I'm Swatchin' You - Sally Hansen Lightening

Hello, everyone!!!
I know, I know...I'm so sorry for my unexpectedly long absence.  I have been (and still am) out of town dealing with some important family matters.  But, I have been slowly trying to get back to swatching my little heart out, and have finally gotten around to getting the swatches I have managed into posts for you guys!  Please excuse the pitiful state of my nails and cuticles.  They have been quite neglected for the past couple of months.  Actually, this may prove to be a fun little adventure.  We can see just how long it takes to get pitiful looking cuticles back into some form of decent shape.

I also need to throw out a little disclaimer on my photos.  As you can see, I do not have my light box with me or my little swatch background rolls.  So please excuse the craptastic photos that will follow.  Just bear with me as I play around with the options I have on hand until I find something that I like that works well for me.

Today, I've got Sally Hansen's Lightening, from the Insta-Dri line.  It's a rich yellow creme.  If you remember, I can't stand the paddle brush on the ID line.  That still holds true.  And the formula on this one wasn't that great.  I got some balding on the first coat, which got better with the second coat.  Usually, the ID polishes are one-coaters, but not this one.  It takes 3 coats for solid coverage, but I stopped at 2 for the swatch.

SH Double Duty and Insta-Dri for base and top.

I also want you all to know that I greatly appreciate you sticking around!  It's so great to be back and hope to be able to bring you lots of great colors, and maybe some fun, too!

New Swatches Coming Soon!

Hi all!  Sorry I've been a little absent.  I've had some things going on in my life that have kept me very busy and that has been demanding all of my attention.  I will tell you all about it soon.  Until then, please stick around.  I appreciate your support.  AND, I should be back to swatching away within the next week or so.  Please bear with me.

I also want to throw out a big huge OMG, THANK YOU!  Two hundred followers...and that's only through GFC.  You are all so great, and I really appreciate each of you being here with me!  You can bet I'm going to be working on a fan appreciation giveaway.  Look for details in the coming weeks!

Thanks again, everyone.  It's been a very rough couple of weeks, but I'm getting through and all will be well soon.  I truly am looking forward to getting back to getting some swatches up.  It seems like forever since I've even been able to paint my nails at all!

See you soon!
Gina Marie

I'm Swatchin' You - China Glaze I'm With the Lifeguard

This is ChG's I'm With the Lifeguard.  It's a neon green shimmer.  The finish is actually close to a subtle frost.  You may see some faint brush strokes, but it really isn't too noticeable.  The formula on this was great.  I have heard some people say they had a lot of trouble with the formula on the Summer Neons collection, but this worked very well for me.  It was opaque in two coats.  This color was next to impossible to photograph well.  I just couldn't capture the vibrancy without it looking too yellow.  And yes, the virtual bandage strikes again!  It should get its own blog!

SH Double Duty and Insta-Dri as base and top.

I'm Swatchin' You - Orly Melt Your Popsicle

This is Orly's Melt Your Popsicle.  It's a neon orange creme...think traffic cone orange.  Opacity was great, but the formula wasn't.  This would have been opaque in two coats if it weren't so streaky.  The first coat was very streaky.  And...so was the second.  It looked better by the third coat, which is what you are looking at below.  But I still wasn't completely satisfied with it.  But the color is amazing, so I guess it's worth the trouble.  I tried to get color accurate pics, but it wasn't easy.  Neons are nightmares for cameras.  But this is still pretty darned close.  It's just more vibrant IRL.

SH Double Duty and Insta-Dri as base and top.

I'm Swatchin' You - Sally Hansen Bubblegum Pink

I'm apparently on a pink roll.  This color is from SH's Xtreme Wear line.  It's called Bubblegum Pink, and it is a deep, rich pink creme.

The formula on this was great.  It was opaque in one coat, but I did a second coat to even it out a bit more.  The first coat wasn't streaky, but wasn't completely even and level, either.  The brush was great, too.  I wish SH would ditch their paddle brushes in favor of these.  The brush is just a perfect size for my nail beds.  It's a straight, round brush with a flat end.  Sounds like nothing special, but their brushes are made from a super soft material that really allows the polish to glide on.

SH Double Duty and SV as base and top.

I'm Swatchin' You - Color Club I Believe in Amour

This is another color from my mismatched Ross set.  It's from the same set as the Pardon My French color that I've already swatched.  This one may be I Believe in Amour.  Again, I'm just going to go with it so I can call it something.  :oP

I Believe in Amour is a sweet, light pink creme.  I was a little disappointed with the formula on this one.  It didn't level as nicely as I had hoped.  It was also streaky on the first coat, and still a bit streaky on the second coat.  So, I had to throw on a third coat to get a more even look.  You also have to be sure each coat is pretty dry, or you will get some balding.  :o(  Really nothing too special about this one.

SH Double Duty and SV as base and top.

I'm Swatchin' You - Zoya Chloe

Hi all!  Thanks for sticking with me while I took my much needed mini vacay.  I'm back and ready to go!  Today, I've got Zoya Chloe, a flakie in a pink-tinged clear base.  I'm pretty sure this is the only flakie I own.  I'm not usually a big fan, but something about this one just caught my eye.

The formula on this was fantastic.  Chloe goes on very smoothly.  As always, I am showing you Chloe in her natural state so you can see what it actually looks like.  In case you were wondering, I have a reason for doing this.  Most of the time, people will swatch polishes that were meant to be layered.  Makes sense, right?  However, I always wonder just what the base actually looks like, how opaque it is, what the glitter/flakies look like without the influence of another color, etc.  So, I find it helpful to see what it actually looks like on its own.  This also helps me decide whether or not I really want it, or how similar it is to what I already have.  Then, I show it over white and black, so you have an idea of how it looks layered over a light and dark color.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Below, you are looking at Chloe, from left to right, in one coat, two coats, one coat over white (OPI Alpine Snow), and one coat over black (ChG Liquid Leather).

  

Over white, Chloe adds a tinge of pink, and the flakies appear pink and purple with flashes of orange, which I couldn't pick up well on camera.

And here is the one coat over black from different angles.  Over black, Chloe flashes green and orange.

SH Double Duty and SV as base and top.