Polish Pickup February 2020: Flora and Fauna

Hello lovely readers! It’s that time again! Polish Pickup is opening up this coming weekend, and this time we have the theme Flora and Fauna! I think this round has such a perfect mix of finishes and colors that there is literally something for everyone! Let’s get to the swatches!

Alchemy Lacquers: Tridacna Maxima

• Description: a royal blue jelly is filled with silver holographic glitter and has a magenta/orange/gold/green shifting finish
• Inspiration: the maxima clam
• Price: $11
• Cap: 45US/5UK

Swatches show three thin coats with topcoat. Formula is jelly like, but dense on application. I seriously feel like I could have stopped at two coats, so just know you’ll have full coverage between 2-3 coats. No texture after topcoat.

 

Blush Lacquers: By The Light of the Moon

• Description: an aqua to blue-violet to bright purple shifting multi-chrome nail polish with hints of red and gold at the far edges and packed full of sparkling holographic microflakes.
• Inspiration: Moonflowers
• Price: $13
• Cap: None

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula is smooth and easy on application and builds up quickly to opacity. I feel like the color roll on this is dominantly between blue and purple, and at very extreme angles you’ll see a touch of gold.

Cameo Colours Lacquers: Feathers in the Foliage

• Description: A vibrant leafy green crelly, full of a variety of ultrachrome flakes, gold metallic micro flakes, and silver holo micro flakes.
• Inspiration: Image of a colourful red Macaw among leaves.
• Price: $11.00
• Cap: 140US/10UK

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula is very crelly like and plumps up easily on the second coat. No texture after topcoat.

Crystal Knockout: Blue Springs and Manatees

• Description: A shimmery aqua base with a green glow, holographic silver and turquoise glitter, and iridescent color shifting flakes in teal, green, and blue.
• Inspiration: Florida’s manatees
• Price: $11
• Cap: None

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. This one applies crelly like, and dries down matte so I’d recommend a glossy topcoat to really make all of that aqua glow pop.

Crystal Knockout: Sunkissed Blooms

• Description: An effect topper with a strong pink-violet aurora and iridescent color shifting flakes in violet, red, orange, and gold.
• Inspiration: The tulip fields of the Netherlands
• Price: $10
• Cap: None

Swatches show one coat over Zoya Vee. This is super shimmery and gives a very light milky effect over your base color. It’ll give your base a pink glow with a purple shift at angles.

DRK Nails: All the Pink Please

• Description: a bright fuchsia linear holo base with iridescent pink to orange to gold flakes, holo microflakes and red shimmer.
• Inspiration: a pink forest
• Price: $11.80
• Cap: 150US/10UK

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula applies dense and smooth on the nail and builds up quickly to opacity. The holo is strong here, and the iridescent glitters gave me no issues.

Esmaltes da Kelly: Butterfly Wings

• Description: a clear base with holo flakes in pink, blue, red, gold, silver and red to orange iridescent flakees with navy glitters.
• Inspiration: Butterflies
• Price: $12
• Cap: 150US/20UK

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula applies smooth and you get a lot of glitter payoff in your coats. This one is hella sparkly and after going over it with the smoothing topcoat duo she released last month, I had no texture.

Ethereal Lacquer: Ophidia

• Description: a sheer milky white crelly base with strong red/copper/green shimmer.
• Inspiration: a snake image
• Price: $13
• Cap: None

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula is squishy and jelly like and is very strong on the shimmer. I went in a little heavy handed on my coats, so thinner coats will show more VNL. This is a delicate shade, so please note you’ll see free edge if you’ve got it. This is so glowey, I think it’ll also double perfectly as a topper.

Fair Maiden Polish: So So-Fish-Ticated

• Description: a blurple when cold to light orchid when warm thermal with iridescent flakes and shimmer.
• Inspiration: a fairy wrasse fish
• Price: $11
• Cap: None

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula is crelly like and dries down quickly. The thermal properties are very strong, so I think even if you don’t have a free edge you’ll get lots of sensitive shifts. This dries down matte, so I’d recommend a glossy topcoat to really exploit the shimmer and flakes.

Glisten and Glow: Pink Gerbera Daisies

• Description: a neon pink crelly with a variety of black holo glitters and black glitters
• Inspiration: Jill’s favorite flowers
• Price: $12.50
• Cap: None

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula is crazy buttery and smooth and I had no issues with the glitters or texture. I feel like this one is a neon pink, but there’s such a subtle raspberry undertone here too. It’s bright and vibrant and very flattering. No texture after topcoat.

Glisten and Glow: cuticle remover and cuticle oil duo

• Description: pomegranate punch scent
• Inspiration: n/a
• Price: $12
• Cap: None

I actually classify this cuticle remover as one of the more gentle ones I’ve used, and it’s very effective. It smells pleasantly like a fruity punch and the brush is a nice method of getting product quickly on your cuticles. I normally leave it one for 30 seconds and push back with an orange stick. Follow with warm soapy water to properly rinse it all off, and you’ve got cleaned up ‘blogger’s nails’.

