Polish Review: Gilty Girl Cosmetics

AH! This review excites the crap outta me. If you watch my Facebook page or frequent my Instagram, you’d know I got an awesome package from the polish fairies last week. I have NEVER been so excited about getting a package!

Sheer size was enough to make me squee with joy.

And then I found the mother lode. Again. I squee.

Seriously, it was like Christmas. Polish Christmas. The Polish Gods had smiled upon me.

But I digress. Before I get into the whole mess of things, I have another Artist Spotlight for you! I would like to introduce you to Alanna, the mastermind behind Gilty Girl Cosmetics.

 

Good Witch: What are your favorite sources for inspiration?
Alanna: I draw my inspiration for the colors from many different things such as music art fashion. I also draw inspiration from the world around me. For example the color TOKYO is a soft electric neon with ultra fine gold dancing and moving about. This is how I perceive and embody the city of Tokyo as a color.

I also draw inspiration from the nail polish names themselves. I created a very fun color called LAPDANCE, a very pale nude with an array of various glitters "dancing" in this fleshy color. Its so rewarding creating these types of colors and getting such a fun reaction from people. That's what beauty products should be about.’'

Good Witch: Where does your creativity stem from to allow you to come up with an array of colors and possibilities?
Alanna: I am a fine artist and have been a painter starting at the age of five. It is my passion and identity, so I look at everything from an artistic perspective. I have always wanted to create my own beauty line, but what I wanted to create a collection that pushed the envelope so to speak and shied away from what everyone else is doing. I love to do beauty and art shows for Gilty Girl because for me it is so rewarding to hear women say to me they have never seen colors like I have created for Gilty Girl.

Good Witch: What do you love about making polish?
Alanna: UGGH, EVERYTHING! The glitter, the color pigments, the natural raw ingredients such as the 24kt gold, sterling silver, quartz crystal- I feel like a mad scientist in a pretty sparkly studio.
I love designing new colors and watching the color unfold in front of me. It is so mesmerizing! I love the first moment I bottle a new color then label them. I love taking photos of the new colors and launching them online. Its so amazing to be at the very start of each color to the end when I package each of my little pretties and send them off.

Good Witch: If someone copies one of your polishes, is that flattering or insulting?
Alanna: I would say flattering. I am not competitive because I believe if you are true to your products the copycats can't keep up. They never know what you have in store next. I honestly do not pay much attention to see if anyone would copy any of my collection. I’m to busy creating !

Good Witch:What made you start making polish?
Alanna: I have had my hands into anything and everything ART. I have always wanted to create my own unique beauty brand because that is what most little girls dream of.

I lost my Mom to a long battle of cancer in 2008. This was the major turning point in my life were I woke up to this new knowledge of becoming more self aware about myself and my health. During this period of time I became conscientious of the food I was eating and the products I was using.

I decided I would listen to this instinctive voice inside that was telling me to create the beauty line I have always dreamed of.
I wanted to create a beauty line that was made from safe non toxic ingredients with a luxury finish.

I realized that there was this missing niche in the market for what I believe GILTY GIRL represents.

I did years of research on the art of "frankening" nail polish and thought what a fantastic way to start my line.

I also wanted to honor my Mom too. The lion image used as my logo is a copy of her favorite charm she wore all her life. I think it is the perfect finish to a fearless indie brand swimming in a big sea.

Good Witch: What are some of the new polish trends going around that you like and what are some that you cannot stand?
Alanna: I actually cannot say there aren't any I don't like. I really love to be in awe at some of the most far out trends I have seen. I really love the two-dimensional flower acrylic designs coming from artists in Russia and Spain. Its just stunning works of art. Its like walking into an art gallery were you will see some things that just grab your attention and some you don't have a connection with but you can appreciate the process the artist used. I see nail trends like this.

Good Witch: Do you have anything awesome in the works for your customers?
Alanna: Umm, Yes! I have some really special TOP SHELF colors I have already created and will be released very soon. I started a very unique collection of genuine ORGANITE nail polish that include my 5 free formula, genuine quartz crystal, genuine 24kt gold leaf and sterling silver, and genuine Monoatomic gold. Organite is a fascinating mixture of these ingredients that have been used for eons to generate positive energy. This is not just some new age pseudo science. There are major scientific organizations around the world that are studying and documenting the amazing positive effects of organite. I wanted to create a new collection of colors with a little more love in them. I guess its my way of saving the world one bottle at a time. I get butterflies just thinking of it.

