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Hi friends! The past few days have been a doozy! I have been recipe testing for the new blog for what feels like ages now and FINALLY have what I believe is the final version of it. It took 6 or 7 tries but I did it! I am so excited to finally be able to share that with folks.
Before we get into the new blog, I have a TON of nail polish content to share! I know I am not the only one whose bank account is crying out from all these amazing releases but it is time for the August Polish Pickup. The August theme is Dreamscapes!
I have 2 new-to-the-blog brands this month, Beaux Reves Lacquer and Monarch Lacquer. If you weren’t aware, the owners of those brands used to be Fair Maiden Polish. They have decided to create their own brands. Sarah’s brand is Beaux Reves Lacquer and Adrienne’s is Monarch Lacquer.
The PPU shop opens up Friday August 4th at 11am Eastern time on PolishPickup.com. As always, more sale deets can be found at the end of the post!
Live Swatch Video
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.
Beaux Reves Lacquer – Poisoned Forest
Inspiration:
Description: a deep plum base with aqua/teal/magenta iridescent shifting shimmer and holo glitter
Price: $12 for 12ml | Cap: None
Poisoned Forest is making its PPU debut with Poisoned Forest! This one had a pretty good formula, just slightly on the thicker side but nothing alarming. Coverage is a little bit uneven so while opacity was great in two coats I did need a third coat to even things out.
The plum base paired with the shimmer was so stunning. I found the shimmer to be as described, it’s a little sparkly so you don’t get any brush strokes. The holographic glitter gives this a little razzle dazzle twinkle without giving off any texture.
My photos show Poisoned Forest in 3 coats plus glossy top coat. I thought for sure this was going to be a stainer but thankfully I didn’t experience any staining. I would still recommend wearing a base coat as a preventative. Removal won’t be overly difficult you could scrub it off if you really wanted.
Beaux Reves Lacquer
12ml, 5 Free, Vegan & Cruelty Free
Website | Facebook Group | Instagram
Bee’s Knees Lacquer – Beneath The Erdtree
Inspiration: TBD
Description: a greenish teal base with a strong gold/green/teal shimmer
Price: TBD| Cap: TBD
Beneath The Erdtree we all know Bee’s Knees always kills it when it comes to shimmers and this polish is no exception! We start off with a slightly sheer base that helps the shimmer really come through.
I *think* the base color on this one is a greenish teal base. It’s hard to tell exactly due to how strong the shimmer is. I was seeing a gold, green and teal color shift in person.
Unlike some of the brand’s other shimmers, this one doesn’t stay super sheer. I found coverage was pretty great in 2 coats, I just had some slight VNL. The third coat added opacity and deepened the base a bit.
My photos show Beneath The Erdtree in 3 coats plus glossy top coat. It will be a 2-3 coater depending on your personal preference. I didn’t experience any issues with staining and this will have a super easy removal.
Bee’s Knees Lacquer
15ml, 5+ Free, Vegan & Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Bluebird Lacquer – Rollin’ With My Chrome-ies
Inspiration: TBD
Description: a sky blue jelly base with a rainbow mix of large particle shifting shimmers that give a sparkly chrome-like finish.
Price: $13 for 15ml| Cap: No Cap
Rollin’ With My Chrome-ies I really hope the name of this polish is a Clueless reference! Ugh, the shimmer in here is so dang pretty. Like the description says, you get a rainbow of colors out on the nail. I was seeing pink, coral, orange, yellow/gold, green and blue. Ok so technically there was no red so it’s not a real rainbow but it’s close enough to make me happy!
The base on this is pretty sheer, which you know, not surprising given the formulation being a shifty shimmer. I was pleasantly surprised that it gets decently opaque. I am wearing it as I type up this blog post and in my “normal” room lighting, heads on I can’t see any VNL.
My photos show Rollin’ With My Chrome-ies in 3 coats plus glossy top coat. Removal will be very messy but not difficult.
I just know someone out there is going to ask how this compares to the Bee’s Knees Lacquer Polish Nothing In Faerie Is Coincidence (These Hollow Vows collection). I wouldn’t call these 100% dupes as the base colors appear to be different and I don’t think the shimmer is *exactly* the same type but they are very similar.
Bluebird Lacquer
15ml, 5 Free, Vegan & Cruelty Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Cameo Colours Lacquers – Basking in Blush
Inspiration: A dreamy image of a peachy-pink toned and decorated outdoor room with a reflective floor, overlooking a picturesque, serene beach. A rainbow arcs across the blue sky, with fluffy pink clouds where the sea and sky meet
Description: A light peachy-pink base with a slight holo sparkle, full of gold/copper/peach/pink shimmer, copper/pink flecks, rainbow micro flakes, and a touch of silver holo micro flakes
Price: $12.00 for 15ml | Cap: 105 bottles
Basking in Blush if you aren’t new around here, you would be aware than pink + gold ANYTHING is a winning combination to me. This polish was so dang beautiful! On the nail, you get a range of colors of pink, peachy pink to gold.
