Best of 2012: Indie Polishes

I've been umming and ahing over this post for a week now. Favourite indie polishes of 2012? 2012 was the year of the indie. So many fantastic sellers popped up and so many stunning polishes were released.

It hasn't helped that the post started again on the 3rd and I received my KBShimmers in the mail... Just when I thought I had everything sorted! It also didn't help that I kept finding pictures I'd forgotten about.

So whilst I'm happy with this list... I do have other favourites and really should have made a top 50 list instead!

Pretty and Polished Candy Corn

Pretty and Polshed Candy Corn topped with Phoenix

 We'll start with my of my favourite manis this year. Candy Corn with Phoenix... I loved wearing this combination. What made it super exciting was the colour change in Candy Corn that gave my nails a very awesome gradient look most of the day.

Now I'm going to cheat a little and list all the Floam polishes I managed to get my hands on! Floam was on of the breakthrough polishes of the year. Everyone wanted their hands on Floam...and eventually I got my hands on Floam...Spooky Floam...Sunny Floam...Girly Floam...Candy Cane Floam... I haven't included Candy Cane Floam in my favourites, because to be honest it was really not one of my favourite polishes. I felt like I was wearing bloody bandages on my nails.

Spooky Floam

Girly Floam

Sunny Floam

Floam

Phew! That is a lot of Floam.

Naild'it Hocus Bogus over Orly Frisky

Naild'it Hocus Bogus over Rimmel Climax

 An indie brand I have fallen in love with in the laer half of this year is Naild'it. Some of the swatches I'd seen of polishes had not enticed me to want to try them... but I bit the bullet and ordered Hocus Bogus and never looked back. Naild'it polishes are so much more beautiful in person. I wants them all... in fact my collection has been growing a little too rapidly.

Pretty and Polished Happy Holodays Ruby

Pretty and Polished Happy Holodays Glitter Topper

 I love Christmas. I love Christmas related polishes. I love when someone else chooses polishes for me that are exactly what I have been dreaming off. Michaela from Nail Polish Anon was my polish elf and sent me these two gorgeous polishes from Pretty and Polished. I'm so glad she didn't decide to keep them for herself!

Dollish Polish Lipstick around Your Dipstick

 Mid year when I was feeling gliter overload Dollish Polish released some naughty shimmers perfect for summer fun. My favourite of the bunch was Lipstick Around Your Dipstick. Such a fun bright pretty colour.

Pahlish Total Eclipse of the Heart

 I fell in love with pretty princess glitters this year. The sparkliest and most princess glitter of all (in my opinion) was Pahlish Total Eclipse of the Heart. I've seen a lot of people layer this polish spectacularly, but I really enjoyed wearing it alone.

Pahlish Fire in the Taco Bell

 Fire in the Tace Bell was another Pahlish polish I fell in love with. I love wearing bright orange polish and the pink and iridescent glitters in this one are stunning. I especially enjoyed layering it over OPI A Roll in the Hauge fro a quick bright mani.

Lush Lacquer Mr Bubble over Color Club Factory Girl

 Lush Lacquer hit nail polish land by storm. Everyone wanted some Lush Lacquers for themselves. It helped that whilst other indie sellers had shops on vacation to catch up on orders Lush Lacquer was always open. It may have taken longer to get an order... but you knew you'd secured your precious polishes. One of my faves from them was Mr Bubbles.

Girly Bits Heirloom over SH Crinoline

 I have a Girly Bits obsession. There I've said it. I admit it. I'm obsessed. Most own all the Girly Bits. It realy does help that every single polish released is absolutely stunning. Heirloom is such a pretty blend of vintage tones. It really does make me feel as thogh I'm in a Victorian Christmas...with wi-fi...my ipad...digital camera...air con...

Girly Bits Eight Crazy Nights over SH Navy Baby

 Yes another Girly Bits polish. Eight Crazy Nights is all kinds of crazy stunning. Originally it wasn't on my wish list but, when another polish I wanted wasn't available... Eight Crazy Nights jumped into my cart. I love it over this dark navy. And it looks stunning over light colours as well. Just crazy sparkly!

Lush Lacquer Once Upon a Time over Color Club Foil Me Once

 Another princess glitter. Lush Lacquer Once Upon a Time is a polish I fell quickly in love. Whilst perfect alone I decided to layer it conserve the beauty. I never want to run out.

KBSHimmer Wrappers Delight over OPI Golden Eye

 My love affair with KBShimmer started late this year. Not that I didn't want the polishes before hand... I just lucked out and never managed to get any during the restocks. I finally got my hands on some though! This is the perfect Christmas glitter. It's chunky enough to stand out... but not too over the top.

Girly Bits You're a Mean One over Sinful Colors Olympia

 Another Girly Bits... I love Dr Seuss. I'm forever reading Dr Seuss books to my class. The illustrations are amazing. You're a Mean One was my Christmas Day mani... love love love.

Daily Lacquer Minako

 Daily Lacquer was a new indie that I noticed late this year. I immediately purchased the Sailor Moon polishes...because Sailor Moon is awesome. This is Minako, inspired by of course Sailor Venus. I didn't expect to love it so much. I thought I'd love the glitter toppers most...but this orange strewn with blue, red, orange and moons really captured my heart.

All That Glitters Book Smart Beauty over CG Kalahari Kiss

 Ahhh....More princess nails. How could I not order the princess polishes from All That Glitters? After all I am an aspiring princess at heart. Belle has always been my favourite, so a gorgeous polish inspired by her is definitely on my list!

