Indie Spotlight: Neener Neener Nails Swatches and Review

Hello everyone!

Today I thought I'd share with you a few swatches from an up and coming, 3-Free indie brand hilariously named Neener Neener Nails.

I discovered Neener Neener Nails, or N3, when Carolina from Colores de Carol reviewed them on her blog. The combinations looked so interesting and I couldn't resist looking into a brand with such a funny name.

Full size (15ml) N3 polishes are available for individual sale for $8.50 at their Etsy Shop. They also offer combined pricing for multiple mini bottles.

NEWSFLASH! As of today Full-size bottle are currently on sale for $6.50 excluding the Peacock collection which are on sale for $8.75. I have no idea how long the sale will last so get 'em before they're gone!

The Colors


Strawberry Fields is a lively duo of small hot pink and lime green, round and square glitters suspended in a white base.

Neener Neener Nails "Strawberry Fields"

Unfortunately this formula doesn't match the others I purchased. Application was troublesome and I feel like the brush was working against it. It should have been opaque in one or two coats, but it took three to smooth everything out.

Neener Neener Nails "Strawberry Fields"

Even though it took some extra effort, I really like the end result. White nails may not be everyone's cup of tea, but this polish has little sprinkles of fresh spring in it to give it something special.

Neener Neener Nails "Strawberry Fields"

Lace 'n Frills is a densely packed combination of white bar glitter along with a mix of baby pink, baby blue, lime green, and white small square and hex glitters...all suspended in a clear base. 

Neener Neener Nails "Lace 'n Frills" over Sinful Colors "Mauve"

This glitter concoction  is incredibly easy to work with. A few swirls of the brush and you have an even collection of each type of glitter. I used one stroke for base application and then simply dabbed on extra pieces wherever they were needed. I really had complete control over how much I wanted.

Neener Neener Nails "Lace 'n Frills" over Sinful Colors "Mauve"

This combination is absolutely beautiful. Well thought out and the name fits perfectly. While the glitters may stand out more against a darker base, a combination this delicate looking needed a light, subtle color to match.

Neener Neener Nails "Lace 'n Frills" over Sinful Colors "Mauve"

Pool Party is colorful blend of red, orange, emerald, blue and purple small and medium hex glitter suspended in a dusty blue milky base. Some hexes look really large on me, but keep in mind my nail beds are tiny.

Neener Neener Nails "Pool Party"

This applies pretty sheer on the first coat, but the consistency is a dream with no resistance from the glitter. The layers build up nicely to full opacity at three coats. Like lace 'n Frills, the glitter is very easy to maneuver and I could easily pick up specific colors from the neck of the bottle and place them in any bare spots.

Neener Neener Nails "Pool Party"

The name is so fitting. I really reminds me of all the poolside birthday parties I attended as a child. This looks like what the pool usually did after all the water balloons exploded.

Neener Neener Nails "Pool Party"

Electric Rainbow is exactly what it sounds like. It's a clear base with suspended neon orange bar glitters along with different size hex gliters of every color in the rainbow.

Neener Neener Nails "Electric Rainbow over  Sinful Colors "Mesmerize"

I did notice that the base wasn't completely clear. It looked as if the highlighter yellow hexes may have bled a bit, but it didn't affect the finished look. The base is also a bit thicker - about the same consistency as a good top coat. Once again, I had no probably placing the glitters as I liked. It took longer to dry than the others, but it was completely worth it.

Neener Neener Nails "Electric Rainbow over  Sinful Colors "Mesmerize"

I have oodles of multicolored polishes, but this is by far my favorite. I mean look at it! Now THIS is my kind of party.

Neener Neener Nails "Electric Rainbow over  Sinful Colors "Mesmerize"

Overall

Neener Neener Nails is a brand that deserves more attention and I will definitely be purchasing more from them when I can gather up the funds.

With all of the rising indie favorites out there it's hard to find newer companies that manage to come up with glitter combos that are are unique or stand out from the others. Despite the flaws of Strawberry Fields, I'm glad I have it. I plan to play with it more to see if a few drops of thinner will remedy some of the issues I had.

While I'm pleased with all four I purchased, I'm still reeling over Electric Rainbow.





