Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow

It's been a sinfully long time since I last posted (or - gasp - even read a blog)...  Even my polish purchasing has been very minimal.  From what I've read in my Facebook groups, it seems there have been a semi-significant number of us who simply haven't been feeling like blogging in the last couple months, so perhaps it's not just me.  That and it's SUMMER!!! :D ...although it's been more like a monsoon season around northern MN.  I have to give a big round of applause to all of you who still manage to put up beautiful, worthwhile content several times a week.  *applause & adoring crowd noises...WAAAH!

That said, I would love to show you something I wore the other day. :)
Hare Polish Neon Palm with an "anti-accent" of Essie The Girls Are Out (which totally reminds me of when I wore a bikini for the first time ever on our Mexican vacation in Feb).

This was taken on a rare sunny day last week. :)  Very rare, I'm tellin' ya!  I've had Neon Palm for quite awhile (last fall, perhaps?) but more recently scored TGAO for less than half price when K-Marts were all clearing out their Essies.  I did have to "fight" with the cashier because only one of the 3 I got were ringing up right.  I think I said something along the lines of: "I'm a nail polish blogger and all my fellow bloggers have been posting about K-Mart not carrying this brand anymore, so they're all supposed to be on clearance."  It was a teenage guy cashier and I totally got a bewildered "she's bat poop crazy!" look. :-P  Ended up being worth it though!!!

Typically, Hare formulas are magically easy to apply, despite the very heavy glitter load.  This one was sadly an exception.  It was like giant, gluey clumps glitter, especially after I tried to wipe off the excess in the bottle neck.  :-/  I think some thinner will be in order!  After two painstaking, slow-drying coats followed by two coats of Seche Vite to try and smooth out the mountains & valleys, I ended up with a very pretty mani. :-)  Perhaps as my grandma would say: all's well that ends well?? 

Oh and I must mention that I used Nail Pattern Boldness Glitter A-Peel for my base.  It dries fast & is very effective, and uh, the punnyness of the brand name is just GREAT. hehe!!!  I am so glad to have found a peel-off (or pop-off, like in this instance when I used 2 coats instead of just one) base that makes me WANT to wear my glitterbombs!  Even though it sometimes comes at the price of removing patches of nail plate.  You've been warned!  The 2 coats making a whole "nail" pop off at once seemed to negate that issue, so I guess there's an upside to it.  Although the sheer thickness of this mani might've been a significant factor. 

Surprise fave shot in the shade!  If you look closely, you can see a very similar shimmer in both polishes.  And the color of TGAO matches the neon pink glitters perfectly once they're semi-sunken in the murky zombie flesh grey/blue/green of Neon Palm.  I LOVE discovering I have the perfect creme to match one of the glitters in a glitter topper or a glitter jelly or crelly polish!!

TGAO applied very easily and beautifully in just two coats - quite a turn of events when an Essie is the non-problematic polish! lol  I do have to say it was a tish runny so I was careful to keep it away from my cuticles.  But other than that, it's quite nice and I'm especially smitten with the silvery fleck shimmer.  It reminds me of Zoya Reagan + fairy dust. :)  "Love-UH-leee!!" (think Eliza from My Fair Lady)

Have lovely Sunday, my dears!!!!  I hope summer is treating you well. :)

When a non-polish-aholic gives you polish...

...it is all the more special & sweet!!!  :D  The company I work for employs somewhere in the ballpark of 2700 people so it's no surprise that this new friend and I never crossed paths before.  All I can say is I am so incredibly thankful that we have and not only that, but we've become close friends in a matter of a couple months or less!  So imagine my surprise when this was waiting for me on Good Friday:

No, those aren't rabbit droppings, but they do look a LOT like them!  Which totally made me laugh. :)  Inside the very pretty fabric flower rimmed basket, there were 3 polishes (Orly Miss Conduct, Nicole by OPI Rich in Spirit, NOPI A Million Sparkles), the softest plush bunny I've ever had the privilege of petting, a gift card for the coffee shop where we work, AND as you can see, a card which was probably the best part of the whole surprise.  I'm big on cards, especially when they have heartfelt messages written in them. ♥

And this is what I did with the aforementioned polishes!!

