October Favorites!

Schick Intuition: This is the best thing ever. If you're anything like me you don't have time or are too lazy to spend the time shaving. With this razor, there is no need to use shaving cream. The razor has a "skin moisturizing solid" (as they like to call it) that acts as shaving gel/cream. All you need is a wet lather and you're good to go! I cannot believe I didn't use this sooner! It's a life saver. The razor itself is awesome. 4 blades and gets the job done nicely. My legs have never felt smoother or softer!

Philosophy Purity: I've been using this one step facial cleanser for about a year now! Having sensitive skin it's really tiring trying to find a dedicated cleanser that won't hurt my skin. Not only is it gentle on the skin but it's also safe to use on the eye area to remove eye makeup. Thumbs up from me! Purity rapidly dissolves dirt and makeup while deep cleaning pores. Also! If you own a clarisonic i've heard that purity works great with it. 

Butter London Nail Foundation: This base coat is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Makeup for your nails! If you have stained yellow nails, a coat of this will cover it up nicely. It also is a great ridge filler and is an overall awesome base coat. Before this I was using OPI nail envy exclusively but I have heard such good things about nail foundation that I had to try. The bottle is .6 fl oz which is a bit bigger than your average bottle of base coat. I haven't noticed any major changes in my nails such as breaking, chipping or peeling. I'd say that it's on par with nail envy for me!

Mucinex: So you may or may not of heard, but i've been sick as a dog for the past 2 months. After taking several antibiotics and steroids i've found that this OTC medicine helped me the most. Crazy! It really helped kick out the rest of the gross mucus that was stuck in my lungs. After about a week or so of taking mucinex I was almost back to my normal self. It was a miracle. I really recommend this stuff if you are sick and are congested or have a gross phlegmy cough. 

Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer Tea: Along with being cold of course i've been drinking tea! Celestial Seasonings is probably my favorite brand to get teabags from. They make so many wonderful kinds. Lately i've been drinking their tension tamer to help me unwind. This stuff really does help calm you down after a stressful day. This tea is caffeine free and is a traditional ginger tea with a tranquil twist from chamomile, eleuthero and B-vitamins. If you are a fan of drinking hot tea, I would seriously give this stuff a try. Especially if you are a stressball like me.

And that's all the stuff that filled my October. I hope you're all doing well! Happy November! I cannot wait for thanksgiving to arrive!

XO,
Karly

Orly Miss Conduct

Happy Thursday friends! Today I am wearing Orly Miss Conduct. This polish is a part of Orly's Holiday 2012 Naughty or Nice collection.

 Miss Conduct is a stunner. A glowing magenta base with a scattered holo effect. At first glance I thought maybe this would be a dupe of OPI DS Extravagance but it is not. Extravagance is a few shades darker. Application was good, I am wearing 2 coats shown below.

To give you guys an idea of just how awesome this polish is, I had to take pictures in different settings. The first being in my lightbox (shown above)

 This picture was taken outisde in the shade. Unfortunately I couldn't get the sun to shine my way, so I may add in a pic later on if I can get one.

This picture was taken indoors. (in my bedroom specifically) THIS is how it looks at all times indoors. It GLOWS! It's so gorgeous. I actually prefer this over OPI DS Extravagance!

What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know! I'm still in the process of taking lots of antibiotics and steroids trying to get over this sickness I have, so I apologize in advance if my posts are few and far between for the time being. I'm doing the best I can, promise! I  miss you all! Don't forget to enter my giveaway which ends in 9 days here.

XO,
Karly

Cagedbird Nail Lacquer & Giveaway!

Cagedbird Nail Lacquer has been quick to take a strong hold on my heart.  Sarah has such a true blue talent for making the most simple yet classic polishes! I have done a review a few months back but I feel a second review is definitely deserved. Today I will be showing you 4 of their polishes......AND I will be giving away 3 mini sized polishes. Keep reading for more information!
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Crystalline: a multi-sized white matte hex glitter polish mixed with purple matte hex glitters. I am wearing one coat layered over China Glaze Something Sweet. I also used a matte top coat which I think looks fantastic. Application was easy; some of the larger glitters did need a little coaxing to come out of the bottle though.