Good Witch: Lastly, what type of base coat do you use or suggest? As well as top coat?
Alanna: I don't have any particular brand of base coat I use. I actually have made my own base coat using my own formula. I may bottle it up for everyone in the future one day. I also use my own 5 free top coat too. There are times I will finish off my manis with a gel top coat because that stuff is like armor!

Ok first off. I want to talk a bit about the packaging. HOLY CRAP. She does an utterly amazing job. I have NEVER in my polish “career” seen anyone package polish like this. Each polish comes wrapped in black tissue paper, tied together with ribbon emblazoned with the Gilty Girl moniker and then closed with a melted wax stamp. Who uses wax stamps anymore? Seriously makes me want to go out and get supplies to start doing it LOL.

You open your polish like it’s Christmas and find a gorgeous, high quality box.

With another adorable bow on top.

Then you slide the box open to reveal your polish. But the luxe-ness doesn’t end there. Pop your polish out of the box to reveal…

A fortune! Each polish comes with one. It’s like the best fortune cookies for polished obsessed peeps.

OK… Now I’ll get onto the polish. Some of the polishes I received will be strictly on my Instagram account, so make sure you go over there and take a peek.

First up is Entrepreneur, the first polish Alanna had designed and made for the collection. It’s listed as a “enterprise of holographic and gold glitters ENTREPRENEUR establishes itself as a fearless cerulean tone.”

It does not fail to impress at all. What fails to impress is my camera’s ability to catch the shimmer. When I swatched these, my sunlight was quickly waning .

Almost a one-coater, Entrepreneur is a gorgeous crème polish with a quick drying time and unlimited stunning power.

Mermaid is a perfect crème shimmer; a mix of blue and green iridescence reminds you of a mermaids tail as the sun glints off of the scales while its sliding out of sight, into the depths of the ocean. Wow… That was deep…

This picture does this polish little to no justice. The way it shifts and sparkles is amazing. It would look fabulous over a jet black polish. I may just have to do that soon.

Seriously shimmery and opaque in 2-3 coats, Mermaid is sure to please. Dry time is minimal, but suggested between coats.

Muse, muse, oh how I love thee. This beautiful deep teal jelly is smattered with blue and green glitters to create a simple, yet striking combination.

Two light coats and a good topcoat is all it takes to make this beauty shine.

Supernova, Gilty Girl’s top seller has been dubbed “the one coat glitter”. Filled with super shiny silver micro glitter, Supernova is exactly that.

Shown here in one coat with a top coat on top or…

Paired with another color as an accent nail, Supernova is a stunna! Dry time is nil, as with pretty much all of the other Gilty Girl polishes.

Now… Drum roll please… My favorite polish out of all the polish Alanna sent me….

I introduce Wiccan, a perfectly delectable, vampy blood red jelly with 24 karat gold flake.

You can’t see how pretty it is in this picture… Trust me… Scroll on…

BAM! I’ve been sporting these beautifully vampy nails for the last few days. And I LOVE this polish. Like seriously. LOVE it. It goes on effortlessly and looks just as squishy as your favorite jelly sammich; yet so luxe and posh that it almost makes you want to sigh. As suggested, I used a good base coat to avoid staining and suggest you do as well.

I also received a bottle of Naked Oil, Gilty Girl’s cuticle oil. Made with Apricot Oil, Meadowfoam oil and Camelia seed oil, her Naked Oil may just be my new favorite cuticle oil.

You can find Gilty Girl polishes either in her Etsy shop, or her website storefront. At generally $13 a bottle, and sometimes $24 (The cost of Wiccan and her other silver and 24k topcoats) Gilty Girl Cosmetics at the high price end of the Good Witch pricing spectrum. But don’t let that deter you. In this instance you ACTUALLY get what you pay for. From a superior product, to intricate (and completely safe and relatively shatter proof) packaging (it’s gonna take a linebacker to break the boxes that this polish comes in) you are receiving a very well made artesian product that is well worth the money spent. BUT… Sweet Alanna does have a surprise for my readers. How would a coupon code sound? Use code THEGOODWITCH1 on either the Etsy shop or the .com storefront for 40% off of your entire order! How great is that?!

