The case of the vanishing blog posts... and a few more swatches

Hello all, how are we on this (hopefully) lovely day? I seem to have a bit of a mystery on my hands, because my last post has vanished *poof* from my blog. How strange is that? I am really confuzzled and am wondering if I hallucinated writing my last entry, but I'm pretty certain I really did write it, so it's all very strange.
I guess this means I need to upload all those photos again, grrrr.

Well, there's no helping it, so here, yet again, is my review of "Wham Bam" the partner to "Thank you Mam" by Shades of Phoenix a great little Aussie indie polish maker.

Unlike "Thank You Mam", "Wham Bam" is a glitter bomb in a clear base, so it's best layered over an undie if you want to wear it as a full mani, or it can also be used in a glitter gradient or as a feature nail. Application wise this is a dabber as the glitter pay off is very heavy, but it is in no way difficult to apply, just dab instead of using strokes and you'll be fine. I would advise that you wait a couple of minutes between coats to avoid dragging or accidentally lifting polish that you have already laid down, and you'll also want a couple of coats of top coat to smooth it all out and seal the deal.

This is such a bright and gorgeous glitter bomb and the colour is to die for, a rich and vibrant turquoise that flashes with green and blue as the light hits it and the formula's great too.
To be honest there's really nothing much to add, I think it's really pretty and I love glitter gradients, so this is a definite "yes" polish for me.
Wham Bam and Thank You Mam are a limited addition pair over at Shades of Phoenix however I'm not sure if they're still available (I can't see them on their site). If they're no longer available I can tell you that Spinach/Mint Leaf is another amazing glitter bomb, this time a deep emerald green in a tinted base, and it's definitely worth acquiring if you like greens and/or glitter. Their more subtle shades, such as Earl Grey/Sardine are also very lovely, so there really is something for everyone.

I know this is a short entry, but I think the photos speak for themselves, so there's really not much for me to say except I like it and Shades of Phoenix are well worth checking out if you like indie polishes.

Until next time (which should be tomorrow as I have an obscene amount of polish to swatch and share) take care, I hope you're all well and I'll see you soon.

And as always, ~love and glitter for all~

Em xox

A quickie post- Shades of Phoenix Thank You Mam, my newest bestest red glitterbomb :D

Hi all, I know I only did a review the other day but I just had to post about this polish because... well, you'll see why in a minute.
Like most of the polishes I feature here, Shades of Phoenix is an Aussie indie polish maker who makes some great lacquers, and I have reviewed a couple of their polishes here in the past, with Poseidon being one of my all time faves (just check the tags for Shades of Phoenix if you're interested).
Well, I can say without hesitation that these new ones have also really impressed me with both their quality and beauty. I think SoP are definitely stretching their creative wings, so to speak, and it's wonderful to see such great results- I feel like they are really coming into their own, which is just awesome.
The first photo here shows my recent purchase, and they are (from left to right) Spinach, Wham Bam and Thank You Mam. They're all amazingly blingy glitter polishes, but I simply couldn't resist Thank You Mam, so that's what I'm going to showcase today...

Thank You Mam is part of a special release duo, the other one being Wham Bam, which is a aqua glitterbomb whose sparkliness is beyond my ability to describe adequately... I can't wait to swatch it for you to see!
Thank You Mam is also amazingly glittery, but it appears to be in a slightly tinted jelly base which makes it more opaque than Wham Bam, which is in a clear base. I am wearing Thank You Mam over an undie (Ulta3's Chili) in these pics, but there is no doubt that this polish would be opaque in one or two coats by itself.
I love how this has flashes of gold and hot pink amongst the red glitter, it adds a little something extra to your average red glitterbomb in my oh so humble opinion (and, while there's a lot going on, it's not in the slightest bit too much). Mind you, there's really nothing average about this polish at all... it's freaking fabulous, seriously!

I mean, this polish grabs you by the lapels and shakes you until you give in and surrender to the awesomeness that is glitter. Honestly, it's so ridiculously sparkly in any and all light... Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz could have used it as a stand in for those famous ruby slippers.

O.K, down to the nuts and bolts of the review- Thank You Mam is an easy polish to use, there were absolutely no issues with application and dry time was good too. Just make sure you have a nice top coat on hand as it is very glitter dense (obviously) so it does dry somewhat gritty, but it's easily fixed with some Poshe or Seche or similar.
Because it is soooo intensely glittery you may find that you have to dab here and there, but I found using a red undie meant that I was able to apply is just as you would a creme. It also leveled really well and coverage was spot on- as I said earlier, I don't think undies are even necessary with this one and I'll probably try it without next time I wear it.

Pretty bloomin' gorgeous hey? I just keep staring at my nails, it's honestly that awesome.
To be frank, I think this might be the best red glitter bomb I own thus far, and that's saying a lot, especially considering just how many full coverage red glitter polishes I own. So Teneil, I tip my hat to you, you've really done a fantastic job.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'm going to go and watch The Princess Bride with my daughter then hop into bed- it's freezing and pouring with rain, so what a great night for movies and snuggles with the kid and cats :)

Shades of Phoenix  is available through their website and is also trialing overseas shipping, so you fans from somewhere else are in luck and can get your paws on this polish and its mate, Wham Bam, right now if you're up for it... and why wouldn't you be? Look at it and try to resist, I dare ya! hehe

I'll be back with Wham Bam next, and I hope you've got your sunnies ready because goddamn is it sparkly! Woohoo!

