Hello lovely readers! It’s that time again, Polish Pickup goes live this weekend and I have LOADS of info to share with you guys. This month’s theme is Famous Duos and the makers were allowed to interpret this in however way they wished. Some teamed up with other makers, some created polishes to pair with their PPU shade in their shops, and some went with a famous duo. In lieu of that, I’m styling the post a little differently this month so let’s get to it!
*I’d like to warn mobile users, this post is very pic heavy so I apologize for any lag!
*Topcoat used in this post is Night Owl Lacquer’s Patience Not Required
Blush Lacquers has two polishes this month inspired by Johnny Cash and June Carter! Johnny will be available through Polish Pickup and June will be on Blush’s site.
- Official description: A deep black base with a subtle teal-blue-purple shifting shimmer and scattered holo. In low lighting this polish will appear nearly solid black. In brighter lighting or sunlight, the shimmer and holo will be more prominent. We crafted this purposely to showcase Johnny’s dark, mysterious side (and for the fact that he was known for always wearing black) and also his charming and charismatic side when he was with June.
- Shade in PPU Site: Johnny
- Price: $11.50
- Cap: None; UK cap: None
Swatches show two coats with topcoat. This has a smooth feel during application and built up very easily. You’ll mostly see the inky black base, but the shimmer gives a lovely turquoise glow that shifts to purple in extreme angles. This is such a sultry color, that shimmer is everything here and the holo gives a densely scattered sparkle.
Available on Blush’s Site: June. During Polish Pickup weekend, use the code SHIPJUNEFREE for free shipping to complete your duo. Offer also applies to other polishes in her shop!
- Official description: A soft, dreamy turquoise base with a golden green shifting shimmer and a sprinkling of scattered holo. We crafted our “June” polish as a lighter and brighter color as she was often seen as the light in Johnny’s life and had a bubbly personality which played off of Johnny’s dark demeanor.
- Price: $11.50
- Cap: None
Swatches show three coats with topcoat. Formula felt a tough lighter than Johnny. I can see some being able to get away with two coats, though personally given the crelly feel I’d suggest three thin coats to give that nice plump appearance. The base color is a flattering almost Tiffany blue with green undertones. The shimmer is delicate and gives a golden glow with a green shift on extreme angles.
Bees Knees/Night Owl Lacquer These two brands teamed up to bring you a duo inspired by Molly Weasley and Bellatrix Lestrange.
Bees Knees: The Dark Lord’s Most Loyal Servant
- Official description: A dark evergreen linear holo with red to green ghost flakes
- Price: $14
- Cap: None; UK Cap: none
Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula has an extra rich, buttery, very dense feel on application and I could totally see a heavy hand getting away with one coat. The holo is intense and those little flakes gives mostly a red reflective appearance with a green shift on extreme angles. They’re being shy here, but my swatch video will give you a better representation. No texture after topcoat.
Night Owl Lacquer: Love is Powerful Magic
- Official description: an indigo tinted base with red/bronze/copper multichrome shift, red/green/gold aurora shimmer, bright silver flakes, gold holo micro shreds and crystal chameleon flakes in purple/red/blue & purple/red/gold.
- Price: $12.50
- Cap: None; UK cap: none
Swatches show three coats with topcoat. Formula feels on the medium to light side, and builds easily. Full opacity can be reached in 2-3 coats. This is one shifty little thing! I easily saw it shift from reds to bronze to copper at angles and the flakes give mostly cool toned shades of their own shift. The sparkles give a dense sparkle and after topcoat, I had no texture at all.
By Dany Vianna: Portable Swamp. Inspired by Fred and George Weasley!
- Official description: a muddied teal, slightly holo jelly base with multichrome glitter multichrome flakies.
- Price: $12
- Cap: 100 bottles/ UK Cap: 10
Swatches show three coats with topcoat. Formula feels on the lighter side, and built up to full opacity for me at three coats. The base reminds me of a mossy green, and the flakes compliment it with an array of colors and sparkles all over that create a pond effect with your layers. No texture after topcoat.
Cameo Colours: Dude, We’re a Little Married. Inspired by Scrubs, we have a polish named after the duo Turk and JD.
- Official description: a thermal that is Blue when warm and green when cold, full of blue-green and indigo-purple shifting shimmers, indigo, midnight sparkle, and holo microflakes, with lime-blue-gold UCC flakes.
- Price: $11
- Cap: 90; UK cap: 10
Swatches show three coats with topcoat, formula feels like a medium jelly to me. I can see some achieving full opacity at two coats, however I went in with lighter coats and three worked just fine. There’s loads of flakes to be seen here that create a pond effect overall and a densely scattered sparkle overall. This one was very reactive for me, so trust me that the warm state is the blue, and the cold state is the green. No texture after topcoat.
Crystal Knockout was inspired by Romy and Michele for her duo! I Can’t Believe How Cute I Look will be in Polish Pickup and OMG It’s a Flip Phone! will be in her shop launch weekend.
- I Can’t Believe How Cute I Am official description: a super sparkly topper filled with holo, cyan/indigo aurora, iridescent blue flakes, shifting rainbow micro glitter, and holo micro flakies
- Price: $12
- Cap: 145; UK cap: 15
Swatches show one coat over black. Formula feels like a rich jelly and there is so much sparkle to be seen! This one shifts from an aqua to indigo to me and is so very blingy! It applies very dense on it’s own. I chose black to make sure all the aspects were visible on my swatches but I can see this looking awesome over any color. No texture after topcoat.
