*Disclosure: Press samples – I received these polishes for free, some with additional compensation, in exchange for swatch photography. All reviews and opinions are my own.*
Hello lovely readers! I cannot believe the time has come for the next Polish Pickup shop – the first in 2022! It’s been a whirlwind of a year in 2021, and I’m still somewhat in denial about the fact that it’s coming to a close. This blog post isn’t my first post of 2022, but it is the first one to talk about polishes releasing in 2022.
The January 2022 Polish Pickup (PPU) will be open from January 7-10 on the Polish Pickup site, and the theme this month was spices and condiments. All of the makers brought their A game this month – there’s such an amazing spread (pun intended) of polishes to pick from. I have 16 items to share with you today – 13 polishes and 3 IPU items, so let’s get into it!
BCB Lacquers: Himalayan Crystals
Himalayan Crystals is described as a soft pink/grey base with a pink/orange shift, pink/purple/blue iridescent flakes and holo flakes. It is inspired by Himalayan Pink Salt.
Himalayan Crystals had a slightly thicker formula that was smooth and self-leveling. I thought the base and flakes paired so well together.
Shown is two coats plus glossy top coat.
Himalayan Crystals will be available for $13 with a cap of 300.
BCB Lacquers: Whipped Sugar Scrub in Sweet & Spicy
Sweet & Spicy is described as a fun twist on your favorite orange scents! A whipped sugar scrub with Valencia Orange, Sparkling Bergamot, Tangerine Zest, Orange Juice, Neroli, Ground Pepper, Fiery Chili Pepper & Sheer Musk. The scrub has white and brown sugar for extra exfoliation. Base is tinted with gold mica to give it the orange color and shimmer! Throughout the scrub you will see red jojoba beads. Sweet & Spicy is inspired by sweet orange chili pepper oil.
BCB’s whipped sugar scrubs are super easy to use, and don’t irritate your hands at all. It also smells divine!
Sweet & Spicy will be available for $9.50 with a cap of 75.
Bees Knees Lacquer: Smut is a Must
Smut is a Must is described as a soft mauve to purple pastel multichrome with rose gold metallic flakes. It is inspired by spicy book scenes.
Smut is a Must had a smooth formula, with its flakes even and dense. The polish was fine at two coats but I went for three due to seeing the slightest bit of nail line, and because I wanted a stronger multichrome build.
Shown is three coats plus glossy top coat.
Smut is a Must will be available for $13 with no cap.
Cupcake Polish: I Know It’s Extra
I Know It’s Extra is described as a medium green creme nail polish filled with red to gold iridescent flakies and scattered red and gold metallic flakies. It is inspired by guacamole.
I Know It’s Extra was smooth in formula and even with its flakes. The flake mix is well distributed and lied flat.
Shown is two coats plus glossy top coat.
I Know It’s Extra will be available for $13 with no cap.
Cuticula: Chip Chip Hooray!
Chip Chip Hooray! is described as a violet plum jelly base with glass flakes in purple/red, blue/green, and orange/gold. It is inspired by Tostitos Salsa.
Chip Chip Hooray! had a smooth formula, with its flakes lying even and flat. The flakes come out with high density, and the polish dries a bit flat.
Shown is two coats plus glossy top coat, then with matte top coat (I used Cuticula’s Cloud Cover, which is reviewed next!).
Chip Chip Hooray! will be available for $13 with no cap.
Cuticula: Cloud Cover Matte Top Coat in Mango Papaya
Cloud Cover Matte Top Coat in ‘Mango Papaya’ is described as having fresh and sweet notes of mango and papaya. This matte top coat has that perfect chalk board finish for an ultimate matte effect. The scent pairs with Cuticula’s PPU inspo of salsa with mango salsa.
The scent descriptions here are definitely accurate – you get a slightly sweet and fresh fruity scent with primary notes of mango. This was my first time working with Cloud Cover, and I thought it was fantastic: the formula is smooth and easy, mattefies quickly, and the smell lingers for quite some time.
Cloud Cover will be available for $9.50 with no cap.
Dam Nail Polish: Purple Mayo?!
Purple Mayo?! is described as a white crelly with assorted purple, gold, and navy star glitters with a subtle pink shimmer. It is inspired by a special bottle of “Garlic and Caramelised Onion” mayonnaise with a beautiful purple and gold printed design on the bottle.
Purple Mayo?! had a smooth and creamy crelly base. Its glitters are evenly mixed, but I did need to fish a little bit for the star glitters (I also placed them intentionally). The pink shimmer is also more apparent in person than in photos.
