Polish Review: Lyrical Lacquer

WOOO!!! Yet another review for you! Today, I’d like you to meet Jamie, the mastermind behind Lyrical Lacquer with my Good Witch Q & A!

GW: What are your favorite sources for inspiration?

GW: What are your favorite sources for inspiration?
LL: I try to draw inspiration from everything around me, whether it be art, fashion, photography, classic toys, movies, or even books. I am also a huge musicophile and our brand is heavily influenced by music of all kinds.

GW: Where does your creativity stem from to allow you to come up with an array of colors and possibilities?
LL: I have always had an artistic flair. As a kid I was able to take art theory classes at a local art museum and then painting classes soon there after. I love painting, doing needlework and cake decorating, all of which come into play when working on new collections. When preparing a collection I put together an inspiration board. I take whatever is visually inspiring me and put together some color swatches that go with that particular theme. Then I put some songs in a playlist and see what fits together.

GW: What do you love about making polish?
LL: I love being able to make a color that I can be proud of. I like being able to expand my personal collection of polish with colors I wish I could find in stores and share them with everyone. It's very gratifying when someone likes what you create.

Q: If someone copies one of your polishes, is that flattering or insulting?
LL: This is a complicated question with a complicated answer. On one hand, I would feel flattered that someone liked it enough to dupe one of my polishes. On the other hand, I have seen major brands mimic indie polishes and it bothers me. Indies work so hard to make a name for themselves and provide the community with much need innovation. Even the swatching and nail art community have had their work copied by major companies. I understand that to survive you have to be relevant and follow current trends but there comes a point where you aren't creating anything new, just poaching from others. Again, it is a complicated situation.

Q: What made you start making polish?
LL: I have been collection polish since I was a little kid. Some time in high school I realized it had become an obsession when I ran out of places to put my growing stash. When I got older, my tastes became more sophisticated and before you knew it I was buying all the new collections of CG, OPI, Zoya, etc. and my stash grew to over 1500 bottles. I have way too many helmers full of polish! I set out to swatch them on wheels so I could find colors easier and I realized I had a lot of dupes. I slowly became disenchanted with mainstream polish because it felt like everything was old news. It was then that I found indies and it was love at first sight. I knew then that I wanted to be part of the indie community and create polish that I hadn't seen elsewhere.

Q: What are some of the new polish trends going around that you like and what are some that you cannot stand?
LL: Nail vinyls are amazing. I have a rough time with nail art and vinyls make it so easy! I also really love a good gradient mani and foils. I am not a fan of flared tips or bubble nails. I like a classic nail shape so some of these crazy acrylic designs are really not my thing.

Q: Do you have anything awesome in the works for your customers?
LL: This fall we will be releasing a collection inspired by my favorite movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas. It will feature our first thermal, glow in the dark, and scented polishes. We are also working on branching out into vegan friendly skin care with F.A.C.E. by Lyrical. The line will offer items like sugar scrubs and cuticle balms to start off. Look for them some time in 2016!

Q: Lastly, what type of base coat do you use or suggest? As well as top coat?
LL: I never used to use a base coat. If I did I just used any old top coat as a base coat. It wasn't until one of my favorite polishes stained my nails blue that I religiously started to use a base coat. As silly as it sounds my favorite base coat is my own as I find it great for everyday use. I also like Zoya Anchor base coat and Julep Oxygen base coat.
For top coats, it depends on the look I am trying to achieve. I use my own when I want something to dry quickly but still have the wet look. I like Julep Freedom Polymer top coat because it performs like a gel and gives my soft nails some strength. If I am looking for a little bling I use INM Out the Door holographic top coat. I also really love Glisten & Glow HK Girl for long wear and shine, especially over glitter polishes that need leveling out.

Alrighty! Onto the polishes!!!

First up is Juicy! Listed as a semi-matte, this beautiful jelly polish is a mesmerizing mix of blue and purple shifting flakies.

This is two coats of Juicy without top coat. I absolutely LOVE this polish, and it’s lighter counterpart as matte. For some reason I just gushed over it while I was swatching!

Sky’s the Limit is another semi-matte beauty! Jamie lists it as an “electric blue polish with gold shimmer and a lime green flash. It dries semi-matte and needs top coat to truly shine.”

