(The offerings in this blog post were gifted to me or paid for in exchange for photos; all thoughts are my own)
Well, we’re in August! It has been a few weeks since I have made a blog post. I took July off for my husband and I to finally go on our honeymoon to Hawaii! It was a trip of a lifetime and it was so nice to have the time off. I return to my humble blog refreshed… and with shorter nails.
I have offerings from two brands to share with you today. The August shop for Hella Handmade Creations also features offerings for “Hellaween.” I, for one, am thrilled to finally start getting into the Halloween spirit! Let’s go see what Rogue Lacquer and Cuticula Nail Care have in store for August.
As I continue to upload swatch videos, I will update this blog post with more links. Be sure to click on the swatch photos to expand them!
starling stunner
by Cuticula
INSPIRATION: Continuing their “Birds of a Feather” series.
DESCRIPTION: A deep violet full of purple/pink shifting shimmer and red holographic sparkle.
MANICURE DETAILS: Two coats with a glossy top coat.
SWATCH APPLICATIONS: Instagram; YouTube Shorts
PRICE & CAP: $14.00, no cap
LINK TO PURCHASE: Click here!
Application Recommendations
COATS: 2 coats is plenty!
BASE COATS: Your preferred base coat is perfect! No staining or nail line visibility.
TOP COATS: Despite its beautiful sparkle, you will not need any glitter smoother for this polish. Top with a glossy top coat to enhance those glitters!
TIME: Dries very quick!
EXTRA NOTES: This is one of those fun polishes where the sparkles are so intense that you think’d think they are reflective glitters. Although it does not dry with any texture, it will dry very flat, so I’d highly recommend a glossy top coat. I do not think a matte top coat would do “Starling Stunner” justice.
brewed awakening
by Cuticula
INSPIRATION: Celebrating Hellaween!
DESCRIPTION: A blackened berry base with green/blue/purple shifting shimmer.
MANICURE DETAILS: Three coats with a glossy top coat.
SWATCH APPLICATIONS: YouTube Shorts
PRICE & CAP: $14.00, no cap
LINK TO PURCHASE: Click here!
Application Recommendations
COATS: 2-3 coats depending on how deep you want the base color to be.
BASE COATS: Your preferred base coat is perfect! No staining or nail line visibility.
TOP COATS: Your normal matte or glossy top coat is perfect!
TIME: Dries very quick!
EXTRA NOTES: Oh, this polish is *chef’s kiss* for Halloween! I adore this base and shimmer combination. Be aware that I would have stopped at two coats, but I saw a slight bald spot on my index. This could be user error, but I thought I’d note it anyway.
holiday spirits
by Rogue Lacquer
INSPIRATION: “Every year the haunted mansion gets a nightmare before Christmas overlay during the Halloween and Christmas season! So this is that classic haunted mansion blue green combo with a mix of pumpkin king fun!”
DESCRIPTION: A gray crelly with green purple chrome flakes, orange glass and black shards.
MANICURE DETAILS: Two coats with a layer of glitter smoother and glossy top coat.
SWATCH APPLICATIONS: YouTube Shorts
PRICE & CAP: $12.50, no cap
LINK TO PURCHASE: Click here!
Application Recommendations
COATS: 2 coats is plenty!
BASE COATS: Your preferred base coat is perfect! No staining or nail line visibility.
TOP COATS: Although the flakes lie very flat and provide no texture, I may suggest a thin layer of glitter smoother to make the flakes look like they’re trapped in resin, so to speak. It makes them pop!
TIME: Dries very quick, but may be a longer mani if you use glitter smoother.
EXTRA NOTES: Although the description states the base is grey, it’s a very warm grey; it almost looks a touch brown to me. It is a very lovely neutral shade.
i wanna do bad things to you
by Rogue Lacquer
INSPIRATION: Celebrating Hellaween, inspired by True Blood!
DESCRIPTION: A holo with deep blackberry juice tones in the low light and beautiful brighter berry tones in the sun.
MANICURE DETAILS: Two coats with a glossy top coat.
SWATCH APPLICATIONS: YouTube Shorts
PRICE & CAP: $14.00, cap of 600 bottles
LINK TO PURCHASE: Click here!
Application Recommendations
COATS: 2 coats is plenty!
BASE COATS: Your preferred base coat is perfect! No staining or nail line visibility.
TOP COATS: Your normal glossy top coat is perfect!
TIME: Dries very quick!
EXTRA NOTES: The holo in this polish is indeed subtle (not as subtle as my photos make it appear), but that makes it kind of mysterious to me! I think it is a lovely, vampy (pun intended) Halloween polish.
Thank you all so much for reading my thoughts about these offerings! Are any of these on your wishlists? Let me know in the comments below.
♥ Tori
