BlackCatLacquer
Indie
Nails
Thermal
Black Cat Lacquer: Poison Apple Thermal Polish
*Disclaimer*
Edited on 3/1/14: I've owned my bottle of Poison Apple almost 4 months and I've only worn it twice. Recently I noticed most of the pigments had separated badly in the bottle and no amount of shaking seems to mix them back together.
Last week another blogger mentioned they had just purchased Poison Apple and when she received the bottle hers was already separated (though not as bad as mine). According to another Indie polish maker it appears the thermal pigments either haven't been dissolved properly or the base is not thick enough to support the thermal pigments (thermal pigments are heavier), thus causing everything to separate and become unusable.
The thermal pigments have sunken to the bottom in my bottle and have become one mass that cannot be shaken back together. I also think maybe they were made too far in advance of orders? Thermal polishes in general have a fairly short shelf life. It's a gorgeous polish... but keep in mind if you purchase it, it probably won't last very long... this is what my bottle currently looks like:
I picked up this beauty back in October when Black Cat Lacquer was having a Halloween sale. I never got to properly swatch it because my old laptop died a few days later. I finally got around to editing the photos I took in the beginning of November.
I love this polish! I don't normally go for red polish, but I absolutely love this. Poison Apple is a red scattered holo thermal polish. It's bright red when warm, and a dark brownish red when cold. To show off the thermal effect better, I used hot/cold water. But with normal wear, the tips of my nails do stay darker. The longer your nails are, the more thermal effect you will have.
Edited on 3/1/14: I've owned my bottle of Poison Apple almost 4 months and I've only worn it twice. Recently I noticed most of the pigments had separated badly in the bottle and no amount of shaking seems to mix them back together.
Last week another blogger mentioned they had just purchased Poison Apple and when she received the bottle hers was already separated (though not as bad as mine). According to another Indie polish maker it appears the thermal pigments either haven't been dissolved properly or the base is not thick enough to support the thermal pigments (thermal pigments are heavier), thus causing everything to separate and become unusable.
The thermal pigments have sunken to the bottom in my bottle and have become one mass that cannot be shaken back together. I also think maybe they were made too far in advance of orders? Thermal polishes in general have a fairly short shelf life. It's a gorgeous polish... but keep in mind if you purchase it, it probably won't last very long... this is what my bottle currently looks like:
Please see Polished Lifting's post about her experience with Black Cat Lacquer. I also sent an email and received no response.
I picked up this beauty back in October when Black Cat Lacquer was having a Halloween sale. I never got to properly swatch it because my old laptop died a few days later. I finally got around to editing the photos I took in the beginning of November.
I love this polish! I don't normally go for red polish, but I absolutely love this. Poison Apple is a red scattered holo thermal polish. It's bright red when warm, and a dark brownish red when cold. To show off the thermal effect better, I used hot/cold water. But with normal wear, the tips of my nails do stay darker. The longer your nails are, the more thermal effect you will have.
This is 3 coats of Poison Apple, plus 1 coat of Seche Vite fast dry topcoat.
Poison Apple when warm:
Poison Apple when cold:
Holidays
Indie
Nails
WinstoniaStore
Thanksgiving Nails!
I decided to do Thanksgiving nails for the upcoming holiday week. I used China Glaze Riveting and L.A. Girl DIY in dark brown. I stamped with Maybelline Metallics Bold Gold, plus one coat of Seche Vite topcoat. Winstonia Store stamp plate W119 for my pinkie & ring finger and Messy Mansion MM19 for my middle and pointer finger.
I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving this Thursday!
EmilydeMolly
Indie
Nails
Emily de Molly: Cosmic Forces
Emily De Molly: Comic Forces, was the last polish I purchased before my 'No Buy' went into effect 3 weeks ago. I was browsing Llarowe one night and was so excited to see it in stock! I've been wanting Cosmic Forces for a good while now. It's super hard to find in stock in the USA, since Emily De Molly polish is made in Australia. You can find it selling for $30 on eBay... but I'm not crazy enough to pay that. It was $13 on Llarowe.com.
Cosmic Forces is a dark purple jelly polish with pink and purple glitter and holographic circle glitter. The circles almost look like planets suspended in the jelly base. It's even prettier in person! This is 3 coats and 2 coats of Seche Vite topcoat to get that glossy look.
A few months ago I purchased a similar polish from Nire's Desire called Bubble Berries. I wanted to do a comparsion with Bubble Berries & Cosmic Forces. Cosmic Forces is a darker purple and Bubble Berries is lighter. Bubble Berries has more silver glitter & other shapes, than Cosmic Forces. If you're having a hard time trying to get Cosmic Forces, Bubble Berries is a good alternative.
Cosmic Forces is a dark purple jelly polish with pink and purple glitter and holographic circle glitter. The circles almost look like planets suspended in the jelly base. It's even prettier in person! This is 3 coats and 2 coats of Seche Vite topcoat to get that glossy look.