Again, it’s chocked full of flakie gorgeousness!

And again, I left it mattefied. And it’s sooooo pretty!

And it’s still sooooo so so so shiny!

Next up is Wonderful World. The most quintessential neon bubble gum pink polish I think I’ve ever come into contact with.

I mean! GAH! For some reason it came out not so neon and more Barbie pink on me, but I’m one shade darker than clear, so that probably has something to do with it.

I have to say though… I am totally and completely in love with it though.

Lastly, I have Rich Girl. Listed as a topper that includes “sapphire, amethyst, berry, teal, charcoal and silver holo glitters packed together,” Rich Girl is an awesome topper!

Unfortunately my camera was being a complete and total dingleberry and this was the best shot. I’ll have to get another shot later on!

But like I said, it makes an excellent topper. I created a gradient on all but the middle nail, where I just put a full coat of glitter.

It’s so pretty, I think I’m gonna die!!!

All of these beauties are made from a fantastic formula. Dry time is non existent, especially with Sky’s the Limit and Juicy. I tried to do some nail art using some vinyls with the two but man… Never knew how bad I sucked at that LOL. I’ll try again sometime in the future now that I’ve stepped away and hopefully won’t kill anyone LOL.

You can find these beauties in Jamie’s Etsy shop for $10 each. They’re listed in the mid-price range of the Indie Designer list and well worth the price. She has SO many other ones and honestly, can’t wait to see her Halloween collection. It sounds phenomenal! Also, make sure to like her Facebook page and show her some love.

Polish Review: Upstate Lacquers

AhH!!! Another review?! How lucky can ya be?!

Today I have this phenomenal glitter topper for your viewing pleasure.

From Popples to Lisa Frank; to LA Gears to scrunchies; to TrapperKeepers to Electric Youth, Upstate Lacquers’ 50 Shades of Neon screams 80’s and early 90s and therefore, screams to my everliving girly heart.

Chock full of matte glitters in various sizes; shades of yellow, green, red, pink, blue and purple shoot through and make me wanna sqee!

I honestly felt like it needed to stand on its own, so I paired it with a splatter accent nail (which… Splattered my kitchen table… Oops!) and applied two coats of 50 Shades of Neon on their own.

Because seriously, it looks like bubble gum falling from the sky, lol!

Dry time is NIL with this polish. It would work fabulously in a jelly sandwich just because of that. The glitters lay down flat and it’s easy to get a wide range of colors on the nail thanks to the formula of the base.

This polish and a TON of other beautiful glitters are available at Upstate Lacquers’ Etsy page for $9.00, which puts them in our Mid-Price range in the Indie Designer list. Also, pop by their Facebook page and show them some love as well, will ya?! Tell them The Good Witch sent ya!

Polish Review: Poison Apple Cosmetics

Hello there, Witchie-Poos! Today I have some gorgeous polishes for your viewing pleasure. I should have had these up a long time ago, but thanks to my not-so-little minions, I lost the paper telling me their names LOL SO! Here we go!

GW: What are your favorite sources for inspiration?
PAC: I take inspiration from many sources. Be it the hikes I take or trips to the beach. The earth is a beautiful place and is full of color and the lack there of and to me its inspiring.

GW: Where does your creativity stem from to allow you to come
up with an array of colors and possibilities?
PAC: I think the ability to create is a skill set just like communicating. If you are a person who was made to practice being creative as a child its easier to be creative as an adult. Now I find that for myself I’ve always been a naturally creative person; its kind of always been a talent of mine.

GW: What do you love about making polish?
PAC: I love mixing it together and creating new colors then seeing what works well with what. Its a lot of fun.

Q: If someone copies one of your polishes, is that flattering or insulting?
PAC: I think you are bound to run into similar polishes and I think many people try to refrain from intentionally copying, however it is a flattering thing to see your competition imitating you.

GW: What made you start making polish?
PAC: Honestly it was something fun I did with my mom.We would always have a Sunday pampering day where we do our nails and pamper ourselves. When I found that I could do this as a business I was inspired and fully invested in making a business of my favorite past time.

