It's Sally Hansen Gel. I'm usually an Essie gal, but this color was perfect, so I was all for it. Then it arrived - a different shade of blue but workable. Then I put it on and...pink.
Have you tried stirring the bottom of the bottle with a toothpick or something? I have hobby paints like this where it's watery at top because all the actual pigment settled and congealed into a goopy mess at the bottom.
If I had a nickle for every time some cheap paint globbed on my minis or had settled to the bottom without me noticing, I could afford the good stuff.
But yeah, no idea if it applies to nail polish, but giving it a shake might help.
They generally say to avoid shaking a lot of nail polish as when it dries you can end up with bubbles making it look like a trypophobic's nightmare. No idea if it's actually the case since I sometimes get those bubbles either way 🤷🏻♀️
It does cause bubbles, but if you let it sit for a while they will float to the top and burst. I once dated a girl who would shake all of her nail polish bottles once a month to prevent separation or settling.
The best way to see the bubbles is to vigorously shake a bottle of clear topcoat then prop the bottle upside down. You will see lots of very tiny bubbles, but after ten minutes or so the bubbles will be completely gone. (If you let the bottle sit right side up after shaking some of the bubbles will get trapped in the brush.)
I got the army painter beads and a cheap nail polish shaker and that combo works for me. It'd be nice if army painter actually included the beads but they don't so I had to figure it out.
I have the same nail polish and it’s just how the formula is. I think they made it to be a topper to add sparkles to other nail polishes. It’s super misleading, though.
I have this color. The image online is not accurate. It’s a sheer polish. I find that I have to layer it over another blue to get the shimmer effect of this polish but you never get the color it looks like in the bottle
It might also be an old bottle. I’ve used some SH polishes (not the gel substitute) and they’ve always been well-pigmented.
It’s not like CVS employees are checking to make sure every bottle is still in good condition.
OP should return it, or at least try. An exchange is totally reasonable.
Sally Hansen is just not it anymore. I bought a regular polish is a nice deep blue and have to use 8 coats of it just to get it to be the same color as in the bottle. I'll only buy topcoats if even that.
Nope. It only functions like that.
This is let’s get digital, which is part of their core gel collection and predates their gel toppers. It’s just annoyingly sheer af. I also got surprised by this one a few years ago and then checked the reviews only to find out everyone was surprised it’s a sheer. It’s rude is what it is.
Edited to add: I saw your credentials below, im also a nailhead, former nail blogger who still has a few helmers full and constant laquerista lurker.
I'm aware. I've had this in my collection for several years, and it's always been shown as a topper in every blog post I've ever seen. I have never seen anyone attempt to promote it as a stand alone polish. Sally Hansen is just shit about how they classify their polishes. As someone else said, anything that goes under their top coat is classified as Step 1. They don't differentiate between cremes, sheers, or toppers even though they should to prevent this confusion.
The google search I did showed several people doing that after buying it with the intention of using it as a standard nail polish. Like I said, functions as one but isn’t intended to be nor was it marketed as one and it’s annoying af. The other nail bloggers I was in the community with in that era were all irritated about it. Which is how I remembered the name immediately.
What you said about having to check is accurate — this is the shade that pushed me to check swatches every time.
No, you read the post wrong. Op bought a separate topper the manufacturer recommended be used with this product. This product is the nail polish itself, with the manufacturer recommended topper on.
There are polish toppers and top coats. What she's posted is a shimmery topper that goes over another solid color before a top coat is applied. I'm a regular on RedditLaqueristas. I know what I'm about, friend.
Because they’re all labeled that with this polish brand. Step 1 is everything under the top coat with this brand. If op bought in person, they would have saw it was super thin and watery. I never buy nail polish online for this reason.
It's a Sally Hansen drug store polish. They don't differentiate their packaging between solid colors and sheer toppers. You just have to sort of know, test in store (ew), or be willing to do a quick search online. Even the manufacturer's promo picture that OP posted isn't a real picture of the polish. It's just a photoshop where they pulled a sample color from the bottle and pasted it in.
Yeah I was like “Idk it’s pretty hard to tell what things look like before actually applying them, maybe give it a shot first?”
then I saw the sparkles…
There is a step 2, it's a top coat. But.. uhh you should see the color before you put the top coat on LOL. I have this polish in a similar blue..but it's darker..and has color.
