Hit Polish sneak peek swatches

***Products sent for review purposes. All opinions are my own. *** Today I have some great polishes to share with you from one of my favorite shops, Hit Polish. Rachel is a glitter mixing mastermind, she has also branched out into crelly and jelly polishes as well. Her polishes are always so versatile, which I love. The formula on her polishes is great, one of the best I've found. Customer service has always been top notch. I was lucky enough to be sent 2 polishes to review. I have Elusive Blues and Snow Cones & Sprinkles. Elusive Blues is a glitter topcoat that has multiple size blue glitter, crimson red, purple square, pastel green, and white glitters.

Snow Cones & Sprinkles is an amazingly awesome fun polish. It is also a glitter topcoat. It has a great rainbow mix of mini bar glitters. I would maybe even call them hairy glitter. It also has a mix of pink, yellow, and blue hex glitters. This polish is so much fun, I can't help but smile every single time I look at it. Hands down one of my top 3 favorite polishes from Hit Polish!!! Hit Polish also has a new website. You can find it at www.hitpolish.com, I believe it will have a grand opening on the 15th of this month. You will find a few polishes that are exclusive to the new website too. Don't forget to check out their Facebook fan page for updates as well. I apologize for not being able to link straight to the shop and website for you. I only have internet on my phone at the time. I am hoping and praying that my pictures post here, but am having a heck of a time figuring it out. I give these polishes 5 cupcakes! What are your favorite polishes from Hit Polish? Which of these 2 polishes do you prefer? Peace, Love, and Cupcakes!

Northern Star Polish review and swatches

*Products were sent for review purposes, All opinions are my own.*

Today I have one of the polish reviews I had promised you. This is a new to me polish company that has been in business for a little over a year now. I had seen swatches and drooled over some of the polishes. I have no clue why I had never made a purchase, but I know there will be in the future.

Northern Star uses a 4 free base, solvent resistant glitters, and potential products are tested for months before being released. Polishes come in two sizes: Petites are 9ml for $6.00 and Full sizes are 15ml for $9.00. 

I was sent TRUSTNO1, Wuv, Twoo Wuv, and Sunburst to review. 

TRUSTNO1- A purple base with electric blue flakie glitter. It was inspired by the X-Files.

This is a gorgeous polish! I would say it leans toward being a blurple shade and is what I would consider a jelly polish. The electric blue flakies look like they are micro flakies and really make this polish dazzle, especially in sunlight. I love this polish and can't get enough of it, it makes a great summer time polish. I used 2 coats and got full coverage, no streaks, no hassle or fuss with it at all. Hopefully you can see the flakies in the picture above, it is really hard to capture them.This is a new polish to the Northern Star Polish lineup that will be available on June 28th at noon CST.

Wuv, Twoo Wuv is a milky based polish with pink, red, silver and white glitters in different sizes. It was inspired by The Princess Bride.

This is again a no fuss polish, the glitters went on evenly for me. I did have to use 3 coats to get full coverage, you could also use a white coat underneath to keep from having to do so many coats. Above I used 2 coats of  Wuv, Twoo Wuv alone and then I used 1 coat over OPI Big Apple Red and I really liked how it came out.

Last but not least we have Sunburst. Sunburst is a a glitterbomb that is a burst of bling with glitters in gold, holographic gold, orange, neon yellow plus a dash of silver and pink.

 

I would call this a glitter explosion of epicness.There are different sizes of hex glitter, there are micro glitter and bar glitter. Before someone says they hate bar glitter, give this a chance, it isn't alot of it in there at all. This is definitely a bling filled polish that will turn heads. My favorite part of this polish is those micro glitters that sit off in the background, they bring something extra special to this polish. I really like it alone, but when I put it over a black polish O.M.G! I think it was a marriage made in glitter heaven. I recommend dabbing the glitters on with this one, the glitters seemed to have a mind of their own and of course their idea of perfection was different than mine LOL. It is definitely worth the little bit of extra work though.I also had to use 2 coats of Seche Vite to even it out.

In the pictures above I used 3 coats of  Wuv, Twoo Wuv, 2 coats of TRUSTNO1 and 1 coat of Sunburst on the ring finger, 2 coats on my thumb. You also get to see my little nubbin nail, it was broken down into the nail bed. OUCH!!! I refuse to chop all the others off to match it better though. I'll probably give in soon and do it. The wear time of this polish was great, I had it on for 3 days before taking it off. I had no chips and no tip wear. The formula was terrific with these polishes. This is a company to keep your eyes on, I can see good things happening for them!!!

You can find the Northern Star Polish shop here.

You can find the fan page here. 

