Wet N' Wild Wild Shine Swatch "Deception" and Jelly Sandwich Tutorial

The Wet N' Wild Spring 2014 Street Art Limited Edition collection contains two JELLY polishes, and I when I read about it from Nouveau Cheap, I absolutely had to scoop them up at my local Walgreens.  Luckily for me, not only did I find the entire collection untouched in its display, but they were on sale at 69 cents (even though its regular retail price at 99 cents isn't bad either).

 Wet N' Wild "Deception" and "Cursed"

Jelly polishes have a liquid-like finish that seems see-through but shiny on your nail.  They're one of my favorite polish types because you can use them in "jelly sandwich" nails, which is painting glitter polish in between layers of jelly polish, hence the sandwich name.  The final look makes the glitter seem like it's suspended on your nail!

I haven't bought polishes from the Wild Shine in a while, but I do like their polishes in general.  I don't open beauty products in store, and unfortunately, the brush in my "Deception" bottle was frayed and funky.  I dipped it in the polish a few times to try and it eventually smoothed out, but after a while, the bristles would stick out again.  This doesn't bother me since it's a drugstore polish, but I know a few lacqueristas who wouldn't find it acceptable.

Wet N' Wild "Deception"

To create a jelly sandwich, I painted two coats of my jelly polish on my nails.  Since you'll be using several layers of polish, be sure to let each coat dry enough before adding another.  

One and two coats of Wet N' Wild "Deception"

Next, I added a layer of glitter polish.  I chose Sephora OPI "Mauve-ie Star in the Making".  It is a nice, mixed glitter topper with mauve and lilac purple hexagonal chunky glitter mixed with microglitter.  One layer was enough since it is a generously dense topper.

Sephora OPI "Mauve-ie Star in the Making" over Wet N' Wild "Deception"

I sandwiched the glitters in one last coat of "Deception"!  Depending on how opaque the jelly polish is, you might want to add more, but only one coat was enough for that juicy goodness!

Finished "jelly sandwich" manicure with Wet N' Wild "Deception"

 I am such a huge fan of jelly sandwich manicures!  Both colors "Deception" and "Cursed" are bright and festive for summer.  And at a drugstore price, these polishes are a definite hit for me.  I'm glad I could tear my eyes away from my nails long enough to write this tutorial.

Butter London Spring 2014 Boho Rock Collection - "GOSS" Swatch

As I had wanted, I picked up Butter London's "Goss" at my local Ulta Beauty Store during their 21 Days of Beauty Steals sale.

Described on the Butter London site as:

An opaque, rosy shimmer. An informal abbreviation for gossip reserved for the most talented of gossipmongers.

Goss is a rose-gold polish with a foil finish.  It's application is as difficult to apply as the polish is beautiful.  Every brush stroke can be seen if you apply with an uneven hand, but the color payout and overall look is worth the effort.

 Butter London "Goss"

I am a huge fan of rose gold anything and everything.  The warm pink tone is super complimentary to my skin tone.  In the light, the pink color really pops, and it cools to a deep gold in the shade.  Dry time is faster than regular polish and dries very matte due to its foil finish.

I applied two coats of polish to get full coverage, but you can reach full opacity with one generous coat.

I do suggest adding a top coat if your hands are very active during the day.  I swatched two fingers right after I bought this beauty and went to work, where I wash my hands frequently.  After a six hour shift, there was significant chipping.  A top coat will dramatically increase wear time, and it will add an extra layer of shine.  I used Butter London's Hardwear P.D. Quick Top Coat, and I am currently running on four days without any major chipping. 

This is one of the more unique finishes in the Spring 2014 Boho Rock Collection, as well as out of all my Butter London polishes.  I do recommend buying it, if it's not already sold out in stores.  This was the only bottle of "Goss" by the time I nabbed it at the sale.

Butter London nail lacquers retail at $15.
Their formula is 3-free: there is no added formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP.

BOGO FREE Butter London Polishes at Ulta - TODAY ONLY!

As part of 21 Days of Beauty Steals, Ulta is offering two Butter London nail lacquers for $15, which is the usual retail price of the polish.  Butter London is one of my favorite brands, so I am definitely hitting up my local Ulta Beauty store today.

The current lacquer collection by Butter London is themed "Boho Rock".  Jessica at Love For Lacquer swatched all six of the cheery spring shades at her blog.  I would LOVE to pick up "Goss" during today's sale.  If you've never tried Butter London, this is also a great opportunity to try two different polishes for your first time.

Because Butter London is what Ulta considers a "prestige" brand, their usual $3.50 off of any $10 spent coupon is not applicable with this sale.  But the coupon is still useful for lots of other beauty products and pretty much available year-round, so remember to print or pull it up on your mobile phone any time you shop at Ulta.

