Rainbow Honey: "Calabaza" September Limited Edition Polish & "Great Pumpkin" Scented Topcoat

Well hello there, Twinklings!!  I hope you've been having a beautiful weekend <3  It's been nothing but glorious sunshine and blue skies here, with a bit of autumn spice in the air.  I think this "Calabaza" mani, scented with "Great Pumpkin", pretty much sums it up.

Calabaza

"Calabaza" is a rich butternut squash illuminated with an opulent gold shimmer that has the faintest hint of orange-yellow-green iridescence.  This gilded baroque ochre polish is saturated with warmth and contentment, like creamy pumpkin soup on a crisp autumn afternoon.  It is an unusual, trendy shade that lovers of heavy golds and dijon hues will adore.  I used three coats;  opacity-wise it really only needed two, but I was trying to level out some lumpy-bumpies left by the somewhat thick formula.  You know how some shimmers have almost a chalkiness to them in that they dry quickly and leave mounds behind strokes?  "Calabaza" does that a bit at first, but it all levels itself out to a luminous finish.

Rainbow Honey "Calabaza"

Rainbow Honey "Calabaza"

Many people would consider this difficult to pull off, and admittedly it is not exactly my most flattering color by itself (it tends to bring out and then clash with the pink tones in my neutral skin), though I find that its uniqueness makes for unbelievable color couples and nail art.  I loved it with China Glaze "For Audrey".  I was going for a geometric harvest look with my taped design, but my boyfriend noted that it is also reminiscent of Egyptian hieroglyphic art.  I think he nailed it with that observation, the colors are indeed very Nile Valley.

Rainbow Honey "Calabaza" & China Glaze "For Audrey"

 

Rainbow Honey "Calabaza" & China Glaze "For Audrey"

 

Great Pumpkin [Scented Top Coat]

"Great Pumpkin" is exactly what you would expect: a nostalgic scent of autumn spices and cozy pumpkin pie.  I love everything flavored and scented with pumpkin so I was ecstatic when Rainbow Honey released this scent (and when the fantastic Carolyn popped it in with my order!! XOXO).  I love Rainbow Honey top coats so much.  They do not claim to be fast dry, in fact if you ask the RH Lab they will tell you that they have a regular dry time, but I feel that they are being much too modest.  I even double checked, and I find that these dry just as fast as any of my quick-dry topcoats, and much faster than regular ones.  Plus, I mean, they are SCENTED!!  Lovely nice scents, nothing noxious or overbearing that will overwhelm any other fragrance you are wearing; just enough to tickle your senses if for whatever reason you are sniffing your fingers (which you will do a lot with these).  If you have ever been bothered by the lingering chemical smell that can cling to a manicure, Rainbow Honey's Scented Top Coats are your answer.  I find the scent lingers for about two days, after which it becomes extremely subtle.  I insisted that my awesome coworker Catherine smell my nails while I was wearing this, which by the way is a fun activity if you get a kick out of making people think that you're crazy.  But Catherine's a cool cat so she went with it, and then agreed that this is scent is ah-mazing.

"Calabaza" and "Great Pumpkin" come in a September Limited Edition Trio along with a beautiful shimmering golden red polish called "Apple Peel", all for $24.  This month you may also choose "Calabaza" or "Apple Peel" as your free limited edition polish with a $50 purchase.  I know there is a lot of clamor for "Great Pumpkin" to be available separately, but for now it is only sold with the set.  These Limited Editions get snapped up incredibly quickly so if you love these then I would not wait!!  Find it at Rainbow Honey's website, and don't forget to check out their delightfully autumnal September Mystery Bag!!