You can also follow her Instagram account for future discounts, promotions or releases. Make sure to tell her The Good Witch sent ya and keep an eye out for more of my Gilty Girl Cosmetics swatch photos!

Polish Review: TAS Polishes

Well… This hasn’t been a very good week for polishes. I was supposed to have two lovely polishes for you from the creative mind behind TAS Polishes. Keyword: SUPPOSED.

The other day when I was getting ready to swatch polishes, I fell and twisted my ankle while holding a handful of polishes, including one of my favorite Zoyas (Charla) and a couple of others. Unfortunately, Do You Wear A Spring Bikini, one of the polishes from TAS Polishes met an untimely demise . Now I have a pair of capris that is very festively decorated by numerous polishes and glitters but no Spring Bikini to show for it  

So I only have one gorgeous polish to show you today. *sigh*

Ride A Wild Seahorse is a glorious sea-foam colored glitter bomb that is just fantastic.

Set in a shimmery sea-foam green base, Seahorse has all sorts of glitters from blue square to iridescent hex glitters of all sizes, including stars! I love star glitter. Just makes me smile inside lol.

It takes about three thin coats to reach full opacity. Some of the glitters don’t really sit flat, but a coat of something like Glitter Food flattens them out quickly.

To me it looks like a mermaid’s tail.

While it is chunky, it’s still gorgeous to me. Dry time is minimal and the shimmer you get is unbeatable.

While for some reason, her polishes aren’t up on her Etsy site at the moment, you can purchase them from her there when they get back on there.

Polish Review: GG Indie Polish

Hi there Witchie-Poos! I hope today finds you well!

Today I have another Artist Spotlight and a couple of gorgeous polishes up for your viewing pleasure! So…. Away we go!! Meet Bobbie of Green Glitter Indie Polish!

Good Witch: What are your favorite sources for inspiration?

Bobbie: I try to do "seasonal" shades. But I also pick color combos from outfits/ads in magazines.

Good Witch: Where does your creativity stem from to allow you to come up with an array of colors and possibilities?

Bobbie: I've always loved art! I actually paint pet portraits as another side project. Very good at blending colors together and picking out complimentary glitters ect.

Good Witch: What do you love about making polish?

Bobbie: It's fun! There are no rules and if I could make it my full time job, I would!

The Good Witch: If someone copies one of your polishes, is that flattering or insulting?

Bobbie: I haven't had a full on copy cat. The thing is, there are so many colors that end up looking "similar" and classic color combos that people create that aren't "copying". I've made polishes and gotten online the next day and see something similar and think "oh, crap! They are going to think I copied!"

Good Witch: What made you start making polish?

Bobbie: boredom... and seeing other indies on Instagram and thinking... I can do that! Knowing that if I need a specific color to match an outfit I can go mix it up real quick.

Good Witch: Do you have anything awesome in the works for your customers?

Bobbie: I'm always trying to have something awesome in the works. I usually have a seasonal collection release and then a lot of random beauties in between.

Good Witch: Lastly, what type of base coat do you use or suggest? As well as top coat?

Bobbie: I'm loving this CND super shiny topcoat right now. But I really like Dream Polish base and top coats. I haven't tried their matte topcoat yet.

 

*~* NOTE *~*

I was supposed to have three of GG’s polishes to review for you today. Unfortunately, either due to the heat or the Postal Service’s rough handling of packages, Ruby Slippers, the last part of the trio I will be showing you was shattered in transit. The inside of my envelope looked like a crime scene LOL.

 

The two surviving polishes I have to show you sit near and dear to my heart. As you may know, I live in Kansas. The Sunflower State. The “Breadbasket” of America. The Land of Oz. So naturally I am drawn to anything Wizard of Oz or Dorothy Gale themed. These babies don’t fail to impress.

First off I have Tin Man, a gunmetal gray crelly with small silver micro glitters.

To me it looks almost like a storm cloud. I love it!

