My Favs of 2013!

Aveeno Intense Relief hand cream:

So everyone know hows nail polish remover whether 100 % acetone or non acetone dries the heck out of our poor hands and cuticles! This cream played a huge part in bringing the moisture back to my hands after multiple hand washes during swatching time. Its perfect for people like me who have extremely sensitive skin and don't like lotions/creams with a scent. I tried multiple hand creams this year and this was the only one I continued to keep buying. I buy mine at Walmart for about $6.

Spring Valley Vitamin E Skin Oil:

I love this oil! It contains vitamin E oil, coconut oil and soybean oil which are all great for your skin and cuticles! I put this on my cuticles before bed every night. A tiny bit goes a long way. I simply dip one side of a cotton swab into it once and put it across every cuticle. I let it sit for about 20 min then rub it in. If you have the time to sit and do that every night I highly recommend investing in this. I get mine at Walmart for about $4

Glisten & Glow Nail & Cuticle Balm:
Now this my friends, is my bestfriend! This little bugger goes with me everywhere. Its a .50oz container of heaven on earth for cuticles! I have tried and tried and tried so many different cuticle balms and this is the only one that has worked for me and it worked almost instantly! I use this between every swatch, after every hand wash and pretty much whenever I feel the need to smell it! haha The scent I have is Vanilla Honey but it comes in a very high range of scents. This is my #1 product I have invested in this year. The best part is, like the vitamin E oil, a little goes along way so it last a while. Between how long it last and how well it works its worth every cent spent! I seriously believe every nail fanatic should own this, You can order this at http://glistenandglow.bigcartel.com for $8.50

NutraNail Nailsentials Power Growth Treatment:

This nail growth formula penetrates into weak, brittle nails to help nails grow. The Keratin hydrates nails and cuticles and flexibility of nails and protects nails breakage. I was breaking nails left and right before I started using this. I use it when I wake up and before I go to bed, and this can also be used over a nail polish! Since I've been using this the free edge of my nails are no longer see through and if I smack my nail off something it hurts like hell but just bends, no breakage or cracks! I recently bought this for my friend who's poor nails were so weak and struggling to grow and its only been a week and her free edges are already looking better! So try this product if you have weak nails! Hopefully it works for you the way it has for me and my friend! I get this at Walmart for about $7 

Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps Acrylic Gel:

Now before I found the NutraNail power growth treatment and before I started doing swatches everyday(which makes me only have a mani on for maybe 24 hours) I would use this as my base coat and under every mani. It goes on just like a polish but dries hard to help your nails from breaking. It provides an instant, long-lasting, wrap-like surface for fragile, soft, torn, chipped or cracked nails. I no longer need to use this because of the NutraNail treatment but if you don't have the time to do a twice daily routine like your supposed to with the NutraNail treatment then I highly recommend this. I used to buy mine from Walmart for around $5

Favorite Polishes of 2013:

Now onto my favorite Indie Nail Polishes of 2013! This was by far the hardest list for me to break down. Almost every indie nail polish I have bought or have received for swatching has been awesome. But after awhile I was able to narrow the list down to my 3 favorite glitter toppers, 3 favorite jellies, 3 favorite crellys, 2 favorite holiday themed and my favorite base & top coat.

Top 3 Glitter Toppers:
Left to right:

Shattered Hearts by Shimmer Kisses Nail Polish:

Made up of black matte hearts and shreds. It's a great polish when used as directed, which means by doing the dabbing method. I did 2 coats using the dabbing method and once dried I sealed it with a glossy top coat, but it also looks great with a matte top coat as well! I love how original it is, I haven't come across another topper that looks like this and because its all black glitters you can pretty much use it over any undie polish or in my case an ombre/gradient ;)

Hulk by SuperNails:
Clear polish base with green hexagons of all sizes, large dots, and purple shreds. I used 2 coats of this over a white polish base and sealed it with a glossy top coat. My favorite colors are purple and green so I loved the color combo of this glitter polish. There was no fishing needed and the large dots went on without any placement which is a huge plus since most large glitters can be heavy and sink to the bottom of a bottle, but these came right out on the brush with the rest of the glitters.

Shop till you Drop by Mermaid Lacquer:
This is a great solar polish. It is a clear glitter bomb indoors or in the shade but once the sun hits it it turns into a magenta pink base. This polish contains purple, pink, silver, blue and teal circles, hexes and square glitters. I used it alone for the picture so you could see the solar change. Both times applied I did have to use the dabbing method but the base wasn't to heavy so it went on great. Highly recommend if you love glitter bombs and solar polishes!

Top 3 Crellys:

left to right:

Girl Talk by Liquid Afterglow:
Okay so I flash backed to the 90's when I seen the colors and name of this polish. Anybody else remember the Girl Talk game? With the red sticker zits!! haha! It's a creamy white crelly with magenta, purple, red, blue, orange, green and yellow hex glitters. I used it over a very pale pink polish. In this pic I did 3 thin coats to get the look I was going for but you can get away with just 2 coats. The consistency was great and I've used it multiple times with the same results every time. This also looks great with either a glossy or matte top coat.

