Hella Handmade Creations | April 2021 Swatch & Review!

[Press Samples – Post Disclosure]

Hey y’all! It’s that time of the month for the Hella handmade Creations shop to open! This month, I have 6 polishes to share. I have a kinda new-to-the-blog brand, Swamp Gloss (technically not really new, I have featured them before but never for HHC) and everyone else featured today are continuing their themes. As always, links and sale details can be found at the end of the post.

I am still in the process of getting the new NicoleLovesNails.com up and running so forgive me for any issues. Between my wedding, getting this new site up and then my second vaccine shot knocking me on my butt all weekend, I am running very behind on literally everything. Thank you all for the continuous support!

Hella Handmade Creations is a monthly indie polish collaboration. Makers each pick their own theme and make a series of polishes based on that theme. Each month brands have a new polish, that is exclusive to the Hella Handmade Creations website.

Alter Ego – Disco Music Bearded Iris

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Inspiration/Theme: Disco Music Bearded Iris/Bearded Iris
Description: Orange base with holo orange microglitter and iridescent microglitter
Price: $10 for 17ml Cap: None

Disco Music Bearded Iris had a wonderful formula. It didn’t feel overly thick or thin and it applied really nicely. The base seems to have some shimmer-like properties to it that are just slightly brush strokey when wet. They seem to disappear as it dries. The shade of orange reminds me of orange creamsicles. I really like the mix of holo and iridescent glitters in this.

I used 2 coats for my photos. Longer nails will probably want to go in for a third coat. The glitters in this do dry down textured so I recommend 2 coats of top coat for a perfectly smooth finish. Removal will be a little tricky if you choose to scrub this one off. No staining to report.

Side note: I just want to say that the sheer number of Bearded Irises that exist and the whacky names they have is really amazing to me. Wayne (flowers/plants are his thing) has told me on numerous occasions that the cultivar side to the plant world is vast but I am still blown away.

Alter Ego
17ml, 5 free, Vegan & Cruelty free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

Bee’s Knees Lacquer – Stop Beeping!

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Inspiration/Theme: Ghost Adventures
Description: a deep navy with black to red multichrome shimmer and a scattering of holo flakes
Price: $12.50 for 15ml Cap: None

Stop Beeping! had a wonderful formula. It was very opaque on the first coat. The deep blue base gives this multichrome a slightly different look on the nail from just straight black to red multichromes. Where it would normally be a black, it’s a blue toned black (think night sky) and the red is a maroon/burgundy with hints of purple.

If your nails are as long as mine or shorter, you should be good in 2 coats. Longer nails will probably want to go in for a third coat. Nothing in here dried textured or was difficult to remove. I didn’t have any staining issues.

Bee’s Knees lacquer
15ml, 5 free, vegan & cruelty free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

Color Spectrum Polish – Last-Season Prada Shoes

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Inspiration/Theme: Legally Blonde
Description: emerald green with gold shimmer and red holo glitter,
Price: $11 for 13ml Cap: 100 bottles 

Last-Season Prada Shoes had a great jelly-like formula. I didn’t have any application issues. To my eye, this looks like a shimmery blackened green with gold shimmer and red glitter. It is on the sheer side so you will want to build it up.

The coverage in 2 coats was good but I had some light spots towards my tips. If you go in for thicker coats, this might be a 2 coater. I used 3 coats for my photos. Nothing in here was too difficult to remove or caused staining.

Color Spectrum Polish
13ml, 7 Free, Vegan & Cruelty free
Website | Etsy | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

Fancy Gloss – Colors Of The Wind

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Inspiration: Princess Series
Description: a black (cold) to orangey/brown (warm) with gold flakes and some red/orange/copper/gold flakes
Price: $12.50 for 15ml Cap: 150 bottles

Colors Of The Wind also had a great formula. It was just slightly on the thicker side but feels typical for a flakie thermal by this brand. The warm state is a very light warm brown nude with a hint of gold from the flakies. The cold state is black.

This had great coverage in 2 coats. I think longer nails might need 3 but my nails at this length were good in 2. The third coat didn’t seem to deepen the color any (I used 3 on my ring finger). Removal will be typical flakie polish removal. No staining to report.

Fancy Gloss
15ml, 10 free, vegan & cruelty-free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

Heather’s Hues – I Need You To Be Brave

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Theme: A Handmaid’s Tail
Description: a white crelly with a strong red-pink-gold shimmer with a touch of scattered holo, holo microflakes, and metallic rose microflakes. 
Price: $12.50 for 15ml Cap: 100 bottles

I Need You To Be Brave had a wonderful formula. I didn’t have any application issues. The shimmer to my eye was a shifty peachy pink to a rose gold. The holographic sparkle was delicate indoors but very noticeable once in direct lighting.

This applies a little patchy on the first coat. Depending on how thick of a second coat you use, this will be a 2-3 coater. Thinner coats will make this a 3 coater. I used 3 coats for my photos. Nothing in here will be difficult to remove and I didn’t have any staining. (Does white stain anyone?)

Heather’s Hues
15ml, 5 free, Vegan & Cruelty Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

Swamp Gloss – The Unicorn Trifad

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Theme: Nebula
Description: a blue holographic base with red/gold/green shimmer and matching iridescent flakies.
Price: $13 for 15ml Cap: 150 bottles 

The Unicorn Trifad had a great jelly formula. It didn’t feel thick or thin and I had zero application issues. The linear holo base, shimmer and flakies are all very strong. I found that the flakies show up best in lower lighting situations and the linear holo appeared best under the sun/direct lighting.

This is just slightly on the sheer side so you will want build it up in 3 coats to get the color you see in the bottle. You might be able to get away with 2 coats if your nails are short and don’t mind potential VNL.

I found that the holographic element really didn’t want to show in my normal (indirect/diffused) lighting so I used my direct holo friendly lighting.

Swamp Gloss
15ml, 10 free, vegan & cruelty free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

A note on thermal/solar polishes…

I want to note that thermal and solar polishes do have a shelf life on how long they will change colors for. Generally they are guaranteed to change colors for 6-12 months. My oldest thermal that still transitions is from 2018. To get the most out of a thermal (all nail polish really) you’ll want to store them in a cool, dark place. I store my thermals with my other nail polish in the Ikea helmers. Once a thermal no longer changes color (aka dies), you can still wear them! The thermals that I own that have died, all stayed in the warm state but it’s not guaranteed to stay in the warm.

Sale Info

The Hella Handmade Creations store opens on the 14th of every month at 12:01am Eastern Time and closes on the 21st at 11:59pm HST (4:59AM Eastern time on the 22nd). All items sold are on a pre-order basis and won’t ship until around 4 weeks after the sale period.

Hella Handmade Creations
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | Facebook Chat Group |

There will be overpours from previous months available in the Returning Polishes section of the website. Overpours are very limited. Multiple orders to the same name and address are combined and shipping overages refunded. Shipping price is based on weight. Shipping is available internationally and there is a Facebook group for international group buys.