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 :).

OPI's Are We There Yet? + Essie's Shine of the Times Review + Pics

  Hello again!  It would appear that I sadly missed the deadline on the Cult Nails contest (which I thought included the 13th, but I suppose not).  But I have a lovely, bright polish to share today that brightens my spirits.  This is the ever so gorgeous Are We There Yet? from OPI's Touring America collection.  This color was a dream to apply, one of the best-behaved OPI's I've ever used.  The formula is creamy and very forgiving.  I sometimes have problems with OPI's formula, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one.  It is lovely bright salmon color with a lovely subtle shimmer in it.  As an added plus, I have worn it for a day or two with very minimal tip wear and no chipping, which for me is a difficult thing to find in a polish, as I'm so rough on my hands.

  The color is truly lovely, but unfortunately it is impossible to photograph.  In the indoors shot it is more muted than it actually is, but the outdoors shots make it look way brighter than in real life. Sooo, picture the color as being between the two. 

  Isn't it gorgeous?  See how it sparkles in the sunlight?  Also, I put Essie's gorgeous flakie Shine of the Times over my accent nail.  It's basically a dupe of Nubar's 2010 (which I also have, but have yet to post), but the flakie pieces are smaller and more densely packed.  The flakies shift from green to orange, and I think it works perfectly together with Are We There Yet?.  It makes my accent nail look like a beautiful opal!

  I am really happy with how this turned out! What do you think?