OPI- Mod About You

OPI's "Mod About You" is a beautiful cool-toned, pastel pink creme. It looks great with a tan, I absolutely love it! It dries a bit darker than in the bottle and the formula's pretty thin. It was streaky and uneven so it took me 3 coats to get it opaque. The photos below show Mod About You without topcoat.

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Tutorial- Water Marble Layering

Hello! I am so excited to tell you this! I was playing around with the idea of water marbling and realized that (1) you can use the concept to create your own color without actually having to mix polishes and (2) you can use it to apply neons or any polish that has a tricky formula! I hope this is something new to you and that you enjoy!


So, for the first idea all you need is two different colored polishes and all other materials needed to do any kind of water marble (cup, water, toothpick). There are only three steps to this. First, apply the lighter color onto your nails (and make sure its even otherwise any streaks and patches will remain visible). Then, drip just one drop (or more but you'll have to be careful of the rings that appear) of your second color into the water surface and allow it to spread enough so that when you dip it'll cover your entire nail. After it has spread evenly, dip your nail (or as many finger as you can completely cover) in as you would with any other water marble mani, clean the surface with a toothpick and remove your finger. Tadaaaa! You made a new color without having to go through the trouble of mixing polishes in a separate bottle and without having to worry that you didn't mix enough of the color to paint all your nails! I personally never have any empty nail polish bottles on hand and find it hasslesome to mix it on tin foil or a palette (the polish get thick really fast and I always seem to make too much/little of the color). I like to use this method to create pastel colors by putting darker colors over white. It works to apply metallic colors (I'm thinking OPI's "Push and Shove", but I don't have it) without getting any streaks, too! Just apply the metallic like normal then add a layer or two with the water marble method.

As for number two, it's basically the same process except you're using it for a different reason/to get a different result. I've heard people talking about how neons are hard to work with because often times you need to layer them over white to make them bright and fluorescent. However, sometimes putting them over white is hard because it might get streaky or you might not completely cover the white around the cuticles. I find that if you just water marble it on, you can get an even application! (The coats/layers dry much faster too.) You can also control how dark you want your color to be- if you want it darker, just repeat and add more layers until the color is to your liking. You can use this method to create ombre nails as well! This also works with sheer polishes or jellies should you ever want to put them over white.

The possibilities are endless! I really hope that you'll give it a try, if you do I would love to see it (my instagram is @swatchingly)! Thank you so much for stopping by!

Swatch Comparison- Zoya "Wendy" and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Coral Reef"

I was looking at my nail polish collection and at one point I realized that Wendy and Coral Reef looked exactly the same. I swatched them on my nails and found out that they were extremely similar. Wendy is a little lighter than Coral Reef, but barely so. I'd say they're pretty much dupes of one another. The photo below shows three coats without topcoat. (Please forgive my dry cuticles, I've been doing dishes without gloves)

Zoya- Wendy

Zoya's "Wendy" is a beautiful coral or melon pink creme. It's perfect for summer! The formula was a bit streaky on the first coat but just one or two more fixed it. The polish does dry a tad darker than how it looks in the bottle, but I love it nonetheless. The photos show three coats and topcoat.

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essie- Mint Candy Apple

essie's "Mint Candy Apple" is a cult classic- and for good reason. Honestly, at first I didn't think it was as amazing a color as everyone was making it out to be. After I put it on I realized why everybody loved it. Mint Candy Apple is a beautiful pastel mint blue creme and goes really well with a tan. Application was easy and I got it opaque in 2 easy coats. I tend to do thin coats so 1 slightly thicker coat works too. The photo shows it with topcoat.

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essie- Cocktails & Coconuts

I'm really late on this one but here I have essie's "Cocktails & Coconuts". This polish is from their 2014 Resort Collection. Cocktails & Coconuts is a beige creme with lots of glass fleck shimmer. Unfortunately, the shimmer doesn't translate well onto the nail. It doesn't completely disappear but it doesn't shine either. Formula-wise the polish wasn't too bad, only 3 coats were needed to get the polish opaque and even. The photos below are with topcoat.

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Sincerely Polish- Maria Veronica

Hi! Today, I have another indie to talk about and it is Sincerely Polish's "Maria Veronica". I love how Karen includes some nail decorations and a handwritten thank you note in the package, she's so sweet! Maria Veronica is a pale pink crelly polish with all sorts of glitter shapes and sizes. It has matte pink hearts, matte purple circles and two different sizes of metallic purple hexes. It's so cute! There is enough glitter in the polish so that you don't have to fish around for any and the formula is very nice. Because of its crelly base, the polish takes about 4-5 coats to get it pretty close to being opaque. In the photos below I have 5 coats and there is just a hint of visible nail line. Because of the large glitters, more topcoat is needed to even it out as well. The photos below are with topcoat.

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