I found both the formula and application to be perfect. The base didn’t feel overly thick or thin and I had zero issues with it. It was more opaque than I expected it to be so I only needed 2 coats for full opacity. I do think folks with longer nails or whiter nail lines who dislike VNL will need a third coat to reach full opacity.
The shimmer in here was super intense so it will do a great job at hiding VNL. Technically I did have some VNL with 2 coats but it was pretty mild. Longer nailed folks will likely want to go in for a third coat. The flakies of holo sparkle in here do not dry textured.
My photos show Basking in Blush in 2 coats plus glossy top coat. Removal will be pretty easy but fairly messy. I wouldn’t recommend scrubbing this off nonetheless.
Cameo Colours Lacquers
15ml, 5 free, Vegan & Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Clionadh Cosmetics – Cloud Spires
Inspiration: TBD
Description: a sheer pinky purple base with a ton of different flakies and a dash of holo
Price: TBD| Cap: TBD
Cloud Spires I was immediately in love with this polish! On the first coat, you get a sheer wash of color and a TON of flakies! I honestly just loved how this look in one coat and would likely just wear it that way.
If you aren’t like me and want full opacity, build this bad boy up in 3 coats. You’ll still have some VNL in bright direct lighting but there will be so much sparkle happening that it won’t be too bad. None of the flakies in here dry down textured but you will want top coat for a glossy finish.
My photos show Cloud Spires in 3 coats plus glossy top coat. Removal will be incredibly messy if you opt to scrub this one off.
Clionadh Cosmetics
11.5ml, 10 Free, Vegan & Cruelty Free
Use my affiliate code NicoleLovesNails to save extra!
Website | Instagram | TikTok
Crystal Knockout – Home Sweet Kitty Home
Description: A forest green base with pink-gold-green shifting glow, holographic micro flakies, and iridescent color-shifting flakies in green, aqua, violet, and copper
Inspiration: a dreamy cottage with a tiny kitty resident.
Price: $12.50 for 15ml | Cap: None
Home Sweet Kitty Home starts off and stays fairly sheer but it sure is pretty! You will need to build this one up to get some opacity but there will still be some obvious VNL after 3 coats.
The base was slightly on the thicker side but not so thick that I needed to add thinner. I didn’t love-love the base color on this one but the shimmer and flakies got me to really love it! Nothing in here dries down overly textured but you will want top coat for a glossy finish.
My photos show Home Sweet Kitty Home in 3 coats plus glossy top coat. Removal will be fairly easy but messy.
Crystal Knockout
15ml, 5 Free & Cruelty Free
Website | Etsy | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
KBShimmer – Follow Your Art
Inspiration: computer-generated artwork guide me to my perfectly pictured dreamscape
Description: a ultra-shifty multichrome that shifts from teal/emerald/blue/deep grape/magenta/orange/gold at extreme angles with Color-shifting flakes pop with pink, fuchsia, red, and orange tones, while a dusting of micro holo glitter twinkles against the colorful base
Price: $12 for 15ml | Cap: None
Follow Your Art I won’t lie, I read that description and said to myself that there was no way this would have THAT many color shifts.It does. I am so incredibly blown away by color shifty this nail polish is.
The first coat is a little sheer but this built up perfectly for me in 2 coats. Both the formula and application were perfect. Either the flakies or micro glitters do show some slightt texture in the multichrome base. On the nail, they don’t feel as textured as they look but you will need top coat for a glossy finish.
My photos show Follow Your Art in 2 coats plus glossy top coat.
KBShimmer Pistachio Macaron Hand & Body Scrub
Inspiration: Pistachio Macarons
Description: a tempting aroma of pistachio nuts and heady almonds, giving a cherry-like fragrance. Sweet notes of honey give way to rich, creamy vanilla, while slightly floral heliotrope
Price: $10 for 9.5 ounes | Cap: None
The fragrance on this scrub is SO deliciously divine!! It reminds me of pistachio muffins.
KBShimmer
15ml, 5 free, Vegan & Cruelty Free
Website | Etsy | Amazon | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Monarch Lacquer – Enchanted Wings
Inspiration: an AI image of a butterfly Attached
Description: A smokey purpley-taupe base with golden green shimmer and reflective sparkle.
