Shop Reopening and Update

May 21, 2021

the shop will reopen on Wednesday, May 26 at 4:30 pm MT, with a fresh update!

Winter Break: 12/15-12/31/2020

December 4, 2020

I will be closing the shop on December 15th and reopening on January 1st. please get your orders in now! I will be using this time to catch up on customs, to hopefully get ahead on planning, and just to take a break.

I think my family has forgotten what I look like, I spend so much time holed up in my office!

July 2020 Polish Pickup: Rewind

July 5, 2020

Another year, another round of rewind polishes for Polish Pickup. Every photo will have all the info I could think of.
Note that a few of these brands have new bottles, new labels, and/or new versions of these polishes. I’ll note that in my captions.
I’m going to go ahead and get AgAuCu’s (my) stuff in here first this time.

The Dreams of Cthulhu | AgAuCu
October 2019: Urban Legends
This necklace already sold out (thank you!!!), but there is one left on the UK site… so when that closes… one more person can grab one! This is a different pendant than last year, but is incredibly close to identical.

Purchase the last one here, if you’re lucky: https://polishpickup.com/products/agaucu-the-dreams-of-cthulhu-necklace

Cursed the Messenger | AgAuCu
January 2019: Mythology
These are the item voted to come back in my shop this year. Since I’m the one selling them this time, you can now choose between the original mismatched version, all-white, or all-black! The little beads have changed - last year, they were zebra jasper; this year, they are tourmalinated quartz.

Purchase here for all of July, or until sold out: https://www.agaucu.com/jewelry/ppu-rewind-2020

Centaur of Attention | Bluebird Lacquer
April 2019: Famous Works of Art
2-3 coats on my nails, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie.. As I always say, I have very transparent nails with a ton of free edge, so I usually need at least one coat more than average.
This deep, vibrant red is back in rewind for the second year in a row! I completely understand why; this is in my top 5 favorite reds, maybe even top two. Note that this is very holographic in person. I’m just not equipped to photograph holo well. This also stains, but I’m able to remove the stain with a little bit of cuticle remover and light scrubbing.

Purchase here, 07/03-07/06: https://polishpickup.com/products/bluebird-lacquer-centaur-of-attention

Left of Centaur | Bluebird Lacquer
January 2020: Written in the Stars
2 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie. Not as holographic as “Centaur of Attention” (and scattered instead of linear), but definitely still holo.
I said last year that I would buy more Bluebird based on “Centaur of Attention,” and I have! I love this purple. It’s got a reddish base with what looks like a blue shimmer to me; the two meet to make this a perfectly-purple purple.

Purchase here starting 07/07: https://www.bluebirdlacquer.com/. I don’t know how long this will be available.

Balloon Dog | Colores de Carol
April 2019: Famous Works of Art
3 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie. Please ignore the wrinkle on my middle finger where I touched the polish before it was dry. Thank you!
This is also back for the second year in a row! And again, I get it! Look at the bottle and you’ll see that I’ve made an actual dent in this polish. I am obsessed with this deep, super glowy orange. And, you know, look at that flake I got.

Purchase here: https://www.coloresdecarol.com/product/balloon-dog. I don’t know how long this will be available.

Bats Full of Shame | Dreamland Lacquer
October 2019: Urban Legends
2-3 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie.
I think the base on this polish is a very smoked out purple; I know I could go read the description, but I try to ignore makers’ descriptions and describe what I see in front of me. Just seems more like an actual review that way. I definitely categorize this polish as a purple, thanks to the fiery purple flakes that shift pink, orange, gold… I think there are also some gold-to-green shifting flakes, but really, what matters is that it’s very flake-heavy and gorgeous and you need it.

Purchase here, 07/03-07/06: https://polishpickup.com/products/dreamland-lacquer-bats-full-of-shame

Hide the Sun | Emily de Molly
March 2019: Album Covers
2 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie.
This is an emerald green kissed with teal around the edges, and packed with more gold-green and green-aqua flakes than you would imagine, even looking at photos. There is also a holographic component, which looks like it’s probably silver microglitter, but they look aqua through the base. This polish is so intense, and reflective, and glowy, and… it’s an absolute stunner. The hype is real.