I don't even know how I came up with this idea, but all of a sudden I knew I wanted to use Rich in Spirit for the base color, do a reverse glitter gradient with A Million Sparkles, and finally a plaid-esque accent nail with Miss Conduct!  I dare say it came out pretty close to what I envisioned!! WIN.

When you're at work, sans polish bottles, use your matching plaid coat for blog photos!! 

Hehe I just realized that the chromey foil finish of RiS + Seche Vite ended up reflecting ME in my pointer finger!!! LOL  

ANYhoo... after applying two easy breezy coats of RiS over Nail Pattern Boldness's Glitter A-peel, I used a triangular makeup sponge to apply A Million Sparkles (LITERALLY! haha) at the base of each nail, minus my ring finger which got a careful application of striping tape in as close to a plaid pattern as I could manage.  One swift coat of Miss Conduct later, and some just as careful removal of the tape, and TA DAA!  Super cool manicure, at your service. :)

This photo is from tonight when Deb & I went out for supper after work. :)  We had a wonderful time (well, I know *I* did, anyways!!), simply enjoying eachothers' company and chatting for, ohh, 2 hours or so!  It really means a lot when someone takes time out of their life to spend with you.  I've always tried to remember the value of that, and thank my friends for it.  Time truly is  precious!

This incredibly sweet lady has been through unbelieveable heartache in her lifetime, and still has such a caring heart and a beautiful smile on her face. ♥

Rich in Spirit

Ugggh I do not understand why my skintones are all over the board in these photos!  Oh well, I guess the most important thing is that the color of the polish came out accurately, right?  Of course  right!!  (Fiddler on the Roof line right there!)  lol

And how awesome is it that the reflection + the air bubble in the bottle formed what looks to me like a lightning bolt?!  :D  

Miss Conduct... naughty, naughty!  So much magenta scattered holographic beauty!

A Million Sparkles

YUP, there they are!!  LOL  I don't really like the lighting nor the pose, and the fact that the big drop on my pointer shifted and got deformed, but it does  show each glitter in very clear detail, so I decided to use it anyway. :)

Thank you all for visiting my blog in all its randomness & erm, highly sporadic/infrequent posts!  If I may, I urge you to take time today to thank those dear, special people in your life simply for being a part of it.  And most importantly: be sure to tell them you love them. :)  If there's one thing that Deb has reminded me of, it's that you never know when you'll no longer have the opportunity to do so.

Haulin' it - OPPA bargain styyyle!

Y - I - K - E - S!!!!!!!!!!! 

I thiiink it's safe to say I've become a bit of a beauty addict... 

And I am going to enter a plea of insanity under the defense: THE BLOGGER MADE ME DO IT!

My dear nail blogger buddy, Liesl of Liesl Loves Pretty Things has been true to her "resolution" of sorts to branch out into more beauty and fashion posts this year.  And I'm clearly loving - & influenced by them!  ;)

I have to mention, I've wanted white aviators for years now, but typically, they're of course metal frames with the actual nosepieces. Which get firmly tangled in my hair. So when I saw these, I was exstatic!!! They're not bad at all for $1 sunglasses! I hope they have more because I would like to pick up a backup or two in case these break. :)

e.l.f. is a brand that was not even on my radar at all really, until Liesl started showing us so many of their wonderful and affordable products!  I was definitely intrigued, but had never seen them in my area.  Then one day on a rare stop at my local K-Mart (in hopes of scoring the much-posted-about clearance Essie polishes), much to my dismay and pleasant surprise, what had appeared in the revamped beauty section but e.l.f. products?!  And as if that wasn't enough, our Wal-Mart got a square aisle display shortly thereafter!  So I umm... went hog wild.

1) e.l.f. Professional Total Face Brush - $1, Wal-Mart

2) e.l.f. Eyeshadow "C" Brush - $3, K-mart

3) Plastic aviator sunglasses - $1, Target dollar section!

4) OPI Don't Bossa Nova Me Around - ?? (roomie brought it home for me just today!)

5) Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick -$8.49, Walgreens

6) e.l.f. Smudge Brush - $1, Wal-Mart

7) e.l.f. Small Angled Brush - $3, K-mart

8) e.l.f. Concealer Brush - $1, Target

9) Burt's Bees Hydrating Lip Balm - $2.99, Target

10) Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Red Velvet, - $5, K-mart

11) Woven plastic zipper clutch - $1, Target dollar section!

