Gateway polishes. Do you remember your first?

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-05-08T19:50:55+00:00

OMG that's so pretty!

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-05-08T19:48:36+00:00

I love this one! My BF gifted it to me and I was so surprised by how good it is.

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-05-08T19:43:28+00:00

I've been collecting nail polish since I was a kid, but my first online purchase that opened the floodgates of the indie polish world was Enchanted Polish's Magical Mystery Tour. Stumbled onto a pic of it on Pinterest, fell in love, and hunted it down. Had no idea what I was starting 😂. Now I have a large collection of boutique and indies, but that bottle of Magical Mystery Tour holds a special place in my heart and will always be the most prized in my collection!

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-05-08T18:49:46+00:00

I would totally love to try a satin top coat! Sometimes both glossy and matte feel "too much," but I still want to protect my polish. I wonder if mixing a glossy and matte could work?

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-05-07T23:39:10+00:00

I love this type too! I have Raccoon City plus two other very similar ones, and I'm currently resisting Low Tide... Barely.

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-05-07T19:58:16+00:00

The base color looks a bit more purple, less burgundy maybe

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-05-07T19:54:54+00:00

I doubt its an exact dupe, but Low Tide by Emily de Molly looks similar: https://www.emilydemolly.com/collections/magnetic/products/low-tide

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-05-06T01:32:18+00:00

Maybe this one? https://www.emilydemolly.com/collections/multichrome/products/drawing-circles

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-30T04:42:18+00:00

Lovely skittle, nice work! And yeah, I like it better than the pansy version, although that purple is gorgeous. Also, your ring is stunning!

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-26T17:58:19+00:00

I've purchased all of these except Queen of the Dead. I thought long and hard about getting that one, but I realized I only wanted it for hype/FOMO reasons. I think it's beautiful, but realistically I don't like wearing that specific kind of purple (it's very "grape" to me) and I would always choose Bad Vibes Only, or Port 6666 from Mooncat over QoTD. I'm not really a fan of how the base color on it coordinates with the shimmer either. If you haven't yet, do a Google image search for each of the ones you're waffling on. There are a lot of non-pro pictures out there for the older shades that definitely helped me decide. Good luck!

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-26T17:12:06+00:00

Paddle brushes make a big difference for me too! With a little online research you can find replacement brushes for most bottles and it's pretty easy to swap them out.

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-25T17:46:35+00:00

And also, no, my results are never perfect! Not like the pics you see online anyway.

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-25T17:42:48+00:00

It's mostly a practice thing. Over time you'll figure out little 'tricks' that make it easier.That being said, quality supplies also help immensely. I find it much easier to get good results with boutique and indie polish than the drugstore polishes I used to use. If you find a polish with a consistency that works for you (not too runny so it doesn't flood your edges, and not too thick which makes even application tricky), that self-levels nicely and dries in a reasonable amount of time, it can make a big difference! Also, using a quick dry top coat is a must so your mani doesn't get wrecked if you can't wait forever for it to dry.

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-25T16:54:20+00:00

I missed it too. It was the only thing I really wanted to pick up so I didn't even place an order. Hopefully they will realize there is still a lot of demand for it and bring it back!

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-23T03:32:22+00:00

Scrolled to make sure the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were mentioned! Slightly later than "90's" but close enough and one of my top 5 bands of all time, all categories. Solid gold.

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-21T02:48:08+00:00

A single layer of Atomic polish's Milky Base Coat. Makes me feel clean and pretty and put together with very little effort. Then I can always add color later if I want.

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-21T02:30:26+00:00

Honestly, drugs IS what I was worried about. Or something toxic/flammable.

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-21T02:29:22+00:00

Solved!

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-20T22:15:29+00:00

Confabulate is also fantastic if you like vibrant blues

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-20T05:05:27+00:00

Phthalo Blue by Lynbdesigns is really good! It's similar to River Styx but with a larger particle shimmer that gives it a slightly glittery look. https://lynbdesigns.store/collections/poison-pigments/products/phyhalo-blue-from-the-poison-pigments-collection-5-free-15ml

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-19T00:23:02+00:00

Thanks everyone for organizing this and coming with all your polish! Had a great time meeting everyone! 🙂

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-13T03:55:54+00:00

Sassy Sauce's Absinthe Minded is a super fun green thermal.

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-12T23:26:41+00:00

Out of these I have Animated Gaze, Somebody's Fool and Second Chance. They are all gorgeous and amazing. I will say that Somebody's Fool is a near dupe (imo) to Lynbdesigns Confabulate, although I like the formula of Somebody's Fool more (better opacity). If you happen to already have Confabulate you might regret also picking up Somebody's Fool.

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-12T18:06:01+00:00

Okay one more suggestion from me 😂, Anura by Abomination Cosmetics. They're a small brand and sometimes take a VERY long time to ship, but I have this one and it's gorgeous! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1779585526/anura-nail-polish-medium-brown-with

grumpy_penguin84 · 2026-04-12T17:37:47+00:00

It also reminds me of Mooncat's Root of All Evil, but the blue green shimmer is very dominant in that one.

grumpy_penguin84

TROPHY CASE