The Ultimate, Perfect Red... Cult Nails Quench Review + Pics

I just realized I have started off 5/7 blog posts with "Hello again," so I will attempt to control myself, haha.  To anyone who knows me, it is no secret that red is my all time favorite color and this love extends to polishes; if I see a pretty red, I will undoubtedly buy it some day.  I bought Quench originally thinking that it would be a nice addition to my collection of reds, and not much else: can I just say: DEAD WRONG!

Maria at Cult Nails describes it thusly: "QUENCH is a sexy, yet classic red.  Weather you're a pale princess or an ebony goddess, this color is stunning on everyone.  Quench dries to an extremely high shine."

And let me tell you, Quench definitely delivers. This color is gorgeous to the extreme, and truly the best non-effects red polish I've ever seen.  The application is also incredibly easy and the formula is the most forgiving one I have ever used.  As you can see, it does indeed dry to a very high shine.  The above pic was taken indoors with one coat of OPI topcoat and one coat of Seche QD, but even so, the shine was almost the same before topcoat.

And in a different kind of indoor lighting (fluorescent) , it looks vampier, which does not bother me in the slightest.  To add to the already spectacular awesomeness of the polish, can I once again say kudos to Maria on the formula?  Incredibly long-lasting for me with minimal tip wear and no chips.  This is definitely my new go-to red polish.

And lastly, in the sunlight.  Isn't it pretty? The only possible problem I can think of is that it is very sheer.  Even with 3 coats, I still had a faint VNL, so that is something to keep in mind.  To me, the color pay-off is well worth the patience in application, but those who don't like sheer polishes may become frustrated by it.  I still say that I strongly urge everyone to try this.  Even if you don't like reds, give it a shot anyway! How can you resist such a pretty red lacquer?

Not to mention that you can't help but feel kind of sexy when your nails are painted that classic, bold red :).

Cult Nails Let Me Fly with China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint

Hello, again!  Today I have a manicure I created in honor of the 1-year anniversary of the wonderful brand Cult Nails.  Of course, I ended up being pretty late with my post, but I hope the sentiment still speaks for itself. I used Let Me Fly as a base and I stamped over it with China Glaze Refresh-mint. Let Me Fly is described on the site as a "dusty turquoise shimmer with gorgeous silver shimmer."  It is a perfect description.  This polish is gorgeous and easy to work with, not to mention that it is stunning in the sunlight.  I put this manicure together on Wednesday and it held up with minimal chipping or tip wear until today, which for me is incredibly long.  This is only my second time using Cult Nails polish and I am already very impressed with the brand, and I encourage everyone to check it out if you haven't done so already.

For the anniversary, Maria from Cult Nails is holding a nail art contest.  I submitted a picture to her, so hopefully I made the deadline (she said by the 13, so I took that to mean by the end of the 13).  In any case, I  really love how this one turned out; it looks kind of retro.  I'll post the link to the facebook page where people can vote if I did indeed make the deadline.  A lot of amazing nail designs have already been submitted, so I'm a little nervous.  Oh well, here's hoping!

Cult Nails Iconic + Konad special Gold

Hello again!  Today I was running around all day, so I didn't have the time to do my A-England manicure that I planned for their 1 year anniversary while the sun was still out, so I settled for adding to my Iconic manicure.

While out at the mall the other day, I bought a few new Konad plates and polishes, so I was really excited to try them out.  I think it turned out really well!  I only wish that the sun had come out for longer, because the best pics I were able to get were inside during my hair appointment, but it looks so amazing in the sun :(.  In any case, I still think it looks pretty. Also, a note: I was indeed correct in my assumption that my chipped thumbnail was not usual, and probably my own fault.  I repaired that one, and the polish has held up great, with only minimal tip wear. 

Please ignore my awful cuticles/painting ability.

Sorry this post isn't more exciting, haha.  But I'll have some gorgeous A-England pics for you all tomorrow!

Cult Nails Iconic

Hello again! Today I have a lovely shade from Cult Nails. This was my first time wearing one of their polishes, and I have to say that I was not disappointed.

Here it is in sunlight

And indoors

Look how gorgeous it is! I have such a huge thing for red nail polish that even your run of the mill red creme will make me happy, but this is really something special. It's a beautiful raspberry color with red flakes and really gorgeous and subtle gold shimmer throughout. I couldn't stop staring at my hands all day! It was very easy to apply and even though I was worried by its apparent sheerness, it covered just fine in two easy coats, with one coat of Seche QD on top. I got several compliments at work and I think it is a very flattering polish. I, of course, have very pale skin, so what looks good on me might not work on everyone, but if you're a little on the fence about buying this, please try it; you won't regret it!

I only noticed one small thing; the polish on my thumb chipped a bit around lunchtime (I painted my nails last night). As none of my other nails have any chipping whatsoever, I assume it was probably an isolated incident due to user error, as I am pretty rough on my hands and can manage to chip even the most resilient polish in half the time everyone else does. I thought I would mention it though. Overall, I am very impressed with the formula and the color is beyond gorgeous. Very glad I bought it!

Also, look what arrived today!

My Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV!

I can't wait to try it out!