GW: What are some of the new polish trends going around that you like and what are some that you cannot stand?
PAC: I love how far nail art has come so I can't really pick any one thing but I can't stand Bubble Nails!

Q: Do you have anything awesome in the works for your customers?
PAC: Yes in the next 3 months we will be expanding so we can sell Organic Flaxseed hair gel, Body Scrubs, Salt Scrubs, and hair de-tangler as well as Dry Skin balm. We have tons of new fun cosmetics coming out and I am super excited for everything to come to pass.

Q: Lastly, what type of base coat do you use or suggest? As well as top coat?
PAC: We have a top and base coat which works best with our polishes which will be available Sept 7th, 2015, however my favorite is Seche Dry Fast Top Coat! I don't care how ill mixed or low quality the nail polish this top coat always works! As for a base coat the only base coat I’ve really liked is the Poison Apple Base Coat. The rest to me is just lukewarm when it comes to getting the job done.

First up is Cranberry Kiss, listed as a beautiful red jelly. This jelly is phenomenal! Opaque at two coats, I added a third just for shine. This is without topcoat. There’s no issues with bubbles, messed up (unmixed) pigments; dry time is nil.

Next up is Ground Fairy Wings; a dusky rose pink holographic polish opaque in two coats. Lovely shine and drytime was nil. My mom, who is a glitter polish stickler is even impressed with this one!

This blue beauty is Breath of Poseidon. This is a gorgeous shimmery-sheer polish that you could use to build up a phenomenal jelly sandwich (Which I might just have to… I can see some awesome nail art in the future).

Mi Chiquita is a yellow crème shimmer. This shows three coats, I could have used a fourth as it was really quite sheer. It did lay down fabulously and I even used Ground Fairy Wings as a fall-like needle marble on an accent nail.

This almost phantasmal shade of green is Scum of the Sea, a wicked green shimmer crème. It does get kinda streaky, which I think adds to its moniker. I went with three coats and still had a bit of nail showing out, so I would go with four coats to reach complete opacity.

The last one I have for you today (but not for good! I have one more to show you but it will be in the form of a tutorial!) is Icy Air, a spectacular silver/lilac sheer. It would be able to jazz up pretty much any polish. I used it here over black.

As with all the polishes in this collection, dry time is nil. Streaks aren’t unmanageable in the sheers, there’s no clumps or unmixed bits in it. I have to say they’re awesome!

At $4.99 per polish, they’re more than affordable and well worth buying the whole collection. You can purchase these and more at her Etsy shop. Make sure to stop by and like her Facebook page as well!

Polish Review: Stached Polish

AH!!! Another review?! YAY!!!!

I have four beautiful polishes for your consideration this morning from a delightful young lady who is the mastermind behind Stached Polish.

First up is Orodruin, inspired by every geek girls favorite movie, Lord of the Rings. It is a beautiful (and you know how I feel about oranges, not a fan!) burnt orange holographic polish.

I seriously wish this showed how pretty it is!

Opaque in two coats, Orodruin is a stunner even in indoor lighting.

But the sparkle in the sunlight is amazing!!!

Dry time is nil and honestly there’s no need for a top coat, but do it anyways because you’re gonna want to keep this gorgeous ginger polish for awhile!

Ok. Lovely Luna’s Livery is a sleeper. I saw it and I was like ehhhh… In the bottle, this mustard-shaded polish isn’t that impressive… But once you get it on the nail… WOWZAS!!!

It reaches full opacity in just two coats, with no need for a topcoat. But, like Orodruin, do it anyways!

Cause you’re gonna want to stare at it for awhile! I can see Lovely Luna’s Livery being used in a few fall themed nail art projects!!! For some reason though, it made my nails look super bumpy! Not exactly sure why, because they’re not like that irl LOL

Next up is Life in the Dollhouse, a beautiful Barbie-pink shimmer polish.

Again, opaque in two coats, Life in the Dollhouse doesn’t fail to impress! It is a tad bit streaky, but I find that the nature of the beast with shimmer crèmes.

Sooooo so pretty!

And now… For my absolute FAVORITE of the collection!

Pursue ALL the Knowledge is a BRILLIANT blue holographic polish that truly, you must have in your collection.