12) e.l.f. Long Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow in purple - $3, K-mart

13) e.l.f. High Definition Undereye Setting Powder - $3, K-mart

14) L'Oreal Infallible 24-hr eyeshadow in Sultry Smoke - $7.99, K-Mart

15) L'Oreal Carbon Black Pencil Perfect eyeliner - $3.99, K-Mart

16) L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess - $8.99, K-Mart

17) L'Oreal Infallible 24-hr eyeshadow in Endless Sea - $3.99, K-Mart (they were having a buy one, get one 1/2 off deal on L'Oreal eye products, so I splurged and got some fun & dramatic new stuff!)

All of that for just a HAIR under $50!!!!  In the words of Vector from Despicable Me: "OH YEAH!"  :D 

I realized just a moment ago that it would've been more appropriate to include the L.A. Girl Sand Blast polish (Sands of Time, GREAT sub for Zoya Tomoko!) I picked up today at our Thrifty White drugstore, and the Cover Girl polish (Salt Water Taffy) that was also BOGO half off at Walgreens -- INSTEAD of the OPI since that is clearly not bargain, nor drugstore, but I was just sooo excited to finally have DBNMA that I threw it in my arrangement!  Oh well!
Also not shown here are the e.l.f. blotting sheets I grabbed at Target last weekend.  Just used one this afternoon and they work very well on my extra-oily teenager-like skin. :P  ...I'm 28. -_-
Oh, hence why I decided to give the Burt's Bees blemish rollerball a try!  I've tried every other  over-the-counter product, so why not?!  Some people might find the very strong herbal scent repulsive, but I rather like it.  It's got tea tree oil, juniper oil, willow bark, and a whole lotta alcohol! ...which I did not realize when I bought it, hence the BURN, but I can handle that.  Especially since it does in fact seem to be helping zits heal/disappear faster!

So far, I'm absolutely, positively pleased as punch with all of my purchases!  All of the L'Oreal eye products are fabulous - I use the mascara & liner almost every day, and I did play with the colors when I had a flexible amount of time to get ready for the day. ;)  Oh and they really DO wear all day... not 24 hours, by any means, but I got a good 12 hours out of the below look I did with Tarte Amazonian Clay primer as a base, and using Cover Girl and Victoria's Secret neutrals to temper the boldness of the colors.  LOVED it!  And I feel it came out pretty well considering my limited knowledge when it comes to all things beauty-related.

So there you have it, folks!  My first insane infusion of beauty products and well, this would've been posted on Saturday in the fashion of Liesl's "Happy Caturday" beauty posts, but I was multitasking and doing other things while writing this.  And now it's Sunday!  I guess that IS  how the days of the week go!  LOL  Yup, overtired goofiness is settin' in.  :)

Have a fabulous remainder of your weekend, and if you want to know more about any of the items shown here, feel free to leave a comment.  I read & respond to all of them!

My favorite kind of cake!! ...maybe.

Honestly, I don't even remember how I stumbled upon Hare Polish or Llarowe, but I know it was towards the very beginning of my obsession with indies and well, the rest is history!  Here we have (for the 2nd time on this blog; 1st time here) Hare Polish's Let Them Eat...What?  :D

Despite the newbie blogger quality of the aforementioned post, I do urge you to check it out in lieu of the fact that my 1-year blogiversary recently passed, and this polish was among those first few posts, so it felt quite serendipitous to show it again now.  It's rather cool to look back and see what I've learned about nail blogging over a year (mostly relating to nail care and nail photography)!

No, you do not need to rush to the phone and make an eye doctor appointment!!  I almost sent this photo to the sad, black "recycle" bin of doom, but decided the lovely ethereal quality made it worthy of keeping and yes, even being shown on the blog!  

This is two coats of LTEW and two of Revlon Parfumerie China Flower, with a simple gradient-ish thing of butter LONDON West End Wonderland, all topped - carefully - with Seche Vite.

