Press Sample: I,A.M. Custom Color Cosmetics March & April Duos

***Press Sample***

Happy Saturday to you all!  Today I have the March and April Duos (releasing today!) by I, A.M. Custom Color Cosmetics to show you!  Every month, the creator Ashlie comes up with two polishes inspired by a ballerina and a song, and they are called "Ashe's Faves."  We'll get started with March's pair :)

The March duo consists of a gorgeous pink rainbow flakie called "Светлана" - named for Svetlana Zakharova, a Russian trained Prima Ballerina with amazing extensions.  A video of a sample of her dancing is here if you are interested.  Here are pics of the polish:

Since this is a jelly polish, it was never 100% opaque, but I am wearing three thin layers in the pics, and you can barely see my nail line.  The polish dried in under 5 minutes to a semi-shiny finish, but I added a quick topcoat in the photos above.

The second polish in this duo is a neon purple jelly with contrasting blue shimmers "Phenomenon," named after the Yeah Yeah Yeah's song "Phenomena."  Here's what this polish looks like:

Phenomenon is  a bit more opaque in three coats, mostly due to that gorgeous blue shimmer.  This polish also dried in under 5 minutes to a semi-shiny finish, however I did add a topcoat in the photos above.

The second duo releasing today is April's and it is the perfect duo holding that Spring feeling!  Let's start with "Come Around," a gorgeous neon spearmint green creme polish with gold glitters and flakies.  This polish is inspired by the song "Come Around" by MIA and Timberland.  Here are some pics:

Come Around is opaque in 2-3 layers, depending on how thick you layer (I am wearing three coats in the photos, topped with Glisten and Glow).  This polish also dried in under five minutes to a shiny finish. 

The second polish in the duo is "The Marie," a pastel glitter bomb with some iridescent glitters.  This polish is named after Marie Taglioni, one of the first noted ballet dancers to go on pointe, and also standardize the shorter Romantic era tutu.  Since she pre-dates film and photography, there are no videos of her to share, but there is a link here with more information.  Here are some swatches:

 Shown over a purple creme

 Shown over Come Around

The Marie spread out nice and evenly - I didn't have any clumping issues, and it is shown in two thin coats in the photos above, topped with Glisten and Glow to add extra shine and the smooth it over.  The polish dried in under 5 minutes to a shiny finish, and wasn't as textured as I anticipate it to be, as the majority of glitter toppers are when they dry.

The Ups: These two duos contain very unique polishes bursting with color!  I love that March's has such bright colors, almost making me what to skip spring and bring on the Summer fun!!  I've always been a sucker for flakies, too, so the rainbow flakies in Светлана are just gorgeous!!  I'm also totally in love with the gorgeous green color of Come Around - it's the perfect Spring Green!  I appreciated that all the polishes dried in a short amount of time, too - always a bonus for a stay at home mom ;)

The Downs: The flakies in the first duo made the formulas a bit on the thicker side, which is not a problem, just something to keep in mind as you are applying more layers.  

Overall: Ashlie did a great job with these two duos!!!  I love the creativity in each polish and how she's inspired by dance and music.  The colors are fantastic individually, and they also complement each other well - especially the neon pink and purple! 

These duos will be available for purchase today!!  Here are some links for you:

Shop: Here
Facebook: Here
Facebook Fan Group: Here
Instagram: Here

What do you think of these duos?  Which polish or duos is your favorite?  Will you be picking one of them up? :)

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Polishes provided by the company for swatches and a review.  My opinion is in no way swayed, and remains 100% honest.

Press Sample: MTK's Haute Cuisine Collection

***Press Sample***

A little while back, I reviewed the Cafe Collection of coffee-scented polish by the brand MTK Design.  I am delighted to share with you the brand's new Haute Cuisine collection that launches tomorrow!!  Let's get right to the beauties!

This lovely shimmery nude is "Wild Mushroom Bisque:"

 

The Pointer finger is with HK Girl topcoat, the middle is a matte topcoat, and the ring in the natural finish of the polish

Wild Mushroom Bisque is a lovely nude with a gold/copper shimmer.  Opaque in 2 coats, it dries in under 5 minutes to a satin finish.

