaque than the first, or even really like I had anything on to begin with. Third coat, same story, although it did finally get at least noticably darker "peach" tone, though still very very sheer. Fourth coat, more peachiness, hardly any more opaque. It really needs more than 4 coats, but I stopped there, since I felt like it was an exercise in futility. My staining continue to show through at 4 coats, and that's not good. They looked like 50 year old chain-smoking divorcee, or maybe Patty and Selma's nails (The Simpsons). If I can get rid of this staining, I will revisit this polish, but it will take a while yet, about another 2-3 months I'm thinking.

Report card:

Color= D- (good in theory, but they made it too thin)
Formula= B+ (it was actually nice, quick-drying, hardy, nice finish, etc)
Brush= B (average)
Price= A+ (can't beat an A!)

Overall= B-

Wet n Wild- nameless "Wild Card/Mauve Frost?"

Pink it was love at first sight
Pink when I turn out the light
Pink it´s like red but not quite
And I think everything is going to be all right
No matter what we do tonight
---"Pink" by Aerosmith




This was one of those Dollar General holiday gift set Wet n Wild polishes I got. They claim to be "Wild Shine" polishes on the bottle but list no name or number. I googled around and I think it is either "Wild Card" or "Mauve Frost" but I can't really be certain. It could be something different entirely, something discontinued or maybe even not released at all at this time.

It's frosty pink with a slight golden duochrome flash. It's a powdery pink and reminds me of a gauzy negligee. It smacks of Dynasty for some reason. It looks like the perfect color for a blouse Krystle Carrington would be rockin.

It's a fun, demure, bimbo-pink color that has it's place I think, but I just wasn't too wowed tbh. I love pink nail polish, and there are others I'd rather wear. It was kinda thick and had a tacky, gummy feel for several hours, not to mention its sheerness. But it was fun and I think would be flattering on most skin tones and nail lengths, so it is fairly versatile, if that's a color you like.

Report card:

Color= C (it's unusual, but not tantalizing)
Formula= C- (has some issues)
Brush= B- (actually not too bad considering)
Price= A+ (it was $4 for 5 polishes, so SCORE!)

Overall= B-

Wet n Wild- Blitzen

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
"Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer, and Vixen!
"On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donder and Blitzen!
---anonymous, "A Visit From Saint Nicholas"







I saw this polish available at Walgreens recently. I am not usually a fan of glitters, but this one caught my eye. I bought this Maybelline polish (Iced Mauve) to have something of a similar color to the clear base to layer it over. I love that combination. However, I was less than thrilled with the Maybelline polish. I'll review that doozie later. But the Wet n Wild polish is awesome. I am really liking this brand.

It applied smoothly, dried quickly, and hardened into a perfect slightly glossy finish. It lasted a while also. I wore this for 4 days and it was flawless as of that last day. I really wanted a change, so I took it off, but I bet it would have lasted even longer. A great buy at just 1.99! And I noticed today that at my Walgreen's, they were half off, so if you'd like this polish, get thee there today to take advantage of the deal and get it even cheaper. They have others too, but this one was the one that I thought was most interesting.

Report card:

Color= A- (an interesting combination to be sure)
Formula= A (a really great polish, I had no complaints)
Brush= A- (it was better than your average brush, it applied very smoothly)
Price= A (1.99 for 2 polishes, this one, and a clear coat. Of course, they are small bottles, but I still think it's great buy, especially if you like glitters)

Overall= A-

Wet n Wild- nameless "Wild Orchid?"

A rare and fragrant orchid
her bud unfolding silently in the still night
casting her glow on all who take time to notice
---Woods-Orchid, poem by Philip A. Thomas



This unusual polish is why I bought this $4 set at Dollar General last month. It came with 5 polishes, which claim to be Wet N Wild "Wild Shine" polishes. None have names. There is one dark orange with gold glitter, 1 frosty blue which I think is "Shiver" or "Rain Check", 1 frosty pink, which I think is "Wild Card", 2 identical bottles of a metallic silvery grey, which I think are "Metallica" and then this one, which is a blurple with tons of mostly red glitter. In the bottle, the red glitter is basically all I see. Once applied, a few more colors show up- gold, silver, maybe even green or blue? Hard to tell. It takes at least 4 coats to be somewhat opaque and it has a gritty finish, but it's very unique. I kinda like it. It might be fun for a holiday or themed mani maybe even for layering or a 4th of July skittle?

