Tag: Cuticula
Polish Pickup August 2025 – Time Travel
Ohhhh…who doesn’t love a good Time Travel story?
August’s theme piqued my interest and I chose some beautiful polishes inspired by some of my favorite Time Travel stories…and one that was certainly NOT. Can you guess which one?
Cuticula “Back to the Fuchsia” ($14) is a magnetic polish inspired by…wait for it…Back to the Future! I’m also partial to fuchsia, so this one is a double win. I also grabbed Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry” ($10).
Colores de Carol “Trapped in Time” ($13.75) is inspired by the mosquito trapped in amber in Jurassic Park. It’s also magnetic.
Sweet Heart Polish “TITSOAK Bella” ($13.50) isn’t inspired by Twilight itself, but by the maker’s desire to be able to go back in time and watch the series again for the first time. (TITSOAK is short for “This is the skin of a killer” – one of the more cringy quotes from the film.)
Pi Colors “Lost to Eternity.000” ($13) is inspired by the cover of a Star Trek novelization. I bet my husband read it as a teen.
Finally, BCB Lacquers “Oh Behave!” ($13.75) is inspired by the man, the myth, the legend – Austin Powers…specifically, the second film in the series: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
Looking forward to digging in!
Nothing to Hide
Do I have a new favorite polish? Maybe…
DRK Nails “Nothing to Hide” is from January’s “Masquerade” Mardi Gras themed Polish Pickup and it is SHIFTY AS FUCK. Duochrome, trichrome…is it a quadrachrome? Let’s just say multichrome. It hits nearly all of the colors of the rainbow. The violet and green are the strongest, but the gold and copper are in there, too. Definitely taking this one to my next pedicure appointment.
This is two coats of “Nothing to Hide” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Tropical Oasis” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Froot Loop“.
Orion
This is actually the SECOND time wearing Ahmya Cosmetics “Orion”. I wore it about a month ago on my marathon Dallas/Long Beach trip, but forgot to take picture before I left town…a polish so nice, I wore it twice.
The pictures still don’t do this polish justice – the way the light catches the shimmer, my nails seemed to be glowing like a Patronus. (And it goes without saying, fuck JKR.)
I got “Orion” in July’s REWIND, but it was originally from December 2022.
This is two coats of “Orion” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Tropical Oasis” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Froot Loop“.
Totem
Baroness X “Totem” is the final polish to try from June’s “Vacation Destinations” Polish Pickup. This gorgeous magnetic polish is inspired by the tiki statues in the South Pacific. It reminds me of my favorite mug to drink hot tea out of – a green tiki mug I picked up on a Royal Caribbean cruise earlier this year. (Yes, I realize that there are no tikis in the Caribbean – but there was a cool Tiki Bar on the boat.)
I was lazy this time – I just painted my nails with the tips laying over my husband’s rare earth magnet. It gave a cool “cat’s eye” effect. Maybe I should try the viral “fishing lure” nails trend with all these magnetic polishes?
This is two coats of “Totem” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Tropical Oasis” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Froot Loop“.
Neon Lights
I know I say I hate yellow nail polish, but there is something about Cadillacquer “Neon Lights” that spoke to me…it’s from June’s “Vacation Destinations” Polish Pickup and is inspired by NYC’s Times Square. (I’ve only seen Times Square from the inside of a cab, while traveling across Manhattan and I felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people.)
I did feel like a straight up clown while wearing this polish…but I was a goddamn sexy Pink Lemonade clown.
This is two coats of “Neon Lights” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Tropical Oasis” and under a coat each of Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber and Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Froot Loop“.
A Realm of Kingfishers
“A Realm of Kingfishers” is giving “An Unkindness of Ravens”, no? If you know, you know.
Hit the Bottle Polishes “A Realm of Kingfishers” is from May’s “Tropical Forest” Polish Pickup. It’s a shimmery magnetic polish inspired by the sacred kingfishers that populate the creator’s garden yearly. I love the way the golden magnetized section plays against the steel blue base. I’ve never spied one here in Texas – I probably live too far inland.
I used the narrow edge of my neodymium magnet again, this time straight down the middle of the nail, but I wasn’t quite precise, because the magnetized portion isn’t dead center on every nail. Oh well.
This is two coats of “A Realm of Kingfishers” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Tropical Oasis” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Froot Loop“.
Shantay You Stay
I wouldn’t say that The Flamingo is my favorite casino to stay at in Vegas – that would be The Cosmopolitan…but it is my favorite to just bum around in. There are flamingos everywhere, it smells like suntan lotion…and it’s home to RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! I was lucky enough to get to see the show on my birthday in 2020, a week or so after it launched. It was a blast and I can’t wait to go again.
Atomic Polish “Shantay You Stay” is from June’s “Vacation Destinations” Polish Pickup and is inspired by Las Vegas and RuPaul’s Drag Race Live. I usually avoid oranges and corals, but this flamingo-esque shade was just begging to be added to my cart. It applies like a dream and lasts forever and ever – I’ve had it on my toes for about 3 weeks!
This is two coats of “Shantay You Stay” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Tropical Oasis” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Froot Loops“.
La Paz-itively Hot
Although I LOVE wearing the fancy Indie polishes from Polish Pickup, sometimes a plain, corporate nail polish hits the spot. At least my base and top coats are still Indie…
I found OPI “La Paz-itively Hot” In the back of a cabinet – I think Miss Lisa gave it to me when she was purging her collection? It’s from the Fall 2009 Matte Collection, but it worked just fine. It is a hot pink matte with a hint of shimmer. I wasn’t feeling matte vibes, so I made it shiny.
Funny story. I have beef with La Paz – my ex indulged in hookers and blow on a business trip to La Paz. Then he came back and told all my friends that I must have cheated on him when I ended up with an infection. Too bad his co-worker had loose lips. Good times.
This is two coats of “La Paz-itively Hot” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Tropical Oasis” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Froot Loops“.
Easter Egg
I must have taken a dozen different shots trying to capture every facet of By Vanessa Molina “Easter Egg” – every angle is a different look! Those shifty magnetic polishes…
“Easter Egg” is the last polish I needed to sample from April’s “Celebrate!” Polish Pickup. It’s – of course – inspired by Easter. It’s a magnetic polish containing green/magenta/copper/purple variations, with Aurora Pigment and glitter Galaxy. It’s like the northern lights, the milky way and a zombie rising from the dead, all wrapped into one.
I used the neodymium magnet on these again, but instead of just resting my finger on the flat side of the magnet, I held the narrow edge catty-corner over each nail and got a really nice stripy lightning effect.
This is two coats of “Easter Egg” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Tropical Oasis” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Blackberry Passionfruit“.
Synchronous
I don’t know how I managed to skip over Envy Lacquer “Synchronous” – it’s been patiently waiting for me since last October’s “Natural Phenomenon” Polish Pickup!
“Synchronous” is inspired by the synchronous firefly display in the Appalachian mountains. I’ve never seen it, but I imagine it’s a sight to behold. We just get regular loner fireflies here in Texas – but we call them lightning bugs. (Ask me about Louie the Lightning Bug and maybe I’ll sing his song for you.)
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a neon shimmer like this. It’s sheer, but opaque? How even?
This is two coats of “Synchronous” over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Tropical Oasis” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Blackberry Passionfruit“.