u/Queen_Ellipsis

I've purchased my share of "helper gadgets" since joining this sub. Most of them resulted in gleeful improvement of my nail experience. I thought this magnifying tool would be the same -- and it was -- for a minute 😅😅😅

THEN, to my HORROR I saw what my failing eyes had been missing all this time... Nasty cuticles and lateral folds, poor painting, and wrinkles galore.

Be careful what you wish for, but I'm hoping things will improve now that I can actually see what I'm doing.

Anyone else out there have one of these, want one of these, or in blissful denial like I used to be?

I ordered Throwback as well as a few sheer jelly shades on my wishlist (thanks for influencing me u/theblueinkgirl 😅), and

at 3:30pm today they were already at the USPS. Less than a day = God tier TAT!!!

ILNP, I bow to you 🤩🤩

I wanted a good bottle-shot, because I had a nightmare last night that ILNP changed their bottles such that they no longer fit in my Bisley or Helmer drawers. Over half of my 400 polishes are ILNP (and most of the rest are as tall as ILNP). I literally woke up in a panic!!

Then I thought, "I might be overreacting." Then I thought, "No, not overreacting." ILNP, please don't ever make your bottles any taller 🙏🙏

HMU if you've ever had a similar nightmare...

This is a screen-shot of Remix from the Euphoric Collection, by sam 🎀 nail inspo

I received the collection yesterday!! Still photos often don't capture the shifts and shimmers, but I hope the 2 pics an video give you an idea. Please forgive my clumsy application and photographer skills.

1st pic, indoors with flash. 2nd pic, indoors in indirect bright light. Video, indoors using flash.

Pinky = Flow State (I'm not a polish connoisseur, but I think this is the same formula as Petals -- really glowy)

Ring = Wavelength (I don't have anything really similar to this

Middle = Kinetic (I think this is a flakie version of Fairy Dust)

Index = Dopamine (a darker base than Flower Child, and without any yellow undertone that FC can have in the base, but a really similar vibe - sisters)

Thumb = lazy gradient of Remix and Halo (super sparkly, but not metallic, per se)

Presenting -- Pool Party!! An older shimmer (2020) waiting for the new shimmer babies to arrive... Blue jelly base with pink shimmer. This is 3 thin coats topped with Seche Vite QDTC.

It looks somewhat like Bluebell, which has a similar base but with orange shimmer.

It

I had screen-shotted this, and then I noticed someone else posted the tease

Good thing I saved some money after all the sales in hopes ILNP would drop something at the end of the month 😁

Edit: clarity

Last time Cracked had a sale, I couldn't get any of the shades I really wanted because they sold out within hours. Today, I placed my order of 8 more jellies really early to get everything I wanted, and every shade I ordered is still available nine hours later.

To me, that suggests polish is a luxury item, and when people have to choose among purchasing gas for their car, groceries, or new shades of nail polish, the "necessities" are winning. Duh, but the point is we are all suffering.

I feel bad for the small business owners who are suffering along with the rest of us in this highly un-affordable economic environment. I won't say who's to blame, but...

I hope everyone in the U.S. has a relaxing and stress-free Memorial Day weekend!

I love the idea of magnetic multichromes, but I always feel like magnetics take soooo long! I have the Illusions and the Twisted collections, but I got Pop! and have been playing with Bubbly and a couple other magnetic toppers I have from other brands

Birefringence is the 2-coat base for 1 coat of each of these magnetic toppers. I let Birefringence dry to "tacky" before adding the topper and using glass bead method. The two videos each show different aspects of the combinations (I hope you can see the differences like I see them). Halogen lighting shows the shifts in Birefringence under the toppers better, and LED lighting shows the magnetic pigments better, IMO. The still photos are in LED lighting.

I really like each of these combos and I can't decide which one to paint on my nails 😅😅 Hopefully I'll figure it out soon...

Bubbly is in the middle. Cracked Scorchy (orange/gold) and EdM Catalyst (pink) flank Bubbly. I love the way Birefringence looks under all 3 toppers!!

Featuring ILNP Sail Away, which is a packed linear ultra holo from the Summer Ultra Holos 2018 collection. I love this color, but greens and blues are not in my current nail polish comfort zone. I'm trying to ease into wearing more shades