Polish Pickup January 2021 | Birthstones, Gems and Minerals

Happy holidays y’all! Today’s blog post is for the January Polish Pickup that is themed Birthstones, Gemstones and Minerals. I am still waiting on polishes and official details from a few brands so I will update this post once they arrive. The January Polish Pickup shop opens January 1st (UK shop opens on December 31st) and I will have links at the end of this post. I also have some comparisons of this month’s polishes with previous PPU polishes.

12/28 Update: I added swatches for the Heather’s Hues polish and updated caps/prices for the Leesha’s Lacquer polish.

In case you are new, Polish Pickup aka PPU is a monthly collaboration of indie polish and other handmade product makers based on a chosen theme. There’s a new theme with new products each month from dozens of makers. Items are available the first Friday – Monday of each month for pre-order. All items are shipped together, for one flat rate price of $3 (U.S. orders). Canadian shipping starts at $6 USD on the main site and international shipping is also available from the sister site.

Disclaimer: I was sent these products as PR in exchange for photographs and an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My photos were taken indoors with daylight/LED bulbs and outdoors in natural light. I used the KB Shimmer Clearly On Top glossy top coat, Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber (for glitter polishes) and the Glisten & Glow Matte top coat for my photos.

All Mixed Up Lacquers – Fist Full of Stones

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Inspiration: Marvel Comic’s Infinity Stones
Description: Black jelly base with scattered holo and colorful shimmers filled with lots of holographic flakes
Price: $12.00 (15ml) Cap: 120 US / 10 UK

Fist Full of Stones had a great formula. No application issues. You get a good amount of the large holo rainbow flakies on the brush without needing to fish for them. I did try holding the bottle upside down before swatching and didn’t notice a difference in the amount of flakies on the brush. This is a jelly so it will need to be built up. I used 3 coats for my photos. I did have some VNL at some angles. Alternatively, you could apply this over a black base to get it 100% opaque. The larger flakies do give off some texture so I used Glitter Grabber before my glossy top coat.

All Mixed Up Lacquers
5 free, cruelty free
website | instagram |facebook | facebook group

Alter Ego – Elbaite Tourmaline

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Inspiration: Elbaite Tourmaline
Description: green base with a shift that is pinkish in regular light and pink sparkles in sunlight
Price: $10 for 17ml NO Cap

Elbaite Tourmaline Smooth and easy formula not too thick or too thin. While this isn’t listed as a multichrome, it does have a multichromatic effect on the nail. The colors I was seeing just sitting at my desk were blue and purple. As I moved around, I was also seeing a peachy pink and a reddish purple. The green base gives us a really interesting look that I can’t think of another polish that I own is similar. I see the hint of pink when I move my nails but when I look down at them I’m seeing a blue a bluish purple color shift. A little sheer on the first two coats the third coat does get it to the color that you see in the bottle. Can be used over a black base but you will lose the green pigmentation over black.

Alter Ego
5 free, Vegan & cruelty free
website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

Cameo Colors – Dia Optsia

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Inspiration: Dioptase
Description: A deep emerald leaning teal jelly with scattered holo sparkle, a dash of burnished gold holo micro glitter, full of orange/gold crystal chameleon flakes, gold metallic micro flakes, and silver holo micro flakes.
Price: $11.50 for 15ml Cap: 100 US / 5 UK

Dia Optsia Had a great formula. It applies evenly and smoothly but is slightly textured so you definitely will want top coat. It’s very sparkly and holographic! This perfectly resembles the inspiration. This is one of those polishes that I swatch that I just did not want to take it off! I noticed that it does seem to dry more opaque than it applies. Shortner nails would probably be good in 2 coats. The third coat doesn’t seem to deepen in the color any it just adds more opacity.

Note: I did have some very slight staining on my skin but that seems to have washed off with soap and water. It does look a little visible in the photos whoever so double up on base coat for natural nails.

