E.L.F Essential Spring 14 Piece Nail Cube Swatches and Review (Part One)

Hi everyone!

Today I have a part one of a two part review of the eyeslipsface (e.l.f) Spring Essential 14 Piece Nail Cube.

With Mother's Day coming up in a few weeks many are searching for the perfect girly gift for mothers, wives and other maternal figures in their life. 

If you're wondering if the e.l.f nail cube is right for a special lady in your life, keep on reading!

The Collection

Photo Courtesy of eyeslipsface.com

The Spring nail cube consists of 14 mini size (0.2 fl.oz.) bottles including 7 creme shades, 3 shimmery shades, and 4 glitter top coats.

For the first part of this review I will be showcasing the following:

From left to right:

Metallic Elegance

Nude

Flirty Fuschia

Electric Fuschia

Smokin' Hot

Mango Madness

Sunflower

Price & Availibility

The nail cube is available for $14.00 at Target and on eyeslipsface.com.

That's $1 per shade. Fair price for the amount of product.

The set is supposedly limited edition, but e.l.f said that about the Holiday Nail Cube too (which I rushed to purchase at the time), and yet it's still available for purchase on their website.

Full size (10ml, 0.34 fl.oz) bottles of Nude, Flirty Fuchsia, Smokin' Hot and Mango Madness are currently available for $2.00 each.

The Colors

Metallic Elegance is a frosty, champagne pink shimmer.

e.l.f "Metallic Elegance"

Okay, so on my first attempt with this polish I thought the formula was horrible. However, after swatching more shades I realized the problem is in the brush, not the polish.

For a frosty shade like this one, a bad brush is a big bummer. Frosts have a naturally streaky application as it is, but a brush that fans out too much and gives you little control over the strokes causes an overall messy manicure.

It's really not possible to paint thin layers without experiencing major baldness or dragging. It took me FOUR coats to even out the streaking and to achieve full coverage, but in the end the polish pooled and sat thick on the nail.

It's a shame really; it's a pretty color.

e.l.f "Metallic Elegance"

Nude is pinky, deep nude creme.

e.l.f "Nude"

Luckily, all of the creme shades gave me much less trouble. While a little bit of streaking was impossible to avoid, Nude was entirely opaque in just one coat, and all strokes were smoothed out with top coat.

I'm still not sure if I like this type of "nude" on me. My skin tone is in the odd in-between of peach and olive undertones...and this particular shade just clashes. It's also too dark to be "my nude" and too light to pass as pinky brown. Can you tell I'm conflicted?

e.l.f "Nude"

Flirty Fuchsia is hot coral-like pink creme.

e.l.f. "Flirty Fuchsia"

I have no idea why this has fuchsia in the name. Nevertheless, this shade is gorgeous! It's borderline neon when you see it in person. Fine for spring, fine for summer, fine for me!

The formula is just a bit thinner than Nude, which resulted in the easiest application. Even and opaque in one coat, and it's very glossy even without topcoat.

e.l.f. "Flirty Fuchsia"

Electric Fuchsia is closer to actual fuchsia, but not quite. It's more of a rich, raspberry pink creme.

e.l.f. "Electric Fuchsia"

Indoors this shade shifts to more of a berry reddish color, but it's still beautiful.

It goes on more sheer than the others, requiring two coats to eliminate the nail line.

e.l.f. "Electric Fuchsia"

Smokin' Hot is a cherry red creme with purple undertones.

e.l.f. "Smokin' Hot"

The formula is identical to Electric fuchsia and required two coats for total coverage. I actually prefer a thinner composed red because it typically leaves less stains in the cuticles during removal.

e.l.f. "Smokin' Hot"

 Mango Madness is an almost neon, coral orange creme.

e.l.f. "Mango Madness"

Mango Madness and Flirty Fuchsia are great examples of the opposite ends of the coral spectrum. Their formulas are identical and are both equal in brightness. 

I immediately saw Mango Madness and thought "TOES!" For $2.00 I'll happily spring for a full size of this one and wear it on my toes all summer long. It's fantastic.

There was a total downside to this one. A hair completely came off the brush and I had to completely remove the polish from one nail and start over.

e.l.f "Mango Madness"

 Sunflower is true to it's name as a pollen colored yellow frost.

e.l.f. "Sunflower"

This is one of the most interesting shades of yellow I have ever seen. The yellow itself has green undertones, but the silver microshimmer gives the overall finish almost a peachy golden glow. 

You can't explain that!

The formula was definitely thicker, matching that of Metallic Elegance. I didn't have quite the same issues as I did with the other which I attribute to the color being much more saturated.

I usually don't care for frosts at all, and boy is this one frosty. But the shade is so interesting and somehow flattering that I feel inclined to make an inception. The brushstrokes almost mimic the actual texture of a sunflower...so well played e.l.f., well played.

e.l.f. "Sunflower"

Overall

So far, it looks like you get what you pay for. As I mentioned before, it's not the polish that's a problem, it's the brush. If you really like the colors, I say buy it anyway. It's still a fantastic deal for the price, and with a little patience you cane make every shade work. The packaging is very gift-friendly and it's a great option for any polish or makeup lover when you aren't sure what colors they'd prefer.

Which colors are you favorite from these shades? 

Will you picking this set up anytime soon?

Let me know in the comments below and share your thoughts about frosty polishes, tricky brushes and anything else!

