Light It Up Blue!

A few friends of mine in a nail polish group were fawning over a Twilight-themed polish made by a maker I'd never heard of, Different Dimension.  Since I really don't like my men sparkly, I looked through the rest of the store.  There were Big Bang Theory-themed polishes (LOVE that show) and 50 Shades of Grey-themed polishes (Yes, I read the books), but the polishes that caught my eye the most were her two Autism-themed polishes.

I got in touch with the maker and she offered me a discount if I reviewed her polishes on the blog.  So, here we have my FIRST review and my FIRST Autism-related polishes.  I was so excited to have my two worlds come together!

First up we have Light It Up Blue (for Autism).  This bottle shot is taken from her Etsy store.

The polish has a clear base with lots of different blue, white and holographic glitters.  It also glows in the dark!

For my mani, I started with a layer of ORLY Primetime (which I use to help prevent chipping).  Then came a layer of CND Stickey since I wanted to try something new and my beloved ORLY Bonder ran out.  After that came two coats of Zoya Robyn (which is one of my favorite blues of all time).  A great group of gals and I are doing a Zoya-week challenge, so I knew exactly which Zoya to use on this mani!

After Robyn dried, I applied two coats of Light It Up Blue (for Autism).  This polish applied wonderfully!  It was thick but workable.  The glitters stayed without any issues and even the bigger hex glitters were easily managable.  A coat of Gelous and a coat of HK Girl finished it off!

I wasn't able to get the polish to glow, but I think the two top coats didn't help much.  I, however, can't do a mani without my beloved HK Girl!  You can find HK Girl here at Glisten and Glow - thanks Jill for everything you do!  If you've never checked out Glisten & Glow, check it out on Facebook!

Back to business - I LOVE THIS MANI!  It's bright and sparkly and I just know it will be a conversation piece.  The polish was inspired by Autism Speaks and World Autism Day (4/2/12) and her two children on the spectrum, so 50% of this polish and Puzzle Pieces (a future post) are donated to Autism Speaks.  WOW!

Check the polish out here and the rest of her store here.  You can also become a fan of hers on Facebook here.  While you check out Missi's page on Facebook, feel free to become a fan of Polished Pieces.  :)

From one puzzled mommy to another, thanks Missi for creating a polish that looks good and will help our children!  I can't wait to try out Puzzle Pieces!  Word on the street says she's going to help me create my dream polish (black jelly with bright pink, turquoise and holographic glitters)!

Light It Up Blue (for Autism) retails for $10, but remember that $5 will go to Autism Speaks, which really is a great organization!

Until the next mani, stay puzzled and polished!

<3m

(Note: This product was purchased by me at a discount for my honest review.)

Introducing the W.A.V.E. Scale!

Since I've written a pieces post, it's only fair that I give you my few readers a polished post!

As I mentioned eariler, I will be working with many lovely ladies for the Lacquer Clones project.  I will be contributing some swatch sticks for some comparison posts, and I'm also planning on some posts of my own.

Each polish will be rated on the W.A.V.E. scale.  What is that you ask?  I have to give a shout-out to one of my TV boyfriends, Adam Richman for the idea via his B.I.T.E scale.

• W - Wear (Most polishes can chip very easily or have massive tip wear.  How does the polish wear?)
• A - Application (Depending on the polish, application can be a dream or a nightmare.  Will putting on this polish make you want to rip your nails off?)
• V - Value (Polishes can cost anywhere from $1.99 to $30.00 or more based on how easy they are to find.  Do you have to give up a limb or a paycheck to get the polish?)
• E - Exuberance (Some polishes can show up like rainbows in the shade and others need a little sunshine to help.  Does this polish give you the WOW factor?)

To test it out, here's my newest mani:

It's Jade Violetta (I'm loving the Jades I have so far) with an accent nail of Wet n Wild It's All in the Cut.  It's a mani that I'm really loving and getting a lot of comments on.  It's not the cleanest mani, but I'm getting better.

Jade Violetta
W - This polish wears like iron!  It can last 4-5 days with no chipping which is unheard of for holos!
A - Application was a dream.  Two coats wih no color underwear needed.
V- Depending on where you get the polish from, it can run you anywhere from $7.50 to $10.00.  This is mid-range for a holo but it's well worth it!
E - In the shade, in the sun, in the dark (well, that might be a stretch) this polish glows rainbows!

Wet n Wild It's All in the Cut
W - This polish, like a lot of chunky glitters, peeled right off after about 24 hours.
A - Application was not as bad as some glitters I've tried, but it wasn't super smooth.  It took about a coat and a half.
V - Wet n Wild is one of the most affordable polishes out there.  This one was discontinued, but there are other ways to get it (that's a whole 'nother post).
E - It's a gorgeous color with lavender and pink and holographic giltter.  Doesn't take much for it to shine.

Until the next mani, stay puzzled and polished!


<3m

Hello World!

Welcome to my little slice of cyberspace.  If you're not familiar with me, my name is Mandy.  I'm a 27-year-old born and raised in Milwaukee, WI.  I've been married to my Jersey boy at heart, Blake for almost 6 and a half years.  Together, we have a 4-year-old handsome handful named Cristian.

I've tried this blogging thing several times before, but nothing has ever stuck.  Yet, each time I stop I get the itch to blog again.  I've never really had any real motivation or direction before.  I really had to look into what makes me tick.  Thus, Polished Pieces was born.

Here is what you'll be reading from me:

Lacquer Lovin'

The polished part.  If you know me, you know I'm obsessed with nail polish.  My nails are almost always painted and it's a joke in my house that I single-handedly keep the USPS in business.  I've met some wonderful ladies who I am blessed to call my friends because of nail polish communities on Facebook who even helped name this blog!

You will be seeing dupe posts to help Lacquer Clones with their awesome project that will change the nail polish world!  You will be seeing my successes and fails with nail art.  You will see my love for holographic polishes and glitter, along with my favorite manicures.

and...

Gift of AWE-tism

The pieces part.  The symbol for Autism, if you're not aware, is the puzzle piece.  My son was diagnosed with PDD-NOS on July 11, 2011.  My world has been turned upside down and I mean that in the most positive and loving way.  I'm not an expert, but I am learning each and every day.  Just like my nail polish girls and I stick together, and my loved ones supporting me on my weight loss journey, a good support system is key for any family dealing with the gift of Autism.

You will read about Cristian's good days and bad, as well as my parenting successes and fails.  You will read about what I've learned and what I am learning as a Special Needs parent.  You will read about what resources have helped us and what resources are available because this road can be a very lonely one if you don't have the right tools.

There will be a few miscellaneous posts about family, love, friends and my journey to find healthy curves, but the bulk will be about my puzzled and polished life.  Why?  This is my world right now.  It's all I know and I'm excited to have you along for the ride!

Until the next mani, stay puzzled and polished!
<3m