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 Faerie Carnival: aqua, lavender, pink, green, blue and white pastel matte glitter with ultra-fine holographic shimmer. One coat is shown layered over China Glaze Re-fresh mint. Application was challenging. I have found that dabbing the glitters on to the nail works much better than applying as normal. This is my absolute favorite Cagedbird Nail Lacquer.

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Electric Angel: a mixture of teal matte, gunmetal metallic, and black matte hex glitter in three sizes. This polish was inspired by a certain synthesized songstress with teal hair. Mega brownie points to those of you who know who it is! I absolutely had to buy it once I found out where the inspiration derived from. Application was amazing. Absolutely no problems! This is one coat layered over Zoya Dove.

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Rose Golden: a metallic glitter in both medium yellow gold hexes and rose pink. This polish is just gorgeous. I believe Rose Golden was originally custom made as a gift for someone, and actually ended up making it's way into their etsy shop! And I am very glad it did. I am wearing 1 coat over Finger Paints Black Expressionism. I  had the hardest time trying to decide what to use as underwear! I wanted to really show off all the beautiful details in the polish so I went with black. Application was great. 

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You can purchase Cagedbird Nail Lacquer from their etsy store here. The 15 mL sizes retail for $10 and the 5mL go for $5. The shop is currently on vacation but will be back open and restocking on October 15th!

Visit Cagedbird Nail Lacquer on facebook here for updates!

Giveaway!

up for grabs are 3 cagedbird nail lacquer mini polishes. 

There will be 1 winner.

open to the 48 contiguous US states only.

18+ or parents permission to enter.

all products were purchased by legendary lacquers and this is not a sponsored giveaway. for any questions email me! legendarylacquers@gmail.com

from L to R: Electric Angel, Faerie Carnival and Midnight in Paris.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September Favorites!

Hi guys! I'm trying something different today. I thoroughly enjoy reading peoples "monthly favorites" posts, so I decided to do one myself for my blog! My monthly favorites are going to include all sorts of beauty related products as well as an occasional non related beauty product (maybe!). If this is something you would continually like to read about, leave a comment and let me know! :)

The first product that came to mind for my September favorites was Moroccanoil - the Moroccanoil Treatment. I honestly cannot praise Moroccanoil products enough. This stuff smells SO delicious, and works wonders for my hair. The description straight from their website:

"Moroccanoil Treatment’s versatile, nourishing and residue-free formula can be used as a conditioning, styling and finishing tool. It blends perfectly with other products and even speeds up drying time. This treatment for hair completely transforms and repairs as its formula transports lost proteins for strength; fatty acids, omega-3 oils and vitamins for shine; and antioxidants for protection. It absorbs instantly to fill gaps in hair created by heat, styling and environmental damage."

I use 2 pumps of this treatment after I wash my hair when it's still wet/damp. I have very thick, frizzy and wavy hair and it helps gets rid of frizz and makes my hair insanely soft and shiny. The moroccanoil treatment retails for about $38 dollars. This may seem steep but it's worth every penny in my opinion.  I've had this bottle since the beginning of May and I've only used up about 1/4th of the product. This stuff lasts forever!

 

 Next up is another favorite hair care product of mine. It's a 10 miracle leave in product. Again, I use this every single time after washing my hair when it's wet. I spray it all over my hair before I go to brush. My hair gets extremely tangled after I shower and this helps the knots come out easily. So you may be wondering why it's called "it's a 10." That's because it does 10 things for your hair! How awesome is that? So you wanna know what the 10 things are? Keep reading!

1. Repairs dry damaged hair
2. Adds Shine
3. Smooths and controls frizz
4. Seals & protects hair color
5. Flat iron spray & thermal protector
6. Detangles
7. Stops hair breakage
8. Creates silkiness
9. Enhances natural body
10. Prevents split ends

It's insane how many things this single product can do! Before I started using this I was probably using 3 or 4 different products to accomplish what all of this single product does. I've been using it for as long as I can remember and unfortunately my bottle is getting dangerously low! I buy mine from Amazon, but it is also sold at some Salons as well as Walmart and various other outlets. Depending on where you purchase the 4 oz bottle (pictured below) retails for about $10-16 dollars.

