Swatch & Review

   Hello princesses!  In contrast to yesterday's bright and springy polish post I have a swatch of Orbital, another Different Dimension nail polish.  Part of Missi's ever-growing space themed polishes, I was honored to name this one!  Isn't it gorgeous?

   Orbital is a black jelly polish filled with a perfect mixture of aqua, pink, and purple holographic glitters.  As you can see from my bottle shot it is filled with about four different sizes in each color.  Sadly pictures don't capture just how awesomely sparkly this is!  Especially in lower light this polish twinkles like a rainbow-hued night sky.

   In these swatches I used three coats of Orbital alone, and one coat of Poshe to top it off.  The formula on this polish is phenomenal.  The glitter stays well suspended, you get plenty of it on each brushstroke, and it spreads over the nail evenly.  The black jelly base is never streaky and even looked decent at two coats, then opaque at three while still having amazing depth of glitter.  It is well behaved, dries fast and doesn't eat topcoat.

   I think this now one of my very favorite Different Dimension polishes based on the beautiful glitter and perfect formula.  I can't wait to try it layered over black, and even just one coat over a grey would be nice!  I definitely recommend this polish, go get a bottle!

Swatch & Review

   Today I'm sharing another polish that Missi from Different Dimension sent me for review: Vervain.  I didn't actually name this one, but it reminded me of the same flower that she did name it after!  I was browsing the Internet looking at flowers for spring time polish name inspiration when I saw this picture:

   Verbena and vervain flowers come is several colors, but I think this white and purple type is the prettiest.  Let's take a look at a bottle shot of this polish!

   It contains small purple holographic hexes and large purple hexes.  The large size glitters are more sparse and you won't end up with as many on your nails as they appear in the bottle, but they are there.  Most of mine ended up buried in the layers of polish.  The milky white base is hiding a very beautiful purple micro-fleck shimmer.  This likes to hide and I couldn't see it on the nail at all, but if you enlarge this bottle shot you can see it in about the middle-right area.

   I wore 4 coats of Vervain for these swatches.  The formula was a bit more tricky that usual for Differnent Dimension.  It was also sheer and that is what it took to get rid of my VNL, but if you're okay with some VNL it was looking good at 3 coats.  If you're totally obsessive over opaque nails or "saving" on your glitter polish you could layer 1-2 coats over white.  That would (probably) still end up being 4 coats of polish, though.  I really like the depth of all the glitter.  I just wish you could see the pretty shimmer!  I have a hunch that you could layer it over another color to get that shimmer to be seen - any suggestions?

   As always Different Dimension polishes are available on etsy!

Elle-Hime is now www.PrincesslyPolished.com!

   Surprise, everyone!  I've revamped the blog and given it a new name!  I'm still hosted through blogger so everything should still be working the same and redirecting you from old links, but if you notice any hiccups please let me know!  If you're using a script blocking add-on please add my blog to your "allow" list - I have no ads installed on my blog; it's just so everything looks pretty!

   I officially decided about two weeks ago that I wanted to rename my blog, got the okay from my other half, and since then have been working my meager graphics skills and planning out how I wanted to do things.  Let me tell you, it's very hard as a blogger to keep on watermarking with your "old name" once you've had a new one picked out!

So, why the change?

   I was never fully happy with my blog name to begin with, and honestly had plans to rename it sooner than this, but wasn't sure of what I wanted in a name.  Also, when I first started blogging (almost two years ago now) my blog had a much broader subject range.  I had no idea what to name a budding girly beauty/style/budget blog and so I went with my Online alias.  Soon enough, my posting became more and more centered on nail polish.  I had found my niche!  But I still had a pretty crappy title.  (And pretty crappy photos, but those have improved already!)

   I found that besides being totally mysterious to anyone not familiar with Japanese culture, my blog name was also hard to share with others because of the pronunciation barrier.  I might not always be able to give someone a business card, and I missed a lot of opportunities to share my blog with others because I knew the unwieldy .blogspot domain would have to be down on paper to be found at all.

   So, I wanted a name that reflected the dainty, girl side of my writing.  A name that better announced the main topic on my blog - nail polish! - while still being open enough that my occasional hair care or makeup post won't be out of place.  A website that the average English-speaking person could find whether I hand them a business card or not.