Shown is two coats plus a glitter grabbing top coat, and then glossy top coat.
Purple Mayo?! will be available for $13 with a cap of 200.
Dreamland Lacquer: Sage Advice
Sage Advice is described as a pale sage green base filled with holo flakes and aurora shimmer that shifts from red to gold to green. It is inspired by white sage.
Sage Advice had a slightly lighter formula, although it was still self-leveling and even in application. I recommend going for thinner coats when applying this polish, as it does remain a tiny bit sheer at three coats.
Shown is three coats plus glossy top coat.
Sage Advice will be available for $12 with a cap of 375.
Glisten & Glow: Sweet N’ Low On the Go
Sweet N’ Low On the Go is described as a soft bubble gum pink polish loaded with blue/purple iridescent flakes and added aqua and blue shimmers. It is inspired by Sweet N’ Low, the pink sugar substitute.
Sweet N’ Low On the Go had a smooth formula with a sheer base. The flakes blend in with the base, but do lie flat and even.
Shown is three coats plus glossy top coat.
Sweet N’ Low On the Go will be available for $13 with no cap.
Glisten & Glow: Glitter Grabber
Glisten & Glow brings us their popular Glitter Grabber for IPU this month. Glitter Grabber is an amazing product that gets applied after any
glitter or flakie dense manicure is done and it’s fully dry and before your top coat. It aids in creating a smoother surface for your top coat or matte top coat all while “grabbing” that extra texture!
I have a few collages that show the difference between having and not having one coat of Glitter Grabber.
Glitter Grabber will be available for $8 with no cap. The glitter crelly in my photos is Glisten & Glow’s Mummy of the Year.
Jen & Berries: What did the mama tomato say to her little one?
What did the mama tomato say to her little one? is described as a deep red with black and metallic red flakes and holographic microflakies.
What did the mama tomato say to her little one? had a smooth and even formula. The polish was self-leveling and the flake mix is dense. I recommend going for medium/thick coats when applying this polish.
Shown is two coats plus glossy top coat.
What did the mama tomato say to her little one? will be available for $12.50 with a cap of 200.
Kathleen & Co: Saffron Crocus
Saffron Crocus is described as a purple crelly with red/gold shifting flakes. It is inspired by saffron.
Saffron Crocus had jelly-like formula with flakes that were medium dense. The polish was fine at two coats, but I did see a slight shadow of visible nail line so went for a third coat.
Shown is three coats plus glossy top coat, then with matte top coat.
Saffron Crocus will be available for $13 with a cap of 500.
Lilypad Lacquer: Some like it hot
Some like it hot is described as an orange/brown jelly filled with orange/red/gold iridescent flakies. It is inspired by vindaloo curry.
Some like it hot had a jelly base with lightly dense flakes. The polish when applied has a more brown-leaning base than in the bottle.
Shown is three coats plus glossy top coat.
Some like it hot will be available for $14 with no cap.
Nailed It: Salty Seacrets
Salty Seacrets is described as a sheer peachy pink base packed with gold/green crystal flakies, a copper to gold to green shifting shimmer, and holo flakies. It is inspired by Hawaiian Sea Salt.
Salty Seacrets had a smooth, slightly thicker formula that was densely packed with flakes. The flakes lie flat, and the base looked like an orange-leaning nude on my skin tone.
Shown is two coats plus glossy top coat, then with matte top coat.
Salty Seacrets will be available for $13 with a cap of 300.
Paint it Pretty: With A Cherry On Top
With A Cherry On Top is described as a magenta jelly nail polish with irridescent flakes in pink, purple and orange. It is inspired by cherry flavour dipping sauce.
With A Cherry On Top had an opaque and slightly thicker base, likely due to the flakes. The flakes were flat and dense.
Shown is two coats plus glossy top coat.
With A Cherry On Top will be available for $13 with a cap of 120.
Rogue Lacquer: Mr. Rogue’s Special Sauce
Mr. Rogue’s Special Sauce is described as an ox blood holo with red to gold shifting shimmer and holo flake. It is inspired by the British HP sauce.
Mr. Rogue’s Special Sauce had an amazingly smooth and opaque formula. It was fully opaque in one medium coat, but I did two coats because it felt weird not to do two (doing a second coat didn’t change the opacity). I was honestly shook at how opaque, smooth, and shimmery the formula was.
Shown is two coats plus glossy top coat.
Mr. Rogue’s Special Sauce will be available for $13 with no cap.
Let me know if you pick any of these up, and thank you so much for reading! Wishing you all a wonderful start to the new year.
XOXO,
Lauren