OMG It’s a Flip Phone!
- Official description: a pinky sister to I Can’t Believe How Cute I Am
- Price: $12
- Cap: None
This one felt very similar to the above, and glowed with a shift between purple and pink overall. Lots of sparkle to see here too and absolutely lights up in any lighting. No texture after topcoat.
Emily de Molly: We’re There. Inspired by Harry and Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber!
- Official description: A duck egg blue/green with blue chrome flakes.
- Price: $11
- Cap: 230
Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula has a buttery feel during application that glided on super smooth on the nail. On my monitor this appears color accurate to me, in person it is a dusky blue with a green and grey undertone to it. I had no issues with the flakes and after topcoating, I had no texture.
Girly Bits: High Functioning Sociopath. The brand teamed up with 1850 (not shown) to create a duo inspired by Sherlock and Moriarty.
- Official description: A tweed inspired polish in a mossy green/brown holo with colour shifting shimmer and flakes.
- Price: $13
- Cap: none; UK cap: none
Swatches show three coats with topcoat. I’d like to point out that opacity can be achieved easily at two coats with this one. I was recording the swatch video and went normal on my middle finger and lighter on the others so I went in for that third to make sure everything was even for photos. This is a lovely chocolaty linear holo in my opinion with a very strong copper glow that shifts to gold on angles. There are flakes that give a luminescent appearance and after topcoating, I had no texture.
Lemming Lacquer: Not Myself Today. Inspired by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!
- Official description: a red-violet jelly with bright blue shimmer and blue/green/turqoise iridescent flakes.
- Price: $13
- Cap: 250; UK cap: 30
Swatches show three coats with topcoat. Formula has a rich jelly feel that build up to full opacity for me at three coats. This one was quite the tricky one to swatch, it is loaded with those shifty flakies that give a crazy luminescent glow in person. You’ll get a better idea in the swatch video, in my opinion. This one dries down a little satin like, so I’d recommend a glossy topcoat to get those sparkles and flakies to really pop. Be careful on your brush strokes so that you don’t move the flakes and you’ll be just fine. After topcoat I had no texture.
Pretty Beautiful Unlimited was inspired by the Sun and Moon, specifically the legendary Pokemon Sungaleo and Lunala. Sun (Sungaleo) will be offered in Polish Pickup and Moon (Lunala) will be offered in her shop during the sale weekend.
- Name: Solar Beam
- Official Description: a white crelly base that leans gray due to the sprinkling of gun metal and silver holographic micro flakies, 6 types of UCC flakies and a subtle dusting of aurora pigment that shifts from cyan to indigo.
- Price: $11.50
- Cap: 110; UK cap: 16
Swatches show three thin coats with topcoat. Formula has a lovely easy to spread feel during application. The base is a true white to me with a touch of grey undertone, and the flakies give you a rainbow of color scattered all over the nail in various sizes. There’s also a bit of scattered sparkle all over and the flakes behaved perfectly. I had no texture after topcoat.
- Name: Moonblast
- Official Description: starts out as a medium denim blue base, with multichrome pigment that shifts blue/purple/red/gold, holographic pigment and micro flakies and topped with 2 types of crystal chameleon flakies.
- Price: $11.50
- Cap: None
Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula feels on the medium side and built up super quick for me. The base is almost an indigo to me, but definitely more of a denim blue. On extreme angles you’ll see a copper shift. This has lots of sparkle and holo to it, with the flakes contrasting nicely against the base. After topcoat, I had no texture.
Pretty Jelly: Hickup and Toothless. Inspired by How to Train You Dragon namesake characters!
- Official description: a blue jelly with green hexes, fine lime gold holographic glitter, holo, and a rainbow of ucc flakies
- Price: $12
- Cap: none; Uk cap: none
Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula has a very opaque, rich, squishy feel during application and this one is crazy blingy! There’s tons of sparkles here, that you must see in the swatch video! The flakes and glitters give lots of depth and after topcoat I had no texture.
Supernatural Lacquer: Ride It Like You Stole It. The brand teamed up with Dollish polish (not shown) to bring a duo inspired by Deadpool and his beloved unicorn!
- Official description: a blood red jelly base with blue to purple aurora and duochrome shimmer blend, multi-colored colorshift and illusion flakes and a small smattering of holographic sparkle.
- Price: $12
- Cap: none; UK cap: none
Swatches show three coats on its own and one coat over black. Formula has a lighter feel and built to full opacity on its own at three coats for me. There is a strong blue glow from the shimmer that shifts to purple. I’d describe the base color as a ‘Deadpool Red’ and the flakes appear scattered and small to give an extra twinkle. After topcoating I had no texture.
Over black you’ll really see the shifty shimmer come out to play, it’ll mostly appear as a blue with a purple shift on angles.
Polish Pickup goes live February 1st at 11am EST until February 4th at midnight EST. Be sure to get those wish lists loaded and check out my swatch video to see these beauties in action!
Thanks so much for reading! ❤
The Polished Mage 