Which indie brand do you think deserves more attention? 
Will you be picking up any polishes from Neener Neener Nails?

Let me know in the comments below and share your recommendation of underrated favorites on my Facebook or Twitter page.

Also, take a moment and check out Neener Neener Nails on Facebook and Twitter and let them know what you think of these combos.
(You could even throw me a bone and tell them I sent you. I little word-of-mouth exposure couldn't hurt.)

Thanks for reading!

-Melody

Avon Zenergy Collection Spring/Summer 2013 Swatches and Review

Hello Everyone!

Today I have the Avon Zenergy Spring/Summer 2013 Collection to share with you.

The Collection

Avon breaks away from their normal palette of classic colors and delicate pastels with the following trio of bright primary polishes:

From left to Right:

Make My Day
Inspire
Serene


Price and Availability

The polishes are available for individual sale for the retail price of $6.00 each, but are currently on sale for $3.49! Yup, all three for ten dollars. Also, they almost always offer free shipping at $30.00 with the promotion code listed towards the top of each webpage.

You can order through your local Avon representative and at Avon.com. 

If you are unaware of one in you area you can visit Avon's "Find A Representative" page here and either search by your state, or you may enter the name "Julie Pruitt, Tennessee" to order online through mine.

The Colors

Make My Day is a hot, chili pepper red semi-sheer creme. The orange undertones are more noticeable in direct sunlight, while indoors it's more of a true red. It goes on a bit sheer on the first coat. I was able to eliminate the majority of visible nail line with two coats as pictured above, but for full opacity I recommended adding an additional layer. You could also bring out the color further by starting with a white base.

I love how glossy and bright this shade is. It may not be the most unique shade of red I've ever seen, but it's a great staple shade to make the lighter colors of your wardrobe really pop.

Inspire is an extremely bright highlighter-like yellow creme. The consistency is fine, but applied a bit streaky on the first coat. This is remedied by a second coat and dries to an opaque, glossy finish.

Talk about about a great summer color. The green undertones make this a unique shade of yellow, but may definitely cause problems for lovelies who suffer from the not-so-lovely "lobster hands" emphasized by green and yellow hues.

Serene is a dusty blue creme indoors, and brightens up to a turquoise blue creme outdoors. This has a fantastic formula and is completely opaque in just one coat.

If you're a polish addict like myself, you probably have multiple versions of this same shade from different brands already in your collection. No it's not unique, but it's a must have for everyone and in this case it's the formula that counts. If you need a basic light blue that won't let you down, this is great option.

Overall

In the end, the Zenergy Collection has great synergy (see what I did there? :P). These are fresh takes on the most essential of colors and compliment each other perfectly. With the endless amount of edgy glitters, textures, and obscure color collections being released each season, we tend to forget about the basics.

This is another set that shows just how far The Avon Nailwear Pro+ line has come. The polishes across the board are much more consistent and easier to work with, but are overshadowed by the grudges over the previous formula. This and the Petal Impressions collection will probably end up being one of the most underrated collections of the year, and that's a shame.


I couldn't choose a favorite out of the three, but which do you choose? 

Will you be adding the Zenergy Collection to your polish stash?

Let me know in the comments below or give me a shout on my Facebook or Twitter page.
And don't forget to add The Manicured Amateur on Bloglovin' before July 1st 

when Google+ reader disappears into the World Wide Webiverse! (Polish points for anyone who can guess the reference of that one.)

Thanks for reading!

-Melody

Maven Madness: Julep Boho Blam Box + Rock Candy Nail Glaze Add-On April 2013

Hi everyone!

Warm weather is just around the corner, and what better to way to compliment the sunny weather than with brightly colored nails?!

Julep's April Collection is all about bright, bold, basic "look at me" shades and this month I have the Boho Glam profile to share with you.

If you want an in-depth look into all aspects of Julep Maven program, you can jump over here and get all the specifics. 

Just don't forget to come back and get a peak at what this month had in store!

The Boho Glam Box

As much as I love neon polishes for summer...well, that's just it. I love neon polishes. I have quite a few from other brands that closely resemble most of the shades in this collection, so I was forced to take a hard look on what my collection might be lacking to make my final decision.

