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Hello, hello! I’ve been humming Under the Sea for much too long now and I hope that by the end of this post, I would have passed that wonderful ear worm to you! The Aquatic Wonder theme for April’s Polish Pickup is taking us on a deep dive and I’m ready!  My boys are obsessed with sea life and it’s been fun to share the items and inspirations with them. Now, to share them with you! Let’s jump into Polish Pickup April: Aquatic Wonder!

Polish Pickup is a fun Facebook Group where members submit and vote for one theme for the month. Afterward, indie makers create a polish or product based on the decided theme. Members can make purchases through the Polish Pickup website during the four-day shopping window, where you can pick as little or as many items as you desire.

The flat rate shipping price of US $3.00 is the cherry on top. Shipping to Canada is tiered based on weight, and international shipping is also available. There’s even a sister site now to accommodate orders from the UK and parts of Europe. Evidenced by its rapid growth, PPU is a very clever concept that has introduced me to many new indie brands, as well as given a wider stage for smaller, well-loved ones. Check out the handy PPU FAQ for lots more information!

As of now, Indie Pickup has been following the same sale and shipping schedules as Polish Pickup where posts from makers are being combined in the Polish Pickup Facebook group. Indie Pickup was created to house most of the extra non-polish items that came along after the explosive growth of Polish Pickup. The Facebook group still exists but has been made redundant, with all sharing being move to the Polish Pickup Facebook Group. All your Pickup products in one place!

By Dany Vianna – Tortoiseshell

Tortoiseshell

We start April’s offerings with a very unique and well executed concept from By Dany Vianna. Dany was inspired by Tortoiseshell in creating this polish. Tortoiseshell has a brown jelly base, a mix of black and brown glitters and a tiny bit of metallic gold flakes. I personally love the look of tortoiseshell, both as a manicure and an accessory. The polish here applies with the signature, jelly syrupy consistency. The glitters and flakes are not endless or overwhelming and when they end up laying in a nice cluster, this is where the look is most evocative. There is some bumpiness from the glitters. I’m wearing three thin coats with a glossy topcoat.

[Tortoishell] is a print that went on trend long long ago and to achieve its beauty, it took a lot of craftsmanship, skill, and time, because the name came from exactly using the Tortoiseshell as part of decorations in furnitures, jewelry box, hair combs and such.

But, turtles are vulnerable in a few ways, especially when it’s time for them to lay their eggs, and it was one easy way for them to be hunted or fished. For the print and products the Hawksbill Sea Turtle was mostly used, until they became a critically endangered species and the trade of Tortoiseshell was banned in the 70’s.

The print is still used, but mostly as an imitation in synthetic materials like plastic and acrylic. – Dany

$11.50 | 200 Bottles Available 

By Dany Vianna: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Cameo Colours Lacquers – Coronate Medusa

Atolla Jellyfish aka Atolla Wyvillei and Coronate Medusa

Cameo used the Atolla jellyfish as her inspiration this month. She’s very reliable in her adaptation of picture to polish and, this one is particularly striking to me. The jellyfish has such a vibrant color that draws your eyes, but you also know that it’s incredibly dangerous. I want that polish over me! 

Coronate Medusa is an orange leaning red crelly with orange to gold crystal chameleon flakes, red to gold to green shifting flakes as well as silver holographic micro flakes. It’s full of scattered holographic sparkle and boasts a complimenting red to gold shimmer. It applies nicely, with a smooth glossy finish. The polish shows more red in my pictures than in real life; there’s more on an orange lean to it. I’m wearing two coats with a glossy topcoat.

$11.50 | No Cap

Cameo Colours Lacquers: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Color Spectrum Polish – Coral Me Crazy

Coral Reef with colorful fish

Shannon crafted Coral Me Crazy, inspired by coral reef filled with colorful fish. The polish is a beautiful peachy coral, beaming with gold shimmer and sporting a mix of blue, green and purple mosaic glass glitters as well as blue iridescent glitters. I love how the glitters add muted pops of color to this peaceful base. It isn’t terribly textured when it dries down but topcoat allows the gold shimmer in there to really shine. I’m wearing two coats with a glossy topcoat.