Hare Polishes are typically replete with glitter and somehow still manage to be decently smooth to the touch, which is a big part of why I love them, but this one is just a HARE less smooth. ;)

Ah!  Here we go - your 20/20 vision has been restored!! hehe  Like I said the first time around, there is just something about LTEW that I absolutely love... it is bold yet demure at the same time.  Those coral-y, orange-y red matte glitters sure do POP (and are 90% of what drew me to this polish), but it's not totally in your face because they're tempered by the slightly shimmery off-white crelly base and its pastel pink, white, and gold glitters in various shapes and sizes.  You can see just what I mean by taking a gander at the bottle below!

This was actually my Easter mani!  Didn't plan it or anything, and errrm... it certainly did not match my outfit (plum ruffly tank, black cardigan, and a cream skirt with black lace print chevrons), but I feel that the HARE makes it all okay! ;)  And it really is just such a beautiful polish that I love this mani in spite of my affinity for matching my outfit to my polish.  Yes, I usually do it that way, not the other way around like most normal people!  Oh and of course I was thrilled to find I had THE  perfect match to those coral-y red glitters!  I honestly am feeling like all the Parfumerie polishes have the same scent (strange, fruity, with the occasional hint of what the name actually IS), but I really don't care.  The color is fun and bright and I'm thinking summer pedi for sure!  :)  

"And NOW (*insert dramatic movie theater preview voice here)... coming soon to a blog near you:"  more Bear Pawlishes!!!  Hot off the mail truck this afternoon!  ♥

Disclaimer: Holo Back Girl is pulling deceptively purple here!  Much more fuchsia IRL!!

L'Oreal Eva's Nude

Ohh L'Oreal, how I love thee, let me count the ways!!  Haha, although it is  true... I've said a few times that L'Oreal has to be my favorite drugstore polish brand.  The brushes are my ideal kind of brush, rounded to fit perfectly in the curve near the cuticle with little effort (squared off brushes always lead to either messy spots on my cuticle or extra concentration to make sure I don't touch the sides), the formulas of the cremes I have are lovely one or two coaters, and I am a big fan of the bottles themselves.  They're pretty and easy to store neatly, and I especially love the labels on the new Collection Privée!  Gosh, when did I get to be such a packaging junkie?!

Indoors, daylight bulb

Despite my usual scorn for "celebrity endorsements," I like the glamourous feel of this collection.  In high school speech class, we learned about advertising ploys and that was one of the biggest, of course.  "Buy this product and you too will be rich, famous, and look like said larger-than-life persona!"  Personally, it just rubs me the wrong way, for some reason.  BUT that said, I am really digging all of  Les Nudes polishes and even the looks of the lipsticks!  Check out L'Oreal's site for some lovely, drool-worthy photos. :)

Outdoors, full sun

Here we have two coats of Eva's Nude with Alcatraz...Rocks! as an accent and a heart. :)  You can probably tell I initially used a berry red polish (Julep Joan) but decided I wasn't feelin' it and went with this instead - right over the top.  I like!!!  For the heart, I took Scotch tape, made it almost unsticky by putting it on & pulling it off my palm several times, folding it so two thirds of the strip overlapped (leaving a tail so I could more easily pull it apart), then took a cosmetic scissors and cut out a tiny heart like I used to do as a kid to make paper hearts. :)

Outdoors, shade (aka the sun is behind a cloud!)

 Technically, Eva's nude is not the polish I should've chosen as I am not Hispanic and have decidedly white skin!, but I think I'm in love.  I'd been eyeing butter LONDON'S Tea & Toast, fancying a caramel-toned brown/tan/cream polish, and this has satisfied my craving!  It seems significantly lighter than T&T, but I like it - especially with that beautiful  rosy copper shimmer that is so evident in the first photo. :D  I think Julianne is actually the correct shade for me and I would buy it too (not to mention I like the actress whose name it bears) but I think my ChG Below Deck is quite similar.  Maybe I'll bring Below Deck on a rare field trip with me the next time I go to Wal-Mart and do a bottle comparison! ;)  hehe

P.S. just kidding about satisfying my craving - completely, that is.  I just now found Tea & Toast for $7 on 6pm.com!  Talk about coincidence... or fate!!

Bear Pawlish: Awww! You Guys Made Me Ink!

