Day 3 - Nutra Nail Gel Polish - Moonstone

I must say, I'm pretty disappointed with this product.  I mean - I wasn't expecting Shellac or Gelish quality, but I did kind of expect something more than what I've gotten out of it.

I took these photos first thing in the morning, because I am fairly confident this won't last the day.  I have huge chips on my index and middle fingers, complete with a huge vertical crack in my middle finger that is barely visible if you embiggen the photo.

Both thumbnails self-destructed yesterday.  The right thumbnail went first.  I tried to save it by filling in the huge chip but it wasn't happening.  Instead I tried using the polish as a regular polish and the activator as a top coat.  That worked flawlessly, for about three hours.  Then it all peeled off in one flexible sheet.

The left thumbnail chipped off in layers.  Seriously.  I could see parts where only the top layer went, and parts where the top two layers went.   I'm guessing that might have been because I polish from pinky to thumb, so that one had the most time to dry out between coats of activator and polish.  Anyway, it was clear by then that this was a failed experiment.

So, what didn't I like?  I didn't like that it self-destructed in such an annoying way, and couldn't be repaired.  Also, since this dries to a hard surface, you have to be careful when it chips, otherwise your bare feet will remind you.  I also didn't like that my nails felt thick and inflexible. I'm guessing that contributed to the catastrophic chips.

I do really, really love this color, though.  I might try it as a regular polish but I'm pretty sure it won't work.  And if you regularly use Shellac or Gelish this might not be a bad option - I've never used either so for all I know this real is comparable, and I'd destroy either of those, too.

Savina - Purple Hologram

Well, today I have kind of a weird one for you.  Savina Purple Hologram is, in the bottle, a pale lilac with holographic glitter.

Basecoat:  Salon Sciences Fiberglass Network (1 coat)
Color:  Savina Purple Hologram (3 coats)
Topcoat:  Sally Hansen Insta-Dri (1 coat)

In the photos I have very noticeable VNL, but it's not quite as visible in real life.  The polish was a little thick, but it does a great job of suspending the glitter (it wasn't like some glitters that I have to shake like crazy to get it evenly distributed).  Cleanup was super easy, but I might think that because the polish is pretty light in color and not as noticeable.  The glitter is also very noticeable and does not get covered up by an opaque color, too.

Here's where I am on the fence.  I would never in a million years wear this color if it didn't have glitter in it, and definitely not this sheer.  Is the glitter enough to rescue this polish from my pile of polishes to purge?  I don't know.  I'm leaning towards tossing this one.

Icing Mood Swing - Serene/Stormy

This one was sort of a fail, but not for the usual reasons.  Serene/Stormy is a mood polish that is a gorgeous purple with teal shimmer for the cool color (it actually reminds me a lot of RBL Scrangie), and a teal shimmer when warm.

Basecoat:  NailTek Foundation II (1 coat)
Color:  Mood Swing Serene/Stormy (3 coats)
Topcoat:  Seche Vite (1 coat)

Application actually was not all that great for this polish, but it might be better with a different basecoat like Gelous.  It was a little thick and gloppy, but nothing too bad.  But that isn't the fail part.

The fail part is that it's 110 degrees outside in Dallas.  I could not get the cool color, at ALL.  I saw it while I was applying, but that's it.  Even though my nails are long enough that I should have some cool at the tips, it's just too darn hot.  I tried running it under the cold tap in the bathroom, but I guess I forgot that there's no cooling system for the water, so you really just have hot and hotter water.

I'm calling this a fail for now but I'll definitely be trying it again in the fall or winter.

Sally Hansen - Jade Jump and Kleancolor - Holo Green

Why do I keep buying these minty greens even they look terrible on my skin regardless of the time of the year?

Jade Jump is a minty slightly dusty green.  Holo Green is a diffused holo pale green.  It's a little more "green" than Jade Jump, but when I swatched this on its own you can't really tell, so I opted to layer it.

Basecoat:  Salon Sciences Fiberglass Network (1 coat)
Color:  Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Jade Jump (2 coats)
Color:  Kleancolor Holo Green (2 coats)

The first photo is the most color-accurate.  O Hai, Lobster Hands!  Ugh.

I have a love-hate relationship with the InstaDri polishes.  The brush is hard to control on my pinky fingers so I usually end up with too big a gap at my cuticle, or I slop it everywhere.  Other than that, I think I've gotten the hang of this brush, though I still usually need two coats for complete coverage.

Unlike the Chunky Holo polishes, I didn't need to thin Holo Green at all.  It actually didn't even smell as much as the Chunky Holos I've worn do.  I will definitely want to try this over something else, because it's lovely and the holo is amazing, even though I couldn't really capture it on camera.

Notice I didn't list my topcoat - it's because I got disgusted and took it off before I got to topcoat.  I really should stop buying minty greens.

Sula Paint and Peel - Dove

My worst nail habit is that I peel off my polish. It's why glitter bomb manis like Mad as a Hatter don't bug me, because I know I'm going to end up peeling it off anyway, even though I shouldn't. So when I saw Paint and Peel, I didn't want to try it at all - why encourage my bad habit? But when it went on clearance I had to pick it up.

Dove is a grayish brown creme.
Since I figured I was going to hate this color on, I decided to follow the directions on the bottle. I did not use a basecoat or topcoat.

This is FIVE COATS of Dove. I have tons of bubbles, lots of streaking, and the surface is nowhere close to even. I like the other color I bought (Teal) a lot better, so when I wear that one I'll use basecoat and topcoat - hopefully it will help.

The best thing I can say about this polish is that it peeled off in awesome full-nail sheets.

Rescue Beauty Lounge - Anne

Anne is one of the Tudor fall collection from Rescue Beauty Lounge. Anne is a murky green shimmer with bits of purple sparkle in it. In the bottle I loved it.
Yep, another RBL bottle photo where I had to use flash, and it still doesn't look right.
Basecoat: Salon Sciences Instant Artificals (1 coat)
Color: Rescue Beauty Lounge Anne (3 coats)
Topcoat: Seche Vite (1 coat)

I always heard that Seche plays really well with RBL, but this is the second time where I've had the opposite experience. I used a brand new bottle of Seche for this mani and I still had shrink before I even went to bed. When I got up the next morning it still felt dentable.

And, I just don't like the color. I love it in the bottle but when it's on my nails I just wasn't thrilled with it. I'll keep it anyway because I'm a Tudor history buff, but... I probably won't wear this again.

Comparison: Color Club Wild Child and Essie Pretty Edgy

OK, in my defense, these looked pretty close in my office.  Unfortunately, these are not even close to being dupes, unless you never, ever go outside, and you never sit under bright lights, either.

I think it's pretty obvious which is which, but just in case - index and ring fingers are Wild Child, middle and pinky are Pretty Edgy. 

About the only similarity they have is that they are both green jellies.  In no way is Wild Child a dupe for Pretty Edgy.

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