Bee's Knees Lacquer Ghost or Furby?

(Purchased)

I have noticed that a lot of my manis (past, present, and planned) are from the one Polish Pickup order I made in 2024. There will be at least one more following this one. How can I help it, when the colors are all so cute (and the toys they were inspired by so nostalgic)?

This one follows the trend. Read more to find out why.

Fancy Gloss Troll Vault

(Purchased)

While many brands offer a variety of finishes, it is common for a brand to be associated with a certain one or aesthetic. In the case of today, when someone thinks "thermals," they are very likely to think of Fancy Gloss.

I had purchased Fancy Gloss once before years ago in a Polish Pickup, only to regrettably destash it before I could actually wear it. I had always wanted to retry the brand, and maybe repurchase that exclusive, since then. While it's not that specific thermal, I did purchase one during the one Polish Pickup that I participated in last year. 

How is it? Let's find out!

State of the Blog: 2025 edition

It is the second day in 2025. Last time I posted here was in late 2021. Many things happened in that timespan: me operating my own nail polish business, closing the business to move abroad, marrying my soulmate, having a health crisis that culminated in surgical intervention, returning to school...

In between all this and more, my love of nail polish never wavered. I still follow nail blogs and Instagrams, I regularly lurk and comment in nail subreddits and Facebook groups, I buy polish when I can afford it. While I have other hobbies and interests, including writing and baking, nail polish is my passion. People regularly give me comments about how lovely my manicures are even when they are cremes. Friends ask me for nail care advice or color suggestions. I will give loved ones manicures for special events. It's become a party trick of mine for people to have me identify a brand by the bottle shape. I like nail polish. I like nail polish a lot. I've liked nail polish a lot for almost 15 years at this point. My interest is here to stay.

My resolution for 2024 was to start posting my manicures on Instagram again. Save for a handful, I managed to keep that. 

For 2025, I wish to return to this blog, at least periodically. I enjoy sharing my collection, my thoughts about polish in general, and my nail art when I actually do it. Besides swatches and nail art, I may switch up things as well: posting nail related history, indie polish community happenings, maybe anti-hauls? 

One thing is for certain: I learned to crochet about three months ago. Been enjoying it a lot so far. There is this concept in yarncrafts of "temperature blankets" where one tracks the average temperature of a location for a year in the form of color coordinated yarn. 365 rows later, there is a physical record of that year's temperature readings that can also double as a blanket. Other people prefer to track other things, like how their favorite sports team fared that season, or their weight if they followed a weight journey that year. I plan to track my manicures not just on Instagram, but also in yarn form! I will begin sharing that in the near future. 

In fact, I will start sharing here again, right now. My final mani of 2024 was Kathleen and Co's Glow So Bright, a November 2024 Polish Pickup exclusive inspired by the classic toy Lite Brite. It is a black jelly with red/gold shimmer and a rainbow of different scattered holographic glitters. This was three coats and a major hit among my classmates.

How about you? Do you have any nail goals in 2025? Great to see y'all, again!

Items Used (all purchased):
Base: Glisten and Glow Ridge Filling
Color: Kathleen and Co Glow So Bright 
Top: Glisten and Glow Top

Colores de Carol Double Trouble

TW: cancer, death

A year hiatus and I come back with this. I deeply apologize.

What an awful year. As if a global pandemic isn't bad enough. Not only is it around the second anniversary of my aunt's death, but my father has also been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. If my family is fortunate we have 18 more months maximum with him. TS Eliot was right- April truly is the cruelest month.

I barely purchased any polish this year. It's not that I'm not interested in polish anymore. I still very much enjoy nail paint. Between trying to cut down on debt, focusing on weight loss (2019 was the year of the road to gastric bypass), and now my father's illness, my nails were very much on the backburner. I went bare for days before finding enough energy and motivation to resume my routine. My plan was to only buy nail polish if I really wanted it and could afford it or as a non food reward. Upon my father's diagnosis I permitted myself a small amount of retail therapy as well. As a bariatric patient, a few dollars on new toys is preferable to binge eating when stressed (a major trigger of mine).

Today's polish was one of my retail therapies.

Natural Light

Everything I Hauled from December's Polish Pickup

Got my final Polish Pickup haul for 2018!

For those that don't know what Polish Pickup is, it is a multi indie vendor shop that runs the first weekend of the month. Exclusive nail polish and nail care items galore. I'm a kid in a candy store when I shop there.

Each month has a voted on theme. December's was Enchanted Forest. Let's see how polish makers interpreted that theme!

Swirled Mint nails

As I mentioned in my Peppermints in the Parlor post, I love peppermint. It's my favorite scent and taste. The stronger the better. I also love rainbows. So this mani is a match made in heaven for me.

Starlight Polish Peppermints in the Parlor

Better late than never. I intended to post this mani all this weekend but life got in the way. I've been excited to wear this in December since I got it in a destash a few months ago. Perfect for Christmas, am I right?

Creative Cuticles Take Chances. Make Mistakes. Get Messy.

December is a muggy month in my neck of the woods. Lots of muck on the ground after the latest downpour(s). Snow would be an improvement. This latest mani isn't the most festive but I appreciate the rainbow this polish provides.

Everything I Hauled from November's Polish Pickup

Guess whose Polish Pickup order arrived?

For those that don't know, Polish Pickup is an online shop that opens the first weekend of the month. Indie polish makers come together to make items inspired by a certain theme picked by customers.

