The formula of this was impressive; it was not perfect, but it was nearly so, and for a yellow cream, both noteworthy and much-welcomed. The initial coat was a little streaky, but the second coat covered the streakiness entirely and left behind a beautiful, smooth, and even result. It’s fully opaque after two coats, and the texture wasn’t too thick or too thin–just right. The polish flowed well across the nail without bubbling or pooling along the edges. It dried to a naturally shiny finish as well, so you could skip the top coat. I usually get a full seven days of wear out of Cult Nails’ formula with very minor tip wear but no chipping.
It's a good polish, period, and for a yellow, it's one of the best I've come across. The initial coat is somewhat streaky, but a second coat covers and smooths out the color entirely!
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:
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Illamasqua Superstition Nail Varnish ($17.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “bright fuchsia pink.” It’s a bold, magenta pink with a jelly-cream finish. It is similar to the base color of Hare Polish Party Palace. NARS Ratin Jot is a bit less magenta (pinker). Illamasqua Obsess seemed really similar to me; perhaps a little purpler and lighter (and this has a true cream finish). If you have Obsess, I’d skip this (unless you’re a die-hard fan of Illamasqua’s formula, wear this kind of color all the time, or really want the jelly finish this has), because they are very, very similar. Deborah Lippmann Makin’ Whoopee is similar but has a shimmer finish.
The formula is everything I’ve come to expect from Illamasqua: perfection. It’s not too thick or too thin, so it applies beautifully without bubbling, streaking, or pooling along the edge of the nail. It flows well across the nail and is opaque in two coats. The finish is more of a hybrid between jelly and cream; it didn’t look as squishy as a typical jelly is, and this shade was more opaque than a lot of jelly polishes I’ve seen have been. Illamasqua’s formula lasts seven days on me with very minor tip wear, but it easily extends to ten to fourteen-day wear if I let it go that long.
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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Rescue Beauty Lounge Pause Nail Lacquer ($20.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “mid-violet silky shimmer.” It’s a vibrant, medium-dark grape purple with violet shimmer and pearl. China Glaze Creative Fantasy is more like a jelly, so it has no shimmer, and it is also warmer/pinker. Illamasqua Poke has subtle shimmer, but the color is pinker and lighter–not as dark as Pause.
This polish was fully opaque in two coats. It had a slightly thicker consistency, but it did not seem to impede application at all, as it applied beautifully. I didn’t have issues with the formula bubbling, streaking, or pooling, though it did seem to take longer to dry than the average polish. When it dries, it does so with a naturally shiny finish (but I think a top coat helps give it a plusher, even glossier look, so I’d still recommend it). I usually get a full week of wear out of Rescue Beauty Lounge’s formula with very minor tip wear and no chipping–it’s one of the longer-wearing formulas I’ve come across.
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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Rescue Beauty Lounge Turn It Around Nail Lacquer ($20.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “dark mossy green pond [with] a vivid, glittering cast of copper shimmer.” It’s a subtly warm-toned, olive green with flecks of copper shimmer and sparkle. I felt like my yellow undertones pulled the warmth out of this polish a bit, and if you have a cooler complexion, it may not look as warm-toned. I couldn’t think of any shades that really came close to this one. SpaRitual Lithophonic is darker, not as warm-toned, and doesn’t have copper shimmer (it has green). Cult Nails In a Trance has a similar green base color but different shimmer (both in size and color). Both China Glaze Westside and Zoya Dree are creamy, olive-ish greens, with Dree being closer in tone but lighter overall–neither have shimmer so I suggest these as a base option if perhaps you have a coppery top coat you want to try pairing it with. Rescue Beauty Lounge No More War is a cream polish (no shimmer), and its base color is a little lighter and more olive.
It’s fully opaque after two coats, and if you do thinner coats, you’ll probably need three. The consistency was a little on the thin side, but the polish still applied fluidly, evenly, and smoothly. I didn’t have any trouble with it streaking, bubbling, or pooling along the edges of the nail when I applied it. It dries down to a naturally shiny finish, and the polish feels smooth to the touch. The drying time was about average. Rescue Beauty’s formula wears very, very well on me with a full seven days of wear with very minor tip wear.
Turn It Around is certainly unique within the polishes that I've come across, which is always a plus! It applies well, had good color payoff, and generally, I get excellent wear out of the brand's formula.
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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Zoya Solange Nail Lacquer ($9.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “gold metal foil sparkle.” It’s a medium yellow gold with gold shimmer/sparkle and a matte, sparkle finish. (It’s part of the PixieDust formula, which is a textured formula that mimics the look of sparkling sugar.) I don’t have any suggestions for dupes that have the same textured finish. In regards to color, China Glaze Champagne Bubbles was the closest I could think of, but obviously, the finish is quite different (and it has silver micro-glitter, so it doesn’t look the same even when you apply a top coat over Solange).
Zoya states that this is an opaque polish, and that with the PixieDust formula, it may take one to three (thin) coats to achieve full opacity and to see the effect of the textured formula. It is recommended to wait up to ten minutes for each coat to dry but once dry, it should be “long-lasting, matte, and ultra-glittery.” It was opaque for me after two coats, and the consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin, so thin coats are possible. I applied it as I would any regular polish and didn’t have trouble with the application. If desired, you could totally apply a top coat to get a glossy finish and a smoother feel.
I’ve been wearing Solange for nearly seven days (I’m a few hours short), and I’ve had no chips and just minor tip wear. I was quite surprised, because matte polishes don’t have a great reputation for wear, but Zoya’s wore really well (and I’ve tested a few shades from the original PixieDust launch, which yielded similar results). Worth mentioning, however, is that very little chips on me (unfortunately, for testing), so hopefully those who have tried this themselves can also chime in with how it has worn in their experience!
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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It was fully opaque in two coats, and the consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin. It applied evenly, smoothly, and fluidly, which made it a breeze to apply. I didn’t experience any bubbling, streaking, or pooling of the color along the edges of the nail. Venous lived up to Illamasqua’s lacquer reputation–excellent in every way. I typically get at least a week of wear (as long as 10-14 days) out of Illamasqua’s formula with very, very little tip wear and no chipping.
Also, heads up: Illamasqua has raised their polish prices from $14 to $17 sometime in the past few days. This particular shade is actually coming as $14 (which as far as I can tell is merely an oversight/mistake), and some readers mentioned the price still being $14 in stores. I’m disappointed to see such a large increase (21% as compared to the 5-10% increases on other prices, within their range, which is more in line with most price increases) — I think it may shift the polish out of the comfort zone for some — even if it is a standout formula.
Venous lived up to Illamasqua's lacquer reputation--excellent in every way. It was rich in color, had a fluid, workable consistency, and finished with a glossy finish.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
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!
