Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Untrieds Day Two/Three?

Sorry I've been a little behind so I have a few swatches to show y'all that I'm really excited about!

First up, is Illamasqua Jo'Mina.  This has been a huge lemming since I thought it was the purple Lydia wore on The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE) but it turns out she was actually wearing MeMeMe Cosmetics in Gorgeous.   Check it out:


Formula wise, it was excellent.  It only took 2 coats to build up to opacity and was smooth and beautiful unlike other similar cremes of this shade from other brands.  Illamasqua is worth every penny based on the three that I've tried (Jo'Mina, Lament, and Nomad).  I thought I had a similar nail polish color in Love and Beauty by Forever 21 and Julep, but it turns out this color is lighter and more red-toned.  Illamasqua is available in the US exclusively at Sephora and retails for $14.  Love and Beauty in "Purple" (yes, unfortunately F21 has really generic color names) and Julep Anne are good alternatives at $2.80 and $14 respectively.

Next up is P2 Color Victim in Electric.  I got this in a swap with a polish pal in the Netherlands who actually picked it up in Germany.  It's one of those jelly-creme, or crelly hybrid and took 3 coats to adequately build up in opacity for me.


Also a beautiful color, this was a decent formula to work with.  However, if you aren't able to get this from a friend in Europe then Nails Inc Portobello ($14) is a great alternative.  It really exemplifies the Pantone 2012 Color of the Year, Tangerine Tango.

I saved my favorite for last.  Mostly because its pink and it's actually the first Nails Inc I've ever bought domestically (99.9% of my Nails Inc have come from swaps from the UK and other countries.)  Notting Hill Gate is another crelly that was a joy to work with and built up in 3 coats.


It's not as neon as I thought it would be but I was happy that it didn't dry to a satiny, almost matte finish that a lot of my other neon-ish colors dry.  Not that makes a huge difference since a quick swipe with Seche Vite would turn any matte/satin/sueded polish uber shiny, but for the girl who isn't necessarily interested in top coating it, this is certainly the neon pink shade for you.  This is a new shade that's available at most nail bars in Sephora stores or you can find it online at Sephora.com.  Retail price is $9.50.

All in all, I'm really happy with all three polishes.  If you like bright shades, these are three that you definitely want to consider owning.

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