Happy Hands Motherboy

Let's take a moment to pour some out for Happy Hands. They closed up shop last year, but I still love wearing their awesome polish...while mourning the lack of future additions to their Arrested Development-themed collection. :-/ One of my favorites from that set is Motherboy, a matte pastel glitterbomb(!) with  pops of pink, purple and green in a clear base. The temperature has been below zero for the past couple days, so I needed some spring color in my life! I paired Motherboy with OPI That's Hula-rious! and together, they're like a little garden party on my nails. :)

I love this combo! It's so cute and colorful! Pastels are some of my favorite shades to wear, so to have them all together like this in one mani is perfect for me!

What is your favorite defunct polish brand?

Happy Hands Illusions, Michael

I have reviewed Happy Hands Illusions, Michael here before, but my original swatches were pretty dreadful and frankly, this polish deserves better! Inspired by Arrested Development, one of my all-time favorite TV shows, Illusions, Michael is a clear base with silver microglitter, red round glitter, orange hexes, gold squares and holographic gold stars.

I originally swatched this polish alone and while you can certainly do that, I think the different elements really pop when you layer Illusions, Michael over something else. Here's one coat over Pure Nail Lacquer Sunny Disposition. I really dig the super hero vibe this combination has!

I absolutely love these two polishes together! I think they compliment each other perfectly and the bright yellow really makes the red glitter stand out.

You can purchase Happy Hands on Etsy.

Happy Hands Mayonegg

I've got another Arrested Development-themed Happy Hands polish to show you today! This time we'll be checking out Mayonegg. If you haven't seen the show (which I suggest correcting at the earliest possible opportunity), then allow me to explain: This polish's name is inspired by...well, I think this will explain it better than I can.

Source

Still got an appetite? Great, let's look at some polish! ;) Happy Hands Mayonegg has a shimmering white base with yellow hex glitter. It's much prettier than its inspiration might suggest.

I'm a fan of how unique this polish is, but unfortunately, I was less than pleased with the formula. I had originally tried wearing Mayonegg on its own, but the polish was so thick and the glitter went on so goopy that by the time I was on the second coat, my nails were looking like a hot, lumpy mess. So I decided to scrap that idea and layer one coat of Mayonegg over Sally Hansen White On, a white creme. The final result is what you see in these pictures. Layering Mayonegg helped the lumpiness. It just does not have a workable texture, at least from what I experienced.

I really can't decide how I feel about this polish. I love the end result, but getting there was a bit of a trial. It hasn't deterred me from my quest to eventually own all of Happy Hands' AD-themed polishes though--not by a long shot! Are you willing to overlook a problematic formula if you like the finished mani?

Twinsie Tuesday: Happy Hands Illusions, Michael

Red polish: eternal classic or playing-it-safe snoozefest? I can go either way, but I can certainly appreciate a standout red when it's done right. When I saw that this week's Twinsie Tuesday theme was red, I wanted to jazz things up a bit. Since nail art is out of the question for me, the immediate solution was, of course, glitter!

Enter Happy Hands Illusions, Michael! Illusions, Michael is a red glitterbomb complete with orange hexes, gold squares and holographic gold stars. It's part of Happy Hands' I've Made a Huge Mistake Collection, inspired by one of my all-time favorite shows, Arrested Development. If you're a fan of the show, or just awesome nail polish in general, then you should definitely check out Happy Hands' Etsy shop!

If I could change one thing about this mani, I'd opt to layer it over a base rather than wear it alone. The formula got hard to spread by the last of the three coats I did of Illusions, Michael and I think the holographic stars would pop out more when worn over a base. They get swallowed up a bit by all of the other glitter going on when this polish is worn alone.

But hey, live and learn. I still enjoy this polish a lot. It may be red, but it certainly isn't boring! I am eager to try more of the Happy Hands polishes waiting in my stash!

In the mood for more red? Check out the other Twinsie Tuesday blogs below! Also, I want to point out that our TT family got a little smaller this week, as the lovely Jenna has chosen to step down. Us TT gals are a close group that's bonded over so much more than just polish. Jenna, if you're reading this, it's been a delight getting to know you! <3

Amanda at Amandalandish
Anna at Going to the Showing
Anne at Grape Fizz Nails
Ashley at Art Evolve
Brandi at The Collegiate Nail
ChiChi at I'm Just Me...ChiChi
Cordia at Seriously Swatched
Elizabeth at Did My Nails
Jamie at Polish, Please!
Jenn at All That Is Gorgeous
Katherine at Haul of Fame
Maribeth at Obsessive Cosmetic Hoarders Unite!
Marisa at Polish Obsession
Meredith at Polish and Charms
Nory at Fierce Makeup and Nails
Rachel at Top Coat It
Sarah at See Sarah Swatch
Tara at Polishy of Truth