So I have this little problem...

I got hurt while lifting a box at work. According to the doctor I have sprained my left wrist and have an injury of the median nerve at forearm level. One way or this other this will mend, BUT for the time being I'm on light duty and can't lift more than ten pounds. As a result, I can't stress test nail polish. I'm normally a couple weeks on ahead on stuff, just in case. Sadly I've run out of material until I can get back to doing my regular job duties.

I'll be back to posting regularly as soon as I can!

Nail Polish Stress Test: Whim Gone Glamorous

As my search for a wannabe gel polish that doesn’t suck continues, I’ve come across a couple brands where I’ve balked at buying them. This is because in my opinion the cost is too high versus the odds of them being any good. One of those brands is the Ulta Exclusive, Whim. However, my friend came across a shade she really liked from that collection and offered to let me borrow it, along with the necessary top and base coat. I never turn down an opportunity like that, so today’s subject is Gone Glamourous.

Gone Glamorous is a dark vampy red jelly that has iridescent flecks in it. The flecks look awesome in the bottle, but once it’s on, you really can’t see them. I found the formula to be on the thin side, and while it applied okay, I had problems doing it neatly. I think this is partly because of the formula of the polish itself and partly because of the base coat, appropriately named Cover Your Bases. It’s supposed to act as a “magnet” for the polish and it certainly did that. When I went over it with Gone Glamorous, it adhered and dried very quickly.

I also found this polish was on the streaky side, so I used three coats to get full opacity. I finished off my mani with the recommended top coat, On Top Of It. I had to use a heavy coat as it dragged the color off otherwise. It dried pretty quickly. It looked pretty nice, but I really prefer the shine Seche Vite provides.

This is another polish that almost water marbles but dries too quickly to pull it off successfully. To my surprise, it stamped beautifully. It did well enough that I was able to use an image with fine lines for my ring finger accent nail. The sparkly bits didn’t interfere with stamping at all. Since I knew by this point that using On Top Of It would wreck the design, I used Seche Vite on that one nail.

So, how did it hold up?

Business as usual, it was wrecked in one day.

Verdict: Party Polish

The polish, top coat, and base coat cost $10 each. For $30, I want better results than that.This is exactly why I didn't buy them myself. However, if you came across Gone Glamorous in the clearance bin and were into nail stamping, it might be worth picking up.That's the only thing that saves Gone Glamorous from being Loser Polish.

Nail Polish Stress Test: Zoya Tilly

My first introduction to textured polishes was when Zoya first came out with their original PixieDust collection. I loved the sandy finish and the sparkle, and for a time, I had every single one Zoya came out with. Then came the UltraPixie dusts and Magical PixieDusts that I liked a little less. Between the jelly finishes, chunky glitter, and colors that were too similar. I was starting to sour on the concept for a bit. They also didn't last as long as the originals. However, I was still sad when they announced they weren’t coming out with any more Pixies though. Then, Zoya announced their Seashells collection which is made up of all PixieDusts. I went and ordered the whole set, including today’s test subject, Tilly.

Tilly is a silver textured polish with some holographic glitter and darker silver particles thrown in for extra sparkle. It’s a great combination of sparkly and shiny. I used three thin coats to get full coverage and let each one dry before I applied the next one. I did not use any top coat. The texture is fairly abrasive, but it smooths out a bit after you’ve worn it for a while.

As a textured polish it’s not suitable for stamping or water marbling. It’d be fun to use with nail vinyls though.

So how did it hold up?

It did great! I made it three days. This is the PixieDust I know and love. It didn’t chip at all, merely wore down. Mostly it was at the tips of my nails.

Verdict: Excellent

If you love textured polishes, holographic glitter, or silver, you need this polish! It can be ordered from Zoya’s website for $10, although they have promotions often enough that there’s no need to pay full price.

Nail Polish Stress Test: Pacifica Abalone

Recently, a friend of mine came across a brand of polish I’d never heard of called Pacifica. She ordered one called Abalone, and asked me if I wanted to take it for a test drive. Would I? Heck yeah!

The interesting thing about this brand is that it’s 7 Free.  According to Ulta’s website, that means it’s formulated without parabens, phthalates (dibutyl phthalate), toluene, xylene, camphor, formaldehyde, resin, and animals. The less bad stuff in there, the better, right?

Abalone is a gray based polish with duochrome iridescent shimmer. It’s one of those fun polishes that looks different depending on what kind of light hits it from which angle. It shifts between pink, green, blue and purple. It reminds me of Sally Hansen’s Silver Scallop without the big honking pieces of glitter.  Application was a breeze. The formula was nice and smooth, if a bit sheer, but I got full coverage in three coats. I used my usual coat layer of Seche Vite on top.

This polish can water marble, but it’s sheer enough that I don’t know that it’s worth it. Stamping wise, it can work. However, when I stamped it over white, it mostly just looked gray. Now to me, the whole point of using a polish like this in nail art is to be able to get a shimmery design. So, I tried it over black. I got shimmer, but it was subtle. I’d probably pass on stamping with it and reach for something else instead.

So, how did it hold up?

It did great! It lasted a solid three days before I felt it needed to come off. A person on Team Office Job could easily get a full week out of this.

Verdict: Excellent

It’s always nice to discover a new to me brand of polish that turns out to be worthwhile. I’m looking forward to trying out more from them. I ended up ordering my own bottle of Abalone after I returned the one I borrowed from my friend. As of this writing, you can order it from Ulta for $6.75.