-That- Announcement

[Originally published on 6/4/15. Moved to top of front page.]

Ever have to say something so big that you don't know how to start, so you just blurt it out awkwardly?  This is how you blurt visually...with monsters, party hats, and...well...

Awkward enough?

Pretty Girl Science turns three today!  It's been an amazing time.  We've learned a ton, met terrific people, and developed our own blogging styles.  Now it's time to take that to the next level!

Back in the very first PGS post I said "Our styles are overlapping, but far from the same."  That's probably truer now than it's ever been.  Having it all in one place doesn't seem like enough anymore.  I'm so excited to introduce you to two new blogs!

Nichole's new home, Bedlam Beauty, is clean and bright, with her softer aesthetic and focus on indie brands.

Mine is Some Weird Sin.  Still mostly about drugstore brands, vintage polish, and 'offbeat' makeup.


I can't say I'm not a little sad to see the end of PGS.  You readers are the best and I hope you'll come along with us as we move forward.  Bedlam Beauty and Some Weird Sin don't officially launch until Monday, but you can already follow both on Bloglovin'.  Please do!  I've been awful about replying to comments on here, but SWS has Disqus, which actually works on this computer!  Woohoo!


A PGS blogaversary wouldn't be complete without out a dose of sentimental mush, would it?  I have to thank Nichole for the millionth time for joining me, pushing me, pulling me, and inspiring me.

Nichole, you're the closest thing I've ever had to a big sister and I'll always look up to you.  I probably wouldn't have kept blogging for six months without you.  Everything I am as a blogger, I am because you told me I could do it.  I can't wait to see Bedlam Beauty take off!  I hope it's everything you've ever wanted from blogging.  You started out good and now you're a fucking star!


There's one last PGS post coming up tomorrow, but the site itself isn't going anywhere.  All of the swatches, reviews, nail art, etc. will still be here if you need them.

Swatch Archive - Red/Pink

If I could go back in time to the beginning of this blog, I'd have started tagging polish swatches by color.  More than a few people have requested it over the years, but it always felt too late to start and/or edit all of the previous post.  Instead of doing that, I did something almost as massive and crazy.  All this week I'll be posting links to MASSIVE swatch archive pages.  I'm not posting the archives directly to the blog, out of respect for mobile readers.  Each page will have dozens and dozens of photos.  To access the Red/Pink archive page, click here or on the collage below.

Swatch Archive - Orange

When we started blogging, I don't think either of us would have gone anywhere near orange polish.  That's been one of the best parts of swatching.  You can find yourself enjoying colors you used to hate.  Unless it's me and pink.  That will never change.

To view the complete Orange archive, click here or on the collage below.

Swatch Archive - Yellow

Even padded out with the yellower golds, this branch of the archive is tiny.  There's almost no Nichole in this one at all.  I think I can safely say that she's never bought a yellow polish.  If she has, she hasn't swatched it!

To view the entire Yellow archive, click here or on the collage below.

Swatch Archive - Green/Teal

If Yellow and Orange were full of surprises, green was a revelation for me...which in turn was a nighmare for Nichole.  She's never fully forgiven me for loving "ugly" yellow-greens.  Between that ever-growing love and our mutual enjoyment of bluer greens and teals, this is one of the larger archives.

To view the full Green archive, click here or on the collage below.

Swatch Archive - Blue

Happiness is blue polish.  That's all I have to say.

To view the full Blue archive, click here or on the collage below.

Swatch Archive - Purple

We've come to the end of the rainbow, and my favorite color is the pot of gold!

To view the full Purple archive, click here or on the collage below.

Swatch Archive - Neutrals

We're past the rainbow, but the archives just keep going!

To view the full Neutral archive, click here or on the collage below.

Swatch Archive - Black/White/Gray

....aaand we're done!  The final archive post!  Hope you had as much fun looking as I did setting them up.

To view the full Black/White/Gray archive, click here or on the collage below.

One. Last. Time.

And here we are.  One last PGS post.  [Please read this post if you're confused.]  I figured I'd take this time to round out the longest-running series of posts on this blog.  There's a layering combo I've redone every once in a while.  It was one of my earliest posts and it's become my favorite way of looking back to see how my application and photos have progressed.