You know how much I love a good holo!!!  So when I somehow stumbled upon Bear Pawlish last month, I knew a couple of Tennessee's pretties had to be mine.  I picked Maleficent (which will make an appearance as soon as Dani - aka From Polish, With Love - and I can plan our twinsie post) and Awww! You Guys Made Me Ink!  This polish was inspired by none other than the adorable octopus, Pearl, from Finding Nemo which is one of my all-time favorite movies.  :D
Perhaps it's worth mentioning that she's the only  octopus I find adorable; they quite honestly freak me out almost to the point of a phobia.  Not kidding, I've had "nightmares" about swimming in the ocean and getting one stuck on my leg!  LOLOL

So check out this awesome and sweet pink holo:

I still cannot get over the dreamy formula!  Two easy coats with fabulous dry time and no bubbling!!  And by no means does it turn into a silvery holo like the Color Club Halo Hues in the shade, BECAUSE...
If you think you detect a hint of fuchsia/pinky shimmer in the middle of the holo rainbows, I would say you are most certainly correct; the BASE is actually a micro flakie pink shimmer!  Imagine THAT!! :D  It's just so pretty!
The accent nail, as you can see is Shimmer Polish Sonia at three coats.  'Twas a lovely pairing in real life, but unfortunately, I have not yet figured out the trick to capturing the true beauty of Shimmers. :(  Gonna have to work on that because I got two more recently.

Here is my first-ever attempt at an underwater shot in hopes to really show that pink micro flakie.  I think it might've worked okay... obviously not the best quality ever, but you can see it!  And even some totally unexpected golden shiftiness! hehe
Oh and added bonus: a hint at the beauty of Sonia with her gold, iridescent, pink, and lavender hexes and micro glitters. :)

This being my very first experience with a totally new-to-me indie, I would rate it as a 10 out of 10!  The polish is amazing (totally worth the $10!), shipping time is very reasonable, and you can actually interact with the maker as she is very active in the Bear Pawlish Facebook group, as well as Swatch - tastic. :)  Definitely check out her Big Cartel, ladies and gents!!!!  And prepare to hold onto your nails as they just might be blown away!

Another A-England beauty; Her Rose Adagio

This was supposed to be a tribute post of sorts, so I chose these polishes and the design with that in mind.  Said tribute post did not really work out, however I do declare the mani still deserves its moment in the sun!  :)  

And crazily enough, I just looked back at my first post; it happened to be on April 15th, 2013. So I guess that means today is my one-year blogiversary!  Haha!  Don't know how that one escaped me... I'll have to do an official post on that tonight!

Shade, indoors

Personally I was hoping that Her Rose Adagio really would be as peachy pink as some of the initial pics I saw of it made it appear, but to me it is a very  soft, pale pink with just a hint of peach.  And I love it as it is!!  A-Englands are just far too mesmerizing and ephemeral not to love!   Unfortunately I cannot tell you how many coats I used here because this mani is about a month old. :-/  Bad me, I know!  I believe it was opaque in 2, but I went for 3 to see if that would intensify the color. Fairly certain I used Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure topcoat (and my standard Duri Rejuvacote for a base...'cuz it makes muh nailzz GROW!!).

Indirect sunlight, indoors

No, I did not freehand the chevrons... I recently bought a set of Fingr's nail art tools/brushes at Wal-Mart and it had a sheet of chevrons, french tips, and straight lines, but they're about double the width I wanted them to be, so I took a cosmetic scissors and cut them in half both ways.  Then I made them slightly less sticky by putting them on my palm a few times. Careful positioning and a thickish coat of Home Run!, and VOILA!! Lovely chevrons.

LED flashlight on my phone :)  It brings out dee holo!!!

I am not as happy with these photos as I would like to be, but I still think the overall effect is quite pretty.  I hope you can forgive the imperfections, oddities, and some shoddy cuticles (daaarn warehouse!) and enjoy a bit o' beauty!!!  It might be elusive this time of year (we are having a muddy, chilly, dismal "spring" that feels like winter), but I still see plenty of beauty in the smiles and laughter of my friends, the occasional blue sky, and of course; MY STASH!  :D  hehe
Try to find some beauty today, and help someone else to find it too. :)

Spring is here! ...On my nails, anyway.

