Morning all! I have a huge collection to show you today from Pretty & Polished, called the Icon Collection Part I, with a ton of photos, so let’s jump right in, okay? There are 8 polishes and this collection releases May 13, 2016.

Chelsea, the maker of Pretty & Polished shares her vision of the Icon Collection: Part I of the Icon Collection is based on current female music icons. I chose these women because they are iconic and have made big impacts not only in music but in my life and the lives of others. This is just the first part of our Icon series. 

This is Madonna’s polish, Express Yourself. When I think of Madonna there are a few words that come to mind. Soft. Sexy. Confident. Strong. I wanted to pull inspiration from the video but found myself gravitating towards the message and the woman herself. The message is simple, don’t settle.

Express Yourself has a white crelly base with red and gold holographic glitters, rose and dark grey flakes. The polish has a strong presence in a soft base which I feel suits Madonna perfectly. This is 3 thin coats plus top coat as it dries matte. Formula is a bit sheer, but it has good glitter coverage.

Christina Aguilera’s polish is “Genie in a Bottle”. She started off young and had a cool and calm good girl way about her. She has transformed into an iconic powerhouse who can sing anything you throw at her.  I wanted [this polish] to be representative of her charm, beauty, and good girl attitude.

Genie in a Bottle is a thermal color changing polish that shifts from a pale blue when warm to a teal when cold; it is joined by teal and pink holographic glitters and scattered holographic effect.  

This is 3 thin coats plus top coat. Formula is good, I almost got away with 2 coats but I had a few patchy areas that required a third coat. It dries slightly bumpy, so you might want to use a thicker top coat. The thermal is immediate! [I actually have this one on my toes right now and let me tell you, thermal polishes on toenails are super fun!]

Next is Gwen Stefani’s polish, Just a Girl. I wanted to choose a song from No Doubt where Gwen really got started and made a huge impact with young girls. She was cool and everyone wanted to know her or be her. [My note: that was me! And I still want to be her!] I wanted the polish to represent that it’s ok to be a girl who doesn’t bow down to the standards put in place for her. You can be whatever you feel and still be beautiful. 

Just A Girl is a bright blue holographic jelly polish with color shifting flakes.  This is 3 thin coats plus top coat, as it dries matte. No complaints at all on formula!

Adele’s polish is called “Set Fire To the Rain.” Adele is one of the best selling recording artists in the world. Her music is so easy to listen to and elicits so many emotions.

Set Fire to the Rain is a powerful song. My interpretation is that of an unhealthy relationship needing to end and her finally doing just that. Anyone who has been in an unhealthy relationship can attest to the difficulty of walking away from someone you love knowing it’s for the best.

This is another thermal polish that changes from red when cold to a pale red-taupe when warm. It also has beautiful orange-red color shifting flakes. This is 3 thin coats plus top coat, as it dries matte. Formula is jelly and it is sheer; it was also a bit uneven for me.

“Firework” is the polish for Katy Perry. Katy Perry is an artist that has really given a voice to the underdog. She has a very laid back kind of beauty and attitude but speaks to those who don’t always have the words to express themselves. I chose this song because I feel like it is one of her most empowering performances. The lyrics push you to keep moving forward and find the light within yourself.

Firework can be a full coverage flakie polish with multi-colored flakes.  This is 3 thin coats plus top coat. It is slightly sheer, and would be useable as a glitter top coat as well.

Carrie Underwood’s polish is called “Blown Away”. Carrie is special because we got to see her evolve from being a normal country girl to an iconic country superstar. She has continued to produce singles that not only showcase her amazing vocal abilities but the good person she is. Her music can speak to you on a very basic human level and make you feel like she’s just a normal girl doing what she loves.

Blown Away is a very emotional song. The feeling of wanting things to just go away is an emotion I think we can all relate to at some point.

Blown Away is a tri-color thermal addition to the Dusty Creme line. It is teal blue when cold, green in room temperature state, and light gray when warm.  This is 3 thin coats plus top coat, as it dries matte. No complaints on formula at all!

Janet Jackson’s polish is called “Rhythm Nation.” This nail polish represents not only the powerful black and white music video for this song but it also represents Janet.

Janet is multifaceted. She has so many talents and abilities. Her music is powerful just like her and I felt she needed a polish that represented her power and beauty.

Rhythm Nation is a thermal polish that shifts from a dove gray when warm to a dark grey when cold; it also has a scattered holographic effect with bright purple and dark gray micro flakes. This is 3 this coats plus top coat, as it dries matte. Formula is similar to Genie in a Bottle, I almost got away with 2 coats but not quite. It also dries a bit bumpy.

“Run the World” is Beyonce’s polish. Beyonce is one of the best selling music artists of all time. The video for this song was incredibly powerful from the beginning. Females standing together in black and metallics letting everyone know who runs things. So much strength in that alone even without her having to say a word.

Run the World is a brown-black jelly polish with gold and copper holographic glitters, with copper color shifting flakes. This is 2 coats plus top coat as it dries matte. Another winner in formula, and my personal favorite.

Remember that this 8-piece collection will be launching May 13, 2016 at Pretty & Polished. My personal picks that I think you should purchase right away are: Run the World, Blown Away, Just a Girl, and Rhythm Nation.

Let me know which one is your favorite!