Until then ~love and polish for all~

Em xox

Poseidon, a polish named after a god that leaves me feeling like a goddess

If I were a God I'd be pretty stoked to be the namesake of this polish, because it is freaking amazing. Shades of Phoenix is another aussie indie polish maker that I have reviewed before and I am really starting to develop a soft spot for their products.
Today I'm wearing Poseidon after asking the gals over on the Australian Indie Polish Appreciation Society what to wear, as I was unable to chose between the multitude of bottles I seem to have accumulated (I don't know how it happened, honest! They've just started appearing around my house). So a big shout out ot Relle because oh my god, what an amazing polish this is...

Poseidon is a bright green jelly packed with glitter of all sorts and sizes, from holographic hexes to bar glitter and even microglitter. Normally I'm not a fan of bar glitter but in this case it works really well and isn't hard to place on the nail at all. In fact, this polish is easy to work with full stop.

I didn't use any undies with this mani, just three thin coats of Poseidon. I could have gone with two coats, but I like to add a third with jellies because I think it adds to the depth and complexity of the polish on the nail, which is what makes jellies so wonderful in the first place.
The formula was great to use, with the viscosity being just right. Some jellies can be too thin which floods the cuticles and makes clean up a drag, while others can be too thick which makes applying a smooth, even coat really tricky, but this polish went on like a dream.
The only problem I had with this polish was capturing just how lit-from-within it looks on the nail. It is so bright and vivid, so shimmery and deep, my poor little camera phone had no chance.

OK, so what else is there to say? I'm sure you all know by now that I am a sucker for a good green, and this is such a good green, I love it. A lot. Even my daughter was impressed, which says a lot considering that her usual reaction it to try to escape my waggling fingers as quickly as possible... which is kinda understandable, considering I thrust my hands into her face on a daily basis with the demand to "look! look at the pretty, shiny sparkles!" hehe

Shades of Phoenix have a great range of polishes and their quality and customer service are just brilliant- I have absolutely no reservations in recommending them to anyone who wants to add some truly unique polishes to their collection.
They've also just come out with a great collection in collaboration with Moonstone Polish based on the Harry Potter "Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans"; jelly beans which could be yummy or not so nice, and the names of each polish are representative of that which I think is such a neat idea, I love it :) I think it also gives you a real insight into just how creative our indie polish makers are and just how passionate they are about what they do, which is why I love supporting indie businesses like these.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed looking at these pictures as much as I'm enjoying looking at my nails, and I'm really excited to be sharing even more indies with you over the coming days and weeks.
Until next time, love and polish for all!
Em xox

I've got some info about a fanastic giveaway competition

Just a quick post to let you all know about a great competition going on right now by Shades of Phoenix and Moonstone Polish.
This should take you their facebook page...

I reckon it's well worth a look see, as there are some amazing polishes up for grabs.
Good luck <3

Em x

My first Shades of Phoenix post and a little bit of Smudge spam

Hullo all.
Today I decided to try on a creation by aussie indie polish makers Shades of Phoenix.  I recently came into possession of several Shades of Phoenix polishes and, from what I can see so far, they produce some really solid polish.

The one I'd like to share with you today is called "Mother is God 2.0", a dusty berry creme with what looks like very fine gold and pink glitter as well as small holographic hexes and squares. It's really interesting and quite hard to capture on film as different lighting changes it quite a lot.
I found that it appears more dusty in real life compared to the pictures I took, but this should give you some idea;

Mother is God 2.0

Apparently the name is in reference to this being a revamped version of the first polish Teneil (the woman behind SoP) ever made, which she gave to her mum. Hence "Mother is God" (smart girl).
I need my own daughter to take heed of this name, because I am actually all knowing, all seeing and fairly god-like and it would behoove her to remember this as she gets older ;)

Thankfully this was an easy polish to use, unlike some creme/crelly glitter polishes I have come across. All I needed was two thin coats and there was no dabbing or fishing required.
It did dry a little bumpy, but two coats of Seche Vite smoothed everything out and allowed the polish to really shimmer and shine.

I found that the dusty aspect of this polish really comes out in the shade, whereas direct light seems to bring out the berry side of it, but in any light it is a very pretty polish. I also like that it's a colour that suits any season, and would look just as good on tanned summer hands as on winter white.

Unfortunately this particular shade is no longer available, but Shades of Phoenix have some beautiful polishes that are well worth checking out on their site.

And now, on a completely unrelated note, my little boy Smudge went in to the vet's yesterday to get the snip and he's been super clingy all day, lying all over Sophia as she plays Minecraft.

Strangely enough, he wasn't sleepy or dopey at all yesterday when he came home- quite the opposite, I was up at 1.30 this morning giving him a very mild sedative because he was bouncing off the walls and making sleep for any of us impossible.

The nurse at my local vet was very taken by him and said he was a total cuddle baby the entire time he was there and very well behaved...I actually wondered for a moment if she had Smudge confused with another cat ;)
Naw, he really is a sweetheart and he adores his family, especially Sophia and Peanut (I just feed him and clean up his revolting poos, so obviously I'm not as important haha).
But it's nice to know he won't be getting any girly cats pregnant or start spraying or straying because of all that testosterone. It will be interesting to see if he changes much, but from what I've seen today he's still the same old adorable-but-naughty Smudge we all know and love.

Anyway, that's enough from me. I hope you're all having a great weekend and I'll be back with some more polish goodness in the next day or so :)
Em x