Nicole Iceberg Lotus & Bad Brushes

Couple things for you today, first off my current NOTD, which is Nicole Iceberg Lotus. I keep wanting to call this Iceberg Lettuce, which really amuses me.

Anyway...I forgot I bought this at Target a while back. I'd been interested in it for a while and kept picking it up and putting it down...as you do...until I finally decided to just get it. After all it's green and shimmery, making it a virtual lock in my book. (I also thought I had a $1 off Nicole coupon in my wallet, but when I got to the checkout it wasn't there...oops.)

I decided to wear it on Sunday because my Sacred Ground manicure was chipping badly. (I blame this entirely on my nails and specifically on the Nutra Nail Gel Perfect disaster. My nails are still recovering from the extreme dryness.) Iceberg Lettuce - er, Lotus - is a semi-sheer teal sparkle with a slight duochrome. As usual, the duochrome is stronger in the bottle, where it changes to a magnificent blue/purple. On the nail it shifts to blue but not as strongly as in the bottle.

Application was...well. Let's just say that I'm glad I recently saw the light regarding the acetone/concealer brush cleanup method because YIKES. I'm normally a pretty tidy polisher but this so-called "Perfect Stroke" brush was a disaster. How bad is this brush? As bad as a Borghese brush and that's saying a lot. (Yes I know a lot of people claim to love the Borghese brush but you...you are all getting different brushes than I am, I guess.)

In what world...nay, on what PLANET would this make a "perfect stroke"?

For comparison, here is a (terrible) Borghese brush. I only have two Borghese colors left in my collection, this one (Fantastico Lime) and Ecstasi Indigo. For Ecstasi Indigo at least, tt's worth the cleanup. But the brush...the brush is tragedy.

Ugh ugh ugh ugh. Look at how uneven and jagged that thing is! Awful.

Anyway, aside from the brush issues, the formula was jellyish and easy enough to control, but very sheer. I used two coats and probably could have used a third for some additional opacity. Next time I'll probably use an underwear polish...but I'll be dreading that brush.

SpaRitual Sacred Ground

I haven't owned too many SpaRitual polishes, and most of the ones I've bought I've ended up passing along, because either the colors didn't excite me or the formula didn't work well for me. I've never paid full price for one, either: I've seen them at Marshall's for $3 or $4, and I bought some on Aveyou.com during a 40% sale. Normally they're $10 each, and obviously I've paid more for a bottle of polish, but SpaRitual has never thrilled me enough to shell out the full price.

The Wilde collection for fall 2011 interested me, though. After viewing swatches online, I narrowed my wish list down to Sacred Ground and Howl. Not long ago I bought a coupon deal for Aveyou.com, which basically allowed me to buy $50 worth of goodies for $14, so I added the mini sizes of both polishes to my cart.

SpaRitual minis are adorable because they are pint-sized versions of the full size bottles, right down to the awesome grippy cap. At $5 each, they're not exactly a bargain for the amount of polish you get, but if you're slightly wary it's at least a savings over the full-size bottle. Fewer regrets if you don't like it, but probably more difficult to swap.

SpaRitual full size (Yes, I Can!) vs SpaRitual mini (Sacred Ground)

Sacred Ground is difficult to describe - the best I can do is that it's a gray/brown base with gold and purple flecks. Initially it reminded me of Hard Candy Mr. Wrong, and they are similar, but Mr. Wrong is more blingy...and less subtly interesting. I know I'm splitting hairs there, but you polish devotees will know what I mean.

SpaRitual Sacred Ground; Hard Candy Mr. Wrong

Anyway, the color is quite interesting and beautiful, though I suspect some will find it too muddy for their taste. It puts me in mind of OPI by Sephora's Absinthe Makes the Heart - there's a beautiful color in there, but it's hiding a bit.

What it really reminds me of on the nail is brocade fabric, where you can see little hints and threads of brilliant colors peeping out.

Another comparison

The formula on this was nicer than other SpaRituals I've used. It was far less runny and much easier to control. Drying time was pretty normal, too.

I used two coats over a nail treatment and base coat, and topped them with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in the red bottle.

Glitter Gal Bronze Sparkle, White Sparkle & Electric Blue Sparkle

Today I have for you three of the 3D sparkle holographic polishes from Australian brand Glitter Gal. I have purchased Glitter Gal polishes previously, but these three colors were provided to me by Leah from her shop. I'm happy to share the swatches and results with you so let's get started.

Bronze Sparkle, White Sparkle, Electric Blue Sparkle

Bronze Sparkle

Bronze Sparkle reminds me of Cleopatra, or jewelry that you would traditionally associate with ancient Egyptian culture. It's a bright bronze base with lots of silver holo sparkle, which reflects red and turquoise and a rainbow of other colors, giving it that jeweled look.

The sparkles just light up, giving the polish a gorgeous depth.

In natural light, the polish looks more subdued. I like this quality - it's probably work appropriate for more settings, but it still has plenty of sparkle and interest - especially in the sun!

White Sparkle

White Sparkle is more than meets the eye - it's a sheer, pearlescent white base with scattered holo sparkles that glint and gleam. The pearly finish flares orange and pink in the light. Here, it's swatched over a single coat of Essie Marshmallow.

I can see this delicate look being appropriate for a wedding or even as a work-appropriate manicure for office environments. It's even more subtle worn alone. The scattered holo sparkles remind me of sunlight on a fresh snowfall.

I saved my favorite for last - Electric Blue Sparkle, which lives up to its name.

Electric Blue Sparkle

The bright blue jellyish base is packed - packed - with holographic sparkles. The result is a manicure that glows from within, because the jelly base makes the glitter look like it is sparkling from underwater.

When I tilt my nails in under a light source, I get a beautiful teal/turquoise glow. It's hard to capture in a photograph, but it's in there! Truly lovely. Definitely not subtle or delicate. Blue polish lovers will love this one.

All three of these polishes were easy to apply; Electric Blue Sparkle was probably the easiest to control because of the jellyish quality. I've always gotten good wear from Glitter Gal polishes and these were no exception (I've worn Electric Blue Sparkle and Bronze Sparkle for full manicures and both lasted 2-3 days before showing tipwear or chips). The sparkle is more dense in Broze and Electric Blue than in White Sparkle, so if you're looking for a glitter bomb, those are the two you'll want to consider. White Sparkle is a more sheer, subtle look.

In case you're not familiar with Glitter Gal polishes, remember that these bottles are smaller (.3 fl oz) than many nail polish bottles that you might be used to (OPI, Essie, Zoya, etc). As an example, here's a bottle of Glitter Gal next to a Revlon bottle.

Having purchased Glitter Gal polishes before, I can say that the quality and color payoff are certainly worth the price. Just know that they are smaller and you won't be surprised when you receive them!

You can get Glitter Gal polishes from Leah at her shop (she also offers Ozotic, a-England and other harder-to-find brands). I have always found her customer service to be fantastic.

The polishes featured in this post were provided to me for consideration from the seller. Aside from product samples, I have not received any compensation for this post. Opinions are strictly my own.