The shop is closed right now while Kristin get all prepared for the launch of her new colors at 12pm CST on June 28th. Ohhhh I almost forgot to tell you about the cuticle oil that was included in my package. This stuff smells so good, it is Tangerine Honeysuckle. I don't believe this is sold in the shop, I think a bottle is included in with every purchase as a thank you. I am having great results while using it. I probably apply it too often, but I love the scent and can't resist. 

I am rating this polish based on packaging, formula, and wear. I can't rate customer service since this was a blogger pack, but Kristin has been a joy to work with. I give Northern Star Polish..... 5 cupcakes. 

Have you tried Northern Star Polish? If so, what are your favorite polishes?

Peace, Love and Cupcakes!

Long overdue review of Parnevu hair products

*These items were sent by Parnevu for me to review. I am not being compensated in any way and all opinions are my own.*

***Edited 5/16/2013 to finally add pictures to this review.***

 

This review is LOOOOONG overdue, and I apologize to Parnevu for the delay in my posting. Hannah and I were sent 3 products to use and review. We got to pick from a list of haircare products so that we could find something that best suited to our needs. Which I loved, because who knows our hair better than us?

I was first told about Parnevu by a friend and fellow blogger Harajuku Girl, you should check out her review.
I have to say I am not disappointed in the products that we tried even though one of them wasn't the best choice for us. I'm just going to focus on the other two products, one of which is now a must have for our home.

My hair is naturally curly, the amount of frizz and poof depends on the humidity. Here in Missouri, humidity is something you can't get away from. It is like a creepy stalker just waiting for the opportunity to attack the hair of innocent people. My hair is also damaged from bleaching it so I could have awesome fun colored hair. Hannah is biracial, her hair is course, frizzy, dry, poofy, and she has ALOT of hair to try to manage. When her hair is managed it is a gorgeous combo of banana curls and spirally curls.



Hannah's hair before using Parnevu products.




Hannah's hair before using Parnevu products.

 We tried using the Parnevu T-Tree shampoo on Hannah first. She has a problem with a dry flaky scalp and I thought it might help with that for her. Here is the listing for the shampoo from the site. The shampoo didn't smell  like what I thought it would since it has tea tree oil in it. I expected the medicinal scent typical of tea tree oil, I was happily surprised that it had a nice smell to it. You could smell the tea tree oils, but it wasn't overpowering at all. After 3 washes using the shampoo she suggested that we use it on me and not her. It seemed to dry the ends of her hair more than it had been and she said that her head itched more. I can tell you that her hair was softer and had more shine to it after using the shampoo. I then used the shampoo and really liked it, but then my mom took what was left from me. Mom tends to have oily hair if it isn't washed every day and she is always complaining of itchy scalp. She has used it a few times and reports that she REALLY likes the shampoo and that I am not getting it back!

The next product that we tried and am absolutely in love with is the T-Tree leave in conditioner. This is a product that I see us using for a long time. Here is the site listing for it. It smells so good! The price is awesome for the big bottle that you get, plus a little goes a long way. You can use it on dry or wet hair too. Hannah and I both use this daily on our hair. After a shower we rub a small blob of it in our hands and then apply it to our wet hair, then comb through. It doesn't leave your hair feeling sticky or heavy like alot of other brands that we have used, and the scent stays all day. In the mornings I apply a small amount to our hair the same way I do when it is wet. The brush goes right through our hair and the leave in conditioner helps to manage the frizziness!!! Another plus I have found with it is... my hands are not as dry or my cuticles either. Our curls are much more defined, our hair is so shiny and soft, and the frizz monster stays away most of the day. I really wish Blogger would let me show you pics of her hair, it is amazing the difference. I am so happy with this product and HIGHLY recommend it to anyone no matter their hair type or ethnicity. 

After using Parnevu maybe 3 times!



After using Parnevu maybe 3 times!




Look at how defined her curls are! Notice that the amount of frizziness has greatly improved. This is only after a few times of using Parnevu products.

 The last product we tried was the Extra Dry Oil Replenisher, you can see the listing here.I am sure this product would work well for someone else, it just wasn't for us. Had I read the description better I would have known that. It smells wonderful though. I have passed this on to my niece to try out on her hair since she uses heated stylers on her hair. Her hair is also a different texture than Hannah's, so I'm sure that it will work great for her.

I want to address something that I am sure some readers will be asking. "This product seems to be more for African Americans or biracial hair types, will it work for me?" Absolutely it could! Most of the ingredients are the same as you will find in other brands, just different formulas. I suggest that you take your time and read the descriptions of the products to find a good fit for your hair type and needs. My mom and  are both white women with 2 completely different hair types and needs and the shampoo worked great for both of us. Hannah is biracial and we both use the leave in conditioner, and it is a holy grail for both of us. There is also a toll free number you can call with any questions. 

