Start Off with a Clean State

SpaRitual Slate Nail Lacquer ($10.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “gray metallic shimmer infused with rhyolite.” It’s a gray-shimmered olive-tinged brown. I’d almost say it looks like taupe, but there’s this green hue that keeps peeking through, which makes me hesitate. When I was looking for dupes, the category that ended up resembling this most, because of the lighter antique golds (like Illamasqua Swinger and its own slew of dupes), but they were all quite lighter. Anyone have a dupe suggestion?

The consistency was a smidgen on the thinner side, but it didn’t have much of an impact on the application–needed to be a little more careful as it spread easily.  Slate was fully opaque after two coats.  There were noticeable brush strokes in the end result; they were very minimal under natural light, but they were apparent in brighter light.   The unique color and generally straight brush strokes (when you see ’em) are forgivable, but it will depend on your tolerance for them (it did impact the ratings).  I typically get a full week of wear out of SpaRitual’s formula with very minor tip wear and no chipping.

SpaRitual Slate Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Slate Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Slate Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Slate Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Slate Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Slate Nail Lacquer

There’s Something Murky Lurking In Here

SpaRitual Lithophonic Nail Lacquer ($10.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “deep brown metallic shimmer infused with rhyolite.” It’s a murky olive-tinged brown with olive green shimmer. Dior Czarina is darker, less green. Dior Amazonia is an olive green, so it is a lot less brown and has no shimmer. China Glaze Agro is much greener, less brown. NARS Mash is also quite greener with way less brown in it.  China Glaze Zombie Zest came the closest, though it is obviously lighter; it has a similar brown-colored base and green shimmer.

This shade is totally opaque with two coats of the polish.  It had a good consistency–not too thick or too thin–and flowed evenly across the nail without bubbling or streaking.  The shimmer dispersed evenly and just barely created brush strokes–only noticeable with a lot of light and barely under those conditions. I love SpaRitual’s packaging, because the rubberized handle makes it easier to hold and open the bottle.  I typically see a week of wear out of SpaRitual’s formula with very minor tip wear.

SpaRitual Lithophonic Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Lithophonic Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Lithophonic Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Lithophonic Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Lithophonic Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Lithophonic Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Lithophonic Nail Lacquer

Shimmer, Glitter, and Rock, Oh My!

SpaRitual Conglomerate Nail Lacquer ($10.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “charcoal rock glitter infused with rhyolite.” This has a murky gray base with olive green shimmer and circular black and light gray flecks. It’s the mixture of shimmer and glitter that makes this unlike other polish I own. I don’t even know of what I could mix that would yield this result, even if I layered products. I’d love to hear any possible dupes if you’ve come across anything!

Conglomerate was opaque after two coats.  The consistency was slightly on the thicker side, but it wasn’t difficult to apply.  I didn’t experience any streaking, pooling, or bubbling during application.  You will want to be careful to maneuver any glitter particles off the free edge if any gets there.  I tested this particular shade for wear, and it lasted for a full seven days with very minor tip wear but no chipping.  I love SpaRitual’s rubberized handle; it’s comfortable to hold and easy to grip.

SpaRitual Conglomerate Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Conglomerate Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Conglomerate Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Conglomerate Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Conglomerate Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Conglomerate Nail Lacquer

Would You Like a Little Rock with Your Polish?

SpaRitual Quartz Nail Lacquer ($10.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as an “earthy red creme infused with rhyolite.” It’s a rusty orange-red with flecks of blackened brown. It looks so… earthy on; there’s no other way to describe it. The finish was really unique, and it should, since rhyolite is “igneous, volcanic rock, of felsic composition” (according to Google). I couldn’t think of anything in my stash that was similar. Even when I tried to find something similar to the base color, I could only come up with MAC Styleseeker, which is much more orange.

It was very nearly opaque after two coats with a shadowy outline of the nail line on my index finger, but the other two nails seemed just fine.  The consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin, so it flowed beautifully across the nail without pooling, bubbling, or streaking.  SpaRitual has a nice ergonomic, rubberized handle, which makes applying and opening the bottle a cinch.  I typically get a full week of wear with SpaRitual’s formula with very minor tip wear.

SpaRitual Quartz Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Quartz Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Quartz Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Quartz Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Quartz Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Quartz Nail Lacquer

Let Summer Ebb & Flow Across Your Nails

SpaRitual Ebb & Flow Nail Lacquer ($10.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is a brightened blue with a hint of aqua in a cream finish. It’s more aqua, less blue compared to Rescue Beauty Lounge Faraway. Zoya Robyn may be the most similar that I can think of, but it’s bluer–no real aqua tones to it. China Glaze Towel Boy is kind of similar but not quite there. OCC Pool Boy is on the spectrum but much, much lighter.

This is such a summery shade to me–there’s something that reminds me of tropical beaches, sparkling oceans, and summer.  It’s opaque after two coats, but the consistency is a wee bit thick, so the drying time seemed a little long. It seemed to pull/drag if you didn’t wait for it to dry down, so I’d advise some patience with this one (as some formulas are more forgiving than others).  It dries to a naturally shiny finish but not 100% full-on glossy, so if you like that look, I’d still recommend a top coat.  I get a full week of wear out of SpaRitual’s formula with minor tip wear but no chipping, and they package their lacquers well, because of the rubberized handle, which makes it easier to hold and open.

