Ciaté Mini Mani Month 2019 // Days 1 - 7

Sing it with me now! "It's the most wonderful time of the year". That magical time when we all sit down with our family and argue about whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas film. Also it's the time for another Ciaté Mini Mani Month! I loved last years and when I saw that at least half of the shades were brand new (and I managed to snatch up the box for half price) I couldn't resist.

Day 1

Mineral Positivity // Dark green with gold and green textured glitter

This is a textured glitter that dries matte in the same way as the Zoya Pixiedust collection. This shade is actually similar to Chita from that collection but it's much darker and the gold pieces shine more. I never used to like matte textured polishes but now I love them; they're just perfect for winter. This shade is also ready in one coat and dries very fast.

Day 2

Tutu // Sheer Pale Pink Creme

I love this colour! It's beautiful and one of my favourite shades of pink. It's a little streaky at one coat but still wearable if you're looking for a sheer pink wash of colour. If you want a solid colour though it needs at least three coats but it does dry quite quickly, a few minutes depending on your temperature. It is nice and glossy though without a top coat but I imagine it will have nice gel-like shine with Barry M's plumpy top coat. Once you build up those three coats though, it kind of has a peach-feel to it, similar to Nails Inc Peach Tease. I'm a little obsessed with this shade and I'm going to have to buy it full size.

Day 3

Paparazzi // Deep Crimson Jelly

This is so dark after two coats it's almost black. It is the kind of red shade that I like though. You definitely need two coats as one is streaky but it's nice and glossy by itself. I'd say this is a bit darker than Dangerous Affair but is almost identical to Raising the Barre (both by Ciaté). Just be warned though, all these shades stain the skin easily and it's hard to get a clean edge when doing clean up.

Day 4

Tempest // Blue, Purple and Green Sheer Shimmer

This was Day 18 in last years calender. The first photo is the swatch from last year using 3 coats on bare nails. The second photo shows 3 coats again but on top of three different bases; black (middle), blue(ring) and white (index, the pinkie is just 3 coats for comparison). On top of the black, this shade really comes alive and the shift is much easier to see. It's definitely the worst on top of lighter colours.

Day 5

White Heat // White Creme

I already own this shade but another is welcome as this is my go-to white shade. I love it, even if it isn't a one coat wonder. I'm wearing two coats in the swatch with no top coat. My bottle is quite old so it's nice to have a fresher version available on hand. This polish though has one of the best formulas and 9 times out of 10, I don't even have to do clean up because of how easily it glides across the nail.

Day 6

Kiss Chase // Dark Pink Jelly

This is not my kind of pink shade. I prefer more pastel/dusky shades. This flamingo pink though is nice and bright for those who like their pink mani's super pink. The formula is thin but not streaky; a true jelly. I'm wearing two coats with no top coat and it's still nice and glossy.

Day 7

Sweet Treats // Pink and Gold Sheer Shimmer

If you want to transform your pink polish, this shade is how you do it. I stuck it on top of Kiss Chase and I much prefer the combo over Kiss Chase alone. It reminds me of Sailor Moon magical girl nails. By itself is just as pretty and the gold shift gives it an almost foil effect when the light hits it. This doesn't look great on top of black though; it's just a bit too obvious.

// Verdict

Whew! What a week. I already own 3 of the shades this week (Mineral Positivity, Tempest and White Heat) but they're all fantastic shades and two-thirds of the way to a full size bottle with them now. Tutu is definitely my favourite from this weeks shades and I've already done a christmas look using it. I want my walls painted in this colour.

Days 8 - 14
Days 15 - 21
Days 22 - 24