Best of 2013

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone. This post is a bit late, as you can see. These polishes are just those that I have tried in 2013, but they were not necessarily released in 2013. I didn't try very many indies this year but I hope to next year. High on my list to try are KB Shimmer, Picture Polish and Pahlish. Hopefully I can save enough money to splurge a bit on some new brands. Alright, here is my list of favorite polishes in 2013. Enjoy!

Rescue Beauty Lounge Killa Red
I snagged this during the RBL sale and am so glad I did. I don't have a shortage of reds but there's just something about this rich red jelly that I just love. I am totally considering a backup.

Maybelline Emerald Elegance
This whole line was gorgeous and I especially loved this beautiful emerald green. Look at all the glitter!

Maybelline Crushed Crimson
Another polish from Maybelline's Brocades collection. I love how rich and opulent this looks. The gold and red go together perfectly.

China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle
I love these pastel neons and Too Yacht to Handle was a super gorgeous addition to my collection this year. Formula was a bit fiddly but the results are stunning.

Sally Hansen Red-io Active

I hate the SH Insta-Dri brush but I will suffer through it for this gorgeous, glow-y red. Ugh, so beautiful.

Dare to Wear Ready For My Close Up

So. Much. Glitter. I love the mix of glitters in this polish and it really sparkles in the sun. 

Salon Perfect Playful Plum

Another polish that seems to glow. The purple lover in me is really happy that I found this one. Perfect for fall or any other season.

Nicole by OPI Cinn-a-man of My Dreams

This one stands out from the other textured polishes because of its unique color. I don't have anything like this in my collection. I love how warm and shimmery it is.

Cult Nails Fetish
This black wax finish polish is so sexy and edgy. Love it a lot.

Illamasqua Fragile

This was my first Illamasqua polish and I immediately fell in love with it. It's unique and delicate looking. 

Zoya Carter

Zoya does texture so well. Carter is beautiful and complex. 

There's my list of favorite polishes of 2013. Did any of these make your lists? What must have polish am I missing?

Have a safe and happy new years, everyone. See you in 2014! :)

Rescue Beauty Lounge Killa Red

Hello and happy hump day. I hope everyone's week is going by quickly. Each day is one day closer to Christmas. :) Today I have another Rescue Beauty Lounge polish to show you. Originally I wasn't sure if I wanted this one. I have plenty of reds in my collection and wasn't sure if this one would be worth it. In the end though, the name put it over the top and I placed an order for it.

Killa Red is a beautiful medium blue-based red jelly. Formula on this was perfection and it still has that slightly squishy look of a jelly but it super pigmented, requiring only 2 coats for a gorgeous finish. Sorry, I can't remember if I had applied top coat in these pics.

I am so, so glad I got this one. I fell in love with it on the first coat and am definitely adding it to my list of holy grail reds. There's just something so classic about it and I can see it working on a variety of skin tones. Formula was also fantastic and a dream to apply. I love this so much I am considering getting a backup of it. I want to go through my stash to see if I have anything similar but, so far, I haven't found an exact match.

This may not look like the most unique red but I love it. If you are a fan of reds or need a good, classic red, Killa Red is a knockout. The name is also fabulous and I feel like a sultry noir character when I wear it.

What do you think? Are you a fan of reds? I'd love to know what your favorite red polish shade is.

OPI DS Original

Hi everyone! Today I have an oldie but a goodie. I bought a bottle of OPI DS Original way early in my nail polish days, back when there were way fewer nail polish brands and I would pick up np wherever I would find it. I have no idea where I got this but clearly I had good taste even back then. DS Original is a gorgeous medium purple with insane holo effects. Had I known then what I knew now, I would have gotten a backup of this as well as all the other DS holos.

gah - look at this holo awesomeoness

Formula on this was a little watery but nothing I couldn't handle. I did 3 thin coats to get the level of color I wanted. You might be able to do 2 but I liked the look of 3 better. I didn't use a top coat on this though I am sure you could have. Since it's the old OPI formula, it did have a very strong chemical scent. I have forgotten what those old polishes smell like and it was pretty strong when I first cracked it open.

I totally forgot to take a picture of this one in the shade. I think I was just too mesmerized by the rainbows. Even though I know there are lots of good holos being made today, I still covet the DS holos. This remains one of my all time faves and I love wearing it when I feel the need for something extra special.

Do you have a special polish that is dear to your heart?