This product is my "HG" (holy grail) nail care product. Hard as Hoof has been the reason for my extremely strong and healthy nails for almost 2 years now! I use it 2-3x a day and it keeps my nails from chipping, cracking, peeling and bending. My nails are pretty strong to begin with (I must have good nail genes!) but this cream just puts the icing on the cake. I can't honestly tell you the last time I had a broken nail. It's been months, maybe even close to a year! Everyone I know that has tried this stuff, LOVES it! It smells really amazing too. I recommend this to anyone that has any sort of nail problem. Whether it is peeling, cracking, or just in general weak nails.. this stuff is for you! I get mine from Walmart, and it retails for about $6 dollars.

EOS. If you haven't tried any EOS before, WTF ARE YOU WAITING FOR?  No, seriously, this lip balm is the shiz. Target recently had a limited edition pack come out inspired by Alice in Wonderland. This is my back up case. With winter upon us, lip balm is a total must for me. Not only are EOS cool looking, but they actually work really well! They have tons of awesome scents and keep my lips hydrated and soft for a really long time. EOS also makes various other products such as hand lotion and shaving cream but I've yet to try those yet! EOS can be found at most drugstores or superstores such as Walmart and retail for about $3 for a single EOS lip balm.

This top coat has been taking over the nail world by storm lately! Move over Seche Vite, because Hong Kong Girl is taking your place! This stuff is a topcoat dream come true. Everything you could ever possibly want in a topcoat, HKG has, and surpasses. Quick dry time? You bet your ass! Shiny finish? It's so shiny you won't believe your eyes. Where can you find it? Jill the owner and CEO of Glisten & Glow can get you the hook up! Message her on facebook or visit her website here for more information! *This product is not made by her, she only repackages the bottles and sells*

For the majority of my life I've dealt with acne. Not your normal acne either, but the huge, painful, ugly cystic acne. I've used so many acne products with no success for as long as I can remember. Fortunately my older sister works at Ulta, and I was able to visit her at work and find some products to help with my cystic acne. One of the things I was recommended by the esthetician working at Ulta was the Mario Badescu buffering lotion. First let me just say i'm not so sure why it's called lotion, because the consistency is of a liquid. Whatever!

"This product is specially designed to treat large, deep, cystic acne. The buffering lotion covers large erupted areas for overall treatment. Formulated with nourishing B vitamins and amino acids for healthy skin as well as soothing anti-inflammatory herbal extracts to promote healing. Reduce cystic acne fast with this deep penetrating, fast absorbing formula."

Anytime I feel a cystic pimple rearing it's ugly head, I immediately grab this stuff and apply it where needed. It says to apply once at night, but normally I'll apply it twice a day.  I wouldn't recommend applying it twice in a day if you plan on exposing yourself to any sort of sun. This stuff works so great. Normally my cystic acne lasts for a week or two and is extremely painful. With the buffering lotion it lasts 3-4 days max. Since using this stuff my cystic acne has practically disappeared. I know not everything works the same for everyone, but if you have cystic acne I seriously recommend giving this a try. I purchased mine from Ulta for $17 dollars but it can also be purchased straight from their website here.

 Last but definitely not least is my all time favorite mascara by Benefit. Appropriately named "They're Real!" This stuff is the best of the best. My eyelashes are short and stubby with little to no curl, and after applying this mascara my lashes are long and curled. Absolutely no clumping either!  Mascara is my #1 favorite makeup product so I don't settle for anything but the best. It is slightly expensive retail at about $23 dollars per bottle, but with all the coupons and deals floating around I know you can get a good deal on it if you try! It is sold at Ulta and Sephora.

"What it is:
A jet-black mascara that lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts, and separates lashes for a spectacular "out-to-here" look.

What it does:
This mascara features an exclusive brush specially designed to maximize the performance of the long-wearing, glossy formula revealing lashes you never knew you had! Staggered bristles grab close to the root, boosting length and volume beyond belief. The precision bristles on the custom-domed tip lift, define, and curl even your tiniest lashes. The end result is luxurious, silky lashes that won't smudge, clump, or dry out."

