The 420 Collection for Men

This blog features the 420 Collection as presented on male hands. 420 is a term used in the marijuana community. The collection name and individual polish names are intended to spawn conversation regarding the social issues surrounding the efforts to change legal restrictions regarding the use of marijuana.

Educate is a dark red holographic nail polish with green accent flecks.

Legislate is a dark gold holographic nail polish with green accent flecks.

Medicate is a dark green holographic nail polish with green accent flecks. The holographic pigment overwhelms the base color in this lighting and it does appear similar to Regulate here.

Regulate is a dark blue holographic nail polish with green accent flecks.

Visit http://mentalitynailpolish.bigcartel.com/ for purchase or to view other swatches.

Thanks for reading!

Nail Art ~ Male Hands

This blog is a nail art picture for guys. The nail polish base is Regulate from the 420 Collection. The top coat is Matte Holo and the stamp is Scoundrel. I used the RA 116 plate from Red Angel for the stamped image on the middle finger.

Matte Holo gives an appearance of finely chewed aluminum, and reminds me of the ground aluminum that can be found leftover from an aluminum milling job. There is an interesting chase of light across Matte Holo, because of the holographic pigment, and I chose Scoundrel, a semi-gloss, to make the stamped marijuana leaf stand out against the Matte Holo.

The inspiration for this manicure is my 1914 Conn alto saxophone. I polished it once to a bright silver and immediately missed the patina that had built up over so many years. I have not deep cleaned it again and love the patina.

Thanks for reading!

Nail Art Projects ~ Male Hands

The following images are visual art projects. They feature Mentality Nail polish on my hands. I believe that fingernails are the perfect canvas on which to display messages. This can be as simple as a smiley face meant to encourage the wearer to let go of sorrow, or as a message to all those who see it.

I call the following image "Superhero" and it pays homage to the superhero that resides in all of us. There are times that I feel that I can take on the entire world, as well as those when it feels as if the world is out to get me. It is up to me as a survivor to never give up. The manicure uses Vicious, a matte red polish, with a black "S" painted freehand with Rascal, a matte black polish.

The following image is political art. It features a red, white, and blue manicure that used, Vicious, Ruffian, an equal sign in Rascal, and the white is Matte Holo. The image suggests an Air Force service member's funeral and is meant to make the viewer uncomfortable. The  lines and angles of the composition lend to the viewer being unable to find a place to rest, except back to the message displayed. I tweaked the image several times to give a warm, faded appearance with heavy contrast, such as might be seen through eyes heavy with tears, except for the equality banner which received its full colors. The connotation that I intended is that sexual preference is irrelevant when it is your child that has given a life in service, because it is only a family member of a deceased veteran that ever gets to see a flag presented in this manner.

More art projects will follow. Thank you for reading. ~ Danny

The Matte Collection for Men

This is collection of matte nail polish that has been put together with the subtle taste of men in mind. 

A word of note: I have purposefully left my hands and nails in their usual rough state. I am hard on my hands and use them like the tools that they are. This blog entry features minimal clean up to mimic conditions that men might experience in real life.

That brings up a valid point. Painting nails is like painting a deck. Preparation of surface and product is important. You may want to buff your nails to ensure a longer wear. Shake the bottle of paint first, or roll between your hands to mix.Apply a thin even coat starting from the base of the nail and spread to the tip quickly and evenly. Do this type of stroke in the middle, then to each side of the middle paint. Let the paint dry completely. Too thick a coat will take too long to dry. Wipe your brush off well first and then dip for just enough paint to do a layer. You don't have to get it exactly right. The extra paint on skin or cuticles will come off in the shower after the polish dries.

Nail polish is a bit different than auto paint. It is plasticized, which means it’s designed to flex with your fingernails. Automotive paint will chip off finger nails and is quite thin and not designed to flex, although it dries quickly. Nail polish is thicker and as it dries, a chemical reaction takes place that creates an immediate shell across the surface of the paint, and then the interior of the paint dries to cure. This takes a minute, even for a thin coat. Multiple thins coats give better results than a thick coat. I still have issues with application. My wife, however, is a genius with that little paint brush.

