Showing posts with label The Ultimate Outlaw Collection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Ultimate Outlaw Collection. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Literary Lacquer: Ultimate Outlaw Collection [3]


And the final three from the Literary Lacquer Ultimate Outlaw collection are just as beautiful as the first five! If you want to see those, check part 1 and part 2.

As with the other parts, I'll put the inspiration and Amy's notes in the blockquote, and my comments outside it. Let's get started!

Ether Binge, inspired by Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, a shimmering aquamarine holo with blue-green glass fleck.
The trunk of the car looked like a mobile police narcotics lab. We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers . . . and also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls . . . Not that we needed all that for the trip, but once you get locked into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can. The only thing that really worried me was the ether. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge. And I knew we'd get into that rotten stuff pretty soon.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas chronicles (semi-autobiographically) the Las Vegas adventures of Raoul Duke and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, as they chase the American Dream and ponder the failure of the 1960s counter-cultural movement in a drug-fueled hallucination-filled haze. On assignment from a sports magazine to cover "the fabulous Mint 400"--a free-for-all biker's race in the heart of the Nevada desert--the duo stumbles through Vegas in hallucinatory hopes of finding the American dream (two truck-stop waitresses tell them it's nearby, but can't remember if it's on the right or the left). They never get the story, but they do commit the only sins in Vegas: "burning the locals, abusing the tourists, terrifying the help."

Ether Binge is a beautiful bright turquoise - the perfect color for spring or summer! Looking at the polish certainly takes me to the land of daydreams! Imagining the perfect island paradise with rainbows and waters the color of..Oh! polish, yes yes. :) I wore three coats for full opacity, as I found this one to be just a touch on the sheer side. Formula was great, went on like butter!

xoxoJen's swatch of Ether Binge by Literary Lacquers
xoxoJen's swatch of Ether Binge by Literary Lacquers
xoxoJen's swatch of Ether Binge by Literary Lacquers

The Ultimate Outlaw, inspired by Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins, a sapphire blue holo.
Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice. Instead of vowing to honor and obey, maybe we should swear to aid and abet.

This quote is the inspiration for the entire collection; it was one of my very favorite books when I was in my late teens.. Robbins fascinated me as a young adult with his fast and loose writing style and penchant for outlaw philosophy. Still Life with Woodpecker chronicles the love affair of two redheads, Bernard Mickey Wrangle, the outlaw bomber philosopher (who is insistent upon explaining the difference between an outlaw and a criminal) and Leigh-Cheri Furstenberg-Barcalona, the environmentalist princess. The two arrive separately in Hawaii for the Care Fest, a gathering of environmental leaders and environmentalists in general (she to participate, he to blow it up), and they meet and fall in love. One part fairy tale, one part philosophical treatise on aspects of love and how to make it stay, and one part an exploration of the boundary between self and other and what happens when you attempt to transcend those boundaries, this book attempts to answer many of the perplexities of life.

The collections namesake, Ultimate Outlaw, is simply gorgeous. A perfect holographic shade of blue. In some lighting situations, it almost has a smokiness to it but in bright lighting its straight up blue. I am in love with it! I wore two coats, formula was awesome as usual!

xoxoJen's swatch of Ultimate Outlaw by Literary Lacquers
xoxoJen's swatch of Ultimate Outlaw by Literary Lacquers
xoxoJen's swatch of Ultimate Outlaw by Literary Lacquers

Everything You Love, inspired by The Color Purple by Alice Walker, a deep smoky lilac holo.
Oh, she say. God love all them feelings. That’s some of the best stuff God did. And when you know God loves ‘em you enjoys ‘em a lot more. You can just relax, go with everything that’s going, and praise God by liking what you like. God don’t think it dirty? I ast. Naw, she say. God made it. Listen, God love everything you love—and a mess of stuff you don’t.

The Color Purple chronicles the struggle of several black women in rural Georgia in the first half of the twentieth century. Upon publication in 1982, the book generated tremendous controversy, instigating debates about black cultural representation. Critics complained that the novel reaffirmed old racist stereotypes and focused too heavily on sexism instead of addressing American racism. Feminists praised the book as a feminist fable of the power of strong female relationships and the idea that gender and sexuality are not as simple as we may believe. The heated disputes surrounding The Color Purple are a testimony to the resounding effects the work has had on cultural and racial discourse in the United States.

