Tips and Tricks: Glitter Fishing!

We've all done it, and it can be quite frustrating right?
I am here to help! With my list of tips and tricks, you're bound to be successful at glitter fishing!

I've spent a lot of time with glitter toppers this past year and some of them have glitters that are difficult to get out of the bottle and that's when I decided to start taking notes on what worked and what didn't. I asked my facebook friends for their favorite tips and tricks as well!

Glitter should be suspended in the base, if all the glitter in the bottle is at the bottom then the formulation is bad. Heavier chunkier glitter may end up closer to the bottom because sometimes the suspension base just cannot hold those up, but the rest should still be suspended. Heavy glitters also slip off the brush faster, so these tips are for that. Lynderella glitter polishes are good example of correct suspension of glitters. If all your glitters are sunk in the bottle, that is a whole other issue and should be corrected by the maker.

Some of the methods work better for certain toppers than others, so I compiled a complete list of successful methods to share with you today!

But first a few tips from my friends over at facebook!

Sheila says - The main way I do it is before I use a glitter polish, I do my "toothpick method" - scrape a toothpick quickly down the sides and across the bottom all the way around the bottle - it sort of "floats" the glitters so you can get them on the brush.

Mel says - If i wish i don't pick up a large glitter, it never fails that what i get, so i use reverse psychology.
And there's usually lots of cussing.

Karel says - I turn the bottle upside down for several minutes to a half hour before use to bring the heavier glitters to the top then I swoosh my brush around instead of dipping straight in.

Caterina says - I quickly dive straight in and out fast! To catch big glitters before they have time to swim away!

Brittany says - I turn the bottle upside down for a few min then just keep dipping the brush in the polish til I get what I'm looking for lol

And now for my detailed list!
After reading, feel free to take and share the quick reference guide image located at the bottom of the entry.

Lets get started!

1. Shake and then set the bottle upside down on its cap for about ten minutes before you polish and then do so every few nails. This lets the heavier glitter pieces float to the top of the bottle.

2. Sometimes the glitter gets on the brush but then slides right off before you have a chance. When that happens, watch the inside neck of the bottle and catch the glitters with the brush before they fall back into the polish.

3. Use a dotting tool or toothpick to grab them off the plastic stick part of the polish brush. Sometimes the big glitters are way up near the top after having followed tip #1.

4. I find that the more I use a polish the more those big pieces tend to stick to the brush. So my thought is that the brush gets sticky from being out in the air and causes the glitter to stick to the brush when its dipped. So I either blow on the brush to make it sticky/dry, or when doing the usual two coat mani, instead of capping the bottle after the first layer, keep going and do the second layer. This will sometimes dry the brush enough to make it sticky because its been exposed to the air a while.

5. Decant the polish onto a glass, silicone, metal or other safe for polish surface; one you don't mind being ruined. Sometimes the large pieces will pour out of the bottle and then you can use a sponge, dotting tool or toothpick to put them on the nail. You can also pour into another bottle and watch for the big pieces and catch them with a dotting tool as you pour.

6. Magnets. If the polish has mixing balls in it, find a strong magnet and place it on the outside of the bottle moving it around a little until you hear or see those mixing balls cling to it. With the balls in tow, rub the magnet over the surface of the bottle to loosen the stuck glitter. This doesn't always work but it does most of the time. Just take care not to damage the label, as the black colored magnets sometimes leave smudges behind. For those just pop the polish in a ziploc or other thin plastic before rubbing the magnet over it or stick a piece of clear tape over the magnet's surface.



Below is the quick reference guide that you can pin to pinterest, share on your facebook page, or blog or anywhere else you'd like!



What is your favorite way to glitter fish?

Glitterdaze Giveaway Winner!

Press Sample

Thank you all for showing your support and entering the Glitterdaze Giveaway hosted here at xoxojen.com
The winner of the giveaway is Julie S!

The three polishes she chose for her prize are:

Cuddling by the Fire Place



Pop pink bubbly


Glistening Plumsicles


Congratulations to Julie and thank you all for participating!

Urban Lacquer: Members Only

Press Sample

Do you remember last year's Love Triangle collection from Urban Lacquer? I think she's topped it this year!

Perhaps a bit sassy, maybe a little naughty, Urban Lacquer's theme this year is centered around the male member. Five polishes, each named after a slang term for the word ‘penis’. Each polish even has its own pair of balls; an old-school style (but brand new) ponytail holder tied around the cap!


LET THE FUN BEGIN.