I WISH WISH WISH WISH WISH they had included names or at least numbers to cross-reference, but nay not so. It looks very similar to Wild Orchid, but I've compared the bottle to pics of it online and they look different. This is more purple too than I think Wild Orchid is, aside from the different glitter compositions. But they are very similar. Maybe a color they intend to release later, or perhaps one from a long time ago? Maybe a pre-Wild Orchid experiment? Who knows? This and the orange one have me confuzzled as to their identity. If you have any clues, please share! I'm thinking it may be one of their Craze polishes, Inferno?

Anyway, report card:

Color= A- (pretty unique, in my opinion)
Formula= C- (meh, it's a jelly, so I know it's going to be sheer, but it's just weird)
Brush= D- (crappy thin, unwieldy handle plus a blah brush, makes for difficult application)
Price= A+ ($4 for 5 polishes, so is a win for me!)

Overall= C+

Arissa- Rockin Amethyst

Rock is so much fun. That's what it's all about - filling up the chest cavities and empty kneecaps and elbows.
---Jimi Hendrix




Fun color! This is a dark, true purple and is laden with rich purple glitter. It's not quite holo in effect in my opinion, but it's close and very glam. I feel like I oughta go to an Alice Cooper concert with this polish. It is indeed a "rockin" polish.

I think it applied easily and dried fairly well, and the rubberized handle made application even easier. I didn't wear it long, out of boredom, but it "felt" like it was hardy, if a bit heavy on my nails. This is 3 coats, so it took some time to make it truly opaque. I think it is likely a jelly, but for a jelly, it isn't too sheer. It would probably be pretty layered over a bright red I think? Also, I think this is mostly a polish for winter wear or for special events (Alice Cooper here I come!). It's just pretty "cold" looking on my hands.

I bought this for just 2 bucks at Family Dollar, so that's pretty awesome as well.

Report Card:

Color= B- (not the most unique, but it's fun)
Formula= B (pretty spot on average)
Brush= A- (better than average for sure)
Price= B+ (2 dollars, w00t!)

Overall= B

L.A. Colors- French Cream

French Cream:

* 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
* 1 cup powdered sugar
* 1 cup whipping cream
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1 lemon, zested and juiced
* Pineapple juice

Directions

Soften cream cheese and then whip with powdered sugar. Whip cream and sugar together until it forms soft peaks. Combine beaten cream cheese, whipped cream, lemon juice and zest; continue to beat, adding just enough pineapple juice to achieve desired consistency. Serve with fresh fruit tray or fruit salad.
---Paula Deen, Food Network




French SCREAM is more like it, because that's what it made me want to do when I put it on there, and not in a "OMG, it's the Beatles!" kinda way but a go-ahead-and-commit-me-I-am-losing-my-mind kinda way. Super thick, streaky, globby mess. Dried fast though, but sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. This was one of those moments. It dried nearly as fast as I drew it from the bottle, and eventually the brush, which was already sub-par to begin with, started to glob up. I couldn't get the streaks out either. The pic is with 2 coats, and the more I added, the worse it got.

At least I only paid a $1 for it. But hey, I coulda bought tons of better things for that buck.

