I've always been reluctant to try nail polishes with large sparkles or full of bits and pieces. I usually find them fun, but not really pretty. When I saw Hard Candy Crystal Confetti nail polish in Black Tie Optional, however, I didn't hesitate for a second!
The dense mix of black and white hexagonal bits of different sizes, bars and tiny pieces (you'd think I'd call them sparkles, but they're not sparkly, they're mostly matte) looked very appealing to me. It reminded me of paint splatter on a mineral surface, like a monochrome Jackson Pollock on a granite canvas. I fell in love with what I saw in the bottle, but I was really concerned it wouldn't look so good on the nails.
I'm happy to report that the result on the nail is very close to what I was hoping for! My goal here was to get a look so saturated with bits and pieces that the nail wouldn't show through. If you prefer to layer this chunky polish over a colorful base though, I think you would enjoy it too. After the first layer, my nails were nicely sprinkled with glitter.
I used 3 coats over a clear base plus a top coat for shine. For a more even looking result, I think I might try with a black or white base next time. The texture was easy to work with: I did have to place the pieces in the desired areas on my nails with the brush, but it wasn't difficult at all. As you can see, the coverage is pretty much opaque in 3 layers. The finish was almost matte before I applied the top coat, 2 layers of Sally Hansen InstaDry.
Removal was surprisingly easy: instead of having to use the aluminum foil wrapping technique like I anticipated to ge rid of stubborn "sparkle", I was able to peel off the whole thing without any damage to the nail!
Overall: I love this polish, it's fun and spectacular but the simple matte black and white glitter mix keeps it somewhat classy and wearable! I had a lot of compliments on my nails. I think it's well worth the $6 price tag if you want to try a chunky polish without the bling of holo or multi-colored glitter.
Where to buy? Walmart, or if you don't particularly enjoy a trip to the giant store, online here.
The product featured in this review was purchased by Lulle. I recieved no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links.
No comments
Unfortunately the comment system does not work on mobile phones at this time :( If you see this message and leave a comment, I will be unable to approve it, I'm really sorry about this issue!