I went through a long, long anti-shimmer phase. I didn’t want it in my eye shadow, I didn’t want it in my bronzer, and I definitely didn’t want it in my nail polish. I was all creme, all the time. One fleck of microglitter and I was out.
What brought me back? Maybe it was Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure. Maybe flakies are a gateway drug… flakes lead to shimmer, shimmer leads to glitter… whatever happened, it happened, and now I’m a sucker for a great glitter polish — the chunkier, the better. I still wear primarily creme polishes (as you’ll see later this week when I post the results of my epic swatching project), but I have a great big soft spot for chunky glitter polishes.
Which is why I came home from the grocery store tonight with NINE new nail polishes. Fred Meyer is a mega-glitterfest right now, and I was suckered right in. Click on the photos to get a closer look.
 |
| Hello, darlings. (Three coats of each, because I really like to pack it on.) |
They are…
1. Wet n Wild Tipsy on Bubbly, 99¢
Iridescent micro-glitter in a clear base. Thick, as polishes like this one usually are, but with a surprisingly smooth finish.
2. Wet n Wild I’m Seeing Double, 99¢
Small and micro silver holo glitter in a clear base. Another surprisingly smooth finish, and a very satisfyingly glittery surface. Even at three coats, there’s a lot of clear showing, so put it over a color you’d like to show through.
3. L.A. Girl Glitter Addict Celebrate, $3.49
I love this polish. Seriously. I gasped as it came out of the bottle. It’s large and micro magenta, silver and blue glitter. Almost opaque at three coats and seriously breathtaking. I love it.
4. Milani Jewel FX Gems, $4.49
I have almost bought this polish a hundred times, and then by the time I decided I really, really wanted it, it was nearly impossible to find. It was back today, though, in a freshly-restocked Milani glitters display, and I snapped it up. It’s everything I wanted Wet n Wild Party of Five Glitters to be — mixed large and small multi glitter that give a confetti effect on the nail. Wonderful.
5. Wet n Wild Pop the Cork, 99¢
This is maybe the least exciting polish I picked up. Pink and silver small glitter. Nothing wrong with it; it’s just that it’s not as exciting as the rest of the group. I think it would look great over China Glaze Good Witch?.
6. Milani One Coat Glitter Red Sparkle, $4.49
They say “one coat,” but I wasn’t satisfied until I’d gotten to three coats, at which point I had a solid field of thick, blemish-free ruby glitter. Definitely calls for a thick topcoat (I favor Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat), but very pretty and strictly glittery — no filler.
7. L.A. Girl Glitter Addict Purge, $3.49
I really like this mix of small and large glitter in Kelly green, although it is very similar to Orly Here Comes Trouble, which I already own. I think it will look great over China Glaze China Rouge for Christmas.
8. Revlon Blue Mosaic, $4.99
It was the big green glitter mixed into the background of large and micro blue and silver glitters that got me — it gives Blue Mosaic a nice ocean-y feel. I think I’d like to try it over OPI Jade is the New Black or Essie Pretty Edgy to bring out the green.
9. Revlon Starry Pink, $4.99
I spotted this on a nail polish blog last week and figured I’d never actually see it in person, so when I did, I snapped it up. This is one of the most unusual polishes I’ve seen lately — a sheer lavender base with silver micro and large glitter. I don’t know that it’s a fall polish, and I might not give it much play until after the holidays, but I find it really intriguing.
Here they are with the flash, just for good measure:
 |
| Sparkly! |
An observation from my glitter binge: I have not bought a Revlon nail polish in probably 15 or 20 years — seriously. Something about the Revlon bottle really turns me off, and I haven’t seen any colors compelling enough to get me over that. But I found Blue Mosaic and Starry Pink intriguing enough to get me past my general disinterest in the brand. Well played, Revlon. I’m looking forward to seeing how they wear.
