Tag: Polish Pickup
Use Your Illusion
How many times have I written here that Guns ‘N’ Roses was my very first concert? I was turning sixteen and I BEGGED my mom for tickets…so she brought me, my younger sister, and my best friend at the time, who…just a few short months later, would have sex with my first boyfriend and take his virginity. Yes, forty four years ago and I’m still salty – what about the girl code??? Uteruses before duderuses! Anyway, I am petty and she has 4 different baby daddies these days and we are NOT friends, frenemies or even acquaintances. Estranged, if you will…which is also one of the most underrated G’N’R songs off that album.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Alchemy Lacquers “Use Your Illusion” from April’s “Album Covers” Polish Pickup. It references the cover of ‘Use Your Illusion II’ flawlessly. I am really getting the hang of magnetic polishes – that’s pretty much all I wear these days.
This is two coats of “Use Your Illusion” magnetized with a neodymium magnet, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Vampire Blood“.
All is Vanity
‘All is Vanity’ by Charles Allan Gilbert is probably THE most famous optical illusion paintings ever created. Although there is no sailboat (or a schooner), it doesn’t take a genius to see the optical illusion.
Zombie Claw “All is Vanity” is inspired by the famous illusion. Although it is very Halloween-y, it’s actually from last October’s “Optical illusions” Polish Pickup. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the bottle, but it’s another flakie-tastic polish – flaming flakies in a sea of sheer violet. The sheer base made the polish shrink around the edges, but it wasn’t horrific.
This is two coats of “All is Vanity”, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber and Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Vampire Blood“.
Polish Pickup April 2026 – Album Covers
Oh, I love a good album cover…do kids even care about album cover art these days? Even though the theme slapped, I showed some restraint…my untried are backed up all over the coffee table.
Alchemy Lacquers “Use Your Illusion” ($13) is magnetic polish inspired by Guns ‘N’ Roses ‘Use Your Illusion’, specifically by the color scheme of ‘Use Your Illusion II’. I have a hard time picking a favorite between I and II, but II does include ‘Estranged,’ which is one of my faves. Did you know that G’N’R was my very first concert?
Cuticula Limitless Top Coat “No Doubt, It’s Fruity” ($10) is inspired by…No Doubt probably?
Garden Path Lacquers “I No Longer Try to be Good” ($13.50) is a magnetic polish inspired by Florence + The Machine’s ‘Everybody Scream.’
As soon as I catch up, can I buy more?
Luck Dragon
Tyler’s Trinkets “Luck Dragon” is inspired by the one and only Falcor, the Luck Dragon from The Neverending Story. It’s from March’s “Sky Creatures” Polish Pickup.
This is my first polish from Tyler’s Trinkets and I am impressed with how flaky this flakie polish is – there are so many flakies that it could almost be a textured polish. I decided against using Glitter Grabber and was fortunate that the flakies stayed flat and didn’t start lifting. It was a BITCH to remove though.
This is two coats of “Luck Dragon”, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber and Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Vampire Blood“.
Mischief, Mayhem & Soap
Glisten & Glow “Mischief, Mayhem & Soap” is inspired by Brad Pitt in Fight Club and is from the “Cute but Deadly” Polish Pickup. I cannot argue that Brad Pitt is cute and deadly (then and I guess, now), but I’ve always been more of a Edward Norton girl, myself.
“Mischief, Mayhem & Soap” is a strong, STRONG magnetic polish. The picture does not do it justice – the pink just JUMPS out of the army green base. Every magnetic polish should be this amazing.
This is two coats of “Mischief, Mayhem & Soap” magnetized with a neodymium magnet, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
Flamboyance
Is it shocking that the flamingo polish wasn’t the first one I tried from the “Sky Creatures” Polish Pickup? I shock myself sometimes…
1422 Designs “Flamboyance” is indeed a flamingo-themed polish. A FLAMBOYANCE is a group of flamingos…what a perfect word for it! In addition to the chunky black glitter, there is also microfine rose gold glitter. I brought it with me to the nail salon last week for my toes, for a brief match with my nails.
This is two coats of “Flamboyance”, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Glisten & Glow Glitter Grabber and Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
Sky Fairy
Sassy Cats Lacquer “Sky Fairy” was my Easter polish – doesn’t it remind you of Easter grass? One time, my college cat, Bob, ate Easter grass and a long string of it was hanging out of her butt. We had to chase her around, trying to grab it…good times!
“Sky Fairy” is from March’s “Sky Creatures” Polish Pickup and is inspired by the luna month, my second favorite moth after the Death’s-head Moth. I’d moth me…I’d moth me HARD.
This is two coats of “Sky Fairy”, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
Polish Pickup March 2026 – Sky Creatures
I went a bit overboard with March’s Polish Pickup….but how can I resist “Sky Creatures”?
1422 Designs “Flamboyance” ($13.50) is inspired by a flamboyance…which is a group of flamingos!
Arcana Lacquer “The Firemind” ($14.50) is a magnetic polish inspired by Niv Mizzet from Magic: The Gathering. (I haven’t played Magic in 30 years, but Google says it is a dragon wizard.)
Alchemy Lacquers “Here Be Dragons” ($13) is inspired by the dragons in the game, Stellaris.
Pahlish “Icarus” ($15) is a pricey magnetic polish inspired by the tale of the mortal that flew too close to the sun.
Haunted Polish “Odette” ($13.50) looks very similar to “Icarus”, but seems to be inspired by Swan Lake.
Sassy Cats Lacquer “Sky Fairy” ($13.50) is inspired by my second favorite moth, the luna moth.
Tyler’s Trinkets “Luck Dragon” ($13.50) is the third white-ish polish in the bunch, inspired by Falcor in The Neverending Story.
I’ll be having lots of fun with these polishes!
The Tea on the Manatee
Two Jior Couture polishes in a row? How did that happen?
Jior Couture “The Tea on the Manatee” is from way back – I originally picked it up from the July 2024 REWIND Polish Pickup, but it originally was featured in October 2021’s Monsters & Mythical Creatures Polish Pickup.
The ACTUAL tea on the manatee is that sailors used to mistake manatees for hot ladies with fish bodies…you know – MERMAIDS. I definitely could be mistaken for a manatee at a distance, so it makes total sense. Also…did you know that sea monster sightings were actually whale penises? It’s true – look it up!
I had been getting bored with thermal nail polishes, but this one reminded me why they’re so fun! It has a strong thermal effect AND is filled with flakies. I’m pulling this one back out in wintertime.
This is two coats of “The Tea on the Manatee”, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.
Quirky Quokka
When threatened, the quokka will toss its own baby at a predator in order to make a quick getaway. And that my friends, is how the quokka fits into February’s “Cute but Deadly” theme.
Jior Couture “Quirky Quokka” is filled with multichrome and neon microglitter. It has a slight texture – I probably should have added Glitter Grabber, but I didn’t consider it at the time. The neon yellow microglitter kind of overpowers the rest of the shades, but I don’t hate it. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it.
This is two coats of “Quirky Quokka”, over Cuticula Mic Drop Base Coat in “Froot Loops” and under Cuticula Limitless Top Coat in “Huckleberry“.