Next up is "Sweet Rose Marsala:"

 Again, Pointer is Glisten & Glow, middle is matte, ring is natural finish

A freehand painted rose ^_^

Sweet Rose Marsala is as its name suggests - a lovely marsala color with a subtle golden shimmer.  Opaque in one coat (yes, you read that right!), it also dries in under 5 minutes to a satin finish.

Here is "Sauteed Asparagus:"

Sauteed asparagus is a beautiful sage/jade green with a gentle golden shimmer.  Opaque in 2 coats, this polish dries in under 5 minutes to a satin finish.

And last up is my favorite of the bunch - "Blue Crab Cakes:"

C'mon, how could I not?! :D

Blue Crab Cake is a gorgeous medium/ocean blue with a misty white/gold shimmer.  Opaque in 1 coat (yep, another 1-coater!), it dries in under 5 minutes to a satin finish.

The Ups: I love that these polishes are so versatile - you can leave them with their satin finish, or add a glossy topcoat to really make the shimmer pop, or even mattify it and bring out the bold hues of the base color!  The formula is solid, too, and I certainly appreciated the quick dry time.

The Downs: Since these are 1-2 coaters, they are on the thicker side of nail polish.  This does not mean they are a pain to work with - this just means that you need to wait a little longer between coats to make sure you don't drag the layer underneath when applying the second.  Just need to be mindful of it, and all will be well :)

Overall, this is a great collection!  Gorgeous colors with lots of personality to explore!!  You can pick these up at their Etsy shop (I'll link at the end) at the following prices:

Minis - $5

Mini Collection - $18

Full Size - $10

Full Size Collection: - $38

Here is the link to the shop: MTK Design 

Facebook Page: Here

Instagram: Here

Twitter: Here

This collection launches TOMORROW!!   Will you be picking any up?? :D

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Polishes were sent for swatches and review by the company.  This is no way affects my opinion, which remains 100% honest.

Amy's Untried Challenge: Dots

Hello all!  Wanted to share with you the first design from a new challenge I'm doing on Instagram called "Amy's Untried Challenge."

It is hosted by "AmyLovesNewWave" and "AmyyLyn" and the idea is that you use at least one polish you own that you've never tried before (a.k.a. an "untried") for each of these themes.  It's a GREAT way to finally use all those beautiful polishes I've purchased and haven't had time to try yet!!

So for Day 1's challenge of Dots, I used this photo I took at the Seattle Sculpture Park as a reference:

And here is my design:

 

I used all of the new Spring colors just released by Model City Polish and the Black Friday Trio by Ellagee.  The white dots are acrylic paint :)  I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out!  What do you all think?

Gothic Gala Lacquers Mt. Olympus Collection, Part 2

***Press Sample***

Now that you've had a gander at the first five polishes in the Mt. Olympus Collection by Gothic Gala Lacquers, let's take a look and the remaining five!

First up is Hephaestus:

Hephaestus is a lovely dusty metallic silver, and I really love how it looks with a matte topcoat!

Here is Hera:

Hera is a light, almost lilac metallic purple.  Its formula is a little thinner, like Aphrodite, and took 3 coats to be mostly opaque, as shown in the pics.

Next is Hestia, one of my favorites:

I just love the rich green color of Hestia!!  It's another polish that will be perfect for St. Patrick's Day :D

Up now is Poseidon:

This teal blue is just perfect for Poseidon - makes me want to go visit the ocean ^_^

And last up is the grand Poobah of them all - Zeus:

I love that she chose a striking bright blue to represent Zeus - it's a very strong, bold color that most definitely stands out on its own, and in matte form.  It's a completely gorgeous color, and my other favorite of these new colors :)

Application for all of these has been consistent and the same - smooth and dry in under five minutes.  

Pre-orders for this collection are TODAY, March 1st at 12pm PST and will run through the 9th.  You can purchase the polishes individually at the 10ml size for $7.25, or you can purchase the entire collection at $65.25 for the 10ml size, and $51.75 for the 7ml mini size (only available as a collection, not for the individual polishes).  Shipping for the pre-orders will begin on March 16th, which is when all the polishes will be available at the regular shop price ($7.75 for 10ml individual, $69.75 for 10ml collection, $56.25 for 7ml collection).   

Now that you've seen the rest of the collection, what do you think?  Which one is your favorite of these five?  Are you going to pick any of these beauties up?

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Polishes provided by Gothic Gala Lacquers for photos and review.  My opinions remain 100% honest and is in no way swayed.