$10.00 | 80 bottles available

Color Spectrum Polish: Shop | Instagram | Facebook 

Cupcake Polish – Ready for This Jelly

Jelly Fish

Next, we have some nice flakie squishiness from Ready For This Jelly! Sara drew inspiration from an interesting shot of a jelly fish. Ready For This Jelly is a pinky red jelly based nail polish filled with a mix of glowing pink to blue and pink to orange to gold to green iridescent flakes. There are tons of flakes in there giving it that great, floating, pond-mani look. This also requires that you let it dry sufficiently between layers to minimize dragging. Everything lays well and is pretty smooth to the touch. I’m wearing two coats with a glossy topcoat.

$13.00 | No Cap

Cupcake Polish  Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

DRK Nails – Turquoise Attraction

Maragogi Natural Pools in Alagoas, Brazil

For her April contribution, Katia was inspired by the Maragogi Natural Pools in Alagoas, Brazil. If you were to look at her inspiration picture, you can really see the gold flakes in the polish being the reefs in the blue water. Turquoise Attraction has a duochrome base shifting between blue and turquoise. It’s mixed with turquoise shimmer, multichromatic iridescent flakes and pastel flakes and move orange to gold to green. This is a dynamic 4-in-1 polish. Usable as a regular duochrome polish, a magnetic topper (ring), an effect topper (ring) or a magnetic polish (middle)!

I was able to easily show all four of this polish’s properties in this one mani. On my pointer, it’s worn in 3 coats as a normal duochrome polish. On my middle and pinky fingers, it is magnetized in three coats and you can see more the the turquoise shimmer isolated in the middle. The polish plays double duty on my ring finger, being worn over black then, magnetized. On its own, this is a pretty sheer polish, which lends to it’s versatility. 

$12.90 | No Cap

DRK Nails  Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Glisten & Glow – “Baby Shark Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo”

Song/Video Baby Shark that went viral

When I found out that the Jill named her April polish, Baby Shark Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo, I literally busted out laughing. Just when I thought I escaped this song! I will credit Jill’s genius in redeeming it for me…slightly. Baby Shark features a happy mix of  hex and dot glitters in various sizes of neon glitters in shades of pink, purple, red, orange, yellow, green and blue all swimming in a medium blue crelly base. In appearance, the polish is just as fun and happy as the name suggests.

Not only is it fun right out of the bottle, it is also black light reactive which welcomes even more playfulness. As expected, this is a thirsty polish, needing either two coats or one hefty coat of topcoat to get things smooth. I would also suggest a good peel-off basecoat, unless scrubbing off glitters is your thing. I’m wearing two to three coats with a generous covering of Jill’s glossy topcoat mentioned below.

$12.50 | No Cap

Glisten & Glow  Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Glisten & Glow – Top Coat & Matte Top Coat Duo

For the IPU portion of The Pickups, we have The Glisten & Glow Top Coat and Matte Top Coat Duo. The Glisten & Glow Top Coat is an award winning fast drying glossy topcoat. It’s something I’ve had great results using for many years! The Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat creates beautiful smooth, velvet-like finish to your mani; streak free with no white residue! I used both of these over Baby Shark! For the Matte Top Coat, I like using the glossy topcoat first to smooth things over and get the drying started. After this, I apply my Matte Top Coat and enjoy the look.

$14.50 | No Cap

Glisten & Glow Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Jior Couture – Something, Something, Trident

Aquaman’s Suit

Magnetic, Thermal

The mother-daughter duo that is Jior Couture bring us Something, Something Trident inspired by Aquaman’s suit. You’ll get no complaints from me with all the Aquaman/Mamoa inspirations this round. I’m here for it! Something, Something, Trident has a temperature sensitive and magnetic crelly base that is ocean blue when cool and sea green when warm.  In both states, copper to gold chameleon flakes and copper to green to red to gold magnetic flakes can be seen. When your magnet is applied those flakes come to the surface. This polish is very responsive. I’m wearing three coats with a glossy topcoat.