The cuticle oil is very pleasant too, the scent is not overpowering and it soaks in nicely. I like to leave these pens in my backpack and purse and they’re perfect for on the go.

Lemming Lacquer: The Rainbow Fish

• Description: a medium blue crelly with scattered holo, pink and aqua crystal flakes, and pink shimmer.
• Inspiration: the rainbow fish
• Price: TBA
• Cap: TBA

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula is dense and somewhat jelly like but applies very smooth on the nail. It dries down matte like, so once again I’d recommend a glossy topcoat to really make everything pop.

Night Owl Lacquer: One Owl of a Day

• Description: an antique white crelly filled with gold/copper/green shifting crystal chameleon flakes, gold/green & aqua/green crystal flakes and copper shimmer flecks.
• Inspiration: owls, specifically an adorable struggling one that’s having a rough day.
• Price: $12.50
• Cap: None

Swatches show three thin coats with topcoat. After playing with this one, I really feel like I should have stopped at the second coat. It applies somewhat squishy but really builds up quickly. I feel like my swatches are leaning a touch yellow, so please note in person this is a true antique white (just the slightest hint of a golden undertone).

Pahlish: Breath of the Wild

• Description: a soft sage green with a dense copper to gold to green shifting shimmer
• Inspiration: Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Price: $13
• Cap: None

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula is smooth and creamy on application and builds up quickly. This is such a flattering shade, and the shimmer is very strong. Again, I’d recommend a glossy topcoat to really make the shimmer come out.

Poetry Cowgirl Polish: Rainbow Butterfly Unicorn Kitten

• Description: a lavender taupe crelly packed with a rainbow of neon matte micro glitters and red/orange/gold/green iridescent ghost flakes.
• Inspiration: the namesake meme
• Price: $12
• Cap: 50US/10UK

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula applies very crelly like and builds up easily. The base color is very neutral, with just the lightest lavender undertone. This dries down matte, so I went in just a touch heavier on my topcoat and I was smooth to the touch.

 

Pretty Beautiful Unlimited: Fruit Cocktail Wax Sampler

• Description: Up to 6 ounces of an assortment of fruit waxes to use in a wax warmer!  15 pieces of delectable mouth watering fruity goodness! Use one wax sample at a time in a small wax warmer or create your own custom fruit blend in a larger one.
  • Scents include: Banana Kiwi, Blackberry, Black Raspberry Vanilla, Cherry Limeade, Coconut Lime Verbena, Cotton Candy, Fruit Loops, Ginger Lime, Happy Apple, Happy Grape, Lemon, Oatmeal Milk & Honey, Peach Meringue, Pineapple & Watermelon Sorbet
• Inspiration: n/a
• Price: $8.00
• Cap: 45US/5UK

This sampler is soo FUN! As soon as I opened the bag, I was hit with the utmost pleasant aroma of fruit. Each one is intended to be melted separately, or blended together. The packaging is ADORABLE and the scents are on point. Each baggie comes with a scent card inside so you can read all of the descriptions for each ‘candy’.

Pretty Beautiful Unlimited: Neon Rainbow

• Description:  a sheerish white crelly packed with shifting fairy dust shimmer, scattered holographic pigment and micro flakies and topped off with a custom mix of neon glitters in various sizes and shapes.
• Inspiration: Rainbow Tulips
• Price: $10.50
• Cap: 150US/15UK

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula has a squishy feel on application, and the shimmer really pops as an aqua color against the white base. No issues to report here, and no texture after topcoat.

Quixotic Polish: Ready for the Jelly

• Description: a black jelly based duochrome with shimmer flecks that shift from emerald to aqua to royal purple.
• Inspiration: Jellyfish
• Price: $12
• Cap: 200US/15UK

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula is smooth and dense on application and builds up quickly to opacity. You’ll get an easy color roll between emerald and purple, with teal at the edges. No texture after topcoat.

Scofflaw Nail Varnish: Cryptid Preservation Society

• Description: A dreamy dusty grey-blue jelly, packed with glitters and shreds in plum, violet, and silver, and finished off with iridescent highlights and flecks in various shades. Very sparkly and shimmery!
• Inspiration:
• Price: $12.50
• Cap: none

Swatches show two coats with topcoat. Formula is very dense but ultra smooth on application. This plumps out perfectly at two coats, and dries down matte so I’d recommend a glossy topcoat to really make those little sparkles pop.

Polish Pickup opens up February 7th at 11am EST through February 10th at 11:59pm EST. Wish listing is currently open! Be sure to check out my swatch video to see these pretties in action!

• Polish Pickup Shop
• Polish Pickup Facebook fan group
• Swatch video

Thanks so much for reading! ❤