This midnight blue holo beauty show in indoor lighting. Two coats plus a topper.

And *sigh* in the sunlight. The formula is flawless, fast drying and just beautiful. Like I said, two coats, full opacity. Dry time is nil, same as the rest. It is AMAZING!

 

At $8.50 to $9.50, these gorgeous polishes are more than affordable and like I said, a must for the holo lover! You can find these and more in her Etsy shop! Also, stop by and like her Facebook page! Tell her the Good Witch sent ya!

 

Polish Review: Poisoned Lacquer

Hello my Witchie-Poos! I come to you this wonderful Wednesday morning, bright and early! Which is a big change from fourteen years ago today, when I was busy trying to hatch my oldest minion lol!

Today I bring you a gorgeous polish from Poisoned Lacquer, but first… A little meet and greet with the owner!

GW: What are your favorite sources for inspiration?
PL: I pull my inspirations from all over. The hues of the sunset, the way a tree's leaves flutter in the slanting afternoon light, or attempts to catch the shades of color swirling in my loved ones' eyes.

GW: Where does your creativity stem from to allow you to come up with an array of colors and possibilities?
PL: I come from an art background, and I've done some form of art my entire life. I was a theatre costume designer for many years, and really fell in love with the words and works of William Shakespeare, which inspires and shapes my brand at its core.

GW: What do you love about making polish?
PL: I love creating vivid and complex shades that express a feeling or make you smile. Nail polish is such a little thing, but it can brighten your whole day.

GW: If someone copies one of your polishes, is that flattering or insulting?
PL: Flattering for sure! You learn very quickly in the art world that everything has already "been done." Embrace it, because we're all trying to express ourselves and we're all working from the same pool of resources.

GW: What made you start making polish?
PL: I started making polish four years ago, when I saw a need for long-wearing, chip-resistant shades that were non-toxic. I wanted to make a product that anyone could use without wondering what they were putting onto themselves. It's safe for everyone, including expectant moms and children. My top priorities are safety, producing high quality products, and education.

GW: What are some of the new polish trends going around that you like and what are some that you cannot stand?
PL: I'm utterly obsessed with anything glittery, jellies, holos, and stiletto nail shape. I'm not a fan of Jamberry (can't get them to stick, no matter what I do) or gel polish (it does horrifyingly terrible things to your nail plate.)

GW: Do you have anything awesome in the works for your customers?
PL: Oh, always! Right now I'm collaborating with a local fashion designer (The Minerva Collection) to do a line of polishes to go her Fall/Winter line, which is inspired by Star Wars and the Sith. Think jellies, holos, and glitter bombs. Look for those at the end of this month.
I've also been working on a second line of work friendly neutral polishes, as well as bath and body products, under the name Pure Poetry Cosmetics. We'll be launching our Autumn scents in another week or two (and one of those is a dead-on Pumpkin Spice Latte!)

GW: Lastly, what type of base coat do you use or suggest? As well as top coat?
PL: I'm very fond of Zoya's Anchor base coat, and I've been loving our top coat, "Seven-fold Shield." (Out later this month!) It's super shiny, and that shine lasts for days! (And don't forget to prep your nails by removing any oils. Swipe 'em down with a little bit of nail polish remover or acetone.)
I prefer to use 5-free formulations, but if someone has something that they like and works for them, they should use it. Body chemistry is a funny thing, so finding your Holy Grail of base and top coat really makes a difference.

 

And here is Full Fathom Five, listed as a “true blue glitter”, this topper is chock full of blue microglitter, giving every blue loving girl the flutters as they watch it sparkle!

I mean GAH!!!! Its sooooo pretty!!!

It does work well on its own, shown on three fingers with three coats. My ring finger has been mattified. But it looks even better on black. I swirled it around a bit on my middle finger to make a swirly marbled look. I absolutely LOVE how it looks on black.

Full Fathom Five goes on as smooth as silk. Dries quick as all get out. It honestly really doesn’t need a topper, but would shine even brighter with one. I love a good smooth glitter topper these days!

At $10, Full Fathom Five is in the Mid-Price range of my indie list. It’s well worth the money! Go check out this one and countless others in her Etsy shop!