Here for the last time (at least on this blog) is Essie Shine Of The Times over OPI William Tell Me About OPI.

previous posts: July '12 * Oct '12 * March '14

...at least I'm pretty sure it's WTMAOPI.  I still haven't gotten around to checking it against my backup bottles of that shade.

previous posts: July '12 * Oct '12 * March '14

I'll admit to rarely being satisfied with my photos, even after three years.  There's some self-doubt behind that, but it also drives me to keep trying harder.  That's something I don't ever want to lose.  When I was editing the new photos, all I saw was flaws.  Once I put them into collages, I can't help but see a ton of progress.  My nail health and shape, polish application, and photo taking have all improved at each step.  It took me four tries over three years, but I finally got a true-to-color photo of WTMAOPI...or whatever it is.  My pose could be better and the polish...ugh...bubbled a little, but it's good to know I'm going in the right direction.

Every time I revisit this combo, I gush about everyone who's helped me along the way.  That's the other reason I did it again.  I wanted my last PGS post to be brimming with all of the gratitude I feel.

If I hadn't found the nail polish community, my nails would still look like they did in June or July of '12.  Every improvement I've made was helped along by tips and encouragement from so many people.

I thanked Nichole yesterday, but I'll say it here again.  PGS wouldn't have lasted or been any good without you, lady.  I love you.

Our readers also got a thank you earlier this week, but I'll do that again too.  Whether you read every single post or only come here in search of a specific product review, thank you!  If you comment, thank you extra!  There were times when blogging wasn't easy (more on that in my first post on my new blog), but I kept going for all of you.  Knowing you like us has been a huge boost when I really needed it.

Huge thanks go collectively to the members of the MakeupAlley Nail Board.  Almost everything I know about nails and polish, I know because of them.  They put me on the right path to healthy nails, spawned dozens (hundreds!) of lemmings, and made me feel like I belonged...even when I was still a hot mess.

Everyone who follows me on Twitter, Instagram, tumblr, Pinterest, etc, thank you too!  There have been times when you've brightened my day without knowing it, just by liking my posts or saying something nice.

I've made so many friends on Nail Board, Twitter, redditlaqueristas, and Instagram.  I won't list names because I don't want to risk forgetting anyone, but you know who you are and what you mean to me.  Ok, I'll make one exception.  McGee...you're my womance, my best cheerleader, my wonder twin...I couldn't love you more if I tried.  You're the best thing about my nail polish hobby.

I also need to thank loodie.  Even though she's pretty much gone from the community, we barely knew each other, and she'll probably never see this, my weak, shitty, peel-prone nails are safe and strong now because of her.  Thank you again, Nail Board, for pointing me to her insanely helpful blog!

Thank you yet again, everyone!  I'll see you on Monday, on Some Weird Sin!

Is This Retro Yet?

 purchased by me 

Magnetic polish feels so dated, doesn't it?  It goes somewhere between crackles and textures on the list of past fads.  Maybe I should have saved this for a Throwback Thursday, but Thursday will be PGS' third blogaversary and I have a big announcement to make on that special day.  For now, let's have a look at a polish I never thought I'd own and I'll babble at you about why magnetic polish is important to me.


Turquoise Wave is a dark blue-green magnetic polish with a lighter blue pull.

Maybe you're rolling your eyes because magnetic polish is so 2012, but that's exactly why it's special for me.  The first time I ever saw this weird new thing called magnetic polish was in a YouTube video a friend sent me, back maybe four years ago.  The polish was Layla Magneffect and the friend was...you guessed it....Nichole.  We were both in awe of this stuff, but completely flattened by the $12 ($16?) price tag.  Who would ever spend that much on a polish, right?  (ha ha and ouch, in hindsight)  Skip ahead to late 2011 or  early 2012 and American brands suddenly have magnetic polish on drugstore shelves.  The Coupon Of Destiny brings Sally Hansen Silver Elements into my life.  I want more, so I google around, discover that people blog about polish, and wind up buying the whole China Glaze Magnetix collection.  The floodgates open.  My polish blogging/collecting life began with magnetic polish, and the first 'real' PGS post was my stumbling attempts at swatching Instant Chemistry.  Blogger baby photos right there, and every bit as embarrassing.

