[Mixture of Press Samples & Sponsored – Post Disclosure Page]
Hey friends! Hope everyone is doing well. For some reason, I have been in a massive baking mood so I have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen. I made a lemon cake earlier this month and today I made a strawberry cake. I forgot how annoying it is working with buttercream during the summer months (I do this to myself every year for some reason) but when the baking mood strikes it strikes!
Anyway, today’s blog post is for the July Hella Handmade Creations. The HHC shop opens up on the 14th and as always, I will have links and sale details towards the end of the post.
Live Swatch Video
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.
All Mixed Up Lacquers – Playing Air Guitar Like I’m Slash
Theme: 80’s Rock Bands
Inspiration: Guns N Roses Appetite for Destruction Album Cover
Description: a red base, micro red glitter, and two different reflective glitters
Price $12 for 15ml | Cap: 150
Playing Air Guitar Like I’m Slash had a great formula. The base was on the thicker side of normal but I didn’t have any application issues. This polish had a TON of glitter in it and they all spread out very evenly. They gave me full coverage in 2 coats.
I found the base color was similar to a brick red shade. The reflective glitters were super sparkly. I could see silver, purple and orange reflects.
My photos show Playing Air Guitar Like I’m Slash in 2 coats with 2 coats of top coat. The glitters in here will be very top coat hungry so for a smooth finish, I paired this one with a glitter smoothing top coat before going in with my quick dry top coat.
Removal will be difficult if you try to scrub this one off.
All Mixed Up Lacquers
15ml, 5 Free, Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Bee’s Knees Lacquer – That’s Beyond Weak
Theme: Demon Slayer
Inspiration: Tengen Uzui
Description: a deep purple with cobalt to green shimmer and full of gold and silver light reflective glitter
Price $13.50 for 15ml | Cap: None
That’s Beyond Weak had a good formula. The base was very thick. The brand says that they used twice their usual amount of light reflective glitter in this one so that is to be expected. Despite it being so thick, I didn’t have any issues with application.
I found all of the glitters spread out very evenly but they do give off a lot of texture. I paired this polish with a glitter smoothing top coat before going in with my quick dry top coat and found about an hour after I applying, my nails were feeling textured. So depending on personal preference, you might need third coat of top coat to smooth this polish out.
The reflective glitters were super sparkly. I found I could see both of the gold and silver reflects in natural sunlight.
My photos show That’s Beyond Weak in 2 coats with 2 coats of top coat. Removal will be very difficult if you try to scrub this polish off. I used a peel off base coat.
Colores de Carol – Rainbow Mountain
Theme: South America Landmarks
Description: soft beige crelly with rainbow crystal flakes and rainbow mermaid flakes and Aurora shimmer.
Price $12 for 15ml | Cap: 100
Rainbow Mountain had a wonderful formula. The base didn’t feel overly thick or thin and I didn’t have any application issues. I found this starts off a little sheer/uneven so you will want to build it up for even coverage.
The flakies all spread out evenly and easily without giving off any real texture. One coat of top coat will smooth this out perfectly. The base color for this polish isn’t really my thing but do like how it looks with a matte top coat.
My photos show Rainbow Mountain in 3 coats plus both glossy and matte top coats. Removal won’t be overly difficult, I used a peel off base coat.
Colores De Carol
15ml, 5 Free, Vegan & Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Hearts & Promises – Grease is the Word
Theme: Grease
Description: a turquoise crelly polish loaded with silver micro shreds, turquoise green metallic large flakies and metallic purple large flakies
Price $13 for 15ml | Cap: 300
Grease is the Word had a fantastic formula. The base didn’t feel overly thick or thin and I didn’t have any application issues. I found the flakies and glitters all spread out very evenly without giving off any significant texture.
This polish starts off fairly sheer so you will want to build this one up for the most opacity. I found I reached full coverage in 3 coats. The holographic shreds were very holographic!
My photos show Grease Is The Word in 3 coats plus both glossy and matte top coat. The sun decided to come out after I put on my matte top coat so my outdoor shot is with matte top coat.
Removal shouldn’t be overly difficult but I still wouldn’t suggest scrubbing this polish off.
Heather’s Hues – Sexism Is Everywhere, Bro
Theme: Billie Eilish
Description: a lilac crelly filled with a pink-gold-green shimmer, violet holo dust, purple holo microglitters, holo flake and reflective silver glitter
Price $12.50 for 15ml | Cap: None
Sexism Is Everywhere, Bro had a fantastic formula. The base starts off a little sheer but it reaches full opacity very nicely. All of the components spread out very evenly and gave off minimal texture.