$11.50 | No Cap

Jior Couture: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

JReine Cosmetics – Nocturnally Na’vi

Avatar Ride at Disney World

Jill drew inspiration from her favorite Disney ride, Avatar for this polish. Nocturnally Na’vi has an indigo jelly base with a shifty shimmer moving fuchsia, gold, green and blue. The shimmer gives this such great depth while it’s jelly base makes it very easy to apply. I’m wearing two coats with a glossy topcoat.

$13.00 | No Cap

JReine Cosmetics Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

JReine Cosmetics – Lust & Voodoo Pixie Magic Kit

Also available from JReine is duo of Pixie Magic burnishing powders in Lust & Voodoo.  These two powders have been previously released. So, if you’ve missed out in the past, here is your chance! My pictures are from the previous releases so they will show the items separately and on different nail shapes.

Lust is a loose burnishing powder with a captivating violet to fuchsia to gold to green shift with a punch of holographic pigment. I’m wearing over a royal blue cream polish. Voodoo is a loose burnishing powder with an intense shift of green to gold to red. I’m wearing it over an olive cream polish.

The kit makes the approach to burnishing quite easy. It comes with Jill’s Super Base sticky base coat, the pixie magic powders in Lust andVoodoo and an applicator brush.

$20.00 | No Cap

JReine Cosmetics Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

KB Shimmer – Seems Fishy

Boesemani Tropical Rainbowfish

For Aquatic Wonder, Christy was inspired by the Boesemani Tropical Rainbowfish. Seems Fishy is a multichrome with a deep indigo base boldly accented with a shimmer that shifts in a rainbow of hues. In the shade, see pops of red, pink, orange, lime, green, and blue. The gold and greens really shine through in brighter lighting, and the more extreme angles reveal a pop of deep navy. A scattering of holographic micro flakes completes this stunning polish. Seems Fishy is incredibly rich and shifty. It can almost look like a different polish under different light. I’m wearing two coats with a glossy topcoat.

Aquariums are some of the most beautiful things to behold.  Boldly colored fish swimming among corals and plants can make an almost surprising scene with a wide variety of hues on display.  For April’s Aquatic Wonder theme, I knew I wanted to capture the beauty of fish, and Boesemani Tropical Rainbowfish were my perfect inspiration! From their stunning blue front fading from shades of aqua and green, to a tail of gold and orange, they truly are a swimming rainbow!

KB Shimmer – Wild Orchid

Christy has mixed up another great sugar scrub this month! Wild Orchid starts with a sensual orchid note.  Sweet amber is supported by notes of ripe peach and verbena and is completed with a subtle note of wood.  This off-white sugar scrub is swirled with aqua and pink for a tropical scrub that will take you away to exotic lands. For me, the scent here is a nice balance of  floral, fruity and earthy. 

I hope the movies didn’t get it wrong; if I’m ever lost in the tropics, I want to stumble upon a tranquil lagoon complete with sparkling waterfall, exotic orchids, ripe fruits and lush greenery.  I would swim in the aqua blue water and feel at peace in that tropical oasis.  KBShimmer’s Wild Orchid sugar scrub is inspired by how I imagine this aquatic scene would smell!

$10.00 | No Cap

KB Shimmer: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Moonflower Polish – Arrecife

Coral Reefs from Culebra, Puerto Rico

Nadia created Arrecife, a sandy beige creme with hints of purple-blue shimmer and purple iridescent microflakes. This shade doubles as a creme polish and stamping polish. Arrecife means “reef” in Spanish and the polish was inspired by the coral reefs off the coast of the island of Culebra, in Puerto Rico! The polish is on the thicker side but still manageable. Nadia suggests adding a few drops of thinner if you find it too thick. The shimmer in there was really hard for me to capture, but does show up in a subtle way. I’m wearing two coats with a glossy topcoat.

