Polish Pickup March 2023 | Rainy Days

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Hey friends! Today’s blog post is for the March Polish Pickup. For March the theme is Rainy Days. I wasn’t too sure what to expect with this theme. The obvious would be blues and rainbows but I was surprised by the lack of blues!

Anyway, the March PPU opens up on March 3rd on the Polish Pickup website. As always, links and sale details 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.

Bee’s Knees Lacquer – How Many Lives Does This Guy Have

Inspiration: Sarah’s favorite rainy day game, Resident Evil 2
Description: a Lion cousin with a smoky purple base with extra sparkly blue to purple shimmer and holo flakes
Price: $13.50 for 15ml | Cap: None

How Many Lives Does This Guy Have had a fantastic formula. It started off pretty sheer but it built up really nicely. It will likely be a 2-3 coater depending on personal preference and your nail length.

This polish is one of the many cousins to the brand’s popular PPU polish called A Lion With A Thorn In Its Paw. The base color and shimmer effect are both very different from the original.

I love the smokiness of the base color. The shimmer gives the polish a very blurple look on the nail. And of course, the holo flakies were incredibly holographic without giving off any texture.

My photos show How Many Lives Does This Guy Have in 3 coats plus glossy top coat. Removal won’t be overly difficult, the flakies will make things messy.

Bee’s Knees Lacquer
15ml, 5+ Free, Vegan & Cruelty-Free
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Cameo Colours Lacquers – Cuddle Companions

Inspiration: My sweet snuggly dogs, Oberon and Saffi
Description: A warm brown jelly, with scattered holo sparkle, a touch of gold and bronze flecks, and a hint of red sparkle, with gold metallic flakes, black flakes, and small matte white glitters
Price: $11.50 for 15ml | Cap: 105 bottles

Cuddle Companions had a fantastic formula. I LOVE the warm shade of brown that the base color is. Since the base is a jelly base, it does start off pretty sheer but it builds up nicely.

The gold and bronze components paired with the brown base give the polish a very antique yet regal look on the nail. You get a lot of sparkle as well as holographic twinkles. None of the components give off a ton of texture so one coat of top coat smoothed everything out really nicely.

My photos show Cuddle Companions in 3 coats plus glossy and matte top coats. Coverage was pretty good in two coats but the base didn’t have the depth that I was seeing in the bottle.

Cameo Colours Lacquers
15ml, 5 free, Vegan & Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

Clionadh Cosmetics – Rainy Days

Inspiration: a stormy day culminating with a beautiful rainbow.
Description: gloomy, blue base with medium particle shimmer shifting through a rainbow of pink-red-orange-yellow-green, with blue reflective micro-glitter
Price: $13 for 11.5ml | Cap: None

Rainy Days had a fantastic formula. When I saw this polish has reflective glitter, I was fully expecting this polish to be incredibly thick. While it was just slightly on the thicker side, it wasn’t at all thick.

You get a beautiful color shifty look on the nail from the shimmer. I was seeing all of the described colors. The base color is exactly what I was thinking when I saw this theme.

The reflective glitters in here are super sparkly. Sadly it was very overcast the day I swatched this polish so I wasn’t able to get good shots of the reflects in natural lighting. My live swatch video shows it in natural lighting but it was too overcast to get a good still photo. Here is a photo I took with my phone’s flash.

My photos show Rainy Days in 3 coats plus 2 coats of glossy top coat. I did top to pair this wilth a glitter smoothing top coat (Salon Perfect Glitter Gloss). Coverage was pretty good in 2 coats but the base color didn’t have the exact depth that I was seeing in the bottle. I didn’t experience any staining with this polish. Removal will be fairly messy and a little difficult due to the reflective glitters.

Clionadh Cosmetics
11.5ml, 10 Free, Vegan & Cruelty Free
Use my affiliate code NicoleLovesNails to save extra!
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Crystal Knockout – Downtown Drizzle

Inspiration: a stroll through the city lights in a steady rain
Description: Purple, blue, turquoise, and silver metallic flakes, black shreds, iridescent violet-blue and pink flakes, and holographic micro flakies in a clear base
Price: $12.50 for 15ml | Cap: None

Downtown Drizzle had a great but thicker formula. Because this polish is on the thicker side, I didn’t want to go in for too many coats as I figured it would add some bulk to my nails especially after top coating.

This will work really well as a topper but if you want to reach full opacity, that is likely not going to happen. The black shreds behave like chunky glitters. So they have a tendency to sink in the bottle as well as give off some texture.

This polish was incredibly sparkly. I initially thought Downtown Drizzle had reflective glitters but it’s just the variety of flakies.

My photos show Downtown Drizzle in 2 coats plus 2 coats of top coat. As I mentioned, the black shreds give off some signifcant textured so I paired this one with a glitter smoothing top coat (Salon Perfect Glitter Gloss) before my quick dry top coat (KBShimmer Clearly On Top)

Fair Maiden Polish – Fort Night

Inspiration: the ‘rainy day’ activity of making forts! 
Description: Opalescent semi-sheer white base packed with iridescent shifting shimmers and flakes.  Works best over a tinted base coat but can be built up in a few coats.
Price: $12 for 15ml | Cap: None

Fort Night had an amazing formula. It does start off very sheer so you will need to either build it up for opacity or use it as a topper. The shimmer is crazy strong so I do think this will work well as a topper.

Speaking of the shimmer, I was seeing a green, blue to purple color shift. I personally really liked this polish in two coats it was still very sheer so I opted to add a third coat to give it more opacity. I did still have some VNL with three coats though.

