July is rewind month for Polish and Indie Pickup, meaning the makers have, for the most part, brought back popular items from prior months. This year, most makers have one rewind item at https://polishpickup.com/ and one in their shop (generally starting on 07/09). I thought I’d share some “normal person” swatches of the 11 polishes I own that are in PPU Rewind this month, plus AgAuCu’s contribution.
Alter Ego, “Altarf AKA Beta Cancri”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.
A warm yellow that is so packed with orange to pink shimmer and orange to gold, speckle effect flakes that it looks like a light orange. The only downside to this stunner is that it smells metallic as you paint it. It’s not strong, and it dissipates after top coat. I’m aware my skin looks bizarre in this photo, but you gotta do what you gotta do to try to get the polish accurate.
This was my first Alter Ego, and it remains my favorite Alter Ego, even though the others I’ve gotten are excellent. This is the only Rewind polish I’m considering buying a backup of.
Purchase here from 07/09-07/31/2019: https://wisconsinsoap.com
Bluebird Lacquer, “Centaur of Attention”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.
A super gorgeous, linear holo crimson. The description for this says opaque in 1 coat, and I suppose if you have short nails, it could be. It was mostly opaque in 2 for me, but I went for a 3rd for full depth of color and absolute opacity. (I have very transparent nails, so typically, I need 1 coat more of a polish for full opacity than the average wearer.)
This is my first Bluebird Lacquer, which is part of the draw of PPU for me - new makers that I can buy under one shipping cost. I would definitely buy more based on this polish.
Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/bluebird-lacquer-centaur-of-attention
Colores de Carol, “Balloon Dog”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.
A burnt orange metallic with flakes; both the polish and flakes shift from orange face-on to yellowy gold at an angle. This one could definitely have been opaque at 2 coats, but of course, I struggle a little painting with my left hand.
Typical, excellent Colores de Carol formula. I’d highly recommend CdC if you’ve never tried her brand.
Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/colores-de-carol-balloon-dog
Ethereal Lacquer, “Moonlit Machete”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.
A purple-leaning periwinkle jelly that’s stuffed with warm tone, iridescent flakes. I honestly have no idea how you could get away with less than 3 coats of this as the base is pretty sheer to allow the flakes to build up to this impact, but I’m not going to judge you if you stop at 2.
I bought this and “Little Oysters” practically simultaneously (“Little Oysters” was in Hella Handmade Creations the same month), so this is kind of my first Ethereal Lacquer polish. I would, and have, bought more polishes in this formula.
Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/ethereal-lacquer-moonlit-machete
Femme Fatale, “Mermaid Candy”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.
There’s no way I can describe this polish. Nutso, shimmery, flakie, glittery… explosion. The longer you look, the more you find. Because there’s no base color, you may need to do some spot treatments to get full coverage.
Anyone who knows anything about me and nail polish knows I’m obsessed with Femme Fatale, so yes, I would absolutely recommend this polish. Also, I’d definitely try using it as a topper over something dark.
Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/femme-fatale-mermaid-candy
KBShimmer, “If You Want My Bodice”
2 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.
A multichrome, scattered holo, flake filled… blurple? It’s teal blue face-on and purple on the immediate edges, with blue in between and greeny-gold on the far edges. There’s also what I think is holo glitter, but may be pigment as it’s linear. I don’t make polish. I don’t know. Anyway, I actually got this as a mystery from KBShimmer’s old packaging clearance rather than through PPU. No disappointment here.
I’ve only ever had 2 or 3 “bad” KBShimmers, and I own nearly a hundred, so I think I can safely recommend this brand. That said, this polish is not amazingly unique to my (enormous) collection, but I’d 100% recommend it if you’re not a psycho collector like I am.
Purchase here from 07/09-07/31/2019: https://www.kbshimmer.com/
Nailed It! Nail Polish, “Love, Trust, & Pixie Dust”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.
A silvery, glittery, sparkly… okay, it’s another one that needs a lot of descriptors because there is a lot going on. The most special moments, for me, are the vivid, pink to gold shimmer, and the iridescent hex glitters. Like the Femme Fatale, this relies on its components for opacity, so you may need to do a little spot treating to get full opacity. Such is the price for these spectacular polishes, honestly.
Nailed It! is way high up on the list of my favorite makers, like really super duper high up, and I really feel like she deserves more brand recognition than she gets. So, yes, I definitely recommend this polish, and brand overall.
Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/nailed-it-nail-polish-love-trust-pixie-dust
Nailed It! Nail Polish, “The Jackal”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.
A greyed-out blue polish. Nailed It! loves her shimmers, and this polish is no exception - the shimmer in this shifts from bright blue to purple, which is just striking in the greyed out base. It’s also crammed with speckle effect, blue to purple shifting flakes, and there’s a dusting of holo.
See prior image for how I feel about Nailed It! I’d also like to mention that this is one of my favorite polishes from her, thanks to the overall color, and that killer shimmer contrasting with the base.
Purchase here from 07/09-07/31/2019: https://nailedithawaii.com/
Painted Polish, “Ice & Fire”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.
I think the flakes speak for themselves in this green-kissed blue. I now dearly want the reverse of this - a red-orange base with blue flakes….
If there is one thing you need to know about Painted Polish, it’s that her formulas for her crellies are very thin. I don’t really mean sheer, I mean the viscosity regardless of pigment. I personally love this, as it means I can do 3 coats quickly and without ending up with a thick nail, but it can be a messy surprise if you’re not ready for it. Generally, I highly recommend Painted Polish, and I really love this polish in particular.
Purchase here from 07/09-07/31/2019: http://www.paintedpolish.com/product/ice-fire
Pretty Jelly, “Pumpkins at Duskfall”
2 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.
A stunning, dusty, warm toned purple packed with copper shimmer, coppery flakes, and copper, holo glitter in a couple sizes. The contrast between the purple and copper kills me. I think this polish actually could have stood to be a little more sheer to get more impact with building up the flakes and glitter, but that’s not really a criticism.
This is my first polish from Pretty Jelly. I would definitely try more, but I don’t think the way this polish sort of clings to itself is beginner-friendly. But, I think it would just take two nails to get the hang of it, and the final look is way worth the effort.
Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/pretty-jelly-pumpkins-at-duskfall
Wildflower Lacquer, “Moose”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.
I feel like calling this a brown metallic does it no justice, so let me be clear: this shifts, somehow, from red all the way to green, hitting orange and gold in between, and is packed to the brim with a rainbow explosion of flakes. But you would not be wrong if you called it brown… just know it’s not, at all, somehow.
Wildflower Lacquer is another brand I highly recommend and think deserves more attention. I think anyone who likes neutrals with something extra would love this addition to their collection, and I think anyone who doesn’t like neutrals will be thrilled with this shifty polish, too.
Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/wildflower-lacquer-moose
AgAucu, “Phone Home”
Earrings.
Finally, I’m bringing back the Phone Home earrings in the original cobalt blue. I like these a lot, but I’m biased, so….
Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/agaucu-phone-home-earrings
AgAuCu, “Phone Home”
Earrings.
Variety of colors.
My second rewind item is the Phone Home earrings in a variety of colors! I was going to bring black to the PPU shop and the variety to my shop, but supplies dwindled abruptly. Alas. Oh well, I still love these all.
Purchase here from 07/09-07/31/2019: https://www.agaucu.com/jewelry/phone-home-earrings
That’s it! I have a few rewind polishes I’m planning on picking up, but not many. I tend to completely dismiss a product once I’ve decided not to get it.
What’s on your list? Have you already placed your PPU order? How many rewind items are you getting from the makers’ shops?