Fresh Paint Guava

Fresh Paint is a brand I discovered this past year at Five Below. I have really come to love the brand because they're really well-made polishes that come in a variety of colors. They're not indie innovative like polishes, but they're solid staple colors for a collection. I haven't come across a polish of theirs I didn't like until now.

Guava

Guava is a neon coral pastel creme.

Collection: N/A

Color: It's not the color I have a problem with. Neon pastels have been a thing for the past 3 years and I think they still are. This is very neon and very pastel. It's a great coral shade that gives me fingers and instant tan.

Formula: Here is where we go amiss. Pastel neons as pretty as they are can have some of the least forgiving formulas. This formula was rather chalky, thick, and not a pleasure to apply. It's very hard to have precision with formulas like this and it definitely shows if you're not a perfect polisher. It's clear I don't have uniform lines, especially around the cuticle. Normally, I'd blame myself since I am "Imperfectly Painted", but it's really the pain in the butt formula to blame. This one is just too much effort than it's worth.

Price: I bought 3 polishes for $5. That's the sale Five Below has with a majority of their nail polishes.

Overall: Nice color, not a great formula. This is the type of polish where you know as you put the brush to your nail you're going to have a bad time. I hate my paint job with this one because of the formula, so I have irrational rage towards this polish now. Go away Guava. I hate you.

My Rating: 1 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Wednesday!

China Glaze Violet Vibes

I thought we were past the stage of tricky purples in nail polish, but I guess not. Those of you who have been on the nail polish scene for awhile will remember how when brands attempted to neon purples some of them would look purple in the bottle, but more pink on the nail. Plus, they'd photograph funky and have weird formulas. Well, China Glaze last summer gave us a tricky purple.

Violet Vibes

Violet Vibes is a medium bright grape purple creme/jelly(?).

Collection: China Glaze Electric Nights Summer 2015

Color: This is one of those purples that looks more purple on the bottle, but looks more pink on the nail. It also photographs more pink than it is, but it's still really more pink than purple? That makes no sense, but this is just one of those weird purple polishes that is just weird. I know that's such helpful commentary.

Formula: Ugh. What is this? This has this weird thin, jelly like formula that dries all uneven and matte. I used 3 coats above. It's not a pleasant formula to work with. I rarely comment on wear time, but I will on this one. I have this on my toes. I usually can wear a pedicure color 3-4 weeks with out any wear or chips before I have to change it. This chipped on my toes in less than a week. Not just one chip or a tiny chip. This chipped off in chunks on multiple nails.

Price: You can find this on e-tailers in the $3.50-$7.00 range.

Overall: Nope. The color isn't bad. It's pretty despite it not really being the color I expected. The formula is what really kills this polish. It's exactly the same type of terrible formula "neon" purples like this have had in the past. Sinful Colors Dream On would be a prime comparison and example as far as what type of polish this is like. I'm not impressed.

My Rating: 1 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Wednesday!

Pure Ice Fairytale Forest

I have the last of the Pure Ice Fairytale Forest polishes to share with you today. This was collection that was released early in December. The collection was limited edition, but there could be a few stragglers hanging out in a Pure Ice display. I adored this collection. I thought it was unique for a drugstore price collection especially in a time when drugstore/mainstream polish is waning in appeal. This color however, I think was a dud in the collection and I'm peeved at how they made this one!

Fairytale Forest

Fairytale Forest is a steely frosty blue shimmer.

Collection: Pure Ice Fairytale Forest Winter 2016

Color: I can't. I can't. I can't. If you recall from my other reviews of this collection (Tales Untold, Precious Jewel, and True Love's Kiss), these were pastel cremes with beautiful glass fleck golden shimmer. Well, that beautiful glass fleck golden shimmer is in this color too. You just can't see it because instead of a creme polish they paired it with this frosty shimmer blue crap. In person, you can see that gold shimmer in the bottle, but on the nail it's completely covered up by this atrocious blue frost of sadness. The color isn't bad, but it doesn't fit the collection and it's just not a nice finish much less a modern finish.

Formula: The formula applies nicely. I used 2 coats here. 

Price: This was $1.99 at Walmart. I can't fault the price.

Overall: Why?!?!? I almost feel like I can't fault it because everything else in the collection was great. It was a unique collection at $1.99 a pop. This color just doesn't make sense and I don't know why they thought this would look nice? Why bother putting that same shimmer in this color but use a frost? Frost polishes do not pair well with glitter or shimmer. The frost will always overpower those elements. It's stupid a amateur nail polish mistake that I'm clearly overly upset about. I'll get over it, but come on now. No more frost polishes of sadness please. 

My Rating: 1 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday! 

Third Week Throwbacks: China Glaze Cloud Nine

It's throwbacks week! I'm starting to think I need to do either another week of these or add Throwback Thursday polish every week. I have so many older polishes to go through. This polish came out with China Glaze's Specialty Glitter collection almost 7 years ago! This was a polish before its time, and the formula most definitely suggests that.

Cloud Nine

Cloud Nine is a white crelly base with golden iridescent glitter.

Collection: China Glaze Specialty Glitters 2009

Color: This is a beautiful polish. I think it has the perfect name. That perfect white paired with that beautiful iridescent glitter is stunning. I don't think I've seen a polish like it before then and even now. You know what it reminds me of? That Beanie Baby dragon called Magic. This color is magical.