My photos show Fort Night in 3 coats plus glossy top coat. Nothing in here will dry textured or be overly difficult to remove.

Fair Maiden Polish
15ml & 5 Free
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Heather’s Hues – Kiss the Clouds

Inspiration: “Rainy Dayz” by Mary J. Blige and Ja Rule
Description: a deep burgundy jelly filled with a rainbow of holo aurora pigment, black to red multichrome flakes, and silver reflective glitters
Price: $13 for 15ml | Cap: None

Kiss The Clouds had a fantastic formula. The jelly base was slightly on the thicker side but nowhere near as thick as I expected with a glitter polish. It was on the more sheer side on the first coat but it build up really nice in two coats.

I don’t generally love dark bases like this one but I love how the different aurora shimmers played with the base. The reflective glitters aren’t super dense in here so you get a lot of delicate twinkles without a ton of texture. One coat of top coat smoothed everything out for me.

I will note, I had this polish on for about 24 hours. I noticed after a few hours my nails weren’t as glossy as they were but they didn’t feel textured. So depending on personal prference, you will want to go in for 1-2 coats of top coat.

My photos show Kiss The Clouds in 2 coats plus glossy top coat. Longer nails will likely want to go in for 3 coats. Removal isn’t going to be the most difficult thing ever but I wouldn’t reccomend scrubbing just because this is a very pigmented polish plus you know, glitter.

Heather’s Hues – WiTS in Storm

Inspiration: those summer night storms!
Description: top notes of ozone, fresh air, and white flowers blended with middle notes of ylang-ylang and tuberose, all over a base of patchouli and musk.
Price: $9 for 2 ounces | Cap: None

I liked the ozone and fresh air notes for this polish but the earthy and patchouli notes were not for me.

Heather’s Hues
15ml, 5 free, Vegan & Cruelty Free
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KBShimmer – Lightning Strikes

Inspiration: lightning storms
Description: a soft grey base with glowing silver holo flakies and purple, blue to aqua shimmer
Price: $12 for 15ml | Cap: None

Lighting Strikes had an amazing formula. It starts off very sheer but the ridiculously strong shimmer adds a ton of opacity. This polish is sheer enough in one coat that you could use it as a topper.

The shimmer does not show any brush strokes and the color shifts were as described. Just wow, the holo flakies are BEAUTIFUL.

My photos show Lightning Strikes in 3 coats plus glossy top coat. Coverage was great in two coats but I did have some VNL. For personal wear, I would like just use 2 coats.

KBShimmer Hand & Body Scrub in Jasmine & Patchouli

Inspiration: echoes rainy days, the warm earth, and fresh flowers
Description: earthy scent starts with notes of soft musk and patchouli.  Sweet vanilla sugar and blooming jasmine help round out this heady scent. Featuring a creamy base accented with yellow and lime swirls
Price: $10 for 9.5oz | Cap: None

This month’s scent was not for me. Like I mentioned earlier I do not like patchouli fragrances very much.

KBShimmer
15ml, 5 free, Vegan & Cruelty Free
Website | Etsy | Amazon | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

Night Owl Lacquer – Play In The Puddles!

Inspiration: playing in the puddles when it rains
Description: a clear base filled with dark grey reflective glitter pigment and yellow rainbow shifting iridescent flakes
Price: $13 for 15ml | Cap: None

Play In The Puddles! had a really great formula. It felt on the thicker side but not so thick that the application had that wet sand consistency.

The flakies in this polish are very dense so you get really great coverage on the first coat. It will also work really well as a topper. As with all of the polishes like this by the brand, I love how this looks in 1-2 coats on its own. I am finding for this one, for that sheer look that I like, I would only need one coat.

I wasn’t able to get great daylight shots of the reflective glitters. From what I could see in natural lighting, there were grey and silver reflects.

My photos show Play In The Puddles in 2 coats plus 2 coats of top coat. Removal is going to be on the more difficult side, I would reccomend the soak off method or a peel off base coat.

Night Owl Lacquer
15ml, 5 Free & Cruelty-Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | TikTok

Sweet & Sour Lacquer – I’m Only Happy When It Rains

Inspiration: Shirley Manson in the music video ”Only Happy When it Rains” by Garbage.
Description: a neon yellow-green crelly base with black, yellow, green, and pink glitters!
Price: ?? for 15ml | Cap: 300

I’m Only Happy When It Rains had a fantastic crelly formula. This polish is a SUPER bright highlighter neon yellow. It has that slight greenish ton that neon yellows often have. It is also black light reactive from the neon pigments.

Despite being very glitter heavy, the base didn’t feel overly thick at all. I found all of the glitters spread out evenly but they do dry down textured. I found one coat of top coat wasn’t quite enough for a smooth finish. So I would recommend doubling up on your top coat for a smooth finish.

I liked the coverage for this one in 2 coats. However, I felt like it dried down just a hair sheerer than it applied. If your nails are shorter like mine, this is passable in 2 coats. However, if like me you love glitter I would suggest doing a third coat.

My photos show I’m Only Happy When It Rains in 3 coats plus 2 coats of top coat. Removal is going to be on the more difficult side because of the glitters. The soak off method or a peel off base coat will be your best friends with this one.

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 March 2023 Polish Pickup opens up for sale starting on March 3rd at 11AM Eastern time. The sale period closes the following Monday at 11:59PM. International shipping is available and all items are sold on a pre-order basis, for more information do check out the PPU website.

There will be a TON more items available than what I have shown. The website will be open to preview this Sunday.

Polish Pickup
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