Keep up with the Manicured Amateur on Facebook, Twitter, and Bloglovin' for part two of this review, updates and more!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Thanks for reading!

-Melody

Sinful Colors Buff to Bright Collection Swatches & Review

Hi everyone!

Today I have the Sinful Colors Buff to Bright Collection to share with you.

This is an interesting collection, as only one of the shades is a new release...sort of. Three of the colors were released in Europe in 2011, but are just now making their debut here in the US as part of this newly curated collection to compliment both your spring and summer wardrobe.

The Collection

The collection includes the following six cremes, one microshimmer and one pearl:

Genteel (Previously released in Europe, new to US)

Nude (New, availability TBD?)

Unicorn (Part of the permanent collection)

Pistache (Previously released in Europe named "Pistachio", new to US)

Folly (Part of the permanent collection)

GoGo Girl (Part of the permanent collection)

Cloud 9 (Part of the permanent collection)

Endless Blue (Part of the permanent collection)

Price and Availability

This is major selling point of the Sinful Colors brand. Priced at $1.99 a polish, it's accessible to anyone! I often pay for these with spare change in my wallet, especially when the Rite-Aid Wellness Points kick in.

You will find Sinful Colors in most Rite-Aids, Walgreens, Walmarts and Targets across the country.
The only catch is that curated collections like these vary from location to location. I usually find collection displays like the Bright to Buff collection at Rite-Aid and Walgreens.

To see the complete list of retailers an to view the entire Sinful colors line, visit sinfulcolors.com.

The Colors

Sinful Colors "Genteel"

Genteel is light dusty pink with a stunning lilac pearlescent finish. It is very sheer on first coat but is a dream to work with. It takes three coats to full opacity, and even then the pearly shimmer is very subtle. It can really seen in very direct sunlight.

I am in love with this color and thrilled SC brought it across the sea. It compliments my skin tone so nicely and is such a delicate color that is suitable for all ages.

Sinful Colors "Nude"

Nude on the other hand is anything BUT nude, atleast for me. It's a light to medium orange-toned brown. On the brush it does sort of resemble a really orange tinted foundation, except obviously it applies thinner than one. The formula is great - opaque in one coat and dries to a smooth hi gloss.

In the bottle I really dig this color and unique in my collection thus far. Unfortunately this would never be my go-to for nude mani, but I'm curious to see if someone with a deeper skin tone can make it work.

Sinful Colors "Unicorn"

Unicorn is a pastel, light buttery yellow. I adore this color and somehow managed to avoid the dreaded lobster hand syndrome. Unfortunately, the formula was disappointing  It's semi-sheer and applies in thin and liquid manner to the point that I couldn't avoid pooling and dragging. It should have been opaque on the third coat, but I couldn't like past noticeable streaking. I was so determined to make this work that I added a fourth coat. That plus top coat did the trick, but geez.

It's still a beautiful color and I know I'll turn to it again, but for future application I might try a white base.

Sinful Colors "Pistache"

Pistache is a bold, bright pistachio green. It comes out a bit darker on nail than in bottle, but it's only apparent in artificial lighting. It was almost opaque in one coat minus some minor streaking, but touch ups with a second smoothed things out. Other than that the consistency is very creamy.

This color is fresh and fantastic. It's unlike the other yellow-based pastel greens out there this season and I feel like it's a must have.

Sinful Colors "Folly"

Folly is glossy, raspberry red jelly. My nail line is just barely visible at one coat as shown above (and that's only because they were dirty underneath), but those with longer nails may need two coats to reduce nail line.

It make be took opaque for a jelly sandwhich, but I have yet to try it.

Sinful Colors "GoGo Girl"

GoGo Girl is a thick jelly red creme. Forumula wise it's a bit thicker than Folly, but it still has a rubbery finish to it. The nail line might be visible for longer nails and require two coats, but I left it at one with almost no nail exposed.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It's skirts the line between a jelly and a creme leaving me a bit undecided on how I'd actually put it to use.

Sinful Colors "Cloud 9"

Cloud 9 is a bright, citrusy orange with golden orange microshimmer. It's almost opaque in one coat, but I used two to reduce visible nail line. 

This color can lean on the frosty side and is a little dated in my opinion. That being said, I like the color and the formula was one of the best in the bunch.

Sinful Colors "Endless Blue"

Endless Blue is a gorgeous bright blue creme. Completely smooth and opaque in one coat. In an indoor setting it's not as bright, but it's just as beautiful.

There's not much else to say. This is a staple blue for any polish lover on a budget.

Overall

Overall I think the concept of the collection gets the point across. There's something to please everyone, from understated lighter colors to bold brighter shades for those really wanting to make a statement.

This may not be the most "OMG how edgy and unique" collection out there, but it's brings to light some standout polishes from the Sinful Colors brand.

I don't think Sinful Colors has an official Facebook or Twitter, but there is a prominent community page following for the brand for each outlet you can check out:

Visit The Sinful Colors Facebook page or Twitter page for fun updates, giveaways and more.

Which is your favorite from the Buff to Brights Collection? 

What do you think of the Sinful Colors brand?

Let me know in the comments below or give me a shout on my facebook or twitter.

Also, don't forget that Google reader will be shutting down on July 1st, so head over to Bloglovin' and follow The Manicured Amateur to keep up with all the fun!

Thanks for reading!

-Melody