This will be a smaller haul. Just three polishes. Shame, because I love this month's theme. Badass Women is one kickass theme. There's always destashes, at least.

Nail Hoot Autumn Fire

I don't wear red polish often. It's more of a nail art tool for me. When I do wear it, however, it tends to be reds with a twist like Nail Hoot Autumn Fire.

Everything I Hauled from October's Polish Pickup

Greetings, y'all! Got another Polish Pickup haul to share!

Polish Pickup is a multi vendor shop that's open during the first weekend of the month. All polishes are exclusive to the shop. You can order as much as you want during its opening, although some items have caps placed on them. Domestic shipping is a flat $3.

By the way, every PPU is themed. This month's was villains.

Without further ado, let's see what I got!

Baroness X The Crypt Keeper

Greetings, boils and ghouls! Try not to lose your head over today's frightfully fangstastic varnish! I call it Baroness X's The Crypt Keeper.

Subtle Plaid Nails

Just wanted to do something simple this weekend. Originally I just wanted to wear OPI Alpaca My Bags by itself but ultimately decided why not do some stamping. Plaid (or rather, plaid flannel) spoke to me. After choosing between tannish greige and white, I figured that the Moonflower Polish that I recently hauled would look good. A quick stamping test on a swatch nail confirmed. It's subtle, but I like it. It's like there's a reward for looking closely at my nails or in direct light.

Items Used
Base Polish: OPI Alpaca My Bags
Stamping Polish: Moonflower Polish Do Not Read the Latin!
Stamping Plate: Pueen Geo Lovers 02
Base/Top Coat: Vibrant Vinyls scented Get a Grip! base coat and Fast and Hard top coat in Galactic Unicorn

Everything I Hauled from September's Polish Pickup

Greetings, y'all! I'm here with my latest haul from Polish Pickup!

If you're new to Polish Pickup, it is an online store set up during the first weekend of the month where a bunch of polish makers come together and make exclusive polishes modeled after a common theme. September 2018's theme was horror movies. I don't consider myself a die hard horror fan but I do enjoy them. Especially psychological and werewolf flicks. I get full moon fever whenever I see werewolf related stuff.

Every Polish I Hauled from August's Polish Pickup

Greetings, y'all! Today I have my haul from the August 2018 edition of Polish Pickup.

For those that don't know what Polish Pickup is, it is like a Facebook custom group and an indie box fused together, only better. Every first weekend of the month, a bunch of nail polish makers craft polish and nail care items around a theme voted on in advance by group members and post them for preorder on the Polish Pickup site. Some items are capped, others not. But you can buy whatever you want as long as the items are up for grabs. There's $3 combined (domestic) shipping too!

This month's theme was on musicals. I'm not a huge fan of theater musicals but I do enjoy Disney movies. August is my birthday month so I was particularly excited to see what came up for sale. I can never buy everything I want (who can?), but I got a good bit on my wish list.

Femme Friday: Mermaid Candy

Greetings, y'all! Every Friday I post about a Femme Fatale polish from my "vault." Today's Femme Friday spotlights a polish that is easily one of my favorite overall for 2018.

Stamping Mani: Geometric Nail Art Featuring Supermoon Lacquer Which Tastes Sweeter

I recently saw someone on the Supermoon Lacquer Facebook group use a Supermoon Lacquer polish as a stamping polish. The result was fantastic. Perfect transfer. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to try out my few Supermoons for stamping since they're so opaque. Maybe it's because I usually prefer straight up stamping polish unless I know that a regular polish will likely (or does) work? Can't hurt to try it myself. I tested Which Tastes Sweeter from the February 2018 Polish Pickup over OPI I'm Sooo Swamped! (one of my all time favorite greens).

Top Shelf Lacquer Caribbean Storm Cocktail

Greetings, y'all! Happy hump day! Today I have a polish that I hauled during last month's Polish Pickup, Top Shelf Lacquer Caribbean Storm Cocktail.

Top Shelf Lacquer Caribbean Storm Cocktail

Every Polish I Hauled from July's Polish Pickup (except one)

And that sole exception is only omitted because it won't be coming my way for a good six to eight weeks. I waited until my other final orders from July's Polish Pickup arrived to write this, and I'm as giddy to see all these goodies as the day they arrived in my mailbox.

Polish Pickup logo

You may be asking yourself right now- what is Polish Pickup? Glad you asked. It's kinda like a Facebook group custom and an indie box fused together, only better. Every first weekend of the month, a whole bunch of nail polish artisans craft polishes, nail care items, and other items around a  theme voted on by group members and post them for sale on the Polish Pickup website. Some items have caps, others don't. Since it's not an indie box you can buy whatever you want while they're up for grabs. It's like a little indie polish candy store for a weekend and it's as amazing as it sounds. There's combined (domestic) shipping too!

There used to be non polish related items such as wax melts, makeup, and jewelry for sale too, but the sale front grew so massive that it was losing its main focus. Most Pickup customers still wanted these items, so non polish items are being spun off into its own Indie Pickup later this month.

Normally there is a monthly theme. Past themes include cocktails, old Hollywood, fandom, books, and space. The hosts of Polish Pickup took a well deserved break in July, however, so there was no pre-selected theme. Instead, the theme was "Rewind" where indie makers brought back their most popular or requested items for one month. Unlike previous months you had to go to the actual sellers instead of a convenient "all in one place" website.

My July 2018 Polish Pickup haul

...I may have gone a little bonkers with my spending.