$12.50 | 50  Bottles Available

Moonflower Polish: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Nailed It Nail Polish – Make Friends Not Anemones

Anemones

How cute is that name!  Make Friends Not Anemones as a teal leaning green squishy base with indigo Aurora, pink to gold flakes, and a touch of scattered holographic sparkle. It’s a flakie lover’s delight! It’s well-behaved, applies and lays well. I’m wearing three coats with a glossy topcoat.

$12.75 | Cap 200 

Nailed It Nail Polish: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Necessary Evil Polish – Sex On The Beach

Tamara imagined a relaxing place to enjoy a Sex on the Beach, this thermal polish has iridescent flakes, blue shimmer with scattered holographic and red micro flakes. The base is blue when cold and warms down to a to vanilla hue when. It represents where the water and sand connect and marry. The polish applies with such ease and transitions really well. I l love the effect of the blue shimmer and red flakes in both states. I’m wearing two coats with a glossy topcoat.

$11.75 |  No Cap

Necessary Evil Polish: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Necessary Evil Polish – Sex On The Beach

Tamara also has some yummy scented wax melts up for grabs. The Sex on the Beach Wax comes in a mix of seashell shaped wax melts in shades of beachy turquoise and peachy coral. The Sex on the Beach scent features a tropical mix of mandarin, pineapple, coconut, papaya, guava, pomegranate. Finally, it is sweetened with a sprinkle sugarcane and touches of sandalwood and cypress for an earthy edge. These some of my favorite kind of scents and I love how bold the colors melt down.

$8.50 4-5 oz of wax | 32 packets available

Necessary Evil Polish: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Painted Polish – Coral Crusader

Ultra Pink Goniopora Coral

This stunner is called Coral Crusader! Lexi was inspired by the Ultra Pink Goniopora Coral in creating it.  Coral Crusader has a bright coral pink crelly base swimming with green, blue to gold color-shifting flakies. The color mix is so appealing. The flakes rest easy and give you that layered look. I’m wearing two coats with a glossy topcoat.

$11.50 | No Cap

Painted Polish: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Paradox Soap Company – Sex On The Beach

Tamara crafted a soap that just looks like a slice of the beach. Sex on the Beach soap has a tropical scent that highlights mandarin, pineapple, coconut, papaya, guava, pomegranate with a sprinkle of sugarcane. The fruity note is rounded off by sandalwood and cypress. This is the same yummy scent as her Necessary Evil Wax!

$7.75 | 27 bars available

Paradox Soap Company: Shop | Instagram | Facebook

Rogue Lacquer – Open Water

Rachel was inspired by the vast ocean and what’s past the reef, open water! Open Water features the mingling of two contrasting colors; a pastel aqua crelly spotted with bright red metallic flakes. This polish is so straight forward in its presentation but the contrasts make it so stunning. I’m wearing two coats with a glossy topcoat. 

$12.00 |  No Cap

Rogue Lacquer Store | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Sassy Cats Lacquer – Salty, I’m Dead Sea-rious

The Dead Sea

Mohrayma was inspired by the Dead Sea in creating her contribution this month. Salty, I’m Dead Sea-Rious is a sheer, white polish with a glowing blue shimmer and color shifting flakes in gold, green, orange and pink. It can be worn either on it’s own or as a topper.  I’m showing it here in three coats on it’s own and one coat over an ocean blue. I topped with a glossy topcoat.

$12.00 | 50 Bottles Available

Sassy Cats Lacquer: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Starlight & Sparkles – Sea Sapphires

Sea Sapphires

Sea sapphires served as Issa’s inspiration for this polish topper. This topper features blue to purple UP sibling pigment mingled with iridescent aurora flakes which shift from red to green, pink to green, green to blue, purple to blue, and blue to violet. All of this is suspended in a clear base. It looks like some magical potion in the bottle!  I’m wearing this over a black and lavender base, as well as nude. It’s a very versatile topper, either to wear on its own or in one or multiple coats over a colored base. 