I am looking froward to placing an order soon to try the 3-Step Power Pack, T-Tree Scalp Oil, and Hannah wants to try the T-Tree Relaxer - Regular strength.

You can find the Parnevu site by clicking here.
You can find their fan page by clicking here.
You can find their Twitter by clicking here.

I had great service from Panevu for all of my questions, prices are very affordable, and I found a holy grail product for us. So I give Parnevu..... 5 cupcakes!

Peace, Love and Cupcakes!

Glitz'd 23 review and swatches

I have a review of a brand spankin new polish company for you today. I am going to warn you this post is going to be picture heavy, but please don't run away. I have 3 polishes to share with you, and some awesome packaging pics too. So let me get started.

Glitz'd 23 is a new indie shop on Etsy that just opened on January 16th of this year. TK, the owner, is a complete sweetie! Communication with her was great and shipping time was terrific. I grabbed Fuzzy Skies, Icie, and Juices N Berries in full sizes. Full sized bottles (15ml) sell for $7.50 and mini size (3.5ml) sell for $4, which are average prices for handmade polishes. My first though when looking through the shop was that the pictures for the listing looked really nice and clear. 

The packaging....oh my goodness, it is so cute and honestly, unexpected. It was really nice to open the padded envelope and find such cute and professional packaging from a brand new company.

Bubble wrap added to the top so that the polish didn't slip around during transit.

Back of polish box.

 I swatched all the polishes over a few different colors of polish so that you can see how versatile they are. I really like this polish alot, it went on great and no fishing for the glitters at all.The base is a bit thick. I gave TK my feedback of the base and she took it very professionally. She said she thought the base might need to be a little thinner and thanked me for confirming it for her. I think it dried rather quickly for a thicker based polish, I liked that since I was painting my nails at midnight.of Seche Vite just to have the super smooth finish.

The first polish that stood out to me was Fuzzy Skies. It is a great mix of blue and white glitters with tiny silver holographic sparkles in a clear base. 

The swatches are 1 coat of Fuzzy Skies over the color and 1 coat alone.

Over blue

Alone

Over yellow.

Over red.

 Next I used Icie, it is a mix of pink holographic and white hex glitter with tiny silver holographic sparkles in a clear base.

Swatches are 1 coat of Icie over the colors and 1 coat alone.

Over a shimmery lilac.

Over a orangish yellow.

Alone

Over turquoise. 

 The last polish I have to share is Juices N Berries, it is a mix of a tealish blue and pink holographic glitter with fine red glitter in a clear base.

Swatches are 1 coat of Juices N Berries over the colors and 1 coat alone.

Over black, and horrible cuticle :o/

Alone

Over lime green.

Over a dusty gold.

Over orange.

I added this one because I love the shine off the holographic glitters, it makes me smile.

 I really like these polishes!!! I think they have the perfect amounts of glitters in them, great glitter mixes, no curling glitters, and they can be used in so many different way to create a variety of looks. Just changing the color of polish you put under it makes a huge difference in the look you get. All of her polishes are 3 free. In using Glitz'd 23's polishes I realized that I don't often wear polishes that are just glitters. These are polishes I would and have worn on their own, they made me find my love for not so busy and loud glitters that I had lost somewhere along the way. I really thought that Fuzzy Skies was going to be my favorite, and much to my surprise it wasn't. Though I do love it, my favorite and the one I have worn for 4 days now and will wear many times again is Icie. It is such a sweet girly polish, pretty princess perfection! I did, I felt pretty, and every time I look at it, it makes me think of a fairytale princess. Fuzzy Skies is my second favorite, it is so fun, it reminds me of playing out in the middle of a sun shower. Juices N Berries would be my number 3 pick, I definitely like this polish alot! I am going to layer it over China Glaze Running In Circles or maybe Frostbite, ohhh or maybe a nice chocolatey brown, or grey. Ahhhh the choices!

I give these polishes, shop, packaging, customer service, and shipping..... 5 cupcakes!

 

You can find Glitz'd 23's shop by clicking here.
If you stop by and pick up a polish or 3 let TK know that Christie sent ya over. Let's show a new shop some love!

Which of these polishes or polish combos do you like the best?

*Some products purchased by me, some sent for consideration. All opinions are my own.*

Peace, Love and Cupcakes!