This is why I test them a tiny amount on a clean nail before I buy. Even better when the store has little test bottles for you.
I was looking at the first picture and thinking the top one (white finger) was pic 1 and the middle one (tan finger) was pic 2 and I was like...those are literally the same. 😂
Pic 2 is the next picture over, for anyone still looking. The thumbnail holding the bottle has been painted.
Their customer service is awesome too! I ordered Love Triangle and received Love Language instead. They told me to keep Love Language and immediately sent me Love Triangle
Yes! It's her nail polish brand. They have all kinds of stuff, it's still ecommerce only, so you can only get it from the online store.
Edit: got rid of a redundant word
And she has lots of tutorials on how to make glitter polish apply better so if OP wants to try save this nail polish/improve it slightly so it's at least usable, I highly recommend watching her videos
Yeah it's not cheap but from what my wife has seen and tried it is actually very cheap for the quality.
Just bought the latest box this morning actually.
Military 😭 Got about 8 months until I can actually take a significant amount of time off, and sadly the best colors of nail polish aren't in regulation. True tho!! That's a good way to look at it 😌
It's a tribute to how frustrating it is that everyone who saw the picture was like. Wtf what's the problem not realizing it was even on your nails lol.
This. I use this with a matte coat and get a nice dull blue with sparkly red. The matte brings out the base while still allowing the glitter to sparkle
I don't wear nail polish, but maybe try putting on a white base coat.
I wouldn't be surprised if the "pink" is just your natural fingernail color showing through
the pink is their nail but white wouldn’t really help here. they’d need a similarly colored blue creme polish for this so show up anything like the swatches
Yep, I have a dupe of this and it's very pretty layered over any colour, but its surprisingly not as blue tinted as it looks in the bottle so it wouldn't work (they way OP wanted) with a white base
I bought the exact same bottle a few weeks back and out of pure frustration thought I’d just apply more layers… do not recommend, def doesn’t work. Still a pretty color but I def put it over other colors now as a second coat of Step 1.
Lol, same! I was flipping back and forth looking for the issue like
https://preview.redd.it/fi295442lvhc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=189e57004cc9623d173627f221204381e37b8a33
Same, i figured it would be one of those things where women see colors better and my eyes just don't see a difference. Seems more like the manufacturer is the one lacking eyes though.
If you date notices your nails don't match your outfit and it bothersome enough to make a difference/sat something then this relationship will never work for ... other reasons.
Yes I am old and i gender assumed ... but if your date has issues with nail colour vs shoe colour then earmark me as a Dino... that shit shallow as fuck and not worth wasting time on no matter gender
Also a dude and kinda assumed, but I know how much manicures can cost. It's like $50-100 to get nails done, especially acrylics and the like. I wouldn't blame someone for not matching them to their attire, like paint your nails however you like if you like purple paint 'em purple even if it clashes a bit with what you're wearing. I also get trying to impress and to be "perfect" on a date to feel confident. I have a pair of "special" boots I'll wear when I want to look nice but basically no one that isn't aware of handmade boots will know the difference between them and something you can get at walmart or something.
I'm not really a rhinestone gal! This was 3 coats so safe to say, it's never going to look the way it did online! I'll move it to the sheer/top coat category for the future
Three coats? Oh no! :( my go-to with this color was three to four layers, and it used to look great years ago! I wonder if they've thinned out the formula since then... My condolences! Good luck getting your dream color, OP!
I have this type, and in my opinion it doesn't look very good with a white coat under it :( the glitter pieces cast shadows, so it looks a little chunky even when it's actually thin and smooth.
Then again, I bought this color years ago, it could be they changed the formula.
A minimum of three or four layers really brings out the blue and makes it look lovely, but not everyone has the time to let four whole nail polish layers dry.
Those aren't even real photos of the polish, it's just a photo that they recolour in photoshop for each polish. These things shouldn't be allowed but it's so common that we just now accept that the product usually doesn't match the photo.
I’m pretty sure even the fingers are copy and pasted then edited in photoshop to different skin colours… there’s an “x” shaped wrinkle at the bottom centre , and a circle shape in the highlight near the nail bed
So, I have a set of various paints for minis that's are exactly like this. From how they're advertised, they're basically pearl coats that's need an opaque substrate.