The Polishes

Julep "Lena"

Lena is a bright teal cream with golden microshimmer that is a dream to work with, but a nightmare to photograph. Why? In most lighting situations this color is more of a jade green rather than a teal, but the camera refused to show it! I tried daylight, lamps...heck I even went back to the classic MySpace days and went to my bathroom to try to capture what I was seeing in person. Despite my persistence it tints blue, and no amount of color correction can really change it.

Pictured above is as close as it's going to get and is pretty accurate to the shade in direct sunlight, but buyer beware! Indoors, it might as well be green.

Whether it's green, jade, teal or blue, it's simply gorgeous. It has the perfect consistency and glides on opaque in just one coat. The golden shimmer is the icing on the cake. It's subtle, but is just the final touch that really makes this one of the standout colors in the entire collection.

Julep "Kaylen"

Kaylen is very bright neon orange. It's formula lies somewhere between a creme and a jelly. It applies thick but easy to work with and dries to rubbery matte finish. At two coats the nail line is just barely visible, but I felt uncomfortable adding a third as the layers sat pretty thick on the nail.

This is another one of the formulas where I'm not sure how exactly I wan to use it. It might be too thick for a jelly sandwich, but it doesn't quite pass for a creme either. Either way it's a great summer shade and is possibly one of the only true neon oranges I own.


The Extras

This month Julep debuted the newest addition to their nail care line, the Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum.

(Retail Price: $28.00. Maven Price: $22.40)

The product is packaged in a pen-shaped brush applicator that releases the serum into the bristles by twisting the SMALL end. I emphasized small because I had a brain lapse on my first attempt to use this and spent a couple of minutes pulling at each end to figure out which one was the cap. 

The metallic tube is so shiny, and the etched details make the product look very luxurious. 

Its compact design can easily fit into purses and clutches, making it a great essential for travel and even everyday errands.

When they say half a turn, they mean it. It may take a second for the serum to penetrate the bristles, but half a turn was enough to cover one hand's worth of fingers. I should probably note that my nail beds are tiny. I mean, even a dime is larger than my thumb nails when kept short.

I refuse to call any product a "miracle," but this is pretty close. The angled bristles really allow you to get into the depths of cuticles and it's soft enough to glide across the entire ends of your fingers. Although the serum itself is pretty liquidy, it's absorbs almost immediately and leaves no greasy residue. Apply it, give it a few seconds to soak in, and then you could even touch the screen of your phone or tablet without hesitation.

I often get questions about how I care for my hands, more specifically the minimal presence of fine lines at my fingertips. It's really products like these that do the trick. In the case of Julep's Mighty Nail & Cuticle  Serum, I have made the assumption that the collagen assists in firming the skin around my cuticles...but I'm no dermatologist. The effect isn't incredibly long lasting, but the cuticles themselves stay firm and hydrated for hours. Coupled with a good hand lotion you'll truly see a difference on the first day.

Truth in advertising and well worth the price. 

If you're going to splurge on a nail care essential, this needs to be it. 

As a prelude to the much requested add-on option you're about to see, Julep included rock candy in every box. I'd love to to be able to tell you what this tastes like, but I can't. I won't point fingers, but let's just say this coincidentally went "missing" soon after my boyfriend returned from work.

The Add-On

Candy is deep purple "barely-there" jelly, a part of the Rock Candy Nail Glaze Collection you might have seen at Sephora. 

Now, the availability of this particular shade has me baffled. There are four shades available at Sephora, and this is not one of them. The closest would be "Barely There Lavender," but this is much darker. Also, NONE of the Rock Candy Nail Glazes are currently available on Julep's website although that could always change.

As far as this particular shade is concerned, limited availability may be for the best. I feel like this is the dud of the bunch. I have seen gorgeous swatches of the other colors, but alone the transparency of this shade of purple causes a muddy look to the nail.

However, the Rock Candy glazes are primarily layering polishes. Yes lovelies, these are Julep's first true jellies! And they are great for jelly sandwhiches. The formula is literally a jelly consistency: a bit thick but smooth and glossy.