So here we are three years....THREE YEARS...later and it all seems sorta surreal sometimes.  There's more polish in my house than there is in some stores!  Nichole's OPNL swatches are on Llarowe.com!!  My nails and photos don't suck and hers have gone from good to amazing!  If you went back in time to April '12 and told me any of this, I'd never have believed you...and I wouldn't have known what Llarowe.com was.  Polish, nail care, blogging, and you wonderful readers have become some of the best and most joyful things in my life.  This will be a very gushy, sappy, emotional, texty week for me, so get used to reading things like that...and please know that I mean every word of it.  Even if you've never commented, just knowing that you looked at our blog is a wonderful feeling that's never gotten old.

Wait...wasn't this a review?  Oh yeah...back to that...

I bought Turquoise Waves from Normal Girl Nails on Storenvy, specifically for this post.  (She's one of my favorite sellers. Please go there and buy everything to save me from temptation!)  It makes me wish I'd gotten at least one of the Magneffect shades way back when, because the magnet is so much stronger than the ones on any other brand.  It's stuck to the cap and doesn't have one of those 'bump guard' things, but the pulling power makes up for its shortcomings.  I knew this bottle had a wonky brush when I bought it, but the $2 price was right.  (Seriously, go buy her old stuff. Her prices are so reasonable!)  Even with the wonk, the formula applied really easily and the color is gorgeous.  This was the easiest time I've ever had with a magnetic.  I don't think I'll ever stop having a quiet love of them...even if I only trot them out once a year.

 all products in this post were purchased by me 

Sally Hansen Deep End

 purchased by me 

It's been quiet around here.  Where'd we go?  Well...you'll see next month.  Our three year blogiversary is coming up in a few weeks, along with...well...you'll see!  I've also got something kinda big I'm working on for next week.  For now...purple polish...


Deep End is a dark purple cream.

less blue in person

Almost too shiny for its own good, isn't it?  You can see my front door in the reflections.  I don't own many Triple Shine shades, but I'm always impressed by the shine when I wear one.  The color's gorgeous, reminiscent of OPI Vant To Bite My Neck, but a bit lighter.  The formula is great!  For a lot of people it could probably be a one-coater, but I used two.

less blue in person

There's been some speculation that Triple Shine is being discontinued.  A lot of Walgreens locations have every core Triple Shine on clearance, but they still seem to be full-price at CVS, Rite Aid, etc.  Time will tell, but I'd be surprised if Sally Hansen is retiring another line so soon after Diamond Shine.  They just added new shades, including Deep End, earlier this year.  On the other hand, they haven't done any LE's in this line since...what...last summer?  Time will tell, but it would be a shame to see two lines go in the same year.

 all products in this post were purchased by me 

Drake & Miss Deep: A Half Moon Gradient

promotional samples ahead

Remember last month when I posted the R.O.D Collection from Carpe Noctem Cosmetics? I couldn't contain myself, even though my swatches were nearly a month ahead of the release. I get excited, especially about nerdy things. I figured I should probably do something for the actual release date.

Technicolor Blizzard

 purchased by me 

It seems absurd, but I think the OPI Color Paints collection might be too awesome to review.  Dunno if I'll be swatching them in the traditional way.  They're certainly wearable as-is, but they're bursting with nail art potential.  Almost the moment they arrived, I started playing with them.  I didn't want to stop!  My watermarble (which will be on here soon) gave Nichole the strongest lemming I've seen her have for a mainstream brand collection in....maybe ever.  She got the whole set for Mother's Day just a couple of days later and also jumped right in to arting with them.  You need it too!  If you watermarble, stamp, dot, or do pretty much any kind of nail art at all, you need these!  Nichole and I are both completely in love with the collection and I'm starting our parade of affection with some layered stamping.