   I chose Princessly to stay true to my girly side, honor the original choice of Hime (Japanese for princess), and Polished for the obvious nod to nail polish while still keeping it open to the other ways that we ladies polish our appearance.  And in this way I hope to define a better focus for my blog, that of holding to the saying "you can tell a lady by her hands".  Pretty nails while allowing the once in awhile variety post.  And Princessly Polished goes well with my "on a pauper budget" tagline, because anyone who knows me knows I love a sale!

   I'm left with the quandary of what to do with all my other social media accounts, most of them named somethingHime for consistency.  I love my Twitter handle for how blessedly short it is - no desires to change that.  I don't have a desire to change all my @ based names; I'll just update the profile information!  For now I'm going to leave them as they are, and I'll be signing my blog posts as Rochelle-Hime to reinforce that yep, it's still me!

What do you think?

   Perhaps I didn't go about it perfectly, but once I had decided on the name it stuck so hard that I wasn't feeling the need to announce it ahead of time or ask for suggestions.  But now I do realize there is one thing I'm still at a loss about.  On a personal blog like this it can be a little hard to start a post.  I mean as far as a greeting goes!  Generally I just say 'hello, everyone' or 'today I'm sharing...', but suggestions for a friendly opening line are welcome.  How would you want to be greeted?

   And yes, I would love to hear your feedback on my domain name change, what you think about it, if you hate it, if you're glad that it's at least something that rolls off the tongue...  Also I have done some simplification to my layout - how is it loading and looking for you?  Thank-you so much, my dear readers!

   Congratulations to Lindsey of the blog Bibliogloss for winning the Zoya Dream Box Giveaway!  She is a beauty and travel blogger, and this is her first time winning a blog giveaway.  How cool is that?  I remember the first few times I ever won giveaways; besides being excited there was also a sense of "wow, people like me really do win these things!"

   Stay tuned!  You may have noticed some tweaks to my blog and that is because I'm getting ready for some grand... things, on the blog!  I do have plans for more giveaways starting next month, including ones open Internationally so everyone can join in.  Yippee!  Thanks all for stopping by!  =)

Swatch & Review

   This is the lovely Yours, Mine, and Flowers by Different Dimension.  I can take credit for the name but I had nothing to do with the blend of glitters.  I loved this polish so much I wore it twice in a row!  Partly because I wanted my swatches to really show off the pastel glitters, and black was better for that.  So here is one coat of Yours, Mine, and Flowers over Wet 'n Wild Black Creme.

   Yes, this really is one coat, and yes, you really do get that many flowers in one coat.  Missi knows what she is doing with her polishes!  No skimpy glitters here.  Also, do you see the bright blue sparks on my nails here?  Those are color-shifting glitters.  They look more purple in the bottle but they show up blue on my black base.

   This is how I first wore Yours, Mine, and Flowers - one coat over China Glaze Sea Spray.  This winter-sky colored polish gave my nails a much softer and more subtle look.  The color shifting glitters only faintly flashed purple.  The colors in this clear-based polish are satin finish baby pink, lavender, pale green, powder blue and white, as well as matte white in the tiny glitters.  It's a really pretty blend.

   The formula on this was very good, though it is a little more slippery than some of the other Different Dimension glitters.  I had to use a light hand so I wouldn't drag the glitter around, and give it a moment to set.  It is packed with glitter, but here is my tip for super-easy flower catching: leave the bottle upside down for a half hour before you use it.  Yours, Mine, and Flowers was just added to the Different Dimension etsy shop over the weekend, so you can go pick up your bottle there!

Swatch & Review

   Of the three Laquerlicious mini polishes I received to review, Tart Taffy has to be my favorite.  A metallic rainbow and matte white glitter polish in a clear base, it hits all the right notes.  I chose to layer it over Wet 'n Wild Black Creme to really make it pop.  I can't figure out what this combination reminds me of, but I love it!

   I only used one coat on my nails except for my ring finger, which got two.  This glitter spreads very well and I didn't have issues with it clumping or dragging to the edge.  It's like a paint splatter manicure without all the mess!

   The mix of glitters are so perfect, too.  The matte white comes in tiny hexes, small and medium squares, and medium hexes.  The rainbow colors are all medium size, and they come in hexes, squares, and circles!  Yes, circles!  I can't get enough of how nicely this has been blended.