Neener Neener Nails "Lace n Frills" sandwiched between Julep "Candy"

Now, I personally am not a fan of the visible nail line, so on any other occasion this would have some sort of base layer. In this situation I thought I'd "knock out two birds with one stone" (that's an awful phrase) and attempt to build the color within it's own jelly sandwich so you could see both options.

The sammy above started with one coat of Candy, one coat of Neener Neener Nails Lace 'n Frills, and then two more coats of Candy. Although the formula is thick, each layer is incredibly sheer. This means that if you really want the jelly effect, you're going to have to be patient, wait for each layer to dry, and add another.

That's another important aspect of this nail glaze. The drying time is nearly two or three times longer than normal polish, which I can only attribute to the thick formula. In short, this is not your "before bed" or "on and out the door" mani.



Overall

In the end this isn't my favorite Maven box, but I'm happy with my selection.

Lena is gorgeous despite it's photo feaux pas and Kaylen is one of the truest neon polishes I've yet to discover. Candy has potential and the concept of the Rock Candy concept works, it's just the particular shade that needs some tweaking.

The standout product wasn't a polish, it was the serum. This in my opinion is the top nail care item Julep offers, and  is immediately one of my most-coveted products from my entire routine.

If you're interested in becoming a Julep Maven, you can sign up here and get your first box for FREE! Yup, free nail polish with free shipping and you can cancel at any time. Just enter code "FREEBOX" at checkout for your free box plus free shipping. This applies to new Mavens only.

How on Earth can you resist?

Which is your favorite from the Boho Glam box? What do you think of the Rock Candy Nail Glazes?
And what is your favorite nail maintainence must-have?

I love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, or share you thoughts on my Facebook or Twitter.

Thanks for Reading!

-Melody

Sinful Colors Buff to Bright Collection Swatches & Review

Hi everyone!

Today I have the Sinful Colors Buff to Bright Collection to share with you.

This is an interesting collection, as only one of the shades is a new release...sort of. Three of the colors were released in Europe in 2011, but are just now making their debut here in the US as part of this newly curated collection to compliment both your spring and summer wardrobe.

The Collection

The collection includes the following six cremes, one microshimmer and one pearl:

Genteel (Previously released in Europe, new to US)

Nude (New, availability TBD?)

Unicorn (Part of the permanent collection)

Pistache (Previously released in Europe named "Pistachio", new to US)

Folly (Part of the permanent collection)

GoGo Girl (Part of the permanent collection)

Cloud 9 (Part of the permanent collection)

Endless Blue (Part of the permanent collection)

Price and Availability

This is major selling point of the Sinful Colors brand. Priced at $1.99 a polish, it's accessible to anyone! I often pay for these with spare change in my wallet, especially when the Rite-Aid Wellness Points kick in.

You will find Sinful Colors in most Rite-Aids, Walgreens, Walmarts and Targets across the country.
The only catch is that curated collections like these vary from location to location. I usually find collection displays like the Bright to Buff collection at Rite-Aid and Walgreens.

To see the complete list of retailers an to view the entire Sinful colors line, visit sinfulcolors.com.

The Colors

Sinful Colors "Genteel"

Genteel is light dusty pink with a stunning lilac pearlescent finish. It is very sheer on first coat but is a dream to work with. It takes three coats to full opacity, and even then the pearly shimmer is very subtle. It can really seen in very direct sunlight.

I am in love with this color and thrilled SC brought it across the sea. It compliments my skin tone so nicely and is such a delicate color that is suitable for all ages.

Sinful Colors "Nude"

Nude on the other hand is anything BUT nude, atleast for me. It's a light to medium orange-toned brown. On the brush it does sort of resemble a really orange tinted foundation, except obviously it applies thinner than one. The formula is great - opaque in one coat and dries to a smooth hi gloss.

In the bottle I really dig this color and unique in my collection thus far. Unfortunately this would never be my go-to for nude mani, but I'm curious to see if someone with a deeper skin tone can make it work.

Sinful Colors "Unicorn"

Unicorn is a pastel, light buttery yellow. I adore this color and somehow managed to avoid the dreaded lobster hand syndrome. Unfortunately, the formula was disappointing  It's semi-sheer and applies in thin and liquid manner to the point that I couldn't avoid pooling and dragging. It should have been opaque on the third coat, but I couldn't like past noticeable streaking. I was so determined to make this work that I added a fourth coat. That plus top coat did the trick, but geez.