Purchase here, 07/03-07/06: https://polishpickup.com/products/emily-de-molly-hide-the-sun

Sea Life | Esmaltes da Kelly
April 2020: Aquatic Wonder
I love this plate! I’ve never bought a plate this big before, because I usually only like a couple images, not enough to warrant the whole plate. Big commitment, haha. Also note that I am terrible at stamping, but this was an easy plate to pick up images from. I did accidentally stretch the seaweed image on my middle finger and the coral on my pointer, but only because I damaged my stamper a while back. Also also, I tried stamping one of the clown fish over the seaweed, but my inept self used the same green polish, so now it’s just a blob of seaweed and fish. Whoops. None of that reflects on the quality of the plate, which is why I need you to know those mistakes are mine.

Purchase here, 07/03-07/06: https://polishpickup.com/products/sea-life-stamping-plate-esmaltes-da-kelly

Devil’s Wheel | Femme Fatale
August 2019: At the Carnival
2-3 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie. I was fine with this at 2 coats in person, but I definitely needed 3 for photos - you can see a little translucency on my middle finger in this photo.
I don’t think this photo even begins to reflect how this polish glows in real life. This has an intense red-to-green shimmer, as well as tons of little red-to-green flakes in a deep purple base. The shimmer and flakes pull the overall color to a reddish purple, but you still get a high contrast between the components and the base, which is what makes this polish look like it’s glowing. Annnnd none of that really shows here.

Purchase here, 07/03-07/06: https://polishpickup.com/products/femme-fatale-cosmetics-devils-wheel

Sól What? | KBShimmer
March 2020: Ancient History
3 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie.
This new finish from KBShimmer is my new favorite finish ever. The flakes are a rainbow of red-orange-gold-green-aqua, and the holo is so blinding that it can even override the flakes in direct sun. All of that is packed into a jelly base with a kiss of soft purple. Purply-periwinkle? Lavender, maybe?

Purchase here, 07/03-07/06: https://polishpickup.com/products/kbshimmer-sol-what

Ghosts of the Vault | Lemming Lacquer
January 2018: Crystals & Gemstones
2 coats for full opacity, but I did 3 because I wanted MORE FLAKES!
A deep, indigo jelly base with a big punch of red shimmer (the shimmer does shift to gold and green, but the red is what really makes an impact). The flakes are these highly contrasting crystal flakes in bright green-to-aqua-to-blue-to-purple. The flakes are insane. Like, I like the base color. I like the shimmer. Really nice. Probably would’ve bought this polish just with the base and shimmer. But the flakes? Next level in this base. Insert fifty thousand flame emojis. I believe this is the second time this polish has been in Rewind, too, but don’t quote me on that.

Purchase here, 07/03-07/06: https://polishpickup.com/products/lemming-lacquer-ghosts-of-the-vault

The Department of Mysteries | Moon Shine Mani
November 2017: Fandoms
1-2 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie.
Reformulated and new bottle for 2020.
I’ve just decided my photo leans a little too aqua and that this polish is a little more blue in person. Either way, you won’t be getting this exact polish, as Phoebe (the maker) lost many polish recipes, and had to reformulate this one. I’m not really sure what to say about this, as it’s technically a new polish this year, and I don’t have the new one to compare (obviously). But I do love this polish! And it’s at least the second time this polish has been brought back for Rewind.

Purchase here, 07/03-07/06: https://polishpickup.com/products/moon-shine-mani-the-department-of-mysteries-2-0

Ice Wraith Essence | Nailed It! Nail Polish
June 2018: Video Games
3 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie.
New bottle and label for 2020.
A bright blue base that leans aqua, and like 234,473,623,263 rainbow crystal flakes. I’m not even going to bother describing the flakes’ shifts, because they basically run the entire rainbow, in pastel. I really love this polish. In fact, I wore it the entire day after I swatched it, which is part of the reason why I’m so late with this blog post. This photo does no justice to how bright and shiny this polish is.

Purchase here: https://nailedithawaii.com/products/ppu-rewind-ice-wraith-essence. I don’t know how long this will be available.

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore | Nailed It! Nail Polish
June 2019: Weather
3 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie.
New bottle and label for 2020.
If I’m going to pick up a pink, it’s got to be spectacular. And this one really, really is. The base is a berry purple, which tints the red-gold-green shimmer and flakes pink (especially on the gold shift). Really, not much else to say besides spectacular.

