5 Gorgeous Navy Blue Nail Lacquers

Christine — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:00:29 +0000

5 Gorgeous Navy Blue Nail Lacquers

Reader Minh Vy asked for more “5 Ways” posts for polishes (by color), and I thought we’d do one on navy blues.

What’s your favorite navy blue polish?

Nubar Sparkles Collection Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Mon, 31 May 2010 18:29:23 +0000

Nubar Sparkles Collection

Nubar Sparkles Collection ($49.95) includes eight shades of glitter nail lacquers, most of which have a clear base but a few have a tinted base. I had some really good luck with some of these shades, but I definitely need a little more practice in applying glitter polishes like these.

They are incredibly dense as compared to other glitter finishes I’ve tried, but I did have some unevenness with a few shades and not completely opaque results with others. I think this is more to do with my application technique than the shades themselves–definitely need to be patient and let each coat dry completely before applying the next one. I think also thicker, rather than thinner, coats work better, too. I’m used to laying down a thinner initial coat followed by a thicker secondary coat, but I found it was better with two thicker coats.

The most foolproof shades were definitely Fire Sparkle, Night Sparkle, and Violet Sparkle (these three were my favorites, too –but because of their intense glow!). The shades I had the most trouble with were Sky Sparkle and Hyacinth Sparkle.

Star Sparkle is a clear base with silver and holographic glitter. I did three coats, and you can still see some of my nail beneath it, but it’s considerably opaque given it has a clear base.
Fire Sparkle is a sheer red base with red and darkened red glitter. In sunlight and flash, you’ll also catch glimmers of the molten amber flecks of shimmer, too — it really comes alive when the light hits it. Just two coats were needed here.
Petunia Sparkle is a magenta purple with red undertones and fuchsia-purple and lighter pink glitter. It’s a clear base–would you believe it–and three coats gave me complete, opaque coverage.
Meadow Sparkle is a pale spring green glitter suspended in a lightly tinted green base. To be honest, I didn’t see much tint in the base–I thought it was clear myself. I couldn’t quite get a completely opaque look, but I think I moved a little too fast on this one.
Night Sparkle is a deep true blue with flecks of blue and gold glitter. Just two coats for a completely opaque look.
Sky Sparkle is a medium blue with a slight aqua lean glitter suspended in a clear base. Personally, I had some trouble getting this one to apply evenly and opaquely.
Hyacinth Sparkle is a sheer lavender base with darker and lighter lavender glitter. It took me three coats to get a nearly opaque look, but it was a bit uneven.
Violet Sparkle is a deep violet purple with flecks of lighter, brighter violet and purple strewn through a clear base.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

Product: 28/30
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5

Recommendation: If you’re a fan of glittery polishes and have been on the hunt for ones that are better alone than layered as a top coat, you may enjoy Nubar’s Sparkle Collection.

Availability: Nubar

See more photos & swatches!

Star Sparkle, Fire Sparkle, Petunia Sparkle, Meadow Sparkle

Night Sparkle, Violet Sparkle, Hyacinth Sparkle, Sky Sparkle

Nubar Star Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Star Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Fire Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Fire Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Petunia Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Petunia Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Meadow Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Meadow Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Night Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Night Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Sky Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Sky Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Hyacinth Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Hyacinth Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Nubar Violet Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Nubar Violet Sparkle Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Temptalia

5 Gorgeous Navy Blue Nail Lacquers