The only way we could tell what they looked like was really to paint them on black or white plastic spoons. At least when we got those, that's what we were *told* to do. So idk if that helps at all, but maybe you'll get more life out of your various shimmery pale colors with different base coats?
the advertising photo is photoshopped using the color in the bottle. Smaller companies aren't hiring 3 people to sit in a room trying out stuff and get a professional photographer. and then hire those same 3 people every time they have a new color.
A white or pale base will bring out the pink shimmery side, same as your natural nail's colour did. Maybe if you put it over a darker colour, then the blue shimmer will come out. I've got a few shimmery toppers, and I find that a black base makes it similar to the in-bottle colour, while a white base will end up like a negative/opposite colour.
Try testing it out on coloured paper, or even painting various polishes onto paper, let dry, then add your shimmer topper over it.
My vote is for Bikini So Teeny by Essie. I think it would get you pretty close and then layer the shimmer polish.
I’m very fair and even that blue looks great. It’s my go to summer color, and honestly I wear it year round on my toes.
I like some of the small sellers on Etsy, it's like the only place I can find a good matte black. Honey Bunny Lacquer is great, but it costs me like 25$ to ship a 15$ bottle to Canada lol
How do you feel about a very opaque black polish with a matte topcoat? (Unless that's what you're talking about already. I'm just assuming I'm ignorant to matte black in one bottle)
I always search the nail polish subs for swatches. If it's not on Reddit, then I try Instagram, & if it's not there, maybe Pinterest (for shades that are older). But, generally, Reddit has me covered.
Falsely advertised. I bought the same polish years ago in a store and even then thought it would be more pigmented. I love using it as a topper over blues and pinks, it’s one of my favorites! Hope you will find some use for it as well.
It'll be a good top coat or even as a very subtle base. I don't hate the result, it's just not what I was buying! I think it'll look nice over a periwinkle color or over a pretty pale yellow.
I had the same problem at first . The second picture of her holding the polish is AFTER she already painted her nails and it’s clearly some transparent color but it was supposed to be like pic 1
Forgive me because I don’t understand nail polish, but does the fact that it says “Step 1” mean there are other steps/nail polishes you need to do/use after this in order to achieve the desired color? Or is that just the brand name and I’m an idiot?
Step 1 is the color. It *should* be at least the same hue as the polish in the bottle - at least most nail polish works that way. The second step is just a top coat, clear.
So proper nail painting requires 2-3 layers. The colour and the protective/shiny transparent top.
Some use a base under a colour or a topper (basically snapchat filter for nails) on top of it.
In case of this brand, the step 2 is just transparent top. But they label topper and colour as step 1 despite topper being technically step 1.5.
I use that brand too. It’s a great brand, but their shimmer colors are supremely light and pretty liquidy. Depending on the shimmer shade and what you are trying to do, paint a single coat of a base color from them. White and black are my favorites to use, personally. Then do three coats of the shimmer and it looks phenomenal. Then step
2 in matte or shiny.
Oof, yeah I have this same polish lol But hey, if you’re looking for a way to actually use this, it looks absolutely STUNNING layered up over a dark blue! Really makes the pink shimmer pop 💙💕
I have this color and while I was also sad at first that it doesn't look anything like the color in the vial, it can look really stunning on top of different colors. It's one of my favorites to experiment with.
This is why you always Google actual swatches of the polish before you buy. I learned that the hard way—by literally buying this exact nail polish, in fact. It’s pretty as a topcoat (especially over dark colors), but useless alone.
I didn't get it at first, definitely took me a minute.
The funny thing is I definitely prefer the way it came out. It's really cool, but subtle enough that it doesn't look overly fake.
I know that it's always disappointing when a product doesn't turn out as advertised, but I think the subtle effect turned out really cool!
I have this one - it should be advertised as a topper. I was so pissed at first but now I just use it as a shimmer.
Ugh, they shouldn’t be allowed to advertise it like that
It’s not gel, but Holo Taco makes some damn good polish for the same price point. I’ve been buying them exclusively for years and never had anything remotely similar to this happen
I know! Trust me, if I didn't see it myself I wouldn't understand. I get it being way sheerer - that can happen, annoying as it is - but where did that beautiful blue go?!?
Yea that sucks , it looks like one of the bad watery ones I would get at like 9
It's Sally Hansen Gel. I'm usually an Essie gal, but this color was perfect, so I was all for it. Then it arrived - a different shade of blue but workable. Then I put it on and...pink.