Amazon.com
Electronics
KindleFire
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" Comparison
Every year since the original Kindle Fire came out in 2011, I've upgraded to the latest version. I've owned three generations of the Kindle Fire now. (Though I always sell the previous model). The latest is the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16GB
. It's faster and lighter than last years Kindle Fire HD. There's also a rear camera now besides the front camera and Amazon has made better placement and size of the power & volume buttons on the HDX.
The Home Screen has also changed. On Kindle Fire HD there was a little star symbol you would press to access your favorites. On Kindle HDX you swipe up from the bottom to access favorites. The new feature isn't as convenient. On the HD If I was on Facebook and wanted to switch apps I would just hit the star to access my favorites. On HDX I have to swipe up- BUT that will only show recently accessed apps... so if you want to switch programs but you haven't recently accessed the app- you will have to go all the way back out to the home screen to your favorites list.
The good features are the power and volume buttons. They are huge on the HDX now. They are located on the back instead of the sides like HD. The rear camera also has a flash. The response time for apps is so much quicker now because of the faster processor and ram. There's literally no lag time switching apps. Typing on the keyboard is more realistic because there's no delay anymore. It's lightning fast. The screen is a little cooler in color than Kindle Fire HD which had a warmer display- that's taking some getting used to for me. But pictures and videos are gorgeous.
As always it takes some getting used to when you upgrade. I really do love the Kindle Fire HDX, there's just minor changes from Kindle Fire HD, some good, some different. But all in all I'm pleased with it.
App wise: You would think the Amazon App store would have added Instagram since Kindle Fire HDX now has a rear camera... but nope. That still takes some fanangling, but you CAN install Instagram and other Android apps that the Amazon App store might not have.
For Kindle Fire HDX models:
Step 1: Download APK Installer free from the Amazon App store.
Step 2: Go to SETTINGS: APPLICATIONS: Then for 'Allow Apps From Unknown Sources' select: ON.
Step 3: Go to Silk Browser go to website: www.1mobile.com/app/market/ and download 1MobileMarket store app for free.
Step 4: Install 1MobileMarket with an APK installer App.
Step 5: Use the 1MobileMarket App to find and install Instagram & other Android apps to your Kindle Fire HDX.
Other Kindle Fire Blog Posts:
(1st Generation) Jan 2012: I ♥ ♥ ♥ my Kindle Fire!
(2nd Generation) Nov 2012: My Kindle Fire HD 8.9 arrived a week early! Yay!
. It's faster and lighter than last years Kindle Fire HD. There's also a rear camera now besides the front camera and Amazon has made better placement and size of the power & volume buttons on the HDX.
The volume and power buttons are now on the back of the Kindle Fire HDX and much easier to find. (They were on the edges of the Kindle Fire HD and almost invisible to the naked eye). The HDX has a square boxy shape that I don't like as much as the sleek curved shape of last years Kindle Fire HD. I wish the rubber grip finish went around all the edges like it did on the HD. On the HDX there is a plastic part where the speakers & rear camera are. The HDX is incredibly lighter, you can feel the difference when you hold each model in your hands.
Comparison: While the screen size is still the same, Kindle Fire HDX is slighter smaller than Kindle Fire HD. (HDX dimensions: 9.1, 6.2, 0.31. versus HD dimensions: 9.4, 6.4, 0.35)
The Home Screen has also changed. On Kindle Fire HD there was a little star symbol you would press to access your favorites. On Kindle HDX you swipe up from the bottom to access favorites. The new feature isn't as convenient. On the HD If I was on Facebook and wanted to switch apps I would just hit the star to access my favorites. On HDX I have to swipe up- BUT that will only show recently accessed apps... so if you want to switch programs but you haven't recently accessed the app- you will have to go all the way back out to the home screen to your favorites list.
The good features are the power and volume buttons. They are huge on the HDX now. They are located on the back instead of the sides like HD. The rear camera also has a flash. The response time for apps is so much quicker now because of the faster processor and ram. There's literally no lag time switching apps. Typing on the keyboard is more realistic because there's no delay anymore. It's lightning fast. The screen is a little cooler in color than Kindle Fire HD which had a warmer display- that's taking some getting used to for me. But pictures and videos are gorgeous.
As always it takes some getting used to when you upgrade. I really do love the Kindle Fire HDX, there's just minor changes from Kindle Fire HD, some good, some different. But all in all I'm pleased with it.
App wise: You would think the Amazon App store would have added Instagram since Kindle Fire HDX now has a rear camera... but nope. That still takes some fanangling, but you CAN install Instagram and other Android apps that the Amazon App store might not have.
For Kindle Fire HDX models:
Step 1: Download APK Installer free from the Amazon App store.
Step 2: Go to SETTINGS: APPLICATIONS: Then for 'Allow Apps From Unknown Sources' select: ON.
Step 3: Go to Silk Browser go to website: www.1mobile.com/app/market/ and download 1MobileMarket store app for free.
Step 4: Install 1MobileMarket with an APK installer App.
Step 5: Use the 1MobileMarket App to find and install Instagram & other Android apps to your Kindle Fire HDX.
Other Kindle Fire Blog Posts:
(1st Generation) Jan 2012: I ♥ ♥ ♥ my Kindle Fire!
(2nd Generation) Nov 2012: My Kindle Fire HD 8.9 arrived a week early! Yay!
ILNPBrand
Indie
Nails
I Love Nail Polish: Pre-order Polishes
A few weeks ago I pre-ordered from I Love Nail Polish. I got Sweet Seranade, Washing Ashore and Birefringence with Holo. Limited Edition Absolute Zero was included free with every order, if you pre-ordered 3 of the new colors.
The original Birefringence is one of my favorite nail polishes. And Birefringence with Holo is just as awesome. It almost glows with the addition of the holographic sparkles. There are so many colors in this polish depending on the angle of your hands. (2 coats, plus 1 coat Seche Vite topcoat).
For comparison here's the original Birefringence and it's Holo version:
Sweet Serenade was a little darker than I thought it would be. It reminds me a bit of an oil slick. You see dark blue, almost black, green and purple. It's more subtle than the others but still gorgeous. (3 coats, plus 1 coat Seche Vite topcoat).
And last but not least Absolute Zero. A deep navy blue with silver shimmer in it. (3 coats, plus 1 coat Seche Vite topcoat). This was a limited edition color, only available to customers who pre-ordered 3 or more of the new polishes.
The original Birefringence is one of my favorite nail polishes. And Birefringence with Holo is just as awesome. It almost glows with the addition of the holographic sparkles. There are so many colors in this polish depending on the angle of your hands. (2 coats, plus 1 coat Seche Vite topcoat).
For comparison here's the original Birefringence and it's Holo version:
Washing Ashore is a gorgeous blue green duo chrome. It's pretty much everything I wished 'My Little Glacier' would have been. (I ended up selling that color on eBay). Washing Ashore reminds me of peacock feathers or the ocean. I love it! (2 coats, plus 1 coat Seche Vite topcoat).
Sweet Serenade was a little darker than I thought it would be. It reminds me a bit of an oil slick. You see dark blue, almost black, green and purple. It's more subtle than the others but still gorgeous. (3 coats, plus 1 coat Seche Vite topcoat).
And last but not least Absolute Zero. A deep navy blue with silver shimmer in it. (3 coats, plus 1 coat Seche Vite topcoat). This was a limited edition color, only available to customers who pre-ordered 3 or more of the new polishes.
Nails
SallyHansen
Sally Hansen Triple Shine Polishes
I picked up 8 of the new Sally Hansen Triple Shine polishes about 3 weeks ago from CVS. I've had the pictures in my camera, but I wasn't able to edit and upload them without my laptop. I spent most of Saturday installing all my programs and files into my new Sony Vaio. And last night I was finally able to start editing the photos. I'm so happy to be back to blogging!
I lost all of my downloaded fonts when my laptop crashed, so I had to create a new watermark with a new font. And I finally figured out how to do a curved watermark in Paintshop Pro XI! Whoo Hoo!
First up is, Make Waves. This is my favorite out of all the polishes I bought. It's a gorgeous blue green duo chrome. I needed 3 coats to make it opaque. I also used one coat of Seche Vite. (Sally Hansen also makes a Triple Shine topcoat). I've also seen this colored layered over white and it looks just as pretty, if you don't feel like doing all those coats.
I lost all of my downloaded fonts when my laptop crashed, so I had to create a new watermark with a new font. And I finally figured out how to do a curved watermark in Paintshop Pro XI! Whoo Hoo!
First up is, Make Waves. This is my favorite out of all the polishes I bought. It's a gorgeous blue green duo chrome. I needed 3 coats to make it opaque. I also used one coat of Seche Vite. (Sally Hansen also makes a Triple Shine topcoat). I've also seen this colored layered over white and it looks just as pretty, if you don't feel like doing all those coats.
Slick Black has silver and even green micro shimmer in it. It kind of has a gun metal look. I only used 2 coats of this and 1 coat of topcoat. I layered Spark's Fly on my ring finger.
Vanity Flare is a gorgeous bright grape color with lot's of shine. It almost looks like vinyl. I used 2 or 3 coats, (I can't quite remember), plus topcoat.
Sparkling Water I did 2 coats and 1 coat of topcoat. Gorgeous blue green turquoise color!
Wavy Blue is a deep bright blue. This is 2 coats plus 1 coat of topcoat. The formula was a bit thick on this one.
I think Drama Sheen would best be layered over something. This is four coats, plus topcoat and even then you can still see my nail line because it's so sheer. It's a very sheer purple/pink duo chrome.
I really want to like Great White... this is four coats, plus topcoat. It's rather hard to work with, very streaky. I think it would do best layered over a solid white. It's such a pretty white too, it has silver, pink & green micro shimmer in it. Spark's Fly is on my ring finger.
Slick Black, Spark's Fly, Wavy Blue, Sparkling Water
Make Waves, Great White, Drama Sheen, Vanity Flare
I got a new light box! The Mercurial Magpie posted about hers a few weeks back and I asked where she had gotten it. It's a 12 x 12 portable light box
with 4 different backgrounds. I bought it on Amazon.com. It's pretty sturdy for being made out of fabric too.
with 4 different backgrounds. I bought it on Amazon.com. It's pretty sturdy for being made out of fabric too. 
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