So this sums up all of my favorite products for the month of September! I hope you guys enjoyed reading! Are you interested in trying out any of my favorites? Have you tried them before? Leave a comment and let me know!

xo,
Karly

Sonnetarium - Snowfall

WOW! First off, let me just say I am so excited to see so many new faces here following my blog. Thank you so much for joining us, and I hope you enjoy everything you see!

Secondly, today's mani is just dreamy. I am wearing Sonnetarium's Snowfall. Snowfall has to be the most elegant, gorgeous, dream like glitter polish in the entire universe. I layered it over Color Club's Take me to your Chateau - I cannot praise this particular polish enough. The formula is insanely amazing. One coater and so pigmented. It applies like butter and that is a rare thing for pastel polishes.

 Here is the combo I used. Color Club - Take me to your Chateau & Sonnetarium Snowfall. A magical combo, if I may say so myself. :)

A macro shot of my bottle of Snowfall. Could the name be any more perfect? Nope.

I am going to be honest with you guys though. I used Snowfall earlier today with different underwear and had a rather unpleasant time applying it to my nails. I noticed my bottle was oddly thick - and it seemed pretty dense. I contacted Michelle (the creator) and asked her if I could add some thinner. She said yes, that it wouldn't hurt the polish. After adding some thinner the formula was definitely to my liking. Easy to apply! This may or may not be an issue with all bottles of Snowfall - even so it can be easily fixed with a few drops of polish thinner. Please keep in mind I had also purchased Snowfall several months ago and my bottle was half empty (I used it for a couple manis in the past) With that said I'm thinking that may have contributed to it's thickness.

Overall I could not be happier with this polish. Michelle is a total sweetheart as well. Sonnetarium can be purchased through their Etsy Shop and are also now being offered through Beauty Pop Shop. Her polishes retail at $6.00 on Etsy, and $6.95 through Beauty Pop Shop's Store.

Bottle and misc info (taken straight from their Etsy site)

"One semi-mini 9mL polish in an Italian glass bottle. This is 4mL larger than your traditional polish mini, which is 5mL, and is 6mL smaller than the full-size 15mL polish. If you have a 9mL Glitter Gal polish, these are the same size. Two stainless steel beads are included. All of my polishes are 3-free and cruelty-free."

That's it for today! I really hope you enjoyed today's post. Please do go check out Sonnetarium on Facebook for future updates and information on restocks! Until next time <3

xo,

Karly

Butter LONDON and KBShimmer Giveaway!

  My first giveaway!

It's finally here! I am breaking my own rules and opening it before I reached 50 blog followers, but I've already reached over 100 fans on facebook! I thought that called for a celebration ;)

 What's up for grabs? Let's take a look!

• Butter LONDON Matte Finish top coat.
• Butter London - All hail the queen. A beautiful scattered holographic polish.
• KBShimmer - Shattered Heart. An awesome neon pink polish with black bar and heart glitters. 

Rules & Requirements!

1. You must be a follower of this blog to be eligible to win this giveaway.
2. This giveaway is only open to US residents. I'm sorry to my international friends, there will be international  giveaways soon!
3. This giveaway will be open for 14 days. Once a winner is selected I will email them and they will have 48 hours to get back to me with their mailing address. I will ship ASAP after obtaining an address.
4. You must be 18 years of age or have parental consent so you can give me your address if you are the winner.

Any questions can be sent to Karly (that's me!) at legendarylacquers@gmail.com

The prize has been purchased solely by me and I will be shipping it out to the winner. This giveaway is not sponsored by Butter LONDON or KBshimmer.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Hungry Asian - Itsy Bitsy (and a giveaway?!)

Hi Guys! I'm so excited to share this  polish with you today. If you haven't already heard of The Hungry Asian you really need to go check her polishes out! Today I am wearing Itsy Bitsy - A sheer yellow with red and reddish orange hex glitters. I have to be honest, when I first saw this polish the pokemon Pikachu totally came to mind.

I really wish someone would create a Pokemon themed nail polish collection. ARE YOU LISTENING, INDIE MAKERS?! Hehehehe. But in all seriousness, Itsy Bitsy is a beautiful polish. On to the pictures!

The first and second coats of this polish are sheer, which results in VNL. After the third coat, it's pretty opaque. Application was awesome, I didn't have any trouble at all. My pictures are actually showing Itsy Bitsy as a bit brighter  yellow than it is IRL. Only just by a bit though.