SpaRitual Ebb & Flow Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Ebb & Flow Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Ebb & Flow Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Ebb & Flow Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Ebb & Flow Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Ebb & Flow Nail Lacquer

Reach for Olympic Gold with 5 Favorites

I thought it would be fun to celebrate the London Olympics with a few posts inspired by the colors of the medals handed out (gold, silver, and bronze). This post features five of my favorite gold-colored products!

• Bobbi Brown Canary — gold shimmer overload
• OCC Triptych — true yellow gold with a metallic finish
• theBalm Mary Lou Manizer — shimmering pale gold
• SpaRitual Solstice — glittering gold with molten orange tones
• Inglot #404 — rich honey gold with a frosted metallic sheen

What’s your favorite gold-colored beauty product?

SpaRitual Twinkle Collection

SpaRitual Twinkle Collection ($10.00 each for 0.50 fl. oz.) may have been a holiday collection, but it’s still available for purchase. The collection has six shades: Blue Moon (midnight violet shimmer), Shooting Star (velvet magenta shimmer), Twilight (deep amethyst purple), Illumination (silver glitter), Break of Dawn (red sparkle), and Solstice (textured gold foil).

• Blue Moon is a rich, deep violet purple with multi-colored shimmer. It’s mostly opaque in two coats. ORLY Lunar Eclipse is brighter and has a lot more shimmer. SpaRitual Illume is dustier. China Glaze First Class Ticket is darker, less violet.
• Shooting Star is a darkened magenta purple with fiery pink and copper shimmer. It’s opaque in two coats. Urban Decay Xanadu is less pigmented, lighter. MAC So Rich, So Pretty is similar but doesn’t have the same shimmer. Nubar Petunia Sparkle is brighter, more purple.
• Twilight is a blackened eggplant purple with threads of burgundy shimmer. It’s opaque in two coats. Cult Nails Enigmatic is darker, browner. China Glaze Urban Night is similar but a little redder and has no shimmer. Illamasqua Baptiste is less red-toned, blacker.
• Illumination is silver glitter suspended in a clear base. I showed two coats for swatches. It’s similar to Nubar Star Sparkle and China Glaze Tinsel, though it may be a little lighter.
• Break of Dawn is a rich ruby red with copper and gold flecks of shimmer. It was opaque in two coats. Zoya Kimmy is more orange-based. Zoya Lisa has less dimension. Zoya Gloria is more muted and rose-like.
• Solstice is a bright yellow gold glitter with a metallic finish. It’s opaque in two coats. China Glaze Champagne Bubbles is lighter, yellower. Nubar Oro is very similar, a little more molten, and doesn’t have the glitter. SpaRitual Golden Gleam is similar but doesn’t have glitter.

The majority of the shades apply beautifully; really great consistency–not too thick or too thin–so there was even flow across the nail with good color payoff with each coat. Blue Moon was slightly under-pigmented with very slight visible nail line after two coats. The consistency of Illumination was a little thick, so it tended to pool around the sides if you aren’t careful (and I wasn’t).  SpaRitual always seems like an underrated brand to me–their formula usually has a nice consistency, good pigmentation, and the wear is fantastic (I get a week with minor tip wear).  I’m also a huge fan of the rubberized cap, which makes it easier to grip and paint your nails!

SpaRitual Nail Lacquer — Blue Moon, Shooting Star, Twilight

SpaRitual Nail Lacquer — Blue Moon, Shooting Star, Twilight

SpaRitual Nail Lacquer — Illumination, Break of Dawn, Solstice

SpaRitual Nail Lacquer — Illumination, Break of Dawn, Solstice

SpaRitual Blue Moon Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Blue Moon Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Blue Moon Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Blue Moon Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Shooting Star Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Shooting Star Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Shooting Star Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Shooting Star Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Twilight Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Twilight Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Twilight Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Twilight Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Illumination Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Illumination Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Illumination Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Illumination Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Break of Dawn Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Break of Dawn Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Break of Dawn Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Break of Dawn Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Solstice Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Solstice Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Solstice Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual Solstice Nail Lacquer

SpaRitual @ Cosmoprof 2011

• For fall, SpaRitual has the Wilde Collection, which includes Spirit Child, Running with Wolves, Rhythm of Life, Instinct, Howl, and Sacred Ground, which is due to launch in September. In honor of BCA, there is also the In Pink Collection, which includes Strength, Knowledge, and Clarity–20% of proceeds will be donated to Cancer Schmancer.
• For holiday, we’ll see the Twinkle Collection, which includes six shades: Solstice, Shooting Star, Blue Moon, Break of Dawn, Twilight, and Illumination.

See more photos!

Wilde Collection

In Pink Collection

In Pink Collection

Twinkle Collection

Evolve Collection (Summer 2011, already released)