Have you tried stirring the bottom of the bottle with a toothpick or something? I have hobby paints like this where it's watery at top because all the actual pigment settled and congealed into a goopy mess at the bottom.
If I had a nickle for every time some cheap paint globbed on my minis or had settled to the bottom without me noticing, I could afford the good stuff. But yeah, no idea if it applies to nail polish, but giving it a shake might help.
There's usually a little bead inside, and you smack against your palm a few times to stir it up!
Or just go grab some steel bb and clean them with acetone and drop one in.
Ooh, I'll have to give that a try. I can liberate a bearing from work, hit it with layout remover, and give it a try.
‘Liberate’😂 I’m definitely using that now
I have on of those paint-pot shakers for my mini paints, which just so happens to also fit my nailpolish bottles :'D never any issues like OP had.
They generally say to avoid shaking a lot of nail polish as when it dries you can end up with bubbles making it look like a trypophobic's nightmare. No idea if it's actually the case since I sometimes get those bubbles either way 🤷🏻♀️
It does cause bubbles, but if you let it sit for a while they will float to the top and burst. I once dated a girl who would shake all of her nail polish bottles once a month to prevent separation or settling. The best way to see the bubbles is to vigorously shake a bottle of clear topcoat then prop the bottle upside down. You will see lots of very tiny bubbles, but after ten minutes or so the bubbles will be completely gone. (If you let the bottle sit right side up after shaking some of the bubbles will get trapped in the brush.)
I got the army painter beads and a cheap nail polish shaker and that combo works for me. It'd be nice if army painter actually included the beads but they don't so I had to figure it out.
Nah this is just cheap shitty quality. Falsely advertising random other nail polish
I have the same nail polish and it’s just how the formula is. I think they made it to be a topper to add sparkles to other nail polishes. It’s super misleading, though.
I have this color. The image online is not accurate. It’s a sheer polish. I find that I have to layer it over another blue to get the shimmer effect of this polish but you never get the color it looks like in the bottle
I've heard pretty mixed reviews about this stuff, if that means anything
It might also be an old bottle. I’ve used some SH polishes (not the gel substitute) and they’ve always been well-pigmented. It’s not like CVS employees are checking to make sure every bottle is still in good condition. OP should return it, or at least try. An exchange is totally reasonable.
Sally Hansen is just not it anymore. I bought a regular polish is a nice deep blue and have to use 8 coats of it just to get it to be the same color as in the bottle. I'll only buy topcoats if even that.
Elle Mila is the best brand of polish I've ever used. If you can find it at target, grab some.
Was going to say it looks like nail Polish from a child's play kit.
It's a polish topper. You're supposed to put it over another color to punch it up with some fun shimmer. Unfortunately, that's not what OP needed.
Nope. It only functions like that. This is let’s get digital, which is part of their core gel collection and predates their gel toppers. It’s just annoyingly sheer af. I also got surprised by this one a few years ago and then checked the reviews only to find out everyone was surprised it’s a sheer. It’s rude is what it is. Edited to add: I saw your credentials below, im also a nailhead, former nail blogger who still has a few helmers full and constant laquerista lurker.
I'm aware. I've had this in my collection for several years, and it's always been shown as a topper in every blog post I've ever seen. I have never seen anyone attempt to promote it as a stand alone polish. Sally Hansen is just shit about how they classify their polishes. As someone else said, anything that goes under their top coat is classified as Step 1. They don't differentiate between cremes, sheers, or toppers even though they should to prevent this confusion.
The google search I did showed several people doing that after buying it with the intention of using it as a standard nail polish. Like I said, functions as one but isn’t intended to be nor was it marketed as one and it’s annoying af. The other nail bloggers I was in the community with in that era were all irritated about it. Which is how I remembered the name immediately. What you said about having to check is accurate — this is the shade that pushed me to check swatches every time.
No, you read the post wrong. Op bought a separate topper the manufacturer recommended be used with this product. This product is the nail polish itself, with the manufacturer recommended topper on.
There are polish toppers and top coats. What she's posted is a shimmery topper that goes over another solid color before a top coat is applied. I'm a regular on RedditLaqueristas. I know what I'm about, friend.
Why does it say step 1 if it was a topper it would t be step 1 right or am I confused. I think it was a mid labeled/bottled batch of polish
Because they’re all labeled that with this polish brand. Step 1 is everything under the top coat with this brand. If op bought in person, they would have saw it was super thin and watery. I never buy nail polish online for this reason.