Tea Stained Linen from Hit Polish

Have you ever searched and searched for a polish that you can see in your head, but no one seems to make it? You just know that it would be the perfect polish and wonder why one of the hundreds of companies hasn't made it yet. That has been me for the last 6 months or more. I have a thing for crelly polishes, for those who don't know what a crelly polish is, I'll try to explain it to you. It is a polish base that is 1/2 creme and 1/2 jelly, the base is usually a bit on the sheer side, but very buildable. Most of the time these polishes have glitters suspended in them and the crelly base allows the glitters to be seen better. There are no limits to what can be created with this type of base. Sounds like magic right?

I spotted the polish that I had been lusting after in my dreams! It looked exactly like I had seen in my head a million times. Of course I ordered it, I bet that doesn't shock you, LOL! 

This photo is courtesy of Hit Polish, I forgot to take a bottle shot.

It took less than a week for my package to arrive. As soon as I saw it I ripped it open, and that is when I heard it. I swear angels started singing when I had that bottle in my hands. (Cue music!) I stared at it for probably 5 minutes and then ran to put it on my nails. This polish is everything I had hoped for and more. It makes me think of biscotti and a frothy cappucino for some reason.
The description given on the listing states- "Such a pretty delicate polish and totally work appropriate imo. A cream crelly base with brown, gold, caramel and copper hex glitters in fine to large sizes; in both metallic and holographic finishes."
My description- A gorgeous creamy nude base with hella glitz and glamour in browns, golds, coppers that you can even rock at the office. Neutral with spunk!

1 coat

2 coats

3 coats

 As you can see it took 3 coats to get full opacity, and worth every single coat! BUT, it is awesome layered over other polishes too!

Top is layered over white, middle is layered over a medium chocolate brown, bottom is layered over gold. All are only one coat of Tea Stained Linen over the color. I really like when you can turn up a polish or take it down a notch by layering like this, more bang for the buck. Though I will be honest, I would have loved this polish even if it didn't have those abilities, it is just perfection to me. 
The polish went on great as usual for the polishes from this company. I didn't have to dig for any of the different glitter sizes, and it dried in a nice amount of time. I did use a topcoat to smooth it out, the texture wasn't too bad, but a coat of Seche Vite had it as smooth as a baby bottom. I wore this mani for a few days and had no chipping and very minimal tip wear.

Hit Polish has a 10% off sale coming up on 2/13/13 that will run from 8am EST until 11pm EST. 
You can find their Facebook page by clicking here.
You can find their Etsy shop by clicking here.

Ordering is easy, customer service is terrific, shipping is fast, and the product is wonderful. I give this polish...

*All products purchased by me, all opinions are my own*

Peace, Love and Cupcakes!

Ruby White Tips Sugarbush

Hey all! I have been down with a migraine for a few days, but I am feeling better. I have a gorgeous polish from a newer indie polish maker that I think you will love. I won this polish in a giveaway on the Ruby White Tips fan page, it is my first polish from this company. 

This is Sugarbush...

Sugarbush is a beautiful violet polish with tiny holographic glitter, tiny holographic bar glitter and a sprinkling of small gold hex glitter. In the picture above you can see how tiny the holographic glitters are. This polish went on terrific, no problems at all. It was opaque with one coat, but I used 2 coats to get that rich violet color like in the bottle.

All pictures are 2 coats of polish with no topcoat. There is a very slight texture to the polish, but it wasn't enough to bother me. I have had this polish on for 2 days now and have had no chipping or tip wear even with all my mom duties. 

I really do love this shade of polish, it isn't too purple and it isn't too pink, it is the perfect violet shade. I also really like the color with my skin tone. Laura did a great job creating this polish! I look forward to trying more from her and sharing with you. She really loves what she does, it makes me want to spend my money with her to see her company grow. 

Prices are very reasonable at $7.50 for a full sized bottle. She has 2 polishes, Peekaboo and Poppy,  that 50% of the proceeds go toward helping bats. She also has a mystery box that contains at least 2 nail polishes and other surprises, it sells for $12.50. One thing you wont find many of is glitter topcoats, I think there is only one available and one flaky topcoat. I really enjoy seeing a company that is making polishes that aren't just glitter bombs. Though I do love my glitter bombs ;o) Laura is always up for the challenge of creating a custom color for you too. She and I tried this a few months back when I was wanting a true orange holographic polish. I still feel bad that I was being so picky, she tried her best though!

I'm not sure how to rate this polish since it was a prize. I have dealt with Laura as a customer previously though, and her shipping with my prize was great. So based on those factors I will give my experiences with Ruby Whit Tips...5 cupcakes!

You can find Ruby White Tips shop here.
You can find Ruby White Tips fan page here.

I have my eye on Man Eater, Peekaboo, and Hartnett. What colors do you have your eye on?

***This product was part of a prize I won, all opinions are my own.***

Peace, Love and Cupcakes!