Frosted Cookie by Dashing Housewife Polish:

This polish legit looks like funfetti frosting! My other hobby is cake decorating so of course the name of it drew me to it and I was not disappointed! It's a white shimmer crelly with pink, silver and turquoise holo glitters. Consist of small hexes and fine glitters. I put mine over one coat of white polish and used 2 coats, then sealed it with a glossy top coat.

Honey Comb Hide Out by Nail Honey:
So I think I have an obsession with nail polish that reminds me of food because this polish totally reminded me of pumpkin pie! It's a creamy peach/orange polish which looks like dark brown or purple fine glitters and white diamond glitters. I used 2 coats and they went on very evenly and smoothly! I used this polish a lot since I got in in November. In the picture I sealed it with a glossy top coat but I've also tried it with a matte top coat and I loved that as well!


Top 3 Jellys:
left to right:

Kiss me at Midnight by Dashing Housewife Polish:
This beautiful blue-green shifting jelly has silver holo hearts, silver holo hexes and black holo glitters. In the pic above I did 2 coats over a deep blue polish. First coat was painted on and the 2nd coat I did a bit of the dabbing method so that I could get more hearts, I then sealed  it with a glossy top coat. This jelly is actually lighter without the dark blue undie but it went on great with 3 coats. Cant wait to do more manis with it.

Want Some Cheese with that Whine by Dashing Housewife Polish:
I usually hate red based polishes but I absolutely loved this Bordeaux red jelly polish with gold flakes. I used mine over a cranberry red shimmer polish. Went on perfectly with 2 coats. Sealed it with a glossy top coat. This is my favorite from her "Ring It In" collection and Im pretty much obsessed with it and have used it multiple times the past couple weeks!

Twenty Fourteen by Duh Nail Polish:
I love blue polishes and this is definitely one of the best blue jellys I've come across! It's a royal blue jelly polish with sapphire and holo black hexes and holo dust. I used mine over a blue polish. This polish went on smoothly and evenly with just 2 coats and I sealed it with a glossy top coat.


Top Holiday Themed:
left to right

Snow Princess by Polished Colors:
This very pretty winter polish is a clear polish with white snowflakes and iridescent hexes. Works great when doing the dabbing method. I used it over a waterless water marble of a purplish blue and white mix and sealed it with a glossy top coat. It is a thick polish so when doing the dabbing method, a little goes a long way. I loved how wintery this polish was and there was plenty of snowflakes in the polish so I was able to get enough on my nail without having to do fish through the bottle.

Santa, Baby by Supernails:
Crushed candy canes! Again with the damn food looking polishes! I'm obsessed with them! haha!  Its a shimmery white colored polish with matte white and red hexes, squares, shreds and hearts. I put it over a white holo polish. Did first coat by simply painting it one and a for the second coat did a bit of the dabbing method. I love this polish!

Christmas Splendor by Mermaid Lacquer:
A white crelly with red and green hexes, bars and circles. I did 3 thin coats to achieve this look. Now I have seen a ton of indie polishes that look similar to this but this is by far my favorite version mainly because usually I would have done a white base polish underneath a crelly like this but it didn't need it,! I was very happy with this polish. Every coat when on smoothly and wasn't thick. I topped it with a glossy top coat.



Favorite Top Coat & Base Coat:

 Glisten & Glows fast drying top coat and Stuck on blu basecoat:
So I have always had issues finding a good base coat that actually worked well and this Stuck on Blu is great! Its 3-free, It has a sticky texture to it that allows your polish to adhere to it and it also helps with staining. I use this whenever I know I'm gonna have a mani on for awhile and its perfect! I will definitely continue to purchase this!
Now as for top coats. I will admit that I used to be a die hard Seche Vite fan, but I  hated the very harsh chemicals and the fact that half way through the bottle it would start getting thick and clumpy and I would always have to add thinner to it but I dealt with it because my manis always lasted long and I didn't know of any other top coat that worked as well. Then I was told by so many of my followers to try Glisten and Glows fast drying and super shiny clear top coat and Seche Vite went out the window!
Where the hell has this polish been the past few years of my nail polish addiction life?!? This top coat is simply amazing! It works just as well as Seche Vite if not better, It doesn't have as many harsh chemicals(its 2 free), smell isn't nearly as bad and my favorite part, it doesn't ever get thick and clumpy no matter how many times you use it! I have already bought 3 bottles of this in one month! This is a must try and must have top coat! You can buy both the base and top coat at http://glistenandglow.bigcartel.com either as a set which is called "the dynamic duo" for $13.85. Or buy them seperately, The base coat is $6.95 and the top coat is on sale right now for $6.95. Go check them out!


So these are all of my favorite nail products of 2013! Cant wait to see what is in store for all of us indie lovers this coming year! Between swatching, my nail art and starting my own indie line (@cdblacquer) Its going to be one busy nail year but I can't wait to get started! Hope everyone had a great New Year! Welcome 2014!