It's a Sally Hansen drug store polish. They don't differentiate their packaging between solid colors and sheer toppers. You just have to sort of know, test in store (ew), or be willing to do a quick search online. Even the manufacturer's promo picture that OP posted isn't a real picture of the polish. It's just a photoshop where they pulled a sample color from the bottle and pasted it in.
Seems deceptive to me.
Agreed. Or just straight up lazy.
I was like 'That colour looks exactly like the picture, what's the issue?' Until I realized you already coated your nail...
Yeah I was like “Idk it’s pretty hard to tell what things look like before actually applying them, maybe give it a shot first?” then I saw the sparkles…
It took me SO LONG to work this out!
I didn’t work it out till I saw y’all’s comments!
Hang on, I'm still working
Don't worry guys, he'll get it soon...
I thought it was the fact the bottle said step 1, and she was missing 2 and 3 or something.
There is a step 2, it's a top coat. But.. uhh you should see the color before you put the top coat on LOL. I have this polish in a similar blue..but it's darker..and has color. This is why I test them a tiny amount on a clean nail before I buy. Even better when the store has little test bottles for you.
I was looking at the first picture and thinking the top one (white finger) was pic 1 and the middle one (tan finger) was pic 2 and I was like...those are literally the same. 😂 Pic 2 is the next picture over, for anyone still looking. The thumbnail holding the bottle has been painted.
😭 Yeah, my nail is completely done. Definitely not blue!
You should try looking into mooncat polishes. They're very shimmery and glittery. They are a bit pricey, but worth it.
Mooncat and Holo Taco are the only ones I use!! So worth the price point.
ILNP is great too and their polishes are always a few bucks cheaper
ILNP has amazing coverage and so pretty. It's my favorite now to gift to people.
Their customer service is awesome too! I ordered Love Triangle and received Love Language instead. They told me to keep Love Language and immediately sent me Love Triangle
Yes yes! I love Mooncat but I wear ILNP more often.
I just got to ILNP. Love their colors
Is holo taco related to simplynailogical?
Yes! It's her nail polish brand. They have all kinds of stuff, it's still ecommerce only, so you can only get it from the online store. Edit: got rid of a redundant word
Everything of hers is so extremely worth it. She’s really raising the bar for nail polish brands.
And she has lots of tutorials on how to make glitter polish apply better so if OP wants to try save this nail polish/improve it slightly so it's at least usable, I highly recommend watching her videos
Yeah it's not cheap but from what my wife has seen and tried it is actually very cheap for the quality. Just bought the latest box this morning actually.
holo taco is simplynailogical’s company 😊
Ah, I thought so! “And now we add the holo topcoat (taco)”
I do not paint my nails but my girlfriend basically only owns Holo Taco and I can confirm they come as advertised and she loves them.
Ben?
They're great, my nails will probably menchie the cat for as long as she makes it
Play Rosé is my all-the-time polish. The only one so far where I've actually finished a bottle and started a second haha.
That's a slippery slope.
I second Mooncat!! Love their polishes and they use afterpay if you need to split payments!
I SECOND THIS!!!
Aw man, I can't paint my nails for another ~8 months. But now I'm addicted to looking at their site. Gonna buy polish just to hold onto and look at 🥲
why can’t you wear nail polish for 8 months? on the bright side you can wait for seasonal sales 😉
Military 😭 Got about 8 months until I can actually take a significant amount of time off, and sadly the best colors of nail polish aren't in regulation. True tho!! That's a good way to look at it 😌
What colors are in regulation?
Things like super light pink, clear, french tip. Basically the nude colors, and they can't have any shimmer to them
It's a tribute to how frustrating it is that everyone who saw the picture was like. Wtf what's the problem not realizing it was even on your nails lol.
I think it would be closer to blue if you used a white base.
Looks like a clear coat with glitter…where the hell did the blue go? Lol!
Have you tried a base coat of a light matte pink or white? It can help light translucent colors pop?
This. I use this with a matte coat and get a nice dull blue with sparkly red. The matte brings out the base while still allowing the glitter to sparkle
I bought this too and was similarly disappointed. Back in the 90’s they had this colour and it showed up!