Purchase here, 07/03-07/06: https://polishpickup.com/products/nailed-it-nail-polish-were-not-in-kansas-anymore

The Buried Moon | Night Owl Lacquer
November 2019: Fairy Tales
3 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie.
I remember commenting on a photo of this that it looks like stained glass, and it definitely does in person, as well. The base is a muted plum, and the flakes are crystal flakes in, again, too many colors to describe. I can say that it looks like there are flakes that are mainly, maybe even only, bright aqua, packed in with all of the warmer-toned, shifty ones.

Purchase here, 07/04-07/31: https://nightowllacquer.com/products/the-buried-moon

Luna | Painted Polish
January 2019: Mythology
2-3 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie.
Something I really appreciate about Painted Polish is that Lexi (the maker) seems to really understand how to do simplicity beautifully. This is just a medium grey base with blue-purple-red flakes. That’s it. And this polish is an absolute stunner.

Purchase here, 07/03-07/06: https://polishpickup.com/products/painted-polish-luna

Zombie Kill of the Week | Painted Polish
September 2018: Horror Movies
2-3 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie.
Is it just me, or are all the flakes in my photo out of focus? What the heck! I guess this was the most in focus shot I got. Oof. Anyway, basically the same as Luna, but the grey base looks a touch warmer, and the flakes are red-orange-gold-green.

Purchase here, 07/04-07/31: https://www.paintedpolish.com/product/zombie-kill-of-the-week

Don’t Waste That Lip Gloss! | Sweet Heart Polish
May 2019: 1980s
2 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie.
Isn’t this so cute? I really love this grey, black, white, and pink color combo. The pink glitters are all holo, as well. This was a tiny bit hard to paint because of all of the glitter, but you absolutely can’t have a ton of glitter and a smooth formula, so I’m not complaining.

Purchase here, 07/03-07/31: https://polishpickup.com/products/sweet-heart-polish-dont-waste-that-lip-gloss

Teller of Fortunes | Wildflower Lacquer
August 2019: At the Carnival
3 coats, shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte top coat on ring and pinkie.
New label for 2020. I did receive this in exchange for photos in 2019.
I’m 1/3 of the way through this polish! That means I really love it. Every single time I paint this on, I think it’s going to take 4 coats to reach full opacity. It never does - it’s always 3. I think I said this last year when I swatched this polish… this photo does not accurately convey the intensity of the red shimmer in this pale blue-periwinkle polish. It also doesn’t show the intensity of the red-green crystal flakes. This also has silver flakes, and iridescent crystal flakes in a cool-toned shift.

Purchase here, 07/03-07/06: https://polishpickup.com/products/wildflower-lacquer-teller-of-fortunes

Let me know if you have any questions, want to see comparisons, whatever! I already placed my order (those coasters from Oh Fer Cute, am I right?). Now I need to get The Dreams of Cthulhu necklaces made!

February 2020 Update Schedule

February 10, 2020

Hi! Here's the official explanation of how this month is going to go.
I'm posting one new piece of jewelry to AgAuCu.com every single day of February.
Every Friday, I'm going to put together the week's orders to ship out on Saturday. If you want me to hold your order/s longer so you can see if you want anything else I'll be uploading this month, please contact me by Friday. I will refund shipping if you place more than one order. So far, I've been uploading the new pieces around 10pm MST, but I can't yet promise any consistency to when the new pieces will be live. I will always post them on Instagram and Facebook.
I hope this is as fun for you as it is for me! I have way more than 29 new pieces to post, but hopefully this will get me in the habit of photographing, editing, and copywriting for at least one new piece every day.
Feel free to ask any questions! 🖤

Alzheimer's Duo 2019 from Wildflower Lacquer and Nailed It! Nail Polish

August 20, 2019

Every year, Wildflower Lacquer releases a polish to raise money for Alzheimer’s Awareness; this year, Taylor, the proprietor of Wildflower, asked Tia of Nailed It! Nail Polish to join her. I had the pleasure of receiving the duo to swatch, and I donated to their fundraiser, as well. Find the fundraiser, and more information on both Taylor and Tia’s connections to Alzheimer’s, at: https://act.alz.org/site/TR?fr_id=12476&pg=personal&px=10741313. The duo releases on September 1, 2019 at 5pm PDT, 8pm EDT, on Wildflower Lacquer’s website: https://www.wildflowerlacquer.com/collections/frontpage/products/alzheimers-awareness-2019. It will be $23 and includes an Alzheimer’s ribbon charm, and $10 from every duo will be donated under your name (or a name of your choosing).