Rainbow Honey 20% Cooler over OPI Fly

 Multi coloured rainbow glitter...yes please! Rainbow Honey creates the cutest bottles and boxes I have ever seen for polish. 20% Cooler was my favourite rainbow glitter in a year filled with rainbow glitters.

All That Glitters Home By Midnight over CG Sea Spray

 Yes another princess polish. Home By Midnight was of course inspired by Cinderella. I love the icy blue glitter.

Dollish Polish We're Simply Meant to Be over CG Sweet Hook

 I have had a love affair going with Dollish Polish for awhile now. We're Simply Meant To Be was my surprise favourite this year. I fell in love with this almost awkward mix of colours inspired by Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas. I have worn it at least 4 times since I purchased it.

KBShimmer Oh Splat!

 What would a top 20 list of 2012 be with out a white based glitter polish? KBShimmer Oh Splat! was my favourite of the year, mostly because the formula was a dream to work with and the glitters were the perfect rainbow if colour.

Girly Bits Ornamental My Dear Watson over SH Himalayan Blue

Girly Bits Ornamental My Dear Watson over Picture Polish Tease

And lastly yet another Girly Bits polish. Ornamental My Dear Watson...I don't think I have to explain this one! Just look at the gorgeous mix of colours and fabulous distribution... I want to wear it over all the colours.

Well that's my favourite indie polishes of 2012.

I found it incredibly hard to narrow it down to 20. Ok, so there were 23 thanks to the Floams! I realised there is one polish missing however.  Nail Pattern Boldness Bitches Brew. I can't find my picture of Bitches Brew. When I do I'll edit it into my list...and then it'll be 24 gorgeous indie polishes.

Best of 2012: Mainstream Collection

Well yesterday I posted a massive post full of my favourite 'mainstream' polishes from 2012. Today I have my favourite collection.

I had no trouble deciding what my favourite mainstream brand of 2012 was. China Glaze.
To be honest CG have released so many collections this year that anyone was bound to find a favourite polish amoungst them. In fact a number of China Glaze polishes made it into my top 20 list.

My favourite collection this year was by far the Electro pop collection from spring.
I have worn these polishes more often than any other polish I own. The cremes are the perfect base for glitter, in fact so many of my glitter swatches are over cremes from this collection, Gothic Lolita has hardly left my toes this year and Sunshine Pop was such a pretty pop of colour during winter. The only polish I'm not in love with from this collection is Techno.

Dance Baby

Sweet Hook

Fuchsia Fanatic

Gothic Lolita

Kinetic Candy

Electric Beat

Make Some Noise

Gaga for Green

Sunshine Pop

Aquadelic

Techno over Aquadelic

Wicked Style

I'm looking forward to the 2013 Spring collection from China Glaze.

Best of 2012: Mainstream Polishes

Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's 2013 already. To think I finished high school in 2003...
I feel so old, yet I know I'm not old at all.

Anyway... I'll reminisce latter. This post is all about my favourites of 2012.

Over the next few days I have four posts lined up.
My favourite 'mainstream' polishes.
My favourite 'mainstream' collection.
My favourite 'indie' polishes.
My favourite 'indie' collection.

Today I have my favourite 'mainstream' polishes to share.
2012 was a fabulous year for polish and I found it incredibly hard to narrow down my list... so I chose 20 of my favourites. The criteria was polishes I've worn more than once and couldn't live with out!

These are in no particular order, I love them all.

Color Club Blue Heaven

Blue holo... no explanation needed!

Color Club Ho-ho-holly

Ho-ho-holly filled the green gap in my jewel tone foil collection.

OPI Is That Silva?

I had to include a magnetic! Is That Silva? is my fave. Diagonal magnet, strong contrast and holo sparkles.

China Glaze Cranberry Splash

I'm not normally a red person, but wow as soon as I received Cranberry Splash  it went straight on my nails and stayed there a good few days... then was reapplied.

China Glaze Blue Bells Ring

I don't have much to say about Blue Bells Ring other than, I am in love.

China Glaze Exotic Encounter

Exotic Encounter is the perfect murky blued green.

China Glaze I'm Not Lion

I'm Not Lion is my favourite of the bunch of fine glitters with holo that China Glaze has released this year.

Picture Polish Tease

Tease and I fell in love at first sight. All the sparkle of glitter but smooth.

China Glaze Running in Circles

As soon as I applied Running in Circles I never, ever wanted to take it off.

Picture Polish Ruby Blou

Ruby Blou is a very pretty mix of patriotic toned glitter. I love it over light blue and can't wait to try it over a pale pink.

Essie Play Date

Play Date is a gorgeous fun purple. Another I just keep going back to.

OPI I Don't Give a Rotterdam

I love blues and I love the shimmer in I Don't a Rotterdam.

OPI Petal Faster Suzi

Petal Faster Suzi is the perfect delicate pink.

Sinful Colors Zeus

Zeus is stunning. The pink flash is gorgeous. Another that I just kept wearing this year!

Sinful Colors Grecian Sun

Grecian Sun is hands down my favourite blue of all time. I really need a back up bottle.

China Glaze Fast Track

I've been loving neutrals this year and Fast Track was my favourite.

China Glaze Riveting

I love wearing orange polish and Riveting is stunning. I've seen it on so many best of lists this year.

Sinful Colors Olympia

Olympia is not a colour I would have normally reached for, but as soon as I applied it I fell in love.

Essie She's Picture Perfect

She's Picture Perfect is another pink flash polish. I couldn't get enough of them this year. 

RBL Aqua Lily

And Aqua Lily. I really don't need to explain this one! LOVE!!!