Report card
Color= D- (next to falling, it's sorta pukey looking, but it's sheer enough and serves the purpose for a sheer, traditional mani)
Formula= F (streaks, globs, and fugliness)
Brush= C+ (obviously less than average, but was doable)
Price= B (I can't in good conscience put an A, even though it was a buck, since it was such a horrible buy, I'd rather have my dollar back)

Overall= D+

Finger Paints- Putty in My Hands

"With one wave of you hand,
I'm your slave to command
But I'm glad it's okay
Oh anything you say, I'm like a hunk of clay..."
-"Putty (In Your Hands)" by The Shirelles

---




I bought this along with 2 other polishes at Sally Beauty this week, since they had a deal going where they were a buck off plus, if you bought 3, you got a little wallet thingie. I needed a new one, and I love excuses to buy polish, so voila. I bought Putty In My Hands, Art You Blue, and Fiji Weejee Fawn. I'm kinda confuzzled at Fiji Weejee Fawn, since it has nothing to do with fawn at all. It's a dark plummy mauve. I thought it was pretty, regardless of the silly name. But I'll cover that polish later, my nails had to be cut short since I had a booboo with my left middle finger. This is common, since I am a lefty and I hold my pens/pencils funny. I put a lot of pressure on that nail and it will break at least twice a month. So for now, I'm doing the lighter of my fall colors.

So, onto "Putty In My Hands". It's a pretty caramel color with a very delicate, ever-so-slight shimmer, though I still count it as a matte in my little world. Anyway, I put it on, and honestly, I immediately had trouble with it. It was thicker than I am used to, and I dislike the brush, I think it's either too long or too flimsy. It just slid around all willy nilly. It also dried too fast and since it was so thick, it was globby. I was sad. I loved the color. I took it off and decided to try a different color, but then afterwards, I googled around and other people liked Finger Paints, so I decided to give it another try. I took the thickness and quick-drying into account and did a better job of the application the second go-around and I am very glad I gave it another shot. The color is just great- a lovely neutral with a warm, caramelly-coffee-with-milk-and-sugar look. The faint shimmer is a nice touch, making this a very versatile polish. I can see this for all seasons, and it's neutral enough for casual and business but also shimmery enough to transition into classic fancy or night-time look.

So here's the report card:
Color= A- (Lovely color, probably flattering on most skin-tones, but also sort of commonplace at the same time)
Formula= C+ (Too thick for me to apply smoothly, but it did dry to a nice gloss and was very hardy, it lasted 2 days perfectly for me, and probably would've have went longer, but I wanted something different)
Brush=C (could definitely be better)
Price=C- (3.99 is what I paid, which isn't too bad, but it was a special, and normally 4.99, which is almost too rich for my blood.

Overall=C+

L.A. Colors- Topaz

"I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul."
-Pablo Neruda "XVII"

---



I found this for a buck, yes, a BUCK, at one of my favorite stores, Dollar General. What a great investment! It's got shine, long-lasting power, quick-dry time, lovely color, easy application, etc etc. They have an assortment of colors available, so I think I will try those out sometime too, but I want to swatch my current reds first, so I don't double up.

As I applied this for the first coat, it was very sheer, and I was somewhat disappointed, I was afraid it would stay that way. On the plus side, I decided it would be a nice "lazy manicure" with just one coat, to add some simple glitz. When I applied the second coat, I was surprised at how opaque it became. I still had some nail line showing though, so I added a third for good measure. Normally I am 2 coats and that is it, but since this had a great drying time, I was ok with another coat. In certain lights, there still were some angles that showed the nail line, but eh, I thought it looked great anyway.

It is a gorgeous color, pretty spot on for a topaz tone, with a fine array of gold, bronze, and silver shimmer. Additionally, the metallic sheen made it resemble rose gold to me. I LOVE rose gold, so I really enjoyed this effect. In addition to the nice color, the quality of the formula was excellent. It applied so easily, the brush was not hard to use, and it lasted forever. After 3 days it was still as if I had just applied it. My nails grow fast, so the new growth was too visible and I was ready for a new polish anyway, but I am certain it would have lasted for days and days more.

The report card for this color:
Color= A (I love the color personally, but I realize it might not be unique per se, but I do think it would be flattering for most people, so it's a solid A)
Formula= A+ (I've never had better, honestly)
Brush= B (solidly average)
Price= A+ (I think without being clearance, $1 is pretty much the best you can hope for with a polish)

Overall= A-