This blog features pictures of me posing with my Fender DG-7, which I keep in the garage to jam on as my daily beater. My left hand finger nails are usually shaped to accommodate playing, and I have mostly permanent callouses on my finger tips. I peel the callouses off when they become too thick. My right hand usually has longer finger nails so that I can finger pick, Travis pick, or claw hammer. I am classically trained and have widely varied musical interests.

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This is Mischief, a matte grey polish. I like the subdued color against the fingerboard.

This is Mischief with a single coat of Suede topcoat. Suede has a matte finish and adds surface texture.

The suede top coat is matte and adds a texture that is very similar to hammered metal surfaces. I did an acoustic jam and solo bit over Thriftstore by Macklemore while wearing this polish.

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This is Vicious, a dark matte red. The color is an eye-catcher without being flashy.

 This is Vicious with a coat of Suede top coat.

I like the hammered metal feel. I did a bit of impromptu jamming to Justin Timberlake's Suit and Tie and jacked the freshly painted index. So be it.

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This is Ruffian, a bold matte blue polish.

This is Ruffian with a coat of Suede top coat.

I really like this combo. I was jamming again, this time to Tennessee Boltdriver's version of Driving my Life Away. I love playing blue grass.

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This is Rascal, a matte black polish.

This is Rascal with a single coat of Suede top coat.

This last picture shows the top coat perhaps a bit more shiny than it was in real life. I may have been a bit rushed since I wanted to jam to Scream and Shout by will.i.am and Britney. I have minimal preference for any particular style. I just love to play music.

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Follows is a swatch of Scoundrel, a satiny finished black to compare finish.

Follows is Scoundrel with a coat of Suede top coat. It shows how the matte top coat changes the finish.

I hope you all enjoyed reading the blog. The Harlem Shake is queued on my Spotify and I am going to go stand in the corner and swing my arm around in a circle, until the chorus starts, which then I am going to just freak out a bit on the dance floor... I mean in my garage. Hope you enjoyed reading.

The Dark Metallics for Men

My hands are jacked; plain and simple. On an actual serious note, as the maker of Mentality Nail Polish, I do also actually practice martial arts and a whole host of real-life things that destroy my finger nails. I’m a guy. Guys are taught that our hands are heavy-duty tools. I would say that my hands look horrific most of the time and thinking about it, it's kind of surprising that my wife wants to hold them.

I am also a speed skater and that has destroyed my toenails. The first time that I used the nail polish that I make on my toes for a wear test, I was dumbfounded to find that my pinky toenails had grown back together. They usually grow with multiple splits in them and stay that way because I spend so much time on my feet. Nail polish fused my toenails in place so that they could regrow as a single nail again. Crazy. Perhaps I might see the end of me accidentally stabbing my wife in the legs with a jacked toe nail.

This blog features the Dark Metallics collection as presented for men. The listings feature another dose of humor for the listing and I am wearing all-cotton Muay Thai style fist wraps in the pictures. The collection features shimmery golden tones and the polish dries to a satiny metallic finish. These colors are perfect for the man that wants to something more than a matte finish and grey scale colors. These colors are reserved and mature, but scream out, “Hey, I can color coordinate too”. The polish-jobs in the pictures are either a single coat, two coats, or a putty paste-job with some polish to fix the spots that I messed up. There is minimal clean up so that I could keep the look realistic. I'm a guy. When I'm through here, I am probably going to go do situps, the lawn, or dig a trench. I can never be sure.

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So there I was, wrestling an alligator in an Amazonian river with a pack of Piranha nipping at my toes when a Kodiak bear comes roaring across the banks at our melee. That was when I thought to myself, “What is a Kodiak bear doing in South America and did it manage to track me here after I arm-wrestled it for that salmon yesterday?” He too must have had the Hunger.

Hunger is a red-toned dark gold shimmer and dries to a satiny metallic finish

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A multitasking man, I like to practice my Karate chops when I go gold panning in my spare time. Long hours spent breaking rocks with hammer fists, while looking for the riches of gold can really drive up a Thirst.

Thirst is a dark gold-toned shimmer and dries to a satiny metallic finish.