Today we actually have melty, drippy, mud-creating sunny weather, but I'm sure tomorrow or in a few days, we'll have another snowstorm just like last week.  Seriously!  18 inches of snow in approximately 24 hours?!  Not cool, spring!  Not cool. -_-   This however is very cool or more accurately, beautiful and cheery. :D  I give you Northern Star Polish Printemps (salmon pink faint linear holo WITH ICY BLUE MICRO FLAKIES) and Belles Fleurs (multi glitter topper featuring pale pink and red poppy colored flower glitter in a clear base).

Those micro flakies are very camera-shy, but I promise you, you can spot them in real life.  Careful not to confuse them with the blue in the holo spectrum 'cuz THEY DO EXIST!  And it adds extra panaché to this pink! ;)

Not the best cropped & enlarged super macro shot in the world, but I hope you can forgive its trespasses.  I really wanted you to be able to see the variety and quantity of glitters you can get in one coat.  And my favorite part: no sinking or pockmarking glitters!! YAY.  She must use some serious suspension base because when you turn the bottle, the glitters really don't even move.  The only other topper I have like that is Liquid Lacquer Pink Lemonade. :)  I just figured out what it reminds me of: fruit suspended in Jell-o.  hehe!

The formula on Printemps was in my opinion, terrific, although some might argue a tad sheer.  I used 3 coats on this hand and two on the other so you could see the difference.  I actually wore both with 2 for a couple days and yes, I could sometimes see my nail line, but in other lights, it seemed opaque enough that you could hardly tell.  Either way, the beauty of Printemps makes me not care about VNL!!  The shop lists it as a salmon pink, but it really reminds me of "original" Bubble Yum or Bubble Tape (just a bit darker when dry & if you use 3 coats).  I remember begging my mom for Bubble Tape every time we went to the grocery store. :P

The brush is flat and has that same crisp "snap" to it that I love about L'Oreal polishes.  Dry time was amazing... I honestly can't tell you how long I waited, but I remember being wowed by it.  And they dried so smooth and shiny.  I almost didn't use a topcoat, but knew I had to work in our warehouse before I'd get to take photos, so I threw on a layer of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure topcoat.

Such a beautiful mix of holo, metallic, and satin glitters!!   Mostly pastel pinks, blues, and gold, but there are the bolder red flowers and occasional kelly green medium hex.

Just a hint of VNL, but with the holo and the glitters, who cares?!  Sorry about the scuff marks; like I said, post-working in the warehouse. :(

Yes, there are even satin pastel blue circle glitters in there!!! :D  I must say I had to do some serious fishing for a light pink flower, but had I gotten an orangewood stick instead of repeatedly chasing them with the brush, I'm sure it wouldn't have taken nearly as long to nab one.  The flowers do not lay flat on me, but honestly, I don't even care!  This is my first topper with flower glitter and I think it's beautiful and fun.  I just threw a thick coat of Seche Vite on top and said "that'll do!"

All in all, I love this brand, and her cuticle oils are WONDERFUL too!  Thanks to them, you have what you see here which is a tremendous improvement over what they were last week.  If you read my previous post (please do, because you really should see her amazing packaging!), you'll know how thrilled I was to discover that Northern Star Polish happens to be made by Kristin who resides in a suburb of my state's capitol.  :D  I really hope to meet her someday!  Until then, I'll be content ordering creations from her Etsy shop.  :)

Nail mail GALORE!!! WOWZA

This week has been UHmazing!!!  Monday, (in the midst of a blizzard which dumped 18" of snow on us) I came home to the most amazing SURPRISE package from a dear blogger friend; the amazing Melissa of Lacquer Reverie!!!!!!! :D  Just LOOK  at this beauty and generosity!  That would be Strawnana on the left, which has been on my wishlist for quite some time, and on the right, Redivivus from the new spring/summer holos.  My mouth was agape for roughly 5 minutes, staring at ALL THE RAINBOWS!!!  Strawnana is a very pale pink nude crelly with teensy tiny holo sparkles that look like fairy dust, small iridescent & gold squares, and small red metallic & frosty white hexes.  I initially thought Redivivus (meaning reborn, brought back to life) was light pink, but according to the description in her Etsy shop, it's actually a light purple strong linear holo.  Absolutely stunning - to me, it's on par with the famous China Glaze OMG holos. :D

And isn't the handwritten card just precious?!  I love it.  Liz is truly an artist - with polish and  a pen! :)  Of course there were some sweet treats too.  I think that is just so kind... almost all nail mail I've gotten from friends has included candy.  Who doesn't love some sugar?!
Melissa, I cannot refrain from thanking you again; this was such a well-timed, unbelievable surprise!!!!  You are far too kind to me!  I will treasure these polishes forEVER. :D

Then today, I opened the mailbox to find it stuffed with some random mail - who cares about that?! - and both my Northern Star Polish AND my Bear Pawlish orders!!!!!!  Woot woot!  heehehe

^ Look at that!  Made right here in my own state! 