Formula: Well that is where the magic ends. This has the absolute worst formula in my history of nail polish. I can't really blame it though. This was a crelly before there were crellies. The problem with this polish isn't the glitter in the base, it's the base itself. The base is has the consistency of watered down glue with clumps of white pigment floating about. It's gloopy, patchy, thick, sheer, and everything else that could be wrong with a formula. You can tell by the photo it was a struggle. I used 4 coats to get that coverage and I still had patches, so I just dabbed the polish over them. It is an absolute mess. I would love to say the age of the polish is what caused this to happen, but no I remember being just as bad 7 years ago.

Price: You can find this in the $4-$5 on eBay.

Overall: As terrible as this polish's formula is I cannot part with it. It is just so pretty. Will I ever wear it? No. It doesn't dry fully and it's just such a PITA. This is staying around for it's looks and nostalgia. I am curious though if there is an indie out there like this or if one can be created I'm sure with the materials these days there would be a much better result?

My Rating: 1 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

China Glaze Check Out the Silver Fox

I have a polish from the recent China Glaze fall collection to share with you today. I'm always hesitant to post polishes I'm not very into. It's not because I don't want to review it negatively, it's just that it's not very fun to write about. Plus, I really don't know what to say about it. Here goes anyways.....

Check Out the Silver Fox

Check Out the Silver Fox is a gunmetal silver metallic. 

Collection: China Glaze The Great Outdoors Fall 2015

Color: I love gunmetal colors. This is a pretty color, but this polish is just so flat. It's almost chalky which doesn't make sense for a metallic. I tried adding top coat and that did nothing. I love foily/metallic colors like this, but there is just something off about the formulation of this color. It has no depth or shine. It looks really matte and dull. This could of been tremendously better. 

Formula: The application and formula itself were opaque and so easy to apply. I only needed one coat with this polish. 

Price: This can be found in the $7-$8 range at Sally's, Ulta, and online. 

Overall: I'm sorry, but I really don't like this. I was expecting this to be a beautiful sister to Wood Ya Wanna? which does have dimension and shine. It's not at all. This color is just so flat and dull. I find it really unattractive and not flattering. If you want a silver metallic that has some omph to it I'd recommend Zoya Trixie or OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous.

My Rating: 1 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Third Week Throwbacks: Zoya Meadow

Welcome to my first week of Third Week Throwbacks! I mentioned a bit ago I was going to start this new feature on my blog. The third week of every month I'll be doing a week (3 posts) of throwback nail polishes! These polishes will be 2 or more years old. Hopefully these posts will get you to shop your stazh more and reignite some love for older polishes. 

The Zoya polish I have to share with you today I'm really not sure about. I had this polish a few years ago, and I swapped it away. I don't remember why I swapped it, but I ended up missing it. During a  recent  Zoya sale, I repurchased it, but it's not how I remembered it at all. I honestly think they changed this polish!

Meadow

Meadow is a frosty, golden peach with a copper flash.

This is my swatch of my older bottle from 2010. Please excuse the horrible swatch, this was when I just started blogging.

Collection: Unknown Pre-2008

Color: This is not the same Meadow from a few years ago. Zoya must of altered the color. What I liked and missed about the old meadow was that is was definitely a neutral toned medium pink with a soft golden-peach shimmer. The new Meadow is straight up peach with an intense frosty peach/gold shimmer. This went from being a very wearable neutral color to straight up grandma color.

Formula: The formula application wise was fine, but the shimmer in it now is very frosty, so it's brushstrokes galore.

Price: This is $9 on the Zoya website.

Overall: This is a massive WTF? polish moment for me. I don't have confirmation from Zoya this was reformulated or changed, but it must have been. If you Google this color and look at images pre-2012 you'll see I'm right. The swatches look like my older swatch color. If you have the old Meadow keep it and cherish it. Don't bother with this new fugly Meadow.

My Rating: 1 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Maybelline Fuchsia Fever

Have you ever bought a polish knowing in the back of your mind that it might be mistake? I had this feeling with this Maybelline polish. I don't think it was entirely a mistake, but I kind of had a feeling what I was seeing in the bottle wasn't going to be what I got on my nails. I should of listened to my intuition. I knew what was going on with this one, but I got it anyways.

Fuchsia Fever

Fuchsia Fever is a berry-purple jelly.

Collection: Maybeline Color Show Core

Color: This is one of those fake out bright purples. You can see from the bottle can't you? In the bottle this looked like it would be a bright violet creme. No, this is one of those very sheer weird jelly red-toned purples. In the bottle the polish doesn't look well mixed. I should of known better, well I did know better. I just thought there was at least 1% of it being what I wanted it to be.

Formula: This formula is pretty bad. It's very sheer and very patchy. I used 4 coats above and you can see areas of my nails where it's more bare than others. The formula wasn't bad or hard to apply, it just isn't pigmented at all and uneven.

Price: I paid around $3-$4 for this at Walmart.

Overall: Don't be fooled by this one. It's a mess. It's not what it looks like or what you want it to be. Fake out purple galore.

My Rating: 1 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday!