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!

Friday Freakout

Today I have a couple of freak outs to share with you. One is good, the other... not so much. It is actually an update on my order with Evil Shades Cosmetics. 


I am so excited to tell you that I was chosen by 2 indie polish companies to review their polishes. I am so nervous about my pics and, well everything. I just hope that I do a good job for these companies. One is a new to me company, the other is one of my top 3 favorite indie companies. I have already received a package from one of them and will be posting very soon. I think you will fall in love with this company as I have. The other company will be sending a package within the next day or so. Be on the lookout for these upcoming posts. I will also be making a post featuring a polish from Ruby White Tips. I was so excited to open this polish up this afternoon and see the color in person. That post will be coming up real soon too.

I am not so excited to give you this update on my order with Evil Shades Cosmetics. Unfortunately I still have had no response to my message asking for a tracking# or refund if one could not be provided. Within 24 hours of my first post (which you can find here) the Evil Shades site was suspended. This is the explanation that was given via the Evil Shades fan page. "The website is shut down temporarily so I can get all of the orders remaining out and reorganize. I am no longer full time running ES, I am looking for outside work since the move so I need to reduce things to a more manageable size until I can come back to full time at ES." After speaking to a few people I have been told by all I spoke with that you can not suspend your own account with the platform Evil Shades uses. If an account is suspended it is due to either non payment by the company to keep their site going or due to complaints backed up with proof of bad business practices. Now I have to say that I am unsure which reason that the account has been suspended, but the fact remains it is indeed suspended. I have not received my order, no refund, no anything from Evil Shades. I spoke with Paypal concerning my purchase and according to the rep I spoke with, there is nothing they can do to correct the situation. I already knew I wouldn't get a refund because of the 45 day limit they have, but reporting the problems I am having was important I was told by the rep. I was also told to let people know that if they are still able to, they need to file for a refund with them. There is also this post that I think you should read about this situation.

Now how about a cute picture to brighten the mood? This is our Sophie girl checking out my orange mani a few months back. She is such a nosy girl, but we love her!

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!

Orange you glad it is Friday?

Yeah I know the title is a bit on the corny side, but I couldn't help myself! The title may be corny but the polish I have for you today is far from corny. So let's get to it.

Today I have a super fun polish to share with you from KBShimmer, it is called Orange-A-Peel. My sweet friend Lynn sent this to me for Christmas. (Thank you again!) She and I share a brain 90% of the time, only she is the nicer part. This polish is a glitter filled crelly. The base color reminds me of a sherbert orange and it is packed full of orange, pink and white glitters. It is part of their Neon Collection that was released last year. Here are a few shots of it for you.

I had a hard time getting my camera to pick up the true color of this polish. As you can see this polish isn't one of those typical bright as heck neon oranges, it is a nice subdued neon orange. You can use it on its own and get full coverage in 2 coats, or layer it over other colors to get a different shade of orange all together. Below on my index finger it is 2 coats layered over a coral color, the middle finger is 2 coats alone, ring finger is 2 coats over white, and the pinky is 1 coat over a primary orange polish, all topped with 2 coats of Seche Vite.

You can see in the pictures that over the white it takes on a more neon look. Alone and over the coral it seemed to be that almost sherbert orange color, and over the primary orange it went to a gorgeous almost pumpkiny color. With orange being my all time favorite color, I really loved that I could get such different shades out of this one polish. Now that I am looking at the pictures I wish I had done a nail with it over a bright yellow too.

The formula is wonderful, it went on with no fuss, and there was no fishing for any of the glitters. There was no curling to any of the glitters either. KBShimmer has one of the best crelly bases that I have used! I did have to use a topcoat with this polish. It wasn't really snaggy, but when it dried there was a medium amount of texture to it. I could see me sitting and picking at it if I hadn't put a topcoat on. It dries pretty quick and has a semi matte finish to it, which I expected it to have since most neons are matte. I personally like the semi matte finish that it has. I don't think they carry this particular polish anymore, but there are a few other orange crelly polishes that are just as fun as this one. 