I ADORE the opacity of this polish. Two thin coats and it’s done. You can’t ask for better coverage in a color that’s usually hard to formulate without coming out with something a little streaky. No streaks are to be found in this beauty.

Soooo pretty!

Listed as a baby blue crème polish with a hint of shimmer, No Place Like Home was inspired by Dorothy’s gingham dress.

With a slight shimmer, it was hard as all get out to capture it in the lighting I had at my disposal.

Two thin coats and a generous coat of A Girl Obsessed’s Magpie Shine and this might be my new favorite blue crème. It reminds me of the way the sky looks here in Kansas on a hot summer day.

THERE! I got some shimmer LOL!

And a little more!

All in all, these are wonderfully formulated polishes. Dry time is minimal and coverage is exceptional. At $8.50 a bottle, GG Indie Polish sits in my mid-price section of my indie list. Go check out their Etsy store and see all the other beauties that they have!!

 

Polish Review: Bella Bosio

A year or so ago, I was doing a little get-to-know the designer segment in my blog and for some reason I quit doing it. Not sure why. So I’m implementing it again.

Today I have the owner and creator of Bella Bosio here for a little Q&A (and then her LOVELY polishes follow after).

The Good Witch: What are your favorite sources for inspiration?

Sheila: Myself and ideas I get in my head.

The Good Witch: Where does your creativity stem from to allow you to come up with an array of colors and possibilities?

Sheila: I have been playing with nail art as my form of creativity and art so decided I should make some.

The Good Witch: What do you love about making polish?

Sheila: There is nothing like creating something beautiful knowing I did it and seeing the end product as well as others really liking it.

The Good Witch: If someone copies one of your polishes, is that flattering or insulting?

Sheila: I think it would be flattering but depends on circumstance

The Good Witch: I love glitter and that's a major trend. Hate the new possibly not even a fad bubble gel nails it's hideous.

Sheila: I do have many things brewing I'm working on a pastel color line that will only be a limited edition for a few months this will be available in the next few weeks and I'm working on some beautiful fall colors, these are all not solid glitter but are colors with some sparkle in it.

The Good Witch: Lastly, what type of base coat do you use or suggest? As well as top coat?

Sheila: I have been using starting over after acrylics for a little while and this made and keeps my nails very strong and healthy. Tops coats I actually use 2 it's a technique I have to help make my manicure last more than a week and that's with regular polish, Sally Hansen complete ultra wear it's a super slow drying one and then the 60 second quick dry in red bottle called insta Dri.

First up I have Cobalt Sparkle. It is chock full of gorgeous cobalt blue glitter. I LOVE it.

A little out of focus eye candy.

A little more in focus, and so gorgeous.

Indoor lighting. It took 2-3 coats to reach opacity and may have been able to put one more coat on the ring finger. (Ring finger is mattified)

Topped with a A Girl Obsessed’s Magpie Shine and it’s so freaking smooth. Dries in no time at all. Even without a topcoat it dries to an almost mirror-like finish.

One spare coat over black.

Mattefied and still gorgeous. I love a nice, dense glitter turned matte.

Shining bright like a diamond in the sunlight. It’s stunning!

Next up is Lavender Passion, a beautiful fuchsia glitter.

I love bokeh’d glitter. Ugh!

A little more in focus. *drool*

Again, ring finger is matte. (Indoor lighting)

Two coats and a coat of Magpie Shine.

One coat over black.

Matte and so gorgeous!

Oh so luscious in the sun!

Now on to my favorite. I can see myself wearing this multiple times this fall.

Roses are Gold is a beautiful rose gold polish. Like I said, this beauty will be fantastic this fall.

Indoor lighting and it’s just amazing. The indoor pictures don’t do it a bit of justice.

Super shimmery it completely freaked my camera out lol.

Even over black it’s like OMG. I have the perfect shirt that I’m going to wear this with.

Matte is just as breathtaking!

*mumbles incoherently* look at that sparkle!!!!!

Bella Bosio, completely 5-Free polishes are in the high priced range of my scale. Yes, they’re $14-$15 each, but they’re so worth it it’s ridiculous. You can find them in her Etsy shop and I greatly urge you to try them out! You will not be disappointed. Also make sure to stop by her Facebook page, show her some love and tell her the Good Witch sent ya!