Nail Mail! Plus $500 Giveaway

First off, thank you so much for your sweet emails and comments on this post from last night. I was so anxious about posting it, and had no idea there would be so many of you who feel the same way. Your encouraging words have been so helpful. Thank you.

It's no secret I love nail polish (did you see my post for PopSugar for my 4th of July nails?) but I have never purchased any indie polishes. Have you ever tried indie polishes before? There are so many indie polish makers out there--a quick search on Etsy can leave you searching for hours. I recently picked up a few and thought I'd share them with you. Enjoy.

First is the indie brand Candy Lacquer, and the first polish I got Barbie Girl, a pink and purple glitter polish with lots of fun girlie shapes:

Next up is Fairyland, a pastel holo glitter. I'm in love with it:

And finally Fun Dip, tiny neon glitters. So fun! My fave I think!

The next brand I tried was Polish Me Silly, and the first polish I ordered was Freckles, a cute neon glitter. And it glows under black light!

I also got Neon Lights, similar to the one above, but in a white base:

And finally the beautiful duochrome Waz Up Girl (another fave of mine):

All pics are from the sellers' sites and are not mine.

Indie polishes are usually made in smaller quantities,

so not all of the polishes shown may be available when you click the link.

Speaking of polish, have you ever tried making your own? I used to as a kid--my Grandmother had a locally-sold makeup line when I was little. And I would use her polishes to make my own colors. No surprise I turned out as a beauty blogger, eh? Anyway, I have a really old tutorial on here where I did just that with clear polish and shadow. But did you know there are more ways as well as techniques? I was sent a book a few months ago that has all of this and MORE:

Have you ever been inspired to wear a nail color that just didn't exist yet? Introducing Homemade Nail Polish, a new book packed with full-color photos and step-by-step instructions that will have you crafting an infinite number of gorgeous polishes for every occasion. With this guide, you’ll learn how to create an endless number of shades, one-of-a-kind nail art, and learn the pros' secrets for flawless polish application.

This was really fun to read and try out. Everything was easy to understand, too. If you (or someone you love) is crafty or loves polish you'll love this book! I highly recommend getting it! And now onto a HUGE giveaway: