There were three major observations I had shortly after applying: 1) it is insanely pigmented–one coat is very nearly opaque (I used two coats, though, but my pinky nail is just one coat); 2) it dried down faster than the average polish; and 3) it has a high, glossy shine. I just wrapped up doing a wear test of this particular shade, and it lasted for a full seven days with very minor tip wear–it seemed to wear even better than Guerlain’s prior nail lacquers that they released last year. I was most impressed by the shine, though, as a cream color like this is typically rather pigmented, but it has such a glossy, plush look to it. The consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin, and the polish did not streak, bubble, or pool along the edges.
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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MAC Heroine Nail Lacquer ($16.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.) is described as a “bright violet cream.” It’s a light-medium, pinky-purple with warm, pinky-red undertones and a cream finish. MAC In the Dark… Purple is darker, redder (better match for Heroine, actually). OCC Pansy is much pinker. Zoya Kieko is darker. Zoya Perrie is a bit lighter and more lavender.
While it’s not muted, it’s not a bold/bright shade either. It doesn’t match the Heroine lip products at all–it is purpler and lighter. Based on the collection, everything seems like it’s supposed to match (and the descriptions are fairly uniform across the products), but this one definitely stood out–and that may be to your liking (or not). It was mostly opaque after two coats, and it applied fairly well. The consistency was on the thicker side, but it didn’t seem to cause problems during application other than being mindful of how much product is on the brush. I actually felt like this had a cream-jelly hybrid of a finish, because it had a slight squishy look to it after I applied the two coats.
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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Illamasqua Pink Raindrops Nail Varnish (£13.50 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “sheer cool pink.” It’s a light-medium neutral pink with pale pinkish-white flakes of glitter/sparkle throughout (they seem slightly iridescent). Illamasqua Scarce has a slightly cooler-toned base color (and is, obviously, different with all the black glitter). Deborah Lippmann Glamorous Life is a rose gold and has a metallic finish, but it was slightly reminiscent in color. Zoya Pandora is slightly more beige/less pink (and no flakes). Rescue Beauty Lounge Plie is similar to the base color but is a cream.
Okay, well, first things first, this isn’t sheer in the slightest. In fact, it’s very nearly opaque in a single coat! It’s more pigmented than Raindrops, and it seems to have more glittery flakes. I do miss the more jelly-like quality of the original Raindrops, because it was very apropos given the name/inspiration. The consistency is somewhat thicker compared to Illamasqua’s formula in general and slightly thicker compared to Raindrops. I normally get seven to ten days of wear with Illamasqua’s formula (it is one of the longest-wearing formulas I’ve tried) with very minor tip wear but no chipping.
If you wanted the sheer pink as promised, you're out of luck, because this is incredibly pigmented! (Upside for folks who shivered at the thought of sheer polish, though.) I wish this was a bit thinner, though, especially since it doesn't need two full coats for opacity.
Product
8.5/10
Pigmentation
8/10
Texture
8/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4.5/5
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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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China Glaze Strap On Your Moon Boots Nail Lacquer ($14.00 MSRP for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “midnight sky blue.” It’s a darkened, stormy blue with linear, holographic shimmer. I couldn’t come up with any dupes, though, even for something similar in color (but without holographic shimmer).
This looks many times more interesting in the photos than it ever looked in person. I found it difficult to detect the holographic effect under indoor light, because it is very, very subtle. My camera did a far better job picking up the holographic shimmer than my own two eyes did! In brighter light, like sunlight, it is somewhat more obvious, but it’s not a strong holographic effect (definitely not the “strong linear finish” they noted in the press release) and at double the price, disappointing to see (or not see, in this case).
I had no trouble applying Strap On Your Moon Boots, though. It dries down faster than the average polish, and as a result, it’s important to wait for the first coat to dry before applying a second as it will pull at the polish if it is still drying. I used two coats for completely opaque color coverage. I tested this particular shade for wear, and it lasted five days with minor tip wear but after seven days, the tip wear was more than my norm for both China Glaze and polish in general (and if you’re not familiar with my reviews, most polishes wear a week on me and chipping is very rare).
The holographic effect is very subtle and only visible under really bright sunlight. It applied well, and the polish as a whole had good color coverage.
Product
7.5/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
8/10
Application
4.5/5
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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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KBShimmer Pastel Me More Nail Lacquer ($8.75 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “rainbow of pastel colors from pink to periwinkle” with “several different sizes of hex glitters.” It’s a fun confetti-like mix of light blue, copper, pink, periwinkle, and yellow in medium hexagon-shapes as well as small and smaller glitters. The effect–but only at a glance–reminded me of Cult Nails Happy Ending, but Happy Ending is shredder glitter and not quite the same in composition.
KBShimmer recommends applying one coat of this over a base color, as it is listed as a glitter top coat. It had good coverage in a single coat, which I applied over China Glaze Keep Calm, Paint On. I did apply two coats of the top coat alone on my thumb nail so you could see the effect/opacity–it’s definitely a shade that’s best used as recommended: as a top coat. It could have dispersed the glitters more evenly across the nail, so you might need to do some pushing to get a more even look if that’s what you’re after. The consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin, and it didn’t take too long to dry or feel really thick on the nail.
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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This is an incredibly pigment-rich formula; nearly one coat is fully opaque, but I felt like the texture looked best (dense, plush, and lightly shiny) with two coats, so I’d still recommend two coats. For reference, I left my pinky fingernail with only one coat of product, so you can see the opacity. The consistency isn’t too thick or too thin, but it is on the thicker side. It flowed well over the nail, and I didn’t have any problems with the polish streaking or pooling along the edges. I typically get a week of wear with minor tip wear but no chipping with OCC’s formula.
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!