Price $13 for 15ml | No cap
Enchanted Wings as someone who generally isn’t a lover for taupe bases, this one had just enough pinky purpley-ness to it to get me to like it. Although honestly, if I didn’t have the official description to reference I wouldn’t be able to tell you what color I thought this was.
The shimmer in here is STRONG and very glowy! The main color that you see on the nail is gold, the green comes in at more extreme angles. Both formula and application were perfect for this one. It didn’t have the wet sand-like application that some reflective glitters have. The base didn’t feel thick at all.
Enchanted Wings is a sheerer type of polish so you will need to build it up to get some opacity. After 3 coats I did still have some VNL, especially in brighter direct lighting. Out in the sun, I could see some purple reflects from the glitter. Those reflective glitters didn’t dry down nearly as textured as I expected but I do think for long term wear, pairing this with a glitter smoothing top coat would be a good idea.
My photos show Enchanted Wings in 3 coats plus glossy top coat. Removal will of course be a bit more difficult thanks to those reflective glitters. I would recommend the soak off method for easiest removal.
Monarch Lacquer
15ml, 5 Free, Vegan & Cruelty Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook Group
Music City Beauty – Dream Weaver
Inspiration:
Description: a deep teal/turquoise base with pink magnetic pull, iridescent flakies shifting through blue, green and purple and violet reflective glitter
Price: $13.50 for 15ml | Cap: 100 bottles
Dream Weaver um wow??? The description of this polish does NOT do it justice. It is waaaay more color shifty in person! From what I can tell the magnetic effect shifts from a pinky purple, pink, orange to gold at extreme angles. I feel like I was kinda seeing some green in there as well.
Opacity for this was unreal, it was 100% opaque on me in one coat. I did use a second coat to magnetize the middle and ring fingers. I opted to use a zig zag magnet for my swatch photos, my video review shows it was a few other magnets.
There are some reflective glitters in this polish but sadly I missed my chance at sunshine. I tried getting a shot of them using artificial lighting but really didn’t like how it turned out so I scrapped those photos. The glitters do dry down with some texture so again, I would recommend doubling up on your top coat to keep everything nice and smooth.
My photos show Dream Weaver in 2 coats plus glossy top coat. Don’t scrub this one off ok?
Music City Beauty
15ml, 5 Free, Vegan and Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Night Owl Lacquer – Beguiling
Inspiration: an image of a magical forest full of mushrooms
Description: a midnight blue filled with glowy violet/fuschia/orange/gold/green shifting shimmer, holographic flecks and black/red multichrome micro flakies
Price: $13 for 15ml | Cap: None
Beguiling was yet another stunner! The base started off sheerer than I expected but not unusually so. It builds up really nicely in 2-3 coats.
The shimmer in here was gorgeous, super color shifty showing almost a full rainbow of colors. Between the shimmers and holographic, I loved this one. None of the components dry down textured but you will want top coat for a glossy finish.
My photos show Beguiling in 3 coats plus glossy top coat. As I mentioned, this will be a 2-3 coater depending on personal preference. I had a little bit of VNL with 2 coats. Removal won’t be overly difficult and I didn’t have any issues with staining.
Night Owl Lacquer
15ml, 5 Free & Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | TikTok
Sweet & Sour Lacquer – We Live In Our Minds
Inspiration: the purple tree scene in the movie What Dreams May Come
Description: a sheer terracotta crelly base with a gorgeous purple/red shimmer
Price: tbd for 15ml | Cap: 400
We Live In Our Minds as someone who can take or leave terracotta bases, I wasn’t sure if this one would be a hit or a miss for me. This is a very sheer crelly base so mainly on the nail you see that ridiculously strong shimmer with hints of a rosey terracotta background.
I do think this one will be a solid 3 coater as it is pretty dang sheer. The shimmer again is unreal, I was seeing a pinky purple to a deep pink. You don’t get any brush strokes through it and this will be the kind of shimmer that will freak out your camera in bright lighting.
My photos show We Live In Our Minds in 3 coats plus glossy top coat. Super easy removal and I had no issues with staining.
Sweet & Sour Lacquer
15ml, 5 Free & Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group
Use my affiliate code ‘SWEETNICOLE10‘ to save 10% on S&S website orders
Sale Information
The August 2023 Polish Pickup goes live Friday August 4th at 11AM Eastern time on PolishPickup.com. All items sold are on a pre-order and sale period closes the following Monday.
There will be a TON more items available than just the ones I have shown. You’ll be able to see everything available for the month the Sunday before the shop opens.
International shipping is available and all items are sold on a pre-order basis, for more information do check out the FAQ section of the website.
Polish Pickup
Website | Overstock | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | Chat/BST Group