It's still a beautiful color and I know I'll turn to it again, but for future application I might try a white base.

Sinful Colors "Pistache"

Pistache is a bold, bright pistachio green. It comes out a bit darker on nail than in bottle, but it's only apparent in artificial lighting. It was almost opaque in one coat minus some minor streaking, but touch ups with a second smoothed things out. Other than that the consistency is very creamy.

This color is fresh and fantastic. It's unlike the other yellow-based pastel greens out there this season and I feel like it's a must have.

Sinful Colors "Folly"

Folly is glossy, raspberry red jelly. My nail line is just barely visible at one coat as shown above (and that's only because they were dirty underneath), but those with longer nails may need two coats to reduce nail line.

It make be took opaque for a jelly sandwhich, but I have yet to try it.

Sinful Colors "GoGo Girl"

GoGo Girl is a thick jelly red creme. Forumula wise it's a bit thicker than Folly, but it still has a rubbery finish to it. The nail line might be visible for longer nails and require two coats, but I left it at one with almost no nail exposed.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It's skirts the line between a jelly and a creme leaving me a bit undecided on how I'd actually put it to use.

Sinful Colors "Cloud 9"

Cloud 9 is a bright, citrusy orange with golden orange microshimmer. It's almost opaque in one coat, but I used two to reduce visible nail line. 

This color can lean on the frosty side and is a little dated in my opinion. That being said, I like the color and the formula was one of the best in the bunch.

Sinful Colors "Endless Blue"

Endless Blue is a gorgeous bright blue creme. Completely smooth and opaque in one coat. In an indoor setting it's not as bright, but it's just as beautiful.

There's not much else to say. This is a staple blue for any polish lover on a budget.

Overall

Overall I think the concept of the collection gets the point across. There's something to please everyone, from understated lighter colors to bold brighter shades for those really wanting to make a statement.

This may not be the most "OMG how edgy and unique" collection out there, but it's brings to light some standout polishes from the Sinful Colors brand.

I don't think Sinful Colors has an official Facebook or Twitter, but there is a prominent community page following for the brand for each outlet you can check out:

Visit The Sinful Colors Facebook page or Twitter page for fun updates, giveaways and more.

Which is your favorite from the Buff to Brights Collection? 

What do you think of the Sinful Colors brand?

Let me know in the comments below or give me a shout on my facebook or twitter.

Also, don't forget that Google reader will be shutting down on July 1st, so head over to Bloglovin' and follow The Manicured Amateur to keep up with all the fun!

Thanks for reading!

-Melody

Easter Chick Nail Art + Easter Pastel Pedicure

Happy Easter everyone!

So I had a completely different manicure planned for today, but just as the morning began the Easter Bunny stopped by to let us know that instead of giving us eggs he's delivering a baby!

My boyfriend's sister has gone into labor, so I needed a quick mani/pedi that was both Easter and new baby appropriate.

I couldn't think of anything more fitting than a hatched baby chick!

Colors Used:

Base: Avon Gel Strength Base Coat

Thumb: Julep Susie

Pointer: Zoya Kristen

Index: China Glaze Something Sweet

Ring: Loreal Tweet Me, China Glaze White On White, Sally Hanson Black Heart, Loreal Boozy Bruch

Pinky: Essie Love & Acceptance

Glitter Coat: Wet n Wild Hallucinate

Top Coat: Out The Door

I couldn't forget my toes!

As I'm on my way to the hospital to await the arrival of the newest member of our family,

 I hope everyone has a blessed holiday!

-Melody

Saturday Snappy Swatch: butter LONDON Victoriana

Hi everyone!

Just a quick swatch today, but I think it's deserving of it's own post.

If you're an ULTA shopper, then you're no stranger to the "21 Days of Beauty Steals" promotion they are currently running. One day featured all butter LONDON polishes on sale for $9, motivating me to purchase this oldie-but-goodie beauty below: Victoriana.

Victoriana is a dusty blue flooded with silver micro-shimmer. I noticed it has the potential to lean a little more  towards a deeper blue-gone-teal in certain lighting, but it sparkles even in the lowest lighting situation. It's incredible.