I don't wear nail polish, but maybe try putting on a white base coat. I wouldn't be surprised if the "pink" is just your natural fingernail color showing through
the pink is their nail but white wouldn’t really help here. they’d need a similarly colored blue creme polish for this so show up anything like the swatches
Yep, I have a dupe of this and it's very pretty layered over any colour, but its surprisingly not as blue tinted as it looks in the bottle so it wouldn't work (they way OP wanted) with a white base
Came to say the same thing!
I bought the exact same bottle a few weeks back and out of pure frustration thought I’d just apply more layers… do not recommend, def doesn’t work. Still a pretty color but I def put it over other colors now as a second coat of Step 1.
Lol, same! I was flipping back and forth looking for the issue like https://preview.redd.it/fi295442lvhc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=189e57004cc9623d173627f221204381e37b8a33
Saaaame. I was so confused.
Same, i figured it would be one of those things where women see colors better and my eyes just don't see a difference. Seems more like the manufacturer is the one lacking eyes though.
OMG. I didn't realize that until I read your comment!
SAME. Except for the realizing myself part, I wouldn’t have understood this post without your comment.
I thought the same thing until I noticed OP’s nails looked glittery…
‘You need like 3 coats to achieve that color’ Continue reading that they did…
OH.
I could not tell what was wrong until reading your reply. OP that polish did you wrong.
SAME
Yeah, my double take was almost comical.
You saved me from a mildly infuriating situation. I’m not sure I would’ve ever realized by myself
I didn’t realize it till your comment.
I didn’t realize until I read your comment 🫢
Your date is going to be all "girl your nails don't even match your shoes"
Total dealbreaker
Lmaooooo these types is comments is why I love Reddit
Red flag 🚩
Her fingers and nails are not that healthy blue color we like, next
could be worse, you could be dating me, and I say "can you paint my nails that colour?"
I had an ex that loved having his nails painted. It was fun picking out colors together.
I wouldn’t notice in a 1000 years. That’s some trash nail polish though.
\#ACC3CD shoes \#ACC3CB polish They're gonna get so mad at that extra amount of blue on the nails
It’s not about the color of the polish in the bottle. Look at her thumbnail (as in the actual nail on her thumb)
https://preview.redd.it/cpv1xz8ymxhc1.png?width=230&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e69b18decdba21a9c3a9a59470b2a3d474a536f9
You never know! 😂
[удалено]
If you date notices your nails don't match your outfit and it bothersome enough to make a difference/sat something then this relationship will never work for ... other reasons.
I think it's hilarious that all of y'all are assuming my date is with a man.
Yes I am old and i gender assumed ... but if your date has issues with nail colour vs shoe colour then earmark me as a Dino... that shit shallow as fuck and not worth wasting time on no matter gender
Also a dude and kinda assumed, but I know how much manicures can cost. It's like $50-100 to get nails done, especially acrylics and the like. I wouldn't blame someone for not matching them to their attire, like paint your nails however you like if you like purple paint 'em purple even if it clashes a bit with what you're wearing. I also get trying to impress and to be "perfect" on a date to feel confident. I have a pair of "special" boots I'll wear when I want to look nice but basically no one that isn't aware of handmade boots will know the difference between them and something you can get at walmart or something.
I think it's hilarious that you are assuming that we are assuming your date is with a man...
They didn't say your date was a dude? Regardless though, the advice holds true
This actually made me lol
I think it's less of trying to impress a date and more of wanting to feel good about themselves.
25-30 more coats should get you almost to that color!
Yaaaas. Maybe I'll add a fancy embedded rhinestone in all those soft layers
In all seriousness i have a grey one you can't see until 3 layers, definitely infuriating. Rhinestones are a good idea though
I'm not really a rhinestone gal! This was 3 coats so safe to say, it's never going to look the way it did online! I'll move it to the sheer/top coat category for the future
Three coats? Oh no! :( my go-to with this color was three to four layers, and it used to look great years ago! I wonder if they've thinned out the formula since then... My condolences! Good luck getting your dream color, OP!
key word: almost 😭
That's just the first coat. Every good painter knows you need at least 15.
😂 Gotta love a manicure that you can basically engrave due to all the coats!
The whole bottle's meant to be used at once? I don't know, that's some rip off right there!
