Cult Nails Happy Ending Nail Lacquer ($10.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) contains shredded multi-colored flakes suspended in a clear base. There’s aqua-blue, copper, gold, and lavender from what I can see–I swear I see a hint of green, but I think it might be the gold. I don’t have anything like this, and I’m not even sure if I have more than one or two shredded polishes on hand. Deborah Lippmann Happy Birthday is the closest I could think of, but it’s multi-sized glitter particles (squares and hexagons) with a lot of green in it. Even though the sizes/shapes are different, I think the two yield at least a comparable feel: a big ol’ glitter-party on your nails.
The consistency of Happy Ending is on the thicker side–if you have a lot of glitters in clear bases, it definitely has a sort of gel-like consistency that gives it a thicker feel and look. It does help suspend and keep the glitter shards in it, though, which means you don’t have to try and grab the pieces out of the bottle. They do need to be pushed around to get an even (sort of) layer of shredded glitter. I dabbled a blob of it on the center of the nail and then pushed and maneuvered the pieces around. It’s unique enough to be worth the trouble, but it’s not something I’d reach for often, just because it takes patience and some skill to use.
It's unique enough to possibly be worth the trouble, but it's not something I'd reach for often, just because it takes patience and some skill to use. I like the concept, but it needs a little more refinement.
Product
7.5/10
Pigmentation
8.5/10
Texture
7/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
3/5
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Cult Nails Untamed Nail Lacquer ($10.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “bubblegum pink sheer jelly polish with subtle multi-colored shimmer.” It’s a light-medium cotton candy pink with subtle blue undertones and light glitter (looked mostly white to me). MAC Saint Germain is a bit lighter and has a cream finish. MAC Vagabondage is a bit lighter as well and also has a cream finish. Zoya Rory looks a bit lighter because it has a ton of shimmer in it–cooler-toned, too. Zoya Lara is much darker. MAC Ice Cream Cake is a smidgen bluer-based and has a cream finish. MAC Galore Pink is less blue-based and has no shimmer.
It has that squishy, plush look of a jelly finish, and it is designed to be sheer, though it’s mostly opaque after two coats. If you wanted opaque color, I would recommend doing three coats. The consistency is just shy of being on the thicker side but typical to jelly finishes. Untamed isn’t dominated by the glitter, so it still looks mostly like a pink jelly polish more than anything else. It does dry down to a naturally glossy finish and does so faster than the average polish. I typically get a full week or more with Cult Nails’ formula, which is absolutely stellar as far as wear goes.
The jelly finish really works with this color, especially because when this type of color is done in a cream finish, it is prone to streaking and running on the thicker side. You can get the color you want here but without the streaky mess.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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Cult Nails Spontaneous Nail Lacquer ($10.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “dark, deep, dusty purple creme with vibrant purple glitter.” It’s dusty eggplant purple with red undertones and scattered violet micro-glitter. MAC Festive Finery is more muted, less purple, smokier, and has no shimmer. Cult Nails Enigmatic is much darker and browner, less purple. China Glaze Urban Night is redder, more wine-colored.
It’s opaque after two coats, and though the glitter is sparse, it disperses evenly–you don’t have to wobble around the brush just so in order to spread out the glitter. The formula wasn’t too thick or too thin, though it was on the thinner side. It dried down fairly quickly and has a naturally shiny finish, but I’d use a top coat for a smooth, ultra-shiny finish. I didn’t have any trouble during application; the polish didn’t bubble, streak, or pool to the sides. I typically get a full week or more with Cult Nails’ formula, which is absolutely stellar as far as wear goes.
If you love eggplant-y purples with subtle red undertones, you might like Spontaneous. It goes on easily, evenly, and opaquely in two coats. I've always had excellent wear with Cult Nails' lacquers!
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
Cult Nails I Got Distracted Nail Lacquer ($10.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “black jelly polish with holographic glitter interrupted by intense green glitter.” It’s an inky black base color with green-teal micro-glitter and holographic shimmer. I couldn’t think of any dupes for this one (not to say there may not be some–I would love your input!), and the closest I could come up with was NARS Night Breed, which is similar in composition, but it’s all silver shimmer/glitter.
Of all the shades, this is probably the one that catches your eye the most. There’s something about that intense, deep dark black base color and the holographic shimmer that grabs you! When I first swatched it, I had to post a quick picture of it on Instagram. It’s even more impressive in person, because you can see the way it really sparkles. It’s nearly opaque in one coat, though I did two swatches in the photos just to be sure (sometimes what looks opaque to me in person is almost opaque in photos!). The polish is on the thicker side, though.
It actually has an interesting finish without a top coat. I took the diffused flash photo with it dry but without a top coat (the other swatches have a top coat). The polish has some texture, so you’d want a thicker top coat for a smooth finish. I thought it looked like asphalt in a very pretty way. It’s shiny on its own, but it doesn’t look as smooth without a top coat. I typically get a full week or more with Cult Nails’ formula, which is absolutely stellar as far as wear goes. I’ve had this shade on my nails for the past five days with almost no noticeable tip wear.
Of all the shades, this is probably the one that catches your eye the most. There's something about that intense, deep dark black base color and the holographic shimmer that grabs you!
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
Cult Nails Deal With It Nail Lacquer ($10.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “lime green loaded with gold shimmer.” It’s an electric lime green with subtle yellow undertones and golden chartreuse shimmer. The closest dupe I could think of was China Glaze Cha Cha Cha, which isn’t quite as bright, and it is definitely less pigmented–it also has more shimmer (almost more metallic-like). China Glaze Kiwi Cool-ada gets the level of brightness, but it’s a much lighter and less yellow-toned green.
This color is wicked; there is just so much brightness coming through. It’s neon but it has more dimension than a lot of the neon creams do. I wish it was a wee bit more pigmented, because there was some visible nail line after two coats. The formula isn’t too thick or too thin, so a third coat is totally do-able if you want really opaque results. Most of Cult Nails’ lacquers dry to a fairly shiny finish, this one is a little more matte (I suspect because of the neon qualities, as most neons dry semi-matte or matte), but it does dry nice and quick relative to most polishes. I typically get a full week or more with Cult Nails’ formula, which is absolutely stellar as far as wear goes.
I wish it was a little more pigmented, but it is nearly there--you couldn't tell at a glance. I like that this green isn't too yellow, though, so I think it would work on a wider variety of skin tones. Very summery!
Product
9.5/10
Pigmentation
9.5/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
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