Full retail price for one butter LONDON polish is $15. I know, ouch...but in this case you really get what you pay for. 

The formula and the brush are really what justify the price point here. The formula is fantastic. I have four butter LONDONs at the moment and they all have the best and most consistent formula out of all other brands I have so far. Why? It really holds to the brush. It's as if the brush has magical powers and only allows the perfect amount of polish to come out of the bottle, making sure you have complete control over the application.

Speaking of the brush, it's also one of my favorites. Relative to the Zoya brushes, butter LONDON brushes are small, skinny and stiff. While that's not some polishers' cup of tea, they're a dream for people such as myself who have small nails. I have grown to accept my small nails, but I can't escape the constant challenge of loose or wide brushes that fan out to the point that they become larger than my entire nail. It causes pooling and calls for large amounts of unnecessary cleanup and wasted polish remover.

Luckily, butter LONDON has yet to disappoint me. The formula plus the brush allowed for a one coat, smooth lined, no cleanup mani that's as fantastic as the shade itself.

What do you think of this shade and of the butter LONDON line? 

How much are you willing to spend on a single polish?

Share you thoughts in the comments below or let me know on my facebook and twitter.
You can also follow me on Instagram! (I'm finally getting the hang of it.)

Don't let the Easter Beagle steal all your eggs, and thanks for reading!

-Melody

Hard Candy Candy Sprinkles Collection Swatches and Review

Hard Candy Candy Sprinkles Spring 2013 Collection

Hi everyone!

Today I have the Hard Candy Candy Sprinkles Collection to share with you!

I know I'm a bit late to the party, but I couldn't pass up the chance to showcase such a fun collection.

The Collection

Hard Candy has recently expanded their entire nail polish line with 45 new shades, divided up into five collections: 

Crushed Chrome

Itsy Glitzy

Crystal Confetti

Glitteratzi

Candy Sprinkles

To see all of the collections from thw Hard Candy Nail Lacquer line, visit hardcandy.com.

The Candy Sprinkles Collection consists of the following nine glittery shades suspended in a milky, sheer or semi-sheer colored base:

From left to right: 

Pink Taffy, Peach Pop, Cotton Candy Pink, Sugar Rush, Gummy Green, Jelly Bean Blue, Sweet Tooth, Pixie Pink, Cocoa Smore

Price and Availability

Currently the Candy Sprinkles Collection is exclusively available for individual sale at Walmart and Walmart.com. 

The press release originally priced each polish at $3.97, but my local Walmart marked them up to $4.00. Needless to say I didn't cry over the extra 27 cents.

The Polishes

Hard Candy "Pink Taffy"

Pink Taffy is a medium bubblegum pink with magenta, black, and silver glitter.

Application was a bit thick but NOT goopy. The glitter was easy to work with, but appeared a bit sparse compared to some of the other shades.

If you prefer the jelly-like finish, you can do what I did and use two coats with just a clear base. If you want the pink to appear more saturated you can either add another layer, or apply a white or pink base beforehand. These polishes really give you a lot of control on the finished look.

Hard Candy "Peach Pop" 

 Peach Pop is a deep peachy-orange with red, orange, yellow an silver glitter. This has almost the exact same application as Pink Taffy, just a smidgeon thicker. The glitter is a more subtle due to the lighter colors used, and this can lean more orange than peach depending on lighting conditions.

I used two coats with a clear base above, but as with the previous shade, you can really control how opaque  you want the color to be. The application is smooth, so whether you apply thin or thick layers you won't run into any problems.

Hard Candy "Cotton Candy Pink"

Cotton Candy Pink is a trickster. It's technically a sheer baby peachy-pink with blue, black and silver glitter, but my skin tone made this come off as more of a peachy nude. I mean look how closely it matches. Mind blown.

The color is almost completely sheer on the first coat, and then takes a 360 turn and is almost completely opaque with the second coat with just a hint of visible nail line. Though it applies much thinner than the previous two, the glitter is denser.

Hard Candy "Sugar Rush"

Sugar Rush is a milky white with black and silver glitter. This was the first shade I saw of this collection and fell in love. The idea of white with black glitter is a concept I love and can match most everything.