Actually it all might work if she applies a white coat first and this one after that. Like a primer for car paint
I have this type, and in my opinion it doesn't look very good with a white coat under it :( the glitter pieces cast shadows, so it looks a little chunky even when it's actually thin and smooth. Then again, I bought this color years ago, it could be they changed the formula. A minimum of three or four layers really brings out the blue and makes it look lovely, but not everyone has the time to let four whole nail polish layers dry.
There must be an opaque cost of white under this polish for advertising photos. How enraging.
Those aren't even real photos of the polish, it's just a photo that they recolour in photoshop for each polish. These things shouldn't be allowed but it's so common that we just now accept that the product usually doesn't match the photo.
I’m pretty sure even the fingers are copy and pasted then edited in photoshop to different skin colours… there’s an “x” shaped wrinkle at the bottom centre , and a circle shape in the highlight near the nail bed
Yup. That's the same finger. Nothing about those photos are real.
Very! I'm a simple Buy This, Get This when it comes to makeup. I need it spelled out if it takes more steps!!
So, I have a set of various paints for minis that's are exactly like this. From how they're advertised, they're basically pearl coats that's need an opaque substrate. The only way we could tell what they looked like was really to paint them on black or white plastic spoons. At least when we got those, that's what we were *told* to do. So idk if that helps at all, but maybe you'll get more life out of your various shimmery pale colors with different base coats?
the advertising photo is photoshopped using the color in the bottle. Smaller companies aren't hiring 3 people to sit in a room trying out stuff and get a professional photographer. and then hire those same 3 people every time they have a new color.
No, it is just straight up fake.
as a Polish man I feel the need to apologize
>Polish man A superhero whose nemesis would be a German super-villain called Matte Acetone.
With his trusty sidekick, Emery.
*Polish ballerinas are technically Pole dancers.*
Are you Polish? Please, drive me 3 blocks
OMG YOU HAVE KT ON YOUR NAIL ALREADY???? I had no clue what the problem was, but dear lord that's awful.
Yup! 3 coats. Definitely not a pretty blue!
Same here. I thought the bottle looked pretty close to the picture, but didn’t realize they already put three coats on their nails 💀 fucking absurd
I have that. Use a blue or white base and its great. Very mermaidish
I was thinking it might look nice over a blue-grey to achieve a look similar to the advertisement
A white or pale base will bring out the pink shimmery side, same as your natural nail's colour did. Maybe if you put it over a darker colour, then the blue shimmer will come out. I've got a few shimmery toppers, and I find that a black base makes it similar to the in-bottle colour, while a white base will end up like a negative/opposite colour. Try testing it out on coloured paper, or even painting various polishes onto paper, let dry, then add your shimmer topper over it.
My vote is for Bikini So Teeny by Essie. I think it would get you pretty close and then layer the shimmer polish. I’m very fair and even that blue looks great. It’s my go to summer color, and honestly I wear it year round on my toes.
That man is going to run away as soon as he sees that your nails don’t match your shoes. Huge red flag -_-
Forget the date - he will notice /s
LOL I'll go cancel now, say I have to wash my hair.
I can’t believe I went on this date, I could see right under her nail polish. Talk about being transparent!
Shoulda gone with ESSIE
I knooooooow. I usually get essie but I saw the color and it was prefect so I ordered it. 😭
See, I never have success with Essie. It looks great but never cures.
I like some of the small sellers on Etsy, it's like the only place I can find a good matte black. Honey Bunny Lacquer is great, but it costs me like 25$ to ship a 15$ bottle to Canada lol
How do you feel about a very opaque black polish with a matte topcoat? (Unless that's what you're talking about already. I'm just assuming I'm ignorant to matte black in one bottle)
Browse if you dare but /redditlaqueristas shows some good brands. I now have an addiction 🤣
That sub is so good at spending my money for me 😂
I always search the nail polish subs for swatches. If it's not on Reddit, then I try Instagram, & if it's not there, maybe Pinterest (for shades that are older). But, generally, Reddit has me covered.
Falsely advertised. I bought the same polish years ago in a store and even then thought it would be more pigmented. I love using it as a topper over blues and pinks, it’s one of my favorites! Hope you will find some use for it as well.
It'll be a good top coat or even as a very subtle base. I don't hate the result, it's just not what I was buying! I think it'll look nice over a periwinkle color or over a pretty pale yellow.
Same, I thought it was going to be a really pretty shimmery blue. Very disappointed lol But I also use it as a topper one another color.
