[PR, Paid PR – Post Disclosure]
Hey friends! Today’s blog post is for the November Hella Handmade Creations. Apologies, I am running a little late this month. Missing a week from my cold has really thrown me off schedule and I don’t quite feel 100% yet. ANYWAY, I have a ton of gorgeous polishes plus a fantastic cuticle balm to share with you all today.
The Hella Handmade Creations shop is open right now. As always, links and sale details can be found at 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.
BCB Lacquers – Cosmic Lantern
Theme: Galaxy
Inspiration: Green Ring Nebula
Description: an emerald green polish with gold, green, red, turquoise micro flakes and holo.
Price: $13.00 for 16.5ml | Cap: 150
Cosmic Lantern had a fantastic formula. It felt just slightly on the thicker side of normal but not at all overly thick. I didn’t have any application issues. As the description suggests, the flakies in this polish are very small so they won’t dry overly textured.
This polish honestly really gave me a TON of Christmas/Christmas tree vibes. It had pretty good coverage in 2 coats but I had just a small amount of nail line, so I used 3 coats for my photos. This polish does dry down dull so you will want top coat for a glossy finish.
This polish won’t be difficult to remove but it will be messy.
BCB Lacquers
16.5ml, 5 Free, Vegan & Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Bee’s Knees Lacquer – People Love to be Scared
Theme: American Horror Story (new theme!)
Inspiration: the horrible idea of turning the Murder House into a haunted B&B
Description: a pale pink that shifts gold to green with red/orange/green UCC flakes
Price: $13 for 15ml | Cap: None
People Love to be Scared had a really wonderful formula. It is on the more sheer side so this one will want to be build up or paired with another more opaque polish as a topper. The shimmer is VERY strong and color shifty. The flakies spread out evenly and easily on their own without giving off any texture.
I found the base color was very close to my natural nail bed color so, on me, this looked like I could see my natural nails through the polish. The shimmer is strong enough in this that you will only get hints of the pink base.
Since PLRBS is on the more sheer side, I build it up in 3 coats. I also showed it in 1 coat over a black creme. I used my usual go-to black, Heather’s Hues Shadow. Nothing in here will dry textured or be difficult to remove.
Bee’s Knees Lacquer
15ml, 5+ Free, Vegan & Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Chirality Polish – In the Jelly of The Beast
Theme: Aliens of The Deep
Inspiration: Atolla Jellyfish
Description: Crimson red to gold color shifting polish filled with red to gold and orange to gold color shifting flakes and vibrant pops of orange flakes
Price: $12 for 15ml | Cap: 100
In the Jelly of The Beast had a really great formula. It starts off slightly sheer but builds up very nicely. The shimmer effect paired with the flakies looks so gorgeous!
I think this would be really interesting to try as a topper since the shimmer effect is so strong. The flakies all spread out very evenly and easily without giving off any texture.
This will be a 2-3 coater depending on your application. I found all of my nails but my live swatch nail needed 3 coats. Nothing in here will be difficult to remove and I didn’t experience any staining.
Chirality Polish
15ml, 5 Free, Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter
Color Spectrum Polish – The Legend
Theme: Bob Marley
Description: a black (cold) to creme (warm) thermal with gold microflakies and holo microflakies.
Price: $12.50 for 13ml | Cap: 100
The Legend had a really great formula. This applied wonderfully smooth and self leveled like a dream. It started changing on me right away. I found the warm state is a light olive green that leans a smidge tan. The cold state is a black that leans slightly greenish.
The microflakies all spread out evenly and easily without giving off any texture. They give a really beautiful sparkle on the nail.
I found this was passable in 2 coats but for the best opacity and even coloring, you will want to go in for 3 coats.
Color Spectrum Polish
13ml, 7 Free, Vegan & Cruelty free
Website | Etsy | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Heather’s Hues – Do You Understand Me?
Theme: A Handmaid’s Tale
Description: a deep teal blue filled with holo, holo microglitters, holo flakes, and teal holo glitters as well as a touch of teal-cyan-blue-violet multichrome flakes.
Price: $12.50 for 15ml | Cap: None
Do You Understand Me? had a fantastic formula. The base is a jewel toned teal. It didn’t feel overly thick at all despite having so many flakies and glitters. This polish is VERY sparkly and holographic. I found even in normal room lighting, I could still see the holographic sparkle.
I found this polish had great coverage in 2 coats. I did add a third coat but I didn’t see a difference between 2 coats and 3 coats. I used 1 coat of top coat and that smoothed it out completely.
Heather’s Hues
15ml, 5 free, Vegan & Cruelty Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
LynB Designs – Squid Goals
Theme: Animal Magnetism
Description: a deep indigo base with teal to purple shifting shimmer with a silver magnetic pull and scattered holo flakies.