I cannot get over her packaging!  The individual boxes for each polish are so professional and "Minnesota nice!"  Yes, that's a thing. :)  I almost didn't even notice the little "Thank you!" on the flap, but I'm so glad I did.  Attention to detail is what distinguishes excellence from average, in my humble opinion.  Another prime example: the cotton ball tucked in to cuddle the polish and keep it from moving in the box.  Awww!  So warm & snuggly!

Printemps is a bubblegum pink subtle linear holo with icy blue mini flakies.  Somehow I missed them in the description, I guess because upon discovering said flakies, I exclaimed: "oh my gosh!!"  ♥ unexpected beauty :)

Belles Fleurs has sooo many pretty, springy glitters suspended (and very well, I might add!) in a clear base.  I think it'll be absolute perfection over Printemps.  Because I'm big on languages & words in general, the French names for these two polishes are especially endearing to me...even though I speak Spanish, not French.  Mais, je sais un peu de Français! hehe  I took two semesters in college, as well as one semester of Arabic.  There are far too many fascinating languages out there for me to focus solely on Spanish!  I really wish I'd kept up with those two as well...

Okay, so I ordered two polishes and two cuticle oils... what on earth is this mystery skinny thing?!  Hmm...

LOVE both of these - the scents and the way they make my cutes feel.  Lettuce sounds odd but it is THE perfect fresh grassy, leafy smell I've been looking for in well, anything!

I snagged this haul during Kristin's 2-year celebration sale for her Etsy shop, and I assure you I'll be a repeat customer!  Maybe one day, I'll even get to meet  this genius indie polish maker, as she lives a mere 5.5 hours  away from me. :D  

So, remember that mystery skinny thing?  THIS is what was in it!  She generously included a sample of her bubble gum cuticle oil, which is amazing because I was debating between the cranberry & bubble gum for my full-size purchases (the lettuce scent was a given).  It's like she read my mind!!! :O  Not to mention, it's a BIG sample in my opinion, and I loooove the rollerball applicator.  I've never had a cuticle oil with a rollerball before...so easy, no mess!  Her full-size oils with the doe foot applicators are nice too, but I think I like this better.

Bear Pawlish!!!! RAWR, you are FIERCE!  And punny.  :P  Okay, yes that was cheesy, but I couldn't resist.  This is yet another new indie brand to my stash (wow, all 3 in this post are, actually!) and I cannot say enough good things about these beauts either!!  

Awww! You Guys Made Me Ink! is the lovely coral-leaning pink strong linear holo on the left, which of course is named after the cute little octopus (Pearl) on Finding Nemo, which happens to be one of my most favorite movies of all time, so the name alone was a selling point.  And SURPRISE, it has these fascinating fuchsia microflakies that almost create a duochrome effect.  Like Printemps, those extra touches that add even more beauty and dimension to a holo just make my heart beat a bit faster when I see them. ;)

Maleficent is the super stunner on the right; the listing on her Bigcartel site calls it an electric blue with a splash of holo, but in person I honestly feel like it's a blurple.  Which I think makes me love it even more!  In some lights, it definitely is pure electric blue, then in others, I think is has to be purple... so shifty! 

SO, ladies and gents, the biggest question now is: WHICH ONE DO I WEAR FIRST?!?!?  Please PLEASE leave a comment and help me decide!  P.S. I do have Strawnana on right now, so that is off le table. ;)  I hope you enjoyed this haul and shared in the excitement with me, and I also hope that you show a new-to-you indie brand some love, whether it be one of these three, or maybe even one I've never heard of!

Aaaand and Emily Extra, brought to you by my famous movie line loving mind!!