Cameo Colors Lacquers
5 free, vegan & cruelty free
website | instagram | facebook | facebook group

Color Spectrum Polish – S – Sulfur

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Inspiration: The element Sulfur
Description: A bright neon yellow creme with gold to green shimmers and yellow holo glitters
Price: $11 for 13ml Cap: 100 US / 5 UK

S – Sulfur Applied really smoothly and the shimmer spread out evenly without having to work to get them even. Formula was fantastic, especially since this is a yellow. I found that the shimmer is the star of the show in this polish and the holo glitters are accents. This is a highlighter neon yellow so there’s a hint of green. Since it is a neon yellow, it is on the sheer side. I used 3 coats. The third coat does add more opacity to the polish. It does seem to dry a touch more sheer than it applies. There is some vnl but I feel like you have to look for it on natural nails. It’s more obvious on my clear gel extensions.

Color Spectrum Polish
7 free, vegan & cruelty free
Website | etsy | instagram | facebook | facebook group

Fancy Gloss – Crystalline

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Inspiration: A beautiful purple crystal
Description: Violet (cold) to lighter (violet) warm to white (warmer) packed of pink/copper/green/gold clear flakes and purple/blue/pink/green/gold shimmer.
Price $12.50 for 15ml Cap: 400 US / 30 UK

Crystalline had a great formula that glides onto the nail easily. It wasn’t thick or thin. It is sheer enough that I think it would be interesting to try it as a topper with complimentary colors. I wasn’t sure if this was a regular thermal or a tri-thermal while I was swatching it but I was seeing 3 separate colors (dark violet, a medium pinky violet and then a very pale pink) on the nail. I used 3 coats for my photos. This doesn’t dry textured and soaked off easily.

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

Heather’s Hues – Opal Minded

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Inspiration: one of Heather’s favorite pieces of jewelry
Description: a pale turquoise base with a glowy red-pink-orange-gold-green shimmer and a kiss of pink-violet-green iridescent flakes and holo sparkle.
Price: $12.50 for 15ml Cap: 200 US / 20 UK

Opal Minded had a great formula. It was on the thicker side but I think that was due to my bottle being a little cold when I swatched this. Side note, always let your polishes sit for at least 24 hours before opening them during summer/winter months! The shimmer was very strong and color shify. Just sitting at my desk I was seeing, pink, orangey gold and a hint of green. The shimmer is the star of the show in this polish with the flakies and holo being on the sparse side. The flakies are more obvious when matte. I used 3 coats for my photos. This will be a 2-3 coater depending on nail length.

KB Shimmer – Rose Glow

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Inspiration: Morganite aka rose beryl
Description: A carefully crafted blend of small and micro holographic glitters in pale pink, warm rose, soft blush, and gleaming gold creates a stunningly-hued rose gold polish with a blinding amount of sparkle
Price: $10 for 15ml Cap: None

Rose Glow had a great formula. It wasn’t thick or thin. It applied evenly and easily with no application issues. It’s extremely sparkly in person and even on an overcast day, you can still see the holo in my outdoor photos. This is sheer enough on the first coat that it could be used as a topper over a solid base color. Since this is a microglitter it will dry down textured. I used 3 coats plus the Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber before applying my glossy top coat. This could be sponged on but it’s necessary for full coverage. I reccomend the soak off method for removal or using a peel off base coat.

KB Shimmer
5 free, cruelty free & vegan
website | instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

KB Shimmer – Feeling A Little Salty (Hand & Body Sugar Scrub)

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Inspiration:
Description: starts with top notes of salty sea spray.  Crisp ozone and fresh rain middle notes give way to subtle floral scents of lily of the valley and jasmine.  A hint of leafy greens, pine, and musk round out this complex scent for a fresh, sea-like experience in your own home.  Feeling A Little Salty sugar scrub is salt-free, for gentle exfoliation.
Price: $10 for 9.5 ounces Cap: None

Feeling A Little Salty has a realy enjoyable fragrance! My nose usually picks up things in fragrances that aren’t quite there but even without reading the scent description, I was picking up the ocean notes, jasmine (floral) and a fresh scent. It’s a very fresh clean smelling scrub. This is my go-to scrub for pedicures, full body and I even use it before swatching.