Price: $13 for 15ml | Cap: 200 bottles
Squid Goals had fantastic formula. It didn’t feel overly thick at all and was very opaque. I found it also magnetized very easily for me. Without the magnetic effect, this will look like a very light metallic silver that leans towards a lilac shade. To see the (strong) green to purple shimmer you will want to magnetize it.
The holographic in Squid Goals is very sparkly and looks fantastic in the sun! This polish does dry down a little flat so you will want top coat for a glossy finish.
Squid Goals was opaque on me in 2 coats. For my magnetized nails, I used a third coat to magnetize it. Nothing in here will be difficult to remove and I didn’t experience any staining.
LynB Designs
15ml, 5 Free & Vegan
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Night Owl Lacquer – Chocolate Dance
Theme: Psych
Inspiration: specifically S7E5 ‘100 Clues’ and the scene where Shawn and Gus do a happy dance
Description: a dark chocolate brown sparkling with holographic flakes.
Price: $12.40 for 15ml Cap: None
Chocolate Dance had a fantastic formula. The base color is exactly as described. It’s a gorgeous dark chocolatey brown. The holographic flakies are super sparkly. I wish it wasn’t raining the day I swatched this one because this would have looked even more amazing in the sunlight.
I found this had pretty good coverage in 2-3 coats. In 2 coats, it wasn’t quite as dark as I was seeing in the bottle but still passable. I used 3 coats for my photos. Nothing in here will dry textured but you will want top coat for a glossy finish. This also looks amazing matte!
Night Owl Lacquer
15ml, 5 Free & Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | TikTok
Pretty Beautiful Unlimited – Strike!
Theme: Cosmic Bowling
Description: an evergreen jelly with gold micro glitters, holographic micro flakies, and a mix of 3 crystal chameleon flakies.
Price: $12 for 15ml | Cap: 150
Strike! had a fantastic formula. This is jam PACKED with glitters and flakies but it did not feel thick at all. Everything spread up very evenly and easily without giving off too much texture. This green base is a beautiful emerald green.
I found this polish to be pretty opaque. I think most people will be good in two coats, longer nails might need a third. My photos show Strike in 2 coats. This dries *slightly* textured but I used 1 coat of top coat for my photos. I don’t think this one will be top coat hun
Pretty Beautiful Unlimited
15ml, 5 Free, Cruelty Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | TikTok
Red Eyed Lacquer – Glow Worm
Theme: Bioluminescent Animals
Description: a neon yellow with pink/gold shifting shimmer and a yellow/green glow!
Price: $12.50 for 13ml | Cap: 100
Silk Glow had an amazing formula. It applies buttery smooth and I didn’t have any application issues. This polish is BRIGHT!! I didn’t see the need to use a white undie with this polish. The shimmer is very glowy and shifts from a gold to green.
The base color for this is that neon highlighter yellow that leans slightly green. It was surprisingly not streaky for a yellow polish. I will note, I had a *tiny* bit of VNL with this polish.
To get the most opacity, I would suggest wearing this polish in 3 coats. I used 3 coats for my photos. Nothing in here will be difficult to remove and I didn’t experience staining.
Red Eyed Lacquer – Da Balmer in To Salt or Not to Salt
Inspiration: Frozen Margarita
Description: a fresh frozen Margarita
Price: $7.50 for 1oz jar | Cap: 50
I have been using Da Balmer for a few months now. I really love this product. Lately, I have been using it between swatches and layering it over my Heather’s Hues WiTS lotion.
It’s been a bit chilly here in Connecticut and very dry so my skin is really struggling. I find layering a thicker balm like cream like this one over a thinner consistency lotion, adds so much moisture to my skin and protects it from the harshness of the weather.
The scent on this month’s Da Balmer smells SO damn good! It has a light fruity scent with a stronger sea salt note to it. I wasn’t sure if I was going to love this scent as I am always on team bakery scents but this really smells fantastic. I always find the fragrances in Da Balmer to be on the lighter side and not at all overwhelming.
Red Eyed Lacquer
12ml, 5 free & Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Swamp Gloss – On The Road Back
Theme: Ted Lasso
Description: a darkened berry pink with purple/pink/red shimmer, iridescent flakes and micro holo glitters
Price: $13 for 15ml | Cap: 200
On The Road Back had a fantastic formula. It applies like jelly so you will want to build it up for opacity. These flakies and glitters all spread out very evenly and easily on their own without needing to do anything special. This also does not dry down textured.
I think this will likely be a 3 coater on pretty much everyone. If you don’t have much of s free edge, you might be good in 2 coats.
My photos show On The Road Back in 3 coats. This polish dries dull so you will want top coat for a glossy finish. I used the Swamp Gloss Quick Schtick top coat for my photos.
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.
Overstock
Polishes from the April 2021 HHC will be back in VERY limited quantities in the overpours section of the Hella Handmade Creations website. Click the above image to see my blog review or click here for my live swatch review.
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. Generally, they are guaranteed to change colors for at least 6. 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.
