I'm well into week 3 with swatches however I've finally managed to get this post edited and ready to go! Let's get straight into it:
Day 8 - Kaleidoscope // Silver Glitter with blue/purple shift shimmer
Formula - Paint Pot
I have to say I'm impressed by this glitter. Most need to be sponged on to get full glitter coverage however this looks great with large amounts of different sized glitter chunks from the first coat. It's based in a blue/purple clear shimmer which gives it a little something extra (cue Elle Woods from Legally Blonde)
And just to give you an idea of what it looks like on top of another polish I'm wearing it with Wind In My Hair from the new Cuccio Wanderlust range (a full swatch post is coming in January!) on my ring finger. I'm wearing two coats in the photo and I'm impressed at how nice it looks by itself. I actually really like the whole 'negative space' trend in nails so it fits in with that really well, but the shimmery base just elevates it to another level. It's also gives off serious mermaid/scale vibes; I like it.
Day 9 - Knee Highs // Dark Blue Shimmer
Formula - Paint Pot
Oh man do I love this shade. I've already used it for last months Look Fantastic nails and this shade looks beautiful both shiny and matte. It's also a dream to apply so I was a little shocked when I found out that this is the regular paint pot formula. Rich and luxurious this is a stunning one-coater. That said I've noticed that it cracks insanely easily; even if you don't have ridges. On my index finger it looks like fibers have gotten into the polish the cracking was that bad. A little disappointing given how beautiful the shade is.
Day 10 - Dangerous Affair // Deep Crimson Creme
Formula - Paint Pot
They just keep knocking it out of the park with this calendar. Dangerous Affair is a stunning deep crimson that's almost identical to Orly The Antidote, however this is slightly more red. This is definitely a vampire shade with it's blood red tones and inspires a Gothic looking mani. You could get away with one coat however I'm wearing two just to cover up some slight patchiness. This is one of the few shades that I would wear on it's own which is rare for me as I can't resist layering or stamping everything.
Day 11 - Antique Brooch // Chunky Pink Glitter in Sheer Gold Shimmer Base
Formula - Paint Pot
I feel like a broken record because this is another great polish. I'm wearing just one coat on bare nails and it still looks super chic. The sheer shimmery bases (try saying that 5 times in a row...) in these glitter polishes really help make them something special. I also used this recently in a Christmas Party look, where I wore two coats on top of Dangerous Affair. These two have become one of my favourite combos.
Day 12 - Stickers
I think just the two little sheets of water decals are a bit stingy considering you can get a sheet of 50 of Wish for like £1 but these ones are cute. I haven't used them yet but they'll be going in my decal draw to be used for a special occasion since you don't get much. I honestly don't mind receiving things like this in advent calendars; it's a nice change and still nail related but it's just lacking quantity wise.
Day 13 - Raspberry Collins // Super Bright Raspberry Creme
Formula - Paint Pot
Holy gasmorgasboard (...I don't know what that is...). This shade glides across the nail in one coat for a blinding mani. This is a hot, bright raspberry shade that is similar to three shades from the OPI calendar but the formula really sets it apart. I didn't even need to do any clean up after application. I have to say Ciaté brushes are perhaps my favourite for the way they fan across the nail; allowing you to achieve a flawless look in just 3 swipes, once down the middle and then to the sides.
Day 14 - Jelly Oil
I don't have much use for this as a nail oil as it's not very moisturising and takes a long time to sink into the skin. However, I have found a use for this as my 'swatching oil'. Whenever I use polish on my left hand (my main polish hand) I always use a peel off base coat, however I've found that if oil is left on the nail the base coat peels off even faster than normal and doesn't last my usual 24 hours. For swatching this is perfect as it lifts of super easy and allows me to swatch faster. A tiny amount of this jelly oil dabbed on the nail and rubbed in also helps keep my nails and nail folds protected from acetone; win win. It does have a light pleasant scent as well.
Verdict
What a week; I'm exhausted from constantly being blown away by the performance of these polishes. And I'm almost through days 15-21 and trust me when I say it just keeps getting better. Most of these shades only need 1 coat and apply beautifully. If anything this calendar has made me a Ciaté convert.
Days 1-7
Days 15 - 21
Days 22 - 24
Days 1-7
Days 15 - 21
Days 22 - 24
No comments
Post a Comment