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Down, up, left, left, right, up, down and the crowd goes wild. A perfect combo is more than worth a perpetual thumb callous or the occasional gamer’s elbow. It’s the irreplaceable glory of victory for which men Yearn.

Yearn is a green-toned dark gold shimmer and dries to a satiny metallic finish

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Real men are sensitive creatures. Take the average barbeque for instance, and the chorus of vocal pain that can be found roaring in unison at the loss of a hamburger mistakenly sent flying on a poorly aimed flip. It makes a man’s heart Ache.

Ache is a blue-toned dark gold shimmer and dries to a satiny metallic finish

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Zeal, seriously, what is zeal? The dictionary says it means having good energy to get things done. I say it means bow hunting the monster from Predator with one arm tied behind your back. Yeah, now that says Zeal.

Zeal is a purple-toned dark gold shimmer and dries to a satiny metallic finish.

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Thanks for reading ~ Danny

The Restock Madness Collection for Women

Hello all! Hillary here, with swatches and a review of the Restock Madness Collection. 
 
The maker has described this collection: “The Restock Madness collection features glitter in split complimentary colors, a fine silver accent, jelly base, and highlights. The jelly base color is matched to the dominant glitter color, while the secondary glitter color is matched to duochrome highlights. This facilitates color change effect and allows different colors to dominate the visual field depending on base color or lighting.”

Every polish in this collection does something different, but they are all opaque in two coats, and dry to a satin, textured finish. Leave it as is, or smooth it out with top coat, either way, the glitter adds dimension and sparkle to the base color that changes depending on what lighting you are in and the angle you are looking at your fingers. And, if you’re familiar with the crazy restocks so common in the indie world, the namesakes should sound familiar ;)

I had no issues with application of these polishes. The larger glitters are small enough that they stick to our flat brush well without having to fish for more glitter, and the polish flows exactly where I tell it to. The polish is textured but does not snag in my hair or on my clothes. The wear test revealed average wear time for polish on my nails: about 3 days before the first little chip that I use as an excuse to change my mani. I tried all the colors out by themselves, and layered over black, and the results were amazing. They are perfect alone, and the base color and glitter distributes evenly on the first coat, making them great layering polishes. I look forward to trying them out over other colors and doing more nail art with them.

Purchase the full set for $50 shipped here

The first swatch is Oversold, which features light blue, red, and silver microglitter, with a large green glitter accent in a blue jelly base with red highlights.

This swatch shows two coats with no top coat.      

This swatch shows one coat over black with no top coat.

The blue and red combination of the base color makes this polish look purple in many lights, though the two separate colors can be seen at different angles. Layering over other colors makes the glitters stand out differently, as well as show different colors in the base.
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This is Understocked, which features turquoise, rose, and silver microglitter, with a large brown glitter accent in an aqua jelly with copper highlights.

This swatch shows two coats with no top coat.

This swatch shows one coat over black.

This one was interesting. The brown glitter really stands out when this color is worn by itself, but disappears when layered over black, giving the illusion of dark holes in the polish. It appears to be a purplish silver shade when worn by itself, but the copper highlights stand out more when layered over black. This polish is so many different things, all packed into a ½ oz bottle. I love it.
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Here is Impulse Buy. This one features purple, orange, and sliver microglitter, with a large aqua glitter accent in a purple jelly with orange highlights.

This swatch shows two coats with no top coat.

This swatch shows one coat over black.

I really liked Impulse Buy. It’s dark, but not vampy. Bright, but not too happy. The right mix of just right. The blue and orange glitter really pop out of the base when worn either way. You’d think it’s purple. But, it looks kinda red. Then, it looks orange. It can’t make up its mind.
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Cart Jacked is my favorite. This gem features hot pink, yellow, and silver microglitter, with a large purple glitter accent in a fuchsia jelly with gold highlights.

This swatch shows two coats with no top coat

This swatch shows one coat over black.

Hands down. My favorite of the collection. It’s coral, without being orange, or red, but it’s orange. And red. And pink. What the heck? I liked this one so much, I’m already wearing it a second time to do nail art with it. But, that’s a story for another blog post. The gold highlights really shine when the light hits the nail. Reds and pinks are my favorite colors to put on my nails, so it’s no surprise that the combination of the two, plus everything else, makes this one the all star of the collection for me.
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Limited Edition features cherry red, green, and silver microglitter, with a large gun metal glitter accent in a red jelly with green highlights.