First, “Always Remembered” from Wildflower Lacquer.
3 coats, shiny top coat.

First picture, shiny top coat on pointer and middle fingers, matte top coat on ring and pinkie. All other photos with matte top coat.

Next, “Never Forgotten” from Nailed It! Nail Polish.
2 coats, shiny top coat.

First picture, shiny top coat on pointer and middle fingers, matte top coat on ring and pinkie. All other photos with matte top coat.

What do I think? First of all, I love the names they chose for these. I also love how wildly different the hues of purples are. The formulas are easy to work with, they both have gorgeous elements contrasting with the purple bases, and they’re for a good cause. What more could you want? I absolutely would have bought this duo had I not been asked to swatch it. (In fact, I had been planning on it, but I’m very grateful to get to swatch these!)

July 2019 Polish Pickup: Rewind

July 5, 2019

July is rewind month for Polish and Indie Pickup, meaning the makers have, for the most part, brought back popular items from prior months. This year, most makers have one rewind item at https://polishpickup.com/ and one in their shop (generally starting on 07/09). I thought I’d share some “normal person” swatches of the 11 polishes I own that are in PPU Rewind this month, plus AgAuCu’s contribution.

Alter Ego, “Altarf AKA Beta Cancri”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.

A warm yellow that is so packed with orange to pink shimmer and orange to gold, speckle effect flakes that it looks like a light orange. The only downside to this stunner is that it smells metallic as you paint it. It’s not strong, and it dissipates after top coat. I’m aware my skin looks bizarre in this photo, but you gotta do what you gotta do to try to get the polish accurate.

This was my first Alter Ego, and it remains my favorite Alter Ego, even though the others I’ve gotten are excellent. This is the only Rewind polish I’m considering buying a backup of.

Purchase here from 07/09-07/31/2019: https://wisconsinsoap.com

Bluebird Lacquer, “Centaur of Attention”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.

A super gorgeous, linear holo crimson. The description for this says opaque in 1 coat, and I suppose if you have short nails, it could be. It was mostly opaque in 2 for me, but I went for a 3rd for full depth of color and absolute opacity. (I have very transparent nails, so typically, I need 1 coat more of a polish for full opacity than the average wearer.)

This is my first Bluebird Lacquer, which is part of the draw of PPU for me - new makers that I can buy under one shipping cost. I would definitely buy more based on this polish.

Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/bluebird-lacquer-centaur-of-attention

Colores de Carol, “Balloon Dog”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.

A burnt orange metallic with flakes; both the polish and flakes shift from orange face-on to yellowy gold at an angle. This one could definitely have been opaque at 2 coats, but of course, I struggle a little painting with my left hand.

Typical, excellent Colores de Carol formula. I’d highly recommend CdC if you’ve never tried her brand.

Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/colores-de-carol-balloon-dog

Ethereal Lacquer, “Moonlit Machete”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.

A purple-leaning periwinkle jelly that’s stuffed with warm tone, iridescent flakes. I honestly have no idea how you could get away with less than 3 coats of this as the base is pretty sheer to allow the flakes to build up to this impact, but I’m not going to judge you if you stop at 2.

I bought this and “Little Oysters” practically simultaneously (“Little Oysters” was in Hella Handmade Creations the same month), so this is kind of my first Ethereal Lacquer polish. I would, and have, bought more polishes in this formula.

Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/ethereal-lacquer-moonlit-machete

Femme Fatale, “Mermaid Candy”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.

There’s no way I can describe this polish. Nutso, shimmery, flakie, glittery… explosion. The longer you look, the more you find. Because there’s no base color, you may need to do some spot treatments to get full coverage.

Anyone who knows anything about me and nail polish knows I’m obsessed with Femme Fatale, so yes, I would absolutely recommend this polish. Also, I’d definitely try using it as a topper over something dark.

Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/femme-fatale-mermaid-candy

KBShimmer, “If You Want My Bodice”
2 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.

A multichrome, scattered holo, flake filled… blurple? It’s teal blue face-on and purple on the immediate edges, with blue in between and greeny-gold on the far edges. There’s also what I think is holo glitter, but may be pigment as it’s linear. I don’t make polish. I don’t know. Anyway, I actually got this as a mystery from KBShimmer’s old packaging clearance rather than through PPU. No disappointment here.

