Category Archives: Nail Polish Swatches & Reviews

Revlon No Shrinking Violet Review & Swatches

** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

The colors you wear not only affect how you look, but they can really transform how you feel, too. Take purple for example – it makes me feel strong, feminine and regal! That’s why when I saw Revlon No Shrinking Violet, I just had to have it in my nail-polish collection.

In the bottle, it looks like it has a soft pearlescent finish to it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite translate on the nail. But I still like the Revlon No Shrinking Violet Nail Enamel for days when I need a color pick-me-up. Continue reading

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China Glaze Mummy May I Swatches & Review

China Glaze Mummy May I SwatchChina Glaze is one of my favorite nail-polish brands because it’s affordable and they love to experiment will all different colors, not just traditional hues. So it was fine time I reviewed one!

Since we’re approaching Hallowe’en very soon, I thought it was appropriate to do a China Glaze Mummy May I review. It’s a perfectly ghoulish color with bright pinkish-purple square glitter suspended in a blackish base.

Unlike some polishes where the glitter gets lost in the dark base, the glitter here really garners your attention because of the color contrast. This is great for those (like myself) who don’t love polishes that are all black or so near-black that they may as well be black. The glitter spices it up!

China Glaze Mummy May I gets extra points for being unique. In my 230+ nail-polish collection, I don’t have anything like it! Come see some swatches and find out more about the polish formula. Continue reading

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Sephora by OPI Top Coat Review

** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

When I first started doing my nails many moons ago, I never used base and top coats. I know – what faux pas! Then I grew older and wiser and started better protecting my manicures. It only makes sense after putting so much time and effort into them, right?

One of the TCs that I use is the Sephora by OPI Top Coat. I originally got this because I was drawn in by the brands, Sephora and OPI. Who knew two rights don’t make a better right… Continue reading

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OPI The Show Must Go On Swatches & Review

OPI The Show Must Go On SwatchThere were rumors that OPI The Show Must Go On was a dupe of MAC Bad Fairy. Within minutes of reading that, I rushed to place my order sight unseen. That’s very uncharacteristic of me – normally I like to see swatches before I buy polish so I know exactly what I’m getting. And how foolish – it’s nowhere near a dupe. Darn! Being overanxious bit me in the butt.

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this color, it just doesn’t do a thing for me. I look at it and shrug my shoulders. I feel like I’ve seen it loads of times before. My heart races when I wear shades that reinvent the color wheel.

Red lovers will probably really like it, but it’s not my cup of iced tea. Check out my swatches and see my in-depth review to see why OPI The Show Must Go On gets a pass from me. Continue reading

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Nubar for Men Matte Finish Nail Protector Review

** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

What’s life without versatility! While I love glossiness on my nails, there’s something about a matte finish that’s just so subtly sexy.

Instead of going and purchasing every nail color in matte, I got the Nubar for Men Matte Finish Nail Protector instead to give my nail polish collection a second personality. I think of it as my little magic potion that provides nail colors with a different vibe. Continue reading

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Nubar 2010 Swatches & Review

Nubar 2010 SwatchI’ve been stalking the Nubar 2010 flakie top coat ever since I heard it was a better dupe of Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure (a polish I still haven’t been able to find anywhere).

By itself, the Nubar 2010 top coat has a subdued mother-of-pearl iridescence. The trick to unleashing this bad boy is when it gets hot and heavy with another color. Layer it over a darker polish, and you’ll fall in lust with it!

I strongly recommend this color because it can transform even the most mundane polishes into something new and exciting. Come check out some Nubar 2010 swatches and also find out the only thing about this polish that didn’t impress me. Continue reading

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NARS Zulu Swatches & Review

NARS Zulu SwatchNARS Zulu nail polish is like a mythical creature. Since I became an obsessed collector of nail lacquer in just the past few years, I have heard so many people gushing about  NARS Zulu polish.

Alas, I could only admire this limited-edition on the internet. The inky blackened-green jelly nail lacquer was wildy popular in 1996 when it first came out, and it sold out quickly. But I had no idea since I was still in grade school, wasn’t yet a nail aficionado, and didn’t have money to splurge on NARS Cosmetics nail polish.

After many tears and protests, polish blood was no longer shed to franken this coveted color. It was a glorious day to find out that Zulu would be resurrected for a limited time. You can bet your acetone I rushed to the mall to get it on the release date (October 1st).

So does it live up to the hype? Continue reading

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