Sea sapphires are tiny crustaceans, just a few millimeters long, and they look like tiny living opals, and they are too magical and glorious not to be a polish during Aquatic Wonders month!  They are nearly translucent, with layers of tiny crystalline plates, and their brilliant colors shift and flash depending on the angle of the light, but they can also change that spectrum of shift, the colors they look like, by changing the spacing between those crystal layers.  And if they shift those plates enough, they look glowy bluey-purple, and then with a little bit more, the light coming off them moves into the UV, outside the range of what humans are able to see, making them almost invisible.

$13.50 | 250 bottles available

Starlight Polish: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Starlight & Sparkles – Myths, Magic & Wonders

Another bottle of magic from Issa! Myths, Magic, and Wonders is an effect topper inspired by narwhals! This features a blend of holographic pigment, micro flakes, and clear holo glitter, with a mix of green to blue and teal to violet UP sibling pigment. I’m wearing this over a pale sand and black base as well as nude. While it is bold over black, I absolutely love it over the lighter shade! 

It is a the sister to a previous PPU topper, There Are Many Ways to Be a Hero (November 2018).

This polish is because we live in a world full of wonders and extraordinary things.

$15.00 | 250 bottles available

Starlight Polish: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Sweet & Sour Lacquer – Sea Of Stars

Sea of Stars was inspired by the glowing beaches in The Maldives! A rich blue jelly filled with iridescent lime-gold glitters and purple-blue glitters that glow from within. Darlene did an excellent job adapting her polish to her inspiration picture, with the glitters looking like bioluminescent ocean life. Due to the jelly make, this polish has that signature syrupy feel and dries glossy. I’m wearing three coats with a glossy topcoat.

$11.00 | 85 bottles available

Sweet & Sour Lacquer: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Vapid Lacquer – Coconut Octopus 

Coconut Octopus

Crafted in mimicry of the coconut octopus, the Coconut Octopus polish has a brown base with red to gold to green shifts from Aurora pigment. Also featured are bright teal to blue shifting iridescent ultra fine glitters. While the base itself is shifty, I enjoy seeing the iridescent glitters play in there. They really do look like the suckers on the octopus. There is some texture because of the glitters. I’m wearing two coats with a glossy topcoat.

I love the Coconut Octopus, it’s such a little bitty thing with a very high intelligence (even by Octopod standards). These little dudes use tools, and even have the ability to “walk’ on two legs! Yep, and they are only about 6″ from head to the tip of their adorable little suction cupped feet.”

$13.00 | 420 bottles available 

Vapid Lacquer: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Vapid Lacquer Body Cream – Coconut Octopus 

Coconut Octopus

Krys’ other contribution is Vapid’s goat milk body cream. Inspired by its namesake, the scent Coconut Octopus features smooth and sweet notes of coconut mingled with salt and ocean air. The cream in light and moisturizing, quickly absorbing into the skin. The scent is very delicate. 

$10.00 for 4 oz bottle | No Cap

Vapid Lacquer: Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

Vapid Wax – Chasin’ Mamoa

Jason Mamoa

Finally, we have another ode to Mamoa! Jennifer is looking to have us Chasin’ Mamoa this month with her new scent. It’s described as a sexy, aquatic fragrance just like the man himself. This masculine scent has notes of fresh fruits, herbs and woods. It smells like fresh, masculine cologne. Not over powering, but not subtle either! 

Chasin’ Mamoa is colored light blue and comes in a 3 oz clamshell block. It also has metallic red glitter hearts on top, obviously.

Be on the lookout for Delanie’s Fat Cat Pawlished collaboration in this scent!

$5.00 for 3 oz | No Cap

Vapid Wax:  Shop | Instagram | Facebook | Fan Group

All items will be available from Friday, April 3rd, 11 am EST, to Monday, April 6th, 11:59 pm EST from

Polish Pickup Online

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