The swatch shows two coats with no top coat.

This swatch shows one coat over black.

This one reminds me of candy canes. Purple candy canes. With sprinkles. You’d think its red and green, but it’s purple. And all of the above. And the texture just makes it that much more fun.
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This is Server Crash, which features yellow, blue, and silver microglitter, with a large cherry red glitter accent in a yellow jelly with blue highlights.

This swatch shows two coats with no top coat.

This swatch shows one coat over black.

You see that yellow aura around the edge of my nail? Yea, it does that in real life, too. I thought it was silver by looking at it in the bottle. And it is…wait, no it’s not, it’s yellow. Hold on, no, it’s not yellow, either. That’s blue. Nah….wait…seriously, what color is this?? The large red glitter really throws a curveball at you on your nail, because it doesn’t quite fit. But, it does. Why is this polish like this?!? It’s amazing, in a way that makes no sense whatsoever.
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Last, but certainly not least, is Out of Stock. No, it’s not out of stock. You know that, none of our polish is. But, the namesake sure does make me giggle…anyway, this polish features light green, purple, and silver microglitter, with a large yellow glitter accent in a green jelly with purple highlights.

This swatch shows two coats with no top coat.

 This swatch shows one coat over black.

I love the large yellow glitter in this one. There is something about the way it pops out against the rest of the colors in the polish. Especially when worn over black, the purple turns into such a deeper color that makes those yellow glitters shine like the stars. Mix in the microglitters, and it’s like a galaxy mani without all the sponging.
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Overall, I love this collection. There is so much versatility here with the layering, color combinations, jelly sandwich opportunities…I have so many ideas for nail art to do with this collection. Two coat opacity, fast dry time, and awesome colors. I am fascinated by the texture, but like that I can smooth it out with top coat, if I want.

This collection is available for purchase in our Etsy here, or in our Big Cartel store here. They are $8 each, shipped, or the full set is available in full size bottles for $50 shipped.

Don’t forget to visit us on Facebook here. We are also on Instagram @mentalitynailpolish.

The Dark Side Holos for Men

This blog features the Dark Side Holos as presented for men, a collection of black and purple accented colors meant to reflect the dark, brooding side of its wearer indoors. Outdoors, the colors burst into high-explosive holographic reflections, like a laser-wielding polar bear ninja army. Ok, maybe a little less like the bear army, but holy cow does this stuff scream “LOOK AT ME! Now get back up so the ref will let me hit you again!”

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Her piercing shriek is what I remember most of our encounter on the high seas. I rode a team of dolphins and swam 100 leagues to get closer to her. That wild red-haired beauty was nearly the death of me as the seas tossed me against the rocks upon which she was perched. I wish that I would have asked her last name before she released her death grip upon my heart. Now, I shall only know her as Siren.

Siren is a red-toned purple base holographic polish with purple and fuschia flecks. View outdoors for best holographic effect. 

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Life as a space captain is tough; saving planets from annihilation for breakfast and breaking out of evil space prisons by dinner. Don’t worry, I do catch the rare meal in a space pub or gather around a fire pit with the other spaceship wreck survivors to share half-burnt rations saved from the wreckage.. So, having been taught by the best of space captains, when I was mysteriously teleported to the cabin of this green-skinned beauty’s warship just moments into our space-negotiations, I asked her name. She tossed her over her shoulder and the word that came back through the universal translator, Minx.

Minx is a green-toned purple base holographic polish with purple and fuschia flecks. View outdoors for best holographic effect. 

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As a former astronaut, I try to keep my secret agent stuff limited to the weekdays, so I can focus on my line of award-winning barbeque sauces on the weekends. I mostly hide in the open as a male fashion model, jetting around the world to the most exotic sets. I just adore this new sexy agent that I’ve been paired with, and the deep blue dye job in her hair. She kind of reminds me of this super villain that keeps trying to seduce me. Codename: Vamp

Vamp is a blue-toned purple base holographic polish with purple and fuschia flecks. View outdoors for best holographic effect. 

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Thanks for reading!