That's right, they STAMP!!  That takes their potential to a whole other level.  I used all eight Color Paints jellies with the Winstonia's The Carnival plate (last image in the top row) over a base of Silver Canvas.  The result is complex and chaotic, but the technique couldn't be easier.  It's just like double stamping, but with more colors.  By rotating the stamper between each new color layer, they overlap.  OPI calls the Color Paints "blendable", which makes complete sense when you see them used together.  They're all sheer enough that they do "blend" when they're layered thinly over one another.  Silver Canvas illuminates them in a way that a white base wouldn't.  

The result looks like nail foils, it's that metallic and glowy.

Bottom line: Great formula, bold colors, and they're perfect for nail art.  I bought the whole set (yes, even the pinks) and my only complaint is that they only did eight shades.  I'd buy twenty if they made them.  They're that wonderful.  Silver Canvas is a little brushstrokey on its own, but sets the jellies alight.


Someone on Nail Board asked me for a tutorial on layered stamping.  Would anyone else be interested?  It'd be a good excuse to do another design the same way.

 all products in this post were purchased by me 

It's 99¢ Sinful Colors Sale Time!

I've been waiting for this!  The 99¢ Sinful Colors sale is a big event among bargain polish lovers and I get a little giddy every time it comes back.  Get to Walgreens before 5/16 and stock up!  I'm way behind on my swatching because of Allergimageddon '15, but I put up what I have so far.

If you haven't been to Walgreens in a while, they're in the process of overhauling their cosmetics section.  They're bringing in a few new, exclusive lines, but they've also dropped SinfulShine and revamped their core collection earlier this year.  There have been so many new displays and other shuffling that I've labeled each shade to make it clear what's permanent and what's LE.

Around here the spring collections are mostly still around, and summer's just starting to come in.  Some low volume stores might still have a few leftovers from Halloween and xmas, but I've dropped those shades from this post.  With any luck, I'll finish my spring swatches and start summer before the sale's over...but that's if my sinuses let me.

Anyway....the swatches...

click through the shade names to read my reviews

All About You (old formula, core) on its own and over Georgio (old LE)

Amethyst (core)

Bali Mist (core) over Inkwell (old LE)

Berry Charm (new core)

Blue By You (old core)

Call You Later (core) over Happy Ending (core)

Calypso (core)

Charmed (new version, core), over nude

Cloud 9 (LE repromote, old core?)

Courtney Orange (core)

Curry Up (summer LE repromote)

Dream On (new version, core)

Enchanted (core)

Endless Blue (core)

Energetic Red (core)

Fig (core)

Flight To See (spring LE) over China Glaze Licence & Registration PLS

GoGo Girl (core)

Gold Medal (new core)

Green Ocean (new core) over black

Happy Ending (core) - LED light

Hottie (core) over Endless Blue (core)

Ice Blue (summer LE repromote) over Milani Blue Print

Innocent (core)

Lavander/Lavender (summer LE repromote)

Let Me Go (core, and its old LE damn-near dupe Rain Song) over nude and black

Let's Meet (new version, core)

Let's Meet (old version, core) over nude

Let's Talk (core, not color-accurate)

Mauvelous (LE repromote)

Midnight Blue (core)

Navy I Do (spring LE)

Out Of This World (core)

Pistache (LE repromote)

Pride (core) over Revlon Wild Violets

Prized Plume (spring LE) over Navy I Do (spring LE)

Pull Over (summer LE repromote)

Queen Of Beauty (core) over Sugar Sugar (core) - LED lighting

Ring The Belini (spring LE) over Innocent (core)

Rise And Shine (core)

Rise And Shine with Mint Apple accent (both core)

Ruby Glisten (new core)

Ruby Ruby (core)

Sail La Vie (LE repromote)

Savage (core)

Shamrockin' (LE - different version) over Sally Hansen Poison Ivy

Sheer Flight (spring LE) over China Glaze My Way Or The Highway

Skylark (new core)

Starry Night (core)

Steel My Heart (LE repromote)

Sugar Sugar (core) - LED lighting

Supernova (LE repromote)

Tempest (core)

This Is It (old core) over Pipaya (old LE)

Unicorn (formula has changed)

Why Not (core)

You Just Wait (core) over Mauve (old LE)

 all products in this post were purchased by me