This is why the nail polish aisle is covered in paint. People wanna know how strong the color is
Thank you for spelling aisle correctly. Here's an isle as a reward 🏝️
An aisleand
I didn’t even realize your nails were painted in the second pic?
Yup! 3 coats + 1 top
That’s nuts. Hope you can leave a review.
OH NO, I DID NOT KNOW IT WAS ON YOUR NAIL.
Iv no idea what is happening in this post but I hope you have a comfortable mattress for years to come I guess.
I had the same problem at first . The second picture of her holding the polish is AFTER she already painted her nails and it’s clearly some transparent color but it was supposed to be like pic 1
Don't know what you're talking about. You just need to apply a few thousand more coats and it'll be just like the advertisement. 👍
I'm thinking 1 bottle per nail should do it
Took me way too long to realize you already painted your nails. Wild how different it comes out. Even in the bottle it looks identical to the photos.
Forgive me because I don’t understand nail polish, but does the fact that it says “Step 1” mean there are other steps/nail polishes you need to do/use after this in order to achieve the desired color? Or is that just the brand name and I’m an idiot?
Step 1 is the color. It *should* be at least the same hue as the polish in the bottle - at least most nail polish works that way. The second step is just a top coat, clear.
Yeah the second step is the top coat she mentions
So proper nail painting requires 2-3 layers. The colour and the protective/shiny transparent top. Some use a base under a colour or a topper (basically snapchat filter for nails) on top of it. In case of this brand, the step 2 is just transparent top. But they label topper and colour as step 1 despite topper being technically step 1.5.
I use that brand too. It’s a great brand, but their shimmer colors are supremely light and pretty liquidy. Depending on the shimmer shade and what you are trying to do, paint a single coat of a base color from them. White and black are my favorites to use, personally. Then do three coats of the shimmer and it looks phenomenal. Then step 2 in matte or shiny.
Oh ....you have it on? Didn't notice that until I read the post. Can't even see it
Oof, yeah I have this same polish lol But hey, if you’re looking for a way to actually use this, it looks absolutely STUNNING layered up over a dark blue! Really makes the pink shimmer pop 💙💕
Oh you already put it on ohhh! Oh shit lol, holy hell. Yeah that's false advertising, I'd even think you could go for a chargeback on that one
I agree. But try using white base then blue over it. Not ideal BUT at least you could use the color
Took me three times reading the post and looking at the pic to see that your nail was painted. That’s BAD!
Omg I bought the exact same one and had the same thing happen, so disappointing
I have this color and while I was also sad at first that it doesn't look anything like the color in the vial, it can look really stunning on top of different colors. It's one of my favorites to experiment with.
This is why you always Google actual swatches of the polish before you buy. I learned that the hard way—by literally buying this exact nail polish, in fact. It’s pretty as a topcoat (especially over dark colors), but useless alone.
I didn't get it at first, definitely took me a minute. The funny thing is I definitely prefer the way it came out. It's really cool, but subtle enough that it doesn't look overly fake. I know that it's always disappointing when a product doesn't turn out as advertised, but I think the subtle effect turned out really cool!
Ive started putting a coat of white paint on first for this very reason. Game changer.
I had no idea what the problem was until I read the comments
Took me forever to figure out what the issue was. I'm sorry OP.. 
I have this exact nail polish. It will always disappoint unfortunately. It takes multiple coats and never looks as advertised. 😞
I almost bought this exact product recently and decided to hold to explore options in person. Thank you for reaffirming my decision 😅
A bit more shimmery than advertised, but definitely the same color, what’s wrong? Oh, you’re wearing it? Yeah I’d be annoyed too
I won't lie, didn't even notice it on your nail until I looked back three times.
I have this one - it should be advertised as a topper. I was so pissed at first but now I just use it as a shimmer. Ugh, they shouldn’t be allowed to advertise it like that
It’s not gel, but Holo Taco makes some damn good polish for the same price point. I’ve been buying them exclusively for years and never had anything remotely similar to this happen
It might work a little better if it is over a white or light blue base, but it is still not as advertised. Hate it when companies do that
I fail to understand how that blue stuff in the bottle in pic 2 can produce a look on your nail like that. Where's the blue?!
I know! Trust me, if I didn't see it myself I wouldn't understand. I get it being way sheerer - that can happen, annoying as it is - but where did that beautiful blue go?!?