And I saved one of my very favorites for last, Everything You Love. It stands up to its name for me, for sure! its a smokey purple shade that, in some lights, leans more violet and sometimes looks more mauve. Quite the enigma! I wore two coats, and just like the rest of the collection, the formula was superb.

xoxoJen's swatch of Everything You Love by Literary Lacquers
xoxoJen's swatch of Everything You Love by Literary Lacquers
xoxoJen's swatch of Everything You Love by Literary Lacquers


You may already know that I love purple and green together, so how could I resist not topping it with Two At The Very Most? I previously reviewed the topper over Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster and I'm Drinking Stars if you'd like to see its versatility. I think this glitter topper goes well over just about any shade, and I especially love it over Everything You Love!

xoxoJen's swatch of Everything You Love by Literary Lacquers
xoxoJen's swatch of Everything You Love by Literary Lacquers
xoxoJen's swatch of Everything You Love by Literary Lacquers


The entire Ultimate Outlaw Collection is available now at the Literary Lacquers shop! Which ones are your favorites?

xoxo, Jen signature

Friday, April 4, 2014

Literary Lacquer:Ultimate Outlaw Collection [2]

The Ultimate Outlaw: Polish inspired by literary outlaws and rebels, created by Literary Lacquers.
There are eight polishes in the collection, and I'm sharing two more of them today. If you missed part one, click here! I chose the peachy coral and velvety red for today's post, both are beautiful!

These polishes have some really great inspirations so I've included those along with Amy's comments in the quote blocks, my comments are outside those blocks.

Original Virtue, inspired by Oscar Wilde, a warm pinky-peach glass fleck shimmer
“Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man's original virtue. It is through disobedience and rebellion that progress has been made.”

Oscar Wilde is one of the original celebrity literary outlaws. Accused as a homosexual (which he most certainly was) by the father of his lover, Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas, he sued for libel, but was clearly the one on trial himself. Wilde withdrew his case but was ultimately arrested and convicted of gross indecency with other men and sentenced to two years hard labor. After his release, he left for France and never returned to Britain or Ireland.

Original Virtue is the perfect bright summer coral color with gold flakes that glisten in the sunlight. I enjoyed wearing this one and even got a few compliments on it! I tried this in three coats on its own first but there was still VNL so I layered two coats over Color Club's East Austin, the perfect undie for it!

xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquers Original Virtue
xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquers Original Virtue
xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquers Original Virtue

I just got some new chevron nail stickers from a recent ebay order so I thought I'd try them out with I'm Drinking Stars, a sheer nude holo also from LL. What do you think?

xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquers Original Virtue


And So I Step Up, inspired by The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, a merlot glass fleck shimmer.
“And so I step up, into the darkness within; or else the light.” Offred, the protagonist of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is a reluctant rebel. Over the course of the book, she thinks about rebellion often but is too afraid of pain to act directly. Offred is a handmaid, a fertile woman assigned to a Commander of the dystopian Gilead regime to bear a child for the Commander and his wife. In this version of the future set in barely recognizable Boston, women are property, not even allowed to read. Offred’s rebellions are small at first, stealing butter to moisturize her skin and taking a dried out flower from an arrangement, but she eventually begins an affair with the chauffeur, Nick. As the novel ends, the secret police are coming to take her away, but she’s told by Nick that it’s the rebellion coming to help her escape. We do not know if Offred is rescued or sent to her death, but as she steps up into the van and her own uncertain future we can only hope for her safety.

I'm not an avid book reader, but from the excerpt above it sounds like a great book! I can relate to being faced with challenges, risks, being cautious, and being deceived. And So I Step Up looks almost like velvet on the nail. It has depth and is a beautiful, almost smokey looking shade of red. I wore two coats with topcoat, the formula was smooth and easy to apply.

xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquers And So I Step Up
xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquers And So I Step Up
xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquers And So I Step Up

I have had NYX Girls Gilded for a very very long time and I figured it was high time I tried it out! I noticed that it darkened And So I Step Up just a little bit, but I think its pretty that way too. I've always thought that red and gold were a near perfect pairing on nails, and this didn't disappoint!

xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquers And So I Step Up

The entire Ultimate Outlaw collection is available now at Literary Lacquer's Etsy Shop. You can follow Literary Lacquer on Facebook too!

xoxo, Jen signature

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Literary Lacquer: Ultimate Outlaw Collection [1]


The Ultimate Outlaw: Polish inspired by literary outlaws and rebels, created by Literary Lacquers.
In this collection, there are eight polishes and I'm sharing three of them today but will be reviewing the other five as well. I was pretty excited when I opened the package and saw that all three of my favorite colors were part of this collection, so I swatched them first!

These polishes have some really great inspirations so I've included those along with Amy's comments in the quote blocks, my comments are outside those blocks.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we— Of many far wiser than we— And neither the angels in Heaven above Nor the demons down under the sea Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride, In her sepulchre there by the sea— In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Edgar Allan Poe is the father of the modern horror genre and Annabel Lee is the last poem he completed before his death. Annabel Lee represents one of Poe’s favorite themes, the death of a young, beautiful woman. Poe’s fascination with love, death and insanity permeates all his works; his version of horror is a psychological one. His enduring popularity owes a great deal to his image as a tortured soul who married his teenaged cousin and after losing her to consumption, spent the rest of his short life drowning his sorrows in brandy and opium, before dying penniless at the age of 40.