If you are a fan of yellows, you seriously need this in your collection! I personally love yellows and I will snatch up any I can find. This one didn't disappoint, either! Plus, I can't help but love it since it reminds me of Pikachu ;)
You can purchase The Hungry Asian nail polishes from their Etsy shop. Kae offers both mini and full sized polishes, so if you're not quite ready to commit to a full sized polish you can try out a mini! This is my fourth Hungry Asian polish and it definitely won't be my last!

*ATTENTION!! FUTURE GIVEAWAY IS IN THE WORKS!!*

That's right! You read that correctly. I am a mere 10 followers away from hitting the big 5-0. I am so excited! Once I make it to 50 followers I plan to make my giveaway live. I don't want to spoil it but..... BUTTER LONDON! What? I said nothing. :)
With that said, if you aren't a follower yet, please feel free to join me in my polish adventures! Until next time friends!

xo,

Karly

SmittenPolish Hydrangea...WOW!

Holy. Crap. You guys. 

I think this polish just made it to my top 10 favorites. 

I found out about SmittenPolish a while ago through various other bloggers. The first polish I ever laid eyes on by Noelie (Creator of SmittenPolish) was Hydrangea. It wasn't long after that I placed an order.

1. Let me just say that Noelie is AWESOME! Her customer service is top notch, if you have any problems or questions I am positive she will do what she can for you. 

2. HER POLISHES ARE TO DIE FOR?!

3. Her polishes are of good quality. I've yet to come across any problems at all with the ones I've worn, and they translate beautifully to nails. They are also unique in my opinion. I feel like Noelie knows my taste in polish because everything she creates, I lust for.

ON TO THE PICTURES!

Perfection in a bottle.

 I am wearing 3 coats of Hydrangea in these pictures. Honestly, the polish was kind of sheer so I would use underwear to preserve the polish. Application was normal and dry time was quick. (for reference I used Hong Kong girl top coat which can be purchased from Glisten & Glow) Hong Kong girl is an amazing fast dry top coat similar to Seche Vite.

 Look at how amazing! The glitters look like they're floating on my nails. I love this polish sooooooo much.

Are you in love? YOU SHOULD BE! I can't wait to swatch more of  her polishes for my blog. SmittenPolish has easily become one of my favorite new indie brands. You can purchase SmittenPolish polishes from their Etsy shop. Llarowe is also currently working on adding them to their inventory, so be sure to look there as well if you're an international friend. 

Also, TGIF and I hope you all have an awesome weekend. I'll be spending tomorrow at some baseball game with my boyfriend and his work. FUN! (not) :P

xo,

Karly

I got a liebster award!....wait, what?

What is a Liebster award?!

So, quite some time ago Dulcie at OhThreeOhFour tagged me for an award. This is my first ever award, and I didn't even know there were blog awards. WEIRD? Anyways. After some research I found that the Liebster award is given to bloggers with less than 200 followers. I also noticed that Liebster is german for beloved/dearest/sweetheart. Cute! Here is the award patch below.

So there are a TON of questions that I get to answer, and in turn I come up with questions of my own to ask other bloggers that I  nominate! This should be fun considering it's almost 12 AM and I am not the least bit tired. :s

Official Rules!

1. Each person tagged must post 11 things about themselves.

2. They must also answer the 11 questions the 'tagger' has set for them.

3. They must create 11 more questions to ask bloggers they have decided to tag.

4. They must then choose 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers and tag them in their post.

5. These lucky bloggers must then be told.

6. There's no tag backs.

11 Things About Me

1. I hate cake frosting. It makes my tummy hurt and I think it tastes obnoxious.

2. I don't know how to do a cartwheel.

3. Pastel colors are my absolute favorite!

4. I have more online friends then I do in real life. I am not ashamed of that!

5. Pickles are my #1 favorite food. Not joking!

6. Any time I'm on the computer I absolutely must have pandora running. I love music and I feel weird when it's not playing in the background.

