Manicure Monday: Harem by Illamasqua

Hello, hello my Monday blue jays. :P How are you all fending off this Monday? Two words for me, Manicure Monday.

Yep, it is that time of week again when I say "screw everything" and just dedicate a bit of time to do my nails. Because even if it is just for a brief moment, I am able to do something I thoroughly enjoy and just forget about everything else. It has been one heck of a week and a very eventful weekend. Life as I know it will dramatically change and I'll say it right now, it will be very stressful. Buuut, let's keep being optimistic and keep those negative feels far from the blog. :)

I finally got around to this Illamasqua Nail Varnish I picked up months ago. I was originally gonna wait until Spring, but what the heck, it is technically Spring/Summer here in the AZ already. And since last week, I had bright, semi-complex nails, I just wanted to go for nice, clean cut, basic nails.

 

If y'all can't tell, I trimmed my nails short again. I've been preferring this over long nails, or even medium length at that. It's just so low maintenance, I love it!

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Harem

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Smooth & Strong Base Coat

Isn't the shade just GORGEOUS? A beautiful pastel shade of lilac, purple. Soooo in love with it. Definitely perfect for Spring. Don't you think so?

This is my first time EVER using Illamasqua, and I have been messing out, most definitely. The formula is just nothing short of amazing. However, I would not purchase this at full price at all. Like I mentioned on my impression post, I picked this up on Hautelook for $7.50, which is a moderate price for a good nail color. For almost the same or even better formula quality, I can pick up Sinful Colors for $3 tops.

The formula is very creamy but thin at the same time. For the first coat, I had done a thin coat, expecting it to fully cover my entire nail. Nope! When applied thinly, the nail color comes out very sheer, my nails were still visible. So after about 5 minutes of waiting, I applied the second coat, this time, thickly. When applied in a thick coat, the nail color was able to evenly distribute on my nails, covering everything in the creaminess formula that it is.

I have no complaint with the pigmentation at all. What you see from the bottle is basically what you get, which I really like. Sometimes, the color from the bottle is so beautiful, but when applied, you get a third of the color pay off, half if lucky. So I am very pleased with this nail color when it comes to the pigmentation.

Dry time, ehhh. I've definitely experienced faster dry time from other brands but it definitely isn't the slowest. When it does dry though, the finish is breathtaking. So shiny and smooth to the touch. Is it weird that I am touching my nails as if I'm petting something? Ahaha. Weirdo. 8-)

Thanks a bunches for visiting and thanks for reading. Y'all enjoy the rest of your night now. Please come back soon. :)