It comes off pretty sheer with the first coat, with the color resembling dried Elmer's Glue. There is a significantly larger amount of glitter payoff with this one, yet it still applies smoothly and can easily be worked with to fill in any unwanted gaps. 

The second coat brings it to full opacity with no visible nail line. I really don't see a need to add a white creme base underneath, as this does the job all on it's own.

I do wish they had named it "Vanilla Bean" instead. I really makes me want ice cream.

Hard Candy "Gummy Green"

Gummy Green is a deep, jelly mint green with black and silver glitter. Glitter sammy in a bottle. The glitter even more jam packed than Sugar Rush, but muted by the milky minty goodness. (Am I hungry?)

Pictured above is just one coat. Oddly enough the application wasn't as think as Peach Pop, but is definitely the most saturated. To keep up with the "gummy" look I stopped here, but you want to eliminate the nail line, just add an extra layer or apply a white or mint base underneath.

Hard Candy "Jelly Bean Blue"

Jelly Bean Blue is a baby blue with black and blue glitter. I actually googled all the Jelly Belly flavors to see if I could find on that matched. The closest was tie between Plum and Mixed Berry Smoothie.

Nevertheless I think the name is appropiate, This has the most creme formula of them all, and was just a hair away from completely opaque on the first coat. The glitter payoff is about the same a Peach Pop, appearing a bit sparser than some of the others.

I swatched this the day before my index nail snagged on a dog collar nd had to filed down, so I think I'm biased at how nice I think the overall look is.

Hard Candy "Sweet Tooth"

Sweet Tooth is an odd, milky middle-of-the-road between indigo and lavender with pink, silver, and blue glitter. Despite not being able to figure out what color this is exactly, the combo is exquisite and extremely flattering. 

This has the sheerest application of them all and not as close to opaque on the second coat as the others. The glitter makes up for it as it's so incredibly dense.

The thin formula gives you a lot of versatility on where you want to go with the actual color. This could lean purple, pink, grey, or blue depending on what you layer underneath.

Hard Candy "Pixie Pink"

Pixie Pink is a spring-in-a-bottle lilac with pastel pink, blue and silver shimmer. This can transform into pinky lilac or even as far a lilac with different base colors, but I used a clear base above. 

This is pretty much opaque on the second coat unless you apply really thin layers. The glitter payoff is right in the middle of the entire collection and the application was the smoothest.

Hard Candy "Cocoa Smore"

Cocoa Smore is a milky taupe brown with black and silver glitter. Application was pretty thick but the glitter didn't seem to mind and applied evenly. It is completely opaque in two coats as pictured above.

This color makes me want to sip on hot chocolate and stuff my face with marshmellows. I makes my fair skin look tan and healthy and I just love it.

Overall

I had no idea what to expect of Hard Candy's nail line, but now I'm on my way to owning the entire thing.

I love the Candy Sprinkles collection as a whole. The combination of glitters and sugary shades do a great job of conveying the candy and sprinkles concept.

The formula overall is just fantastic. Although some of the darker shades were thicker, they were thicker in the right way to provide more color saturation. For glitter polishes, these are some of the best I own. The glitter is easy to maneuver and place as you like and honestly? Removal was easier than other brands...despite not wanting to take them off of course.

It was incredibly hard to pick a favorite, so I didn't. My two least favorites however were Pink Taffy and Peach Pop, just because they aren't my go-to nail color preferences.

Which is your favorite of the Candies Sprinkles Collection?

Have you or do you plan to try any of the Hard Candy Nail Lacquers?

Give me a shout in the comments below or on my facebook or twitter and let me know your favorites from the line!

Bonus: Outtakes!

So my lighting has yet to be consistent from post to post so I've been attempting to use a lightbox. 

Here's one of my not-so-helpful helpers deciding the lightbox needed more cat.

World, meet Rusko (or "Little Mister," which is all he'll answer to).

If you're wondering why he's wearing clothes, he compulsively scratches and grooms himself. His hair will fall out and he'll rub the skin raw and bloody. :( 

The vet just injected him with a bunch of shots that made him sick, so I took matters into my own hands. This is the only thing that has helped. He doesn't mind, I promise!

Thanks for reading and TGIF!

-Melody