Cult Nails Faded Nail Lacquer ($12.00 for 0.50 fl. 0z.) is described as a “light grey with subtle blue undertones.” It’s a pale, cement gray with a subtle cool undertone (read more neutral on me, but it looked more cool-toned in the bottle) and a cream finish. MAC Inert is warmer, more taupe-like. Nubar Earthen is very comparable (but needs a top coat to have similar shine). China Glaze Pelican Grey is darker and has shimmer.
Faded was fully opaque after two coats of polish. It had a fantastic formula that flowed fluidly across the nail without streaking, bubbling, or pooling along the edges of the nail. It dried down to a glossy finish (you could skip a top coat). I liked that it didn’t get too dark or cool-toned, so it appeared as a lighter, airy kind of gray, rather than a stormy color. I typically get a week of wear out of Cult Nails’ formula with very minor tip wear but no chipping.
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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Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Ripley Nail Lacquer
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Ripley Nail Lacquer ($10.00 for 0.50 fl. 0z.) is described as a “blackened, antique olive-gold [with a metallic finish].” At a glance, it’s exactly what comes to my mind when I think of “black gold.” More descriptively, it’s a blackened olive base with golden olive green shimmer with a metallic finish. China Glaze Agro is slightly greener, not as metallic (smaller shimmer). Cult Nails in a Trance is less blackened, more shimmered than metallic. NARS Mash is much greener.
This polish had flawless, opaque color coverage with two coats, but it was nearly opaque in a single coat! The consistency was on the thicker side, but it didn’t have an impact on the application, as I didn’t have any issues with the polish streaking, bubbling, or pooling along the edges of the nail. It dried down rather quickly, and it had a slightly shiny finish but a top coat would give it a really glossy look–it’s more foil-like without a top coat. Despite the very metallic finish, brush strokes were just barely noticeable, and at a distance, not distinguishable. I normally get a week of wear out of OCC’s formula with no chipping and only minor tip wear.
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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Love at First Sight was opaque after I applied two coats of polish. The consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin, and it was easy to apply–I didn’t have any issues with the polish bubbling, streaking, or pooling along the edges of the nail. It even dried a bit faster than the average polish, and the final dry down is shiny and glossy. I think you could skip the top coat if you only add it for shine, but it will still look lovely (and just a bit glossier, depending on the top coat) if a top coat is added. I typically get a week of wear out of Cult Nails’ formula with very minor tip wear but no chipping.
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!
Nakizzle’s Shizzle applied nicely with a really lovely consistency that wasn’t too thick or too thin, so it flowed evenly and smoothly across the nail. It was fully opaque in two coats, but there was some streakiness when I applied the initial coat that the second coat fully covered and evened out. For a pastel blue, it was one of the least streaky formulas I’ve encountered. It dried down slightly faster than the average nail polish, and the finish is naturally glossy and shiny. I typically get a week of wear out of Cult Nails’ formula with very minor tip wear but no chipping.
I loved how perfectly blue it is; not too dark, not too light and not gray or aqua. It's very much a blue! I also love how high-shine the finish is without a top coat.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9/10
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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Essie In the Cab-ana Nail Lacquer ($8.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “self-assured aqua azure.” It’s a brightened, light-medium blue with a hint of aqua in it with a cream finish. The color reminds me of swimming pools! OCC Pool Boy is bluer but was the only possible dupe I could think of.
This was a little streaky on the initial coat, and the second covered and smoothed out the majority of the polish, but there were a couple places I could see issues with at a distance. It was mostly opaque after two coats, except where the streaks were not covered entirely. The polish itself was somewhat thick, so it was a bit harder to control the thickness to get even coats of the shade. The drying time was slightly longer than average due to the thicker consistency. I typically get a week of wear out of Essie’s formula with minor tip wear but no chipping.
P.S. — And if my bottle looks tiny, it’s because I bought the mini version since you and I both know I’ll never finish a full-sized bottle so I thought the minis would suffice for review purposes!
This was a little streaky on the initial coat, and the second covered and smoothed out the majority of the polish, but there were a couple places I could see issues with at a distance.
Product
8.5/10
Pigmentation
9.5/10
Texture
7.5/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
4/5
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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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Zoya Hazel Nail Lacquer ($9.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.” is described as a “full-coverage, blue green foil metallic.” This is a silvery-blue foil metallic with flakes of dirty gold in it. I don’t have anything quite like it, and the only polish that even was reminiscent of it was Zoya Crystal with is much bluer. I always love when I come across a color that I haven’t see done before (or, even if only done a few times).
Hazel was fully opaque in two coats of polish, and the finish was metallic and foil-like. The consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin, and it didn’t streak, pool, or bubble during application. It was incredibly easy to apply, and the drying time was somewhat faster than average. All in all, this was a superb polish and really Zoya at their best. I normally get a week of wear out of Zoya’s formula with minor tip wear but no chipping.
All in all, this was a superb polish and really Zoya at their best. It's even better because the color is unique (to me), which makes it harder to dupe.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
9/10
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!