   I wouldn't have thought this glitter was so great from the bottle picture Online; getting a mini to swatch was my eye-opener.  I hope my swatches were able to do the same for you!  This glitter is a stunner and I recommend it to any fan of rainbow glitter, white glitter, and rainbow-and-white glitter!  As always Laquerlicious polishes are sold on etsy - go check them out!

Swatch & Review

   I hope you're in the mood for adorable glitter, because that is what I'm bringing you today.  I was sent a mini bottle of Laquerlicious Rainbow Sugar to try out and review, and for starters I'm wearing it over two coats of China Glaze Sweet Hook, one of my favorite pastel cremes.

   As far as I could tell Sweet Hook was the closest color to the jelly in Rainbow Sugar.  I wanted my nails to resemble the polish in the bottle as closely as possible this time.  Rainbow Sugar is a very sheer jelly glitter, and I'm sure it could be layered over any color, or even used for a funky French manicure (which I really want to try now).

    Speaking of the glitter, I love the mix of colors in this polish!  It is a wonderful blend of pastels and brights, and the finishes are satin or matte so they go together really well.  The hex and square shapes definitely lend themselves to the sugar sprinkle look, too.  The glitter isn't super dense, but I only used one coat and really liked the feel of it.  I did have to fish for the glitter a little bit but I think a major reason for this is working with a mini brush.  The glitter was easy to place and didn't have issues clumping in one spot.  To top off all the glittery goodness this polish has a fine light blue shimmer through it, and it spreads perfectly on the nail for a really nice finish.

   Laquerlicious polishes are sold on etsy.  So far I'm loving the ones I'm testing, what do you think?

Swatch & Review

   Here is another polish from the Different Dimension Love's A Punny Thing collection.  I was happily surprised when Missi chose my name "A Love Hue" for this polish.  It fits it more perfectly than I would have thought!  I used OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls as my base, a super-pale grey creme.  My nails above have one coat of A Love Hue over top, and I adore it!

   This polish is a mix of pink glitters, mainly this perfect holographic rose color.  The larger pieces are squares and hexes, and there are lots of teeny glitters in both the rose color and a deeper pink.  It makes for a perfect blend, all floating in a clear base.

   Here I took a macro of my thumb because I was trying to show the depth of the glitter at 3 coats.  While it doesn't reach opacity it is very dense, and would probably appear opaque if you put it over a matching pink base.

   Once again this is 3 coats of A Love Hue.  Pictures don't come close to showing just how sparkly and eye-catching this color is.  The formula is very good.  You get a lot of glitter on your nails even at one coat, and that is how I will wear it most.  I was happy to see that even three coats didn't become a top coat devouring mess.  The formula is thick enough that it never feels gritty and always spreads evenly.  Whether you paint just one one coat or layer it on for glitterbomb nails you would need two layers of top coat for it to be perfectly smooth, but I'm just wearing one for these swatches.

   What do you think of Different Dimension A Love Hue?  I personally love it!  It has taken first place in my collection for favorite pink glitter topper.  You can find it at the Different Dimension shop at etsy.

Swatch & Review

   When my nail mail from Different Dimension arrived, chocked-full of nail polishes that I helped name (still in a slight state of disbelief on that), I didn't know where to start.  I felt like I needed more hands right away!  I finally settled on Love Her? I Don't Even Lacquer! for my first mani, since it is the polish that got the ball rolling.

   First off, take a look at the pretty bottle macro!  You might want to click to see larger.  LH?IDEL! is a black and white glitter with a little something extra in the form of holographic microglitter and blue-purple sparks.  You'll find white hearts and tiny glitters, sheer white squares and hexes, and black hearts, squares, and hexes.  This is all floating in a clear base for maximum versatility!

   My base was two coats of Zoya Layla, an insanely-bright-yet-not-neon color that dries to a rubbery finish as seen above.  I don't often reach for such a bright color but I was pleased with how wearable Layla was!  This plain swatch is more accurate of the pink color, as well.

   Now, I know that not everyone likes large glitter on their tips, so the above nails are for those people!  I managed to avoid the hearts not not shaking the bottle at all and using one thin coat of LH?IDEL!  I really liked this look!  Sort of Lisa Frank dalmatian puppy.  Otherwise just leave your bottle upside down for a bit before using to help the heavy heart pieces mix in better.  There are a lot in there, and using that method I ended up with plenty of hearts on my other nails.