7. I am awful with money. As soon as I have any, I spend it. Mostly on polish. I guess I'm an impulsive buyer. :D

8. I own over 400 nail polishes to this date. I still want more. LOTS MORE!

9. I know how to make all kinds of sushi and I live on it. 

10. I am fascinated by anything "kawaii". I also love lots of anime and manga. To most people I guess I would be considered a nerd or a geek. I'm okay with that. ;)

11. I cannot live without video games.

11 Questions asked by OhThreeOhFour:

1. What is your favorite polish brand?

OPI is my favorite polish across the board, for sure. I am rarely disappointed by their colors and they are just an overall A+ brand.

2. What is your favorite number and why?

24 is my favorite/lucky number. Why? Well, my birthday is on April 24th and MTV was/is channel 24 back at home where I grew up. MTV USED to be one of my favorite tv stations before they quit actually playing music and started airing crap like My sweet sixteen and Jersey shore. *barf*

3. What is your biggest pet peeve?

I hate it when people interrupt me while I am talking. I think it is very inconsiderate. I also hate people that purposely revolve around drama.

4.Why did you create your blog?

Well, I used to have a youtube channel where I made nail art tutorials. I found that it was getting too stressful for me to keep up with, and decided blogging might be a bit more laid back, with less work to do. Video editing is no joke. :/

5. What color do you have the most of in your polish collection?

Most likely purple. With either blue or pink being runner ups.


6. What is a favorite memory from one of your birthdays?

I remember getting my first car when I was 16. It was a black 1996 cavalier. I thought it was the best car in the world.

7. Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?

Hopefully moved to a place that I enjoy more. I currently dislike the area that i'm living in. :(

8. What or who were you named after?

I actually have no idea! I did recently just find out that if I were a boy I would of been named Sean/Shawn. Weird...

9. What is a bad habit you have?

I think I should just let me boyfriend answer this question! Gosh... probably leaving dirty dishes in the sink and not putting them away in the dishwasher. Or forgetting to clean out the bathtub drain after I take a shower. LOL.

10. What was your favorite childhood toy?

I grew up on video games. So probably either my sony playstation, SNES, Sega, or gameboy advance.

11. Out of all your polishes, what is your favorite one?

Right now my favorite polish is probably OPI la pazitively hot - matte.

My 11 Questions for you:

1. What made you decide to start blogging?

2. What polish are you wearing right now?

3. If you had to pick one food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?

4. What nail polish color do you dislike?

5. What polish brand(s) do you dislike and why?

6. What is your favorite candy?

7. What are your hobbies other than blogging?

8. What is something you love, but everyone else hates?

9. What trends do you hate?

10. Where do you want to travel to someday?

11. What are your pet peeves?


My Nominations:
1. Ashley from Plump and Polished 
2. Jenney from Ruby Red Nails 
3. Julie from Wishes of a Blue Eyed Girl 
4. Jen from The Polished Zombie 
5. Pryanka from Nail Sparks 
6. Leah from Glitter Puke! 
7. Elis from The Black Widow's Place 
8. Demi from Polish Love 
9. Jenn from All the Jenn 
10. Adrienne from Addison Wonderland 
11. Rachel from Rachel Knows Stuff


HOLY. Well, that took forever. I hope you guys enjoyed this, and that everyone I tag participates as well!

Thank you for reading!

xo,
Karly

HARE - The Monster

Hey Everyone! I have a big lemming of mine to show you today. I finally got my hands on the monster by HARE. Just in time for Halloween, too! I don't have much to say other than that. I have this killer headache. I hope you enjoy my pictures though!

 Can I just say I love the bunny labels? They're awesome.

 The formula for the monster was kind of thick. I wasn't in the mood to deal with it being tricky so I just put some thinner in it. While I think it's kind of lame to have to put thinner in a brand new polish, the color makes up for it in my opinion. I may of just had a wonky bottle, or maybe that's just how the polish is supposed to be. I prefer my polish to be on the thin side anyways.

 I did 3 thin coats to achieve full opacity. The first coat was pretty patchy and sheer but it built up nicely after the second and third coats. My lighting is showing the monster to be a bit lighter than what it actually is in real life.

Anywhooooooo, I really like this polish on my nails. The formula could of been better for sure but some thinner fixed that issue. If you want to purchase HARE polishes you can do so from HARE's Etsy shop. They are also available at Llarowe.

Happy Hump Day!

xo,
Karly