I’ve only ever had 2 or 3 “bad” KBShimmers, and I own nearly a hundred, so I think I can safely recommend this brand. That said, this polish is not amazingly unique to my (enormous) collection, but I’d 100% recommend it if you’re not a psycho collector like I am.

Purchase here from 07/09-07/31/2019: https://www.kbshimmer.com/

Nailed It! Nail Polish, “Love, Trust, & Pixie Dust”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.

A silvery, glittery, sparkly… okay, it’s another one that needs a lot of descriptors because there is a lot going on. The most special moments, for me, are the vivid, pink to gold shimmer, and the iridescent hex glitters. Like the Femme Fatale, this relies on its components for opacity, so you may need to do a little spot treating to get full opacity. Such is the price for these spectacular polishes, honestly.

Nailed It! is way high up on the list of my favorite makers, like really super duper high up, and I really feel like she deserves more brand recognition than she gets. So, yes, I definitely recommend this polish, and brand overall.

Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/nailed-it-nail-polish-love-trust-pixie-dust

Nailed It! Nail Polish, “The Jackal”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.

A greyed-out blue polish. Nailed It! loves her shimmers, and this polish is no exception - the shimmer in this shifts from bright blue to purple, which is just striking in the greyed out base. It’s also crammed with speckle effect, blue to purple shifting flakes, and there’s a dusting of holo.

See prior image for how I feel about Nailed It! I’d also like to mention that this is one of my favorite polishes from her, thanks to the overall color, and that killer shimmer contrasting with the base.

Purchase here from 07/09-07/31/2019: https://nailedithawaii.com/

Painted Polish, “Ice & Fire”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.

I think the flakes speak for themselves in this green-kissed blue. I now dearly want the reverse of this - a red-orange base with blue flakes….

If there is one thing you need to know about Painted Polish, it’s that her formulas for her crellies are very thin. I don’t really mean sheer, I mean the viscosity regardless of pigment. I personally love this, as it means I can do 3 coats quickly and without ending up with a thick nail, but it can be a messy surprise if you’re not ready for it. Generally, I highly recommend Painted Polish, and I really love this polish in particular.

Purchase here from 07/09-07/31/2019: http://www.paintedpolish.com/product/ice-fire

Pretty Jelly, “Pumpkins at Duskfall”
2 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.

A stunning, dusty, warm toned purple packed with copper shimmer, coppery flakes, and copper, holo glitter in a couple sizes. The contrast between the purple and copper kills me. I think this polish actually could have stood to be a little more sheer to get more impact with building up the flakes and glitter, but that’s not really a criticism.

This is my first polish from Pretty Jelly. I would definitely try more, but I don’t think the way this polish sort of clings to itself is beginner-friendly. But, I think it would just take two nails to get the hang of it, and the final look is way worth the effort.

Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/pretty-jelly-pumpkins-at-duskfall

Wildflower Lacquer, “Moose”
3 coats.
Shiny top coat on pointer and middle, matte on ring and pinkie.

I feel like calling this a brown metallic does it no justice, so let me be clear: this shifts, somehow, from red all the way to green, hitting orange and gold in between, and is packed to the brim with a rainbow explosion of flakes. But you would not be wrong if you called it brown… just know it’s not, at all, somehow.

Wildflower Lacquer is another brand I highly recommend and think deserves more attention. I think anyone who likes neutrals with something extra would love this addition to their collection, and I think anyone who doesn’t like neutrals will be thrilled with this shifty polish, too.

Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/wildflower-lacquer-moose

AgAucu, “Phone Home”
Earrings.

Finally, I’m bringing back the Phone Home earrings in the original cobalt blue. I like these a lot, but I’m biased, so….

Purchase here from 07/05-07/08/2019: https://polishpickup.com/products/agaucu-phone-home-earrings

AgAuCu, “Phone Home”
Earrings.
Variety of colors.

My second rewind item is the Phone Home earrings in a variety of colors! I was going to bring black to the PPU shop and the variety to my shop, but supplies dwindled abruptly. Alas. Oh well, I still love these all.

Purchase here from 07/09-07/31/2019: https://www.agaucu.com/jewelry/phone-home-earrings

That’s it! I have a few rewind polishes I’m planning on picking up, but not many. I tend to completely dismiss a product once I’ve decided not to get it.

What’s on your list? Have you already placed your PPU order? How many rewind items are you getting from the makers’ shops?