This is another one of those purple polishes that seems to vary in color and tone depending on your light source. I noticed outside in natural light, it looked very warm toned.
The reflective glitters in here were very sparkly. I feel like they are more of a delicate sparkle than a full blown in your face reflective glitter polish. I really wish it wasn’t raining when I swatched it because this would have been really pretty in the sun.
My photos show Sexism Is Everywhere, Bro in 3 coats plus top coat. Removal won’t be overly difficult but I wouldn’t recommend scrubbing it off.
Heather’s Hues – WiTS
Description: a fun scent with top notes of pomegranate, blood orange, and pink pomelo, blended with nectarine, white grapefruit, and lemon zest, all on a base of white vetiver and musk.
Price $7.50 for 2 ounces | Cap: 40
This month’s scent is deliciously fruity and sweet! I think this might be my favorite scent that Heather has released in awhile. I am currently keeping this jar at my computer table.
Heather’s Hues
15ml, 5 free, Vegan & Cruelty Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Music City Beauty – Jolene
Theme: Dolly Parton
Description: a red jelly base with red shreds, silver reflective glitter, and silver holo flakes
Price $13.50 for 15ml | Cap: 100
Jolene had a really great formula. The base didn’t feel overly thick at all despite having a ton of glitter in it. I would say this is like a candy apple red type of shade.
The reflective glitters paired with the holographic flakies make this polish absolutely mind-blowingly amazing in the sun! It was next level sparkly. They do however give the polish some texture.
This had pretty even coverage in 2 coats however it was not quite as opaque as I would have liked. With the third coat, you get enough deepening of the base to make it opaque. It’s passable in 2 coats though.
My photos show Jolene in 3 coats plus 2 coats of top coat. Removal will be on the more difficult side if you try to scrub it off. I used a peel off base coat. I didn’t experience any staining.
Music City Beauty
15ml, 5 Free, Vegan and Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Night Owl Lacquer – Making Bus Sounds In The Moonlight
Theme: Psych
Inspiration: Season 6 Episode 14 Autopsy Turvy
Description: a blackened blue glowing with copper glass fleck shimmer and silver holographic micro glitter
Price $12 for 15ml | Cap: None
Making Bus Sounds In The Moonlight had a beautiful formula. The shimmer and glitters paired really nicely with the base.
On the first coat, I could see that this was a blue base but by the time i built it up, it looked like a tealish/greenish color to me. Either way, it was gorgeous! The holographic microglitters were so sparkly that I thought at first there was reflective glitter in here. In natural sunlight it was SUPER sparkly!
Coverage wise, this will be passable in 2 coats if you have shorter nails or don’t mind obvious VNL. I wanted to make this opaque so I added a third coat.
My photos show Making Bus Sounds In The Moonlight in 3 coats plus glossy top coat. I don’t think removal will be overly difficult if you choose to scrub this off but I do think it will be messy.
Night Owl Lacquer
15ml, 5 Free & Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | TikTok
Pretty Beautiful Unlimited – Yennifer
Theme: The Witcher
Inspiration: Yennifer
Description: a violet jelly with a subtle blue to violet shifting shimmer, purple metallic micro flakies, silver and black reflective glitters and a mix of 2 chameleon flakies
Price $13 for 15ml | Cap: 150
Yennifer had a good formula. It was on the thicker side but I found it applied very easily. This polish is another one that is super sparkly and looks really fantastic in natural light.
The base is on the more sheer side so the opacity mainly seems to come from the flakies and glitters. So you will really want to build this one up for opacity. I found in 2 coats, I had really obvious VNL and could see my nail through the gaps in the glitters. With the third coat, I had to *really* look for any spots of VNL through the glitter.
The light reflective glitter was very sparkly. I could see silver reflects in person.
My photos show Yennifer in 3 coats plus 2 coats of top coat. Removal on this polish will be very difficult to remove if you try to scrub it off. I used a peel off base coat and removal was very easy.
Pretty Beautiful Unlimited
15ml, 5 Free, Cruelty Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | TikTok
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
Multiple orders to the same name and address are combined and shipping overages are refunded. Shipping price is based on weight. Shipping is available internationally and there is a Facebook group for international group buys.