KBShimmer is an indie company that carries a nice variety of products. They carry polish, handmade soaps, sugar scrubs, lotions, whipped body butter, lip balms, and bath bombs. They have their own site or you can also visit their shop on Etsy. Their prices are very reasonable, shipping prices are reasonable, and their TAT is currently 2-3 business days unless you buy bath bombs then it is 5-7 business days. For handmade products that is an excellent TAT. I personally haven't bought from them yet, so I can't really speak about the packaging for items being shipped. I have messaged a little with the owner and can tell you that their customer service is great. You can find their facebook page here to see what's new from them.

I have watched this shop for at least 6 months and now I am kicking myself in the tush for not buying before. They are a company that carries so many things that I love, polish, bath and body products, and lip balms. Anyone who knows me knows that I enjoy all of those things to the point of almost hoarding LOL! I hope to make an order with them soon and grab a few things to share with you in the future. I am going to rate them today on just this polish alone. 
I give this polish... 5 cupcakes

Have you tried any products from KBShimmer? If so, what products/scents do you recommend? 

***Some products were purchased by me, others were a gift from a friend. All opinions are my own***

Peace, Love and Cupcakes!

KBShimmer Spring Collection Press Release

KBSHIMMER ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF NINE NEW POLISHES
KBShimmer Spring Polish Line Set For Release February 15^th, 2013

KBShimmer is excited to announce the addition of 9 new colors to their 3-Free glitter polish line.  Owner Christy Rose says "With Easter, warmer weather, and Spring Break fast approaching February is the ideal time to introduce softer pastels to our lineup, but also to add a splash of bold color." 

The spring lineup includes three glitter top coats, two bold jellies, and four creamy pastels, one of which is scented.  "Our new line was created to play off the softer palette of spring, but also to accent unique glitters like small black dots and spring 2013 Pantone colors like the color of the year, Emerald Green.  We are also excited to debut this collection in our new printed bottles.  With the printed bottles, and our glitter grabbing flat brush, we feel our polish is a solid addition to any collection" says Rose. 

KBSHimmer - spRING 2013 COLLECTION

A Dot Mess - Fuchsia and black dots, hexes, and micro slices in a clear base - Top Coat

Pastel Me More - Pastel colored glitters in a rainbow of colors and range of sizes - Top Coat

Squared Away - Square glitters in a variety of sizes, colors and finishes including metallic and holographic in a clear base - Top Coat

Spring Training - Soft green crelly full of pink, purple, blue and green floral toned glitters, scented with a floral freesia note - Full coverage in 2-3 coats

Where My Peeps At - Soft yellow crelly with circle and tiny hex glitter in fun jelly bean like shades - Full coverage in 2-3 coats

Lottie Dottie - Turquoise and fuchsia dots and coordinating glitters micro slices in a soft white base - Full coverage in 2-3 coats

Iris My Case - Violet pastel crelly with glitters in purple, pink, silver and blue - Full coverage in 2-3 coats

Get Clover It - Emerald green jelly with micro shimmer and circle glitter in shades of green, gold and turquoise- Best in 3 coats or layered over coordinating polish to cover nail line

I Got A Crush On Blue - Royal blue jelly with holographic silver glitters ranging from micro to extra large- Best in 3 coats or layered over coordinating polish to cover nail line

Shipping February 15, 2013

KBShimmer products can be found at http://www.KBShimmer.com.  For sales outside of the US visit http://www.HarlowandCo.org.

KBShimmer was founded in 2008 by the husband and wife team of Jason and Christy Rose.  KBShimmer offers unique and colorful nail glitter nail polishes that are Big 3 Free, with all glitter formulas being completely free of chemicals such as toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP).  KBShimmer glitter polishes feature a flat glitter grabbing brush for easy application.  KBShimmer also offers a 2-free quick dry polish top coat, olive oil lotion, sugar scrubs, lip balms, cold process soaps and other skin care products.

I personally LOVE the look of this collection. There is a great variety of shades to choose from. 

Which of these shades are you looking forward to buying?

Peace, Love and Cupcakes!