KB Shimmer
5 free, cruelty free & vegan
website | instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

Leesha’s Lacquer – January Baby

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Inspiration: Garnet the birthstone for January
Description: a gorgeous garnet red with holo, red flakies and a touch of gold flakes.
Price: $12 for 15ml Cap: 100 US / 10 UK

January Baby had a great formula. It wasn’t thick or thin and I didn’t have any application issues. This is a linear holographic base so I tweaked my lighting (photos 2 & 3) a little to better show that. I found that the gold flakes are a bit more sparse than the red flakes. This looks really cool matte! The flakies don’t leave any noticeable texture after 1 coat of top coat. I used 3 coats for my photos. When Alicia (owner of this brand) announced this polish, I found out that she an I share the same birthday! Happy birthday to my fellow January Babies!

Leesha’s Lacquer
5 free, vegan & cruelty free
website | Etsy | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
You can use my code NicoleLovesNails25 on the Leesha’s Lacquer site to save 25%!

Twisting Nether Lacquer – Moonstone

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Inspiration: Moonstone
Description: A sheer milky white polish with shifty shimmer
Price: $12.50 for 15ml Cap: 120 US / 20 UK

Moonstone had a good formula. It was on the thicker side but it moved on the nail easily. The shimmer is very delicate in this and seems to shift from a blue to a purple. It does give this an inner glow type feel. This is sheer so you will have some vnl. My brush was a little wonky in shape so application was a kinda tricky. I got it mostly even in 3 coats but it does look slightly patchy/uneven in person.

Note: This brand will be switching back to round shape bottles so the bottles customers recieve might not be the shape shown.

TWISTING NETHER LACQUER
5 free, vegan & CRUELTY free
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK PAGE | FACEBOOK GROUP

Zombie Claw Polish – Queen of Pearls

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Inspiration: Black pearl
Description: A gray pearl base that shifts green-blue-purple with Holo flakies
Price: $13 for 13ml Cap: 150 US / UK 20

Queen of Pearls had a really great formula. It was a little sheer on the first coat but it built up well on its own. I was seeing a blue to purple to warmer purple color shift on my nails so my desk. The shimmer is just slightly brush strokey but paired with the holographic you have to really search for the brush strokes. When I got this outside in the sun, I could see a green color shift that I wasn’t seeing in my indoor lighting. I also didn’t realize just how holographic this was until I got it in the sunlight.

Zombie Claw Polish
10 free, vegan & cruelty free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

Sale Information

These items will be available on PolishPickup.com starting January 1st at 11AM Eastern time until Monday January 4th at 11:59PM. The UK site, PolishPickup.co.uk opens December 31st at 1600 GMT and runs until Tuesday at 0500 GMT. Orders to the same name/address are automatically combined and shipping on multiple orders refunded. As of October 2020, there are upgraded shipping options within the US. Details on shipping charges can be found here. Items purchased during the sale period are a pre-order and generally ship 3-4 weeks after the sale period is over.

Both sites will be open for wishlisting the Sunday before the sale period starts. There are WAY more items available than just what I have shown today. Thanks for reading and I’d love to hear what everyone plans on getting in the comment section! Also be sure to follow me over on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

POLISH PICKUP
WEBSITE |INTERNATIONAL SITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | FACEBOOK GROUP | CHAT/BST GROUP

Comparisons

First comparison is KB Shimmer’s Rose Glow (Jan 2021 PPU) next to KB Shimmer’s Celebrate Good Shine (Love At Frost Sight collection 2020). These are both micro glitter polishes in a clear base. Rose Glow is a rose gold color and Celebrate Good Shine is a champagne gold. Not dupes and I’d recommend both! For bottle comparisons be sure to check out my Instagram story highlights under Comparisons.

The next comparison is for Fancy Gloss. On the left is Crystalline and on the left is Just Be Happy (December 2020 PPU). I didn’t think they were similar enough to warrant a side by side, but since they can both be called purple to pink thermals, I thought to just add them. Just Be Happy is a BRIGHT almost neon polish, the flakies are different in color from Crystalline. Crystalline is a 3 toned thermal whereas JBH is a 2 toned thermal. Not dupes and yes you need both! For bottle comparisons be sure to check out my Instagram story highlights under Comparisons.