   I used the tip of an orange stick to poke some of the unruly hearts into a better place on my nails.  I used one coat of Poshe topcoat on the nails that had no hearts or hearts that laid flat, and two coats for the ones that had more texture.  This polish wore really well and I didn't get a single chip, even when I started picking at it!

   You can get your own bottle of Love Her? I Don't Even Lacquer! from the Different Dimension etsy shop.  What will you wear it with?
   Zoya Layla can be bought from the brand's Online shop.

   Thanks for letting me share this extra-special polish with you!

Swatch & Review

   Today I'm sharing a pretty polish from Laquerlicious.  I bought a couple colors that were being discontinued and Michelle (creative genius behind the brand, and yes she leaves the C out of the name intentionally) was kind enough to include 3 minis for me to sample and share on the blog!

   Melted Ice Cream is a blend of shredded glitters in a clear base.  They all have a satin or matte finish, and the colors are black, white, lavender, baby pink, and cherry pink.  Shredded glitter can be finicky but I'm happy to report that I had no issues with rogue glitters trying to stick straight off my nail!  How much I had on each brushload was hit or miss, but that could be in part from working with a mini bottle.  It covered well and I simply dabbed a little extra on the few bare-looking spots that I had.

   This polish really ended up winning me over.  (Even with its abstract 80's confetti vibe.)  It looked cute in the bottle but I wasn't sure if I'd like it on my nails.  Well, I love it on my nails!  The mix of colors is great, especially over my chosen base color...

   Sinful Colors Mint Apple was a polish that I kept seeing, picking up, and putting down.  I really liked it but I already have so many minty green colors, right?  Well, I've finally come to accept the fact that I've turned into a minty/murky/pale green collector and finally snagged it for a whopping $2.  The color is beautiful and the shimmer is wonderful.  Mint Apple is one of those special polishes that looks the same on your nails as it does in the bottle.  It stands out from my other minty colors.  It is a bit sheer, and I did 2-3 coats depending on the nail.

 

   If you're following me on Instagram you probably already spotted this combo, as I posted it with a new tag: #NailsandNintendo  I'm holding my DS in that shot.  I'm not much of a gamer but I love my DS, partly for the fact that I covered it in roses and jewels, yes.  If you paint your nails and you own anything Nintendo related be sure to join in the fun!  =)

   You can buy Laquerlicious polishes on etsy, they are $8.50 for a full-size bottle.  If you would like to own Melted Ice Cream, be quick!  It is on sale for $6.50 and once it's gone, it's gone.  Michelle's customer service is great and the shipping is fairly priced, so I definitely recommend her shop.  You'll be seeing a few more of her polishes on my blog soon!  Thanks for reading!

Swatch & Review

   Today I'm showing my first KBShimmer polish: Oh Splat!  They make so many amazing glitter blends, it was hard to pick one as a favorite but in the end Oh Splat! stayed at the top of my wish list.  This polish is extra special to me because it was given to me by one of my favorite nail bloggers, Jen from The Nail Polish Project.  You should go check out her blog once you're done reading here!

   Oh Splat! is a white creme polish with a rainbow of glitter inside it.  Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple: they're all there!  And in four different sizes.  I used three coats by itself for my manicure.  The formula was a little bit thick so I will try adding some polish thinner before I use it the next time.  I finished my nails with one coat of Poshe and it leveled the polish out just fine.  Also, my nails were smooth and texture free.

   The glitters are metallic but appear matte in the polish when they get covered by the white base.  The glitter in the "top layer" is more shiny and sparkly than it appears in pictures.  It makes for interesting depth!  =)


   I had to take pictures of both hands to show off the variety in this manicure!  It was really eye-catching.  The white is surprisingly bright, definitely a creme formula.  It looks best at 3 coats, because it has a lot of depth and glitter while being perfectly opaque.  Sadly this manicure wasn't very durable, though.  Despite not having any glitter texture the large hexes were flaking off my nails, and it started chipping after a day.  Hopefully it was just a fluke!


   KBShimmer polishes are $8.75 for a full-size bottle.  You can buy them from their website or on etsy.  Thanks for looking!