“One-Eyed Dragon: He sees youuuuuuuu. One-Eyed Dragon is a stunning green / blue multichrome nail polish. This color-shifter will show off hues of bright green, then shift to a metallic green with deep blue accents, and sometimes you'll see a more subdued teal color, depending on the lighting! And, just to keep things interesting, each bottle of One-Eyed Dragon will have a black & white googly eye attached to the top of the bottle cap, because, well, I couldn't resist. Not your typical Valentine's Day polish - this one is a great gift for the non-comformist woman.

Unbelievable Polish. One-Eyed Dragon wowed me as soon as I started stroking the brush across my nails. The shimmer in this was flashing and sparkling like disco lights in a dance club! And oh, that first coat was nearly opaque, but two covered all areas nicely.

Then it happened, I moved my hand ever so slightly and the color changed, I pulled my hand back even more and it shifted again and again and again! YES!
Colors like a peacock, I could see every single shade! From the iridescent shimmery grey of their body to the beautiful green/turquoise/blue shifting feathers and there's even a bit of purple in dimmer lighting. Its stunning, jaw dropping, gorgeous and definitely unique!

If you can only get one from this collection, this is it. The must have, don't miss it, gift one to your bestie, get a back up or ten, omg polish of...EVER!
It is a masterpiece.

I've shot One Eyed Dragon in a few different light situations and angles to try and show off that shift. The first three images are under my usual lighting set up.





The following images are under bright light, dim light and some are backlit.

“Doinker. I could say this word all day long. Try using it as an adjective; you won't be disappointed. Doinker is a stunning mix of blue and green glitters, including 3 types of stars - neon green, turquoise, and black, in a clear base, accented with silver holo dust. The majority of the stars are neon green, followed by turquoise, and finally, there is a light sprinkling of black stars in each bottle.

One coat of Doinker will do her! Very easy to apply, jam packed with glitter and mostly smooth after topcoat. I did add an extra coat of gelous and topcoat, since the stars tend to want to poke out. I adore the color combination and it works perfectly layered over One-Eyed Dragon, don't ya think?

“Schlong is a medium blue linear holographic nail polish. It's a lovely shade of blue, between cornflower & steel blue, leaning more towards cornflower. I believe it's the prettiest schlong I've ever seen.

A blue lover's dream color, smallish particle size so you get a vibrant rainbowy bend and holo amazingness, smooth gliding application and opaque in one thick coat. What more could you ask for in a Schlong? (omg did I just say that?!)

“Magic Wand is comprised of pink, purple, iridescent, and white glitter in a clear base. It sparkles with a lavender/pink iridescent sheen. I love adding iridescence to clear bases, as when it's worn over a base color, it will slightly change the hue of the base, and this polish is no exception. Magic Wand is truly striking, on trend with its Radiant Orchid-hued glitters, and a perfect gift for those who love more traditional Valentine's Day colors.

I layered Magic Wand over Schlong and the combo is breathtaking! I didn't expect such a lovely result and gasped when I saw it. There's just something about the coolness of blue under a hot bold pink that's soothing yet exciting at the same time! Magic Wand is glitter packed so I only used one coat here with a few coats of top coat to smooth it out. In the macro image the tiny shimmer that Brenda describes can be seen on top of the white rectangle, love it!

“Of course I had to include a meat reference in this collection. Sorry, vegetarians. Bologna Pony is a bright, creamy, coral crelly nail polish. This coral leans more orange than pink - it's like mango-flavored* latex for your nails. It is opaque in 2-3 coats, depending on application technique. When I wear this polish, I apply 2 generous coats, and just touch up the areas where I see VNL (visible nail line). An awesomely bright color that will transition beautifully into spring!
***IMPORTANT note about Bologna Pony: This polish shares the same pink pigment used in my Baby Cake nail polish, therefore you will experience temporary nail staining with this polish. Please be advised of this, before purchasing Bologna Pony.***

I had a lot of fun planning out nail art to go with my Bologna Pony mani! I purposely used my middle "naughty" finger for the accent nail by adding a delicious sunrise gradient and topping it with a cock, er...rooster, spangle.

My "Cock On The Rise" is pretty clever, yeah?
Bologna Pony is super squishy looking and after topcoat its very shiny like latex!

Jas' contribution to my Cock on the Rise mani was citing a quote for me from a Cormac McCarthy book, so I had to include it.

“They rode on and the sun in the east flushed pale streaks of light and then a deeper run of color like blood seeping up in sudden reaches flaring planewise and where the earth drained up into the sky at the edge of creation the top of the sun rose out of nothing like the head of a great red phallus until it cleared the unseen rim and sat squat and pulsing and malevolent behind them.

The Members Only polishes will be available along with other Urban Lacquer polishes on Wednesday, February 5 at 8:00pm, central time.
Urban Lacquer Info: Shop / Follow / More details

I hope you've enjoyed the read and/or the photos. It was a lot of fun to put this blog entry together. Please visit me again and and bring your friends!