Annabel Lee is a sparkle packed grey crelly which is sheer enough to wear over a color - imagine the possibilities!
I chose Zoya Dove, a near perfect shade match to show off the base color of Annabel Lee. I wore one coat in the photos, but if you want even more sparkle go for two! Speaking of sparkles, this has iridescent, holographic and opalescent ones!

xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquer - Annabel Lee
xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquer - Annabel Lee
xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquer - Annabel Lee

I received almost all the Vivid Lacquer stamping plates for Christmas and I was inspired by the poem to create nail art with them! I chose black and white to signify death and life and I chose the heart pattern to signify the love he describes.



It was all unknown to me then, as I sat on that white bench on the day I finished my hike. Everything except the fact that I didn't have to know. That is was enough to trust that what I'd done was true. To understand its meaning without yet being able to say precisely what it was, like all those lines from The Dream of a Common Language that had run through my nights and days. To believe that I didn't need to reach with my bare hands anymore. To know that seeing the fish beneath the surface of the water was enough. That it was everything. It was my life - like all lives, mysterious and irrevocable and sacred. So very close, so very present, so very belonging to me. How wild it was, to let it be

Wild is Cheryl Strayed's first-person memoir of her 1,100-mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail through California and Oregon to the border of Washington State. After Cheryl’s mother died, she was on a downward spiral - heroin and one night stands which led to the destruction of her marriage. After her divorce, with very little left to lose, she decided to embark on a challenging hike despite having very little experience. She hoped to save her own life as she explored the wilderness. The book is jam packed with truth and vivid description, from the importance of the right footwear to how to accept grief without allowing it to obliterate us. This book literally made me laugh and cry, sometimes in the same paragraph.

Mysterious Irrevocable Sacred is perfection. is flawless. is best. and awesome. in a bottle. on the nail. in any light. formula. irresistible. gahhh!!
Yep - this is how my brain was thinking with the first stroke of the brush. I couldn't form sentences or complete thoughts; I was speechless. If you love this shade of polish, you neeeeeeeeeeeed to have a bottle, because its all that and a bag of chips!
LA Salzy, a nail friend of mine, had a custom created by Amy from LL and this polish is based on that custom of hers - a deep blurple holo with blue and purple glass fleck.
Please don't lick the screen...unless you really really want to! I wore two coats for opacity.

xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquer - Mysterious Irrevocable Sacred
xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquer - Mysterious Irrevocable Sacred
xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquer - Mysterious Irrevocable Sacred

I remembered a couple of other polishes that Amy had made that I was gaga over like this one and they both go perfectly with M.I.S. and also go with the story. Moons meaning a new day is ahead or to reach for the stars and the blackened glitter gradient rising up the nail to signify that dark place of the past and how she rose out of it. First I layered Goodnight Moon over the entire nail and next, the free edge is covered in Camille Sepharial D'Artigo and gently brushed upward to create a slight glitter gradient.

xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquer - Mysterious Irrevocable Sacred

The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac is a largely autobiographical work that was based on the spontaneous road trips of Kerouac and his friends across mid-20th century America on a quest for meaning and belonging in a changing world. It is a defining work of the postwar Beat Generation that was inspired by jazz, poetry, and drug experiences. It rejected the societal norms of the time and ushered in a new concept of personal freedom and the ideals of the Beat Generation and their longing to find meaning in life.

The Mad Ones is a beautiful mint green holo and its a morpher depending on the lighting. In full sunlight it is more of a creamy mint and in warm lighting it leans lime! The photos were shot under lamps indoors and the color is close to how it looks in full sun, but not quite as pastel. Definitely one of those polishes that people want to grab your hand to study a bit closer! I used two coats and topcoat for the swatches.

xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquer - The Mad Ones
xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquer - The Mad Ones
xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquer - The Mad Ones

More stamping! I'm having fun learning how to use those plates and this was the first time I got all the stamps how I wanted on the first try! I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. :) I chose the fireworks stamp from plate VL015 and a golden polish because of this line: "yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars." I shot both a gloss and mattified image to show more detail.
xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquer - The Mad Ones

xoxoJen's swatch of Literary Lacquer - The Mad Ones

I hope you've had fun reading the quote snippets and learning a bit about the authors with me. I don't read books, so I found this all very interesting!
The entire Ultimate Outlaw collection launches March 26 at 10am CDT at Literary Lacquer's Etsy Shop. You can follow Literary Lacquer on Facebook too!

xoxo, Jen signature