The 21 Days of Beauty Steals run until April 5, with a different beauty steal offers in-store as well as online. 

Sinful Shine "I'm Blushing" and Wet-n-Wild Mega Rocks Swatches

The nail trend of Spring 2014 is definitely nudes.  Collections of beiges, taupes, and creams sprouted throughout beauty lines of all brands, from Urban Decay to Sinful Colors.

Sinful Shine, a glossy spin-off from the Sinful Colors line, boosts Gel Tech technology that dries extra shiny so the user can skip the top coat.  I decided to pick up a few colors during a Walgreens sale, where all Sinful Shine polishes were only 99 cents. 

I've currently been obsessed with neutral white-looking polishes that have just a tint of color. 

Sinful Shine's "I'm Blushing" is a perfect example of this variant of a plain white color.  The formula on the polish is dreamy for a drugstore brand.  It only took two coats to reach full opacity, three being generous.  And the Gel Tech clearly works on this polish; you can see how shiny the polish is after it dries.  There's no top coat!

"I'm Blushing" has a warm pinkie undertone.  In the shade, it's a pale pink-white, but in bright light, the pink really comes out.  It is workplace-friendly and a nice palette-cleanser for spring.

Sinful Shine polishes retail at $1.99 at Walgreens stores.  It is 3-free: there is no formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP in its formula.

formaldehyde, toluene and DBP

formaldehyde, toluene and DBP

formaldehyde, toluene and DBP

Sinful Shine "I'm Blushing"

I also noticed the new line of Wet N' Wild glitter toppers on display at the same Walgreens.  The Mega Rocks line has a standard run of solid colors, but "Stick It to the Man" caught my eye with its mix of orange and blue (Go Gators!) glitter chunks.  It was the only topper I nabbed, and it came with an instant $1 off coupon, so I bought it for $1.99 (retails at $2.99).

Wet N' Wild Mega Rocks glitter topper "Stick It to the Man"

My overall experience with this glitter topper is underwhelming.  Glitter payout is modest from the bottle, so you'll need to fish out the square and hexagonal pieces if you want more on the nail.  The price is average for a drugstore polish, but I think you're better off spending your bucks on other polishes that offer more payout, or spending a little bit more on a higher end glitter topper, which are not difficult to find.

For me, the most disappointing part about the topper is that the orange pieces don't actually show up as orange on the nail!   It's actually tinted mylar chunks that become invisible against the nail.

Wet N' Wild "Stick It to the Man" on top of Sinful Shine "I'm Blushing"

For me, the Wet N' Wild Mega Rocks are an easy pass, even with any future coupons or  sales.

Nail Polish Subscriptions

 If you're adventurous enough, beauty boxes are a great buy for the lacquerista who is open to receiving a surprise polish at her door.  Subscription services at varying price points deliver monthly nail polishes without the hassle of leaving your home.  I've compiled a few nail polish subscription boxes that may pique the spontaneous lacquerista!

1. Julep Maven
http://www.julep.com/

Cost - $19.99 per month
Revolving coupon codes vary each month on you first beauty box

You receive - Two .27 fl oz nail polishes and a lip gloss OR Three .27 fl oz nail polishes

More information -
- "4-free" clean formula - Does not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP
- Chip resistent

 One of the mos recognized and subscribed beauty boxes, Julep allows the buyer to preview their box beore it is shipped.  The buyer can choose which colors they would like out of the month's offered colors (or do nothing and be surprised).  Buyers can also choose to skip their box for the month if they are not interested in the offerings or send their beauty box to a friend at no extra cost.

2. Square Hue
http://www.squarehue.com/

Cost - $14.99 per month + shipping & handling
25% off first box for new subscribers

You receive - Three 0.5 mL bottles each month

More information -
- “5-Free” Clean formula – Does not contain Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP, Camphor or Formaldehyde Resin
- Not tested on animals
- Proudly Made in the USA

A portion of subscription proceeds go to a philanthropy.  Currently a portion of all monthly subscription proceeds are being donated for prevention awareness, the protection of trafficked victims and the prosecution of human traffickers.

3. Color Me Monthly
http://colormemonthly.com

 Cost
$7 per month for a monthly subscription
$40 for a 6-month subscription
$75 for a 12-month subscription

You receive
One 6.5mL (0.56 fl. oz.) full size bottles

 
More information
- "4-free" clean formula - Does not contain toluene, formaldehyde/formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), or camphor

• Non-toxic and carcinogen-free
• Never tested on animals
• Vegan
• Eco-friendly
• Made in the USA
• Shipped FREE!