Product Description

What it is: Whim Nail Lacquer is part of a 3 step system that is supposed to deliver the durability of a gel manicure with but the ability to remove it easily with nail polish remover. I have only the color portion of the system and not the base or top coats so my review is only for the nail color itself.

Price/Quantity: $10 for 9.5 ml / .32 fl oz

Availability: Ulta

Colors/Finishes:

• Cracking Embers – Deep rusty red laced with gold shimmer. Mostly opaque in one coat.
• Fallen Sunset – Shimmery gold glitter with a hint of opal duo chrome. Sheer after one coat.
• Tall, Dark, & Rich – Deep purplish grey glitter with a metallic silver shine and chunkier flecks of copper glitter. Mostly opaque in one coat but with a few streaky, more transparent areas.

Packaging: The black top can be removed easily from the lid if needed. Unlike most nail polishes, the brush is pinched so that it is wider and more flat on one side. The color is labeled on the bottom of each bottle. I like that the bottles are rectangular because they can be stored in a more compact spot than round bottles.

Smell/Fragrance: Typical nail polish smell, neither stronger nor weaker than most others I have tried.

Performance

Application/Removal: I found the shape of the brush to work very well for applying color to a larger part of the nail so application went more quickly overall. It was fairly easy to apply around the curved edges of my nail as well. Crackling Embers is the only non-glitter shade of these three and it removes easily with non-acetone remover. The other two are glitters and are extremely difficult to remove. I had to use quite a few cotton rounds and allow the nail polish remover to sit on the nail for 30-60 seconds to help loosen it up a bit before it would budge.

Formula: The formula is thin (in a good way), applies without drying too quickly or getting goopy, and dries down quickly on the nail once it’s applied. I don’t feel the need to use a quick dry top coat with these.

Pigmentation: All the swatches below are two coats, which is plenty to achieve opaque coverage. Fallen Sunset was the sheerest after one coat and might work well as a glitter layer over another polish.

Longevity: I got about 3-4 days of chip free wear.

Overall Opinion

Pros:

• Great brush
• Easy to apply
• Unique colors
• Dries quickly
• Decent wear time

Cons:

• Price is slightly higher than other nail polishes, but you can get a deal usually
• The glitter shades are difficult to remove

Worth Buying? These are the first nail polishes I’ve tried in a while that I felt were not a hassle to deal with, so, yes, they are worth picking up if you see a few colors you like.

Kerfuffle – Peach sherbert with an opaque creme finish

Teddy Girl – Pale pink with an opaque creme finish

Yummy Mummy – Light taupe with a subtle shimmer finish

Lady Muck – Cloudy grey blue with a subtle silver sparkle finish

What I think of them

I like the formula and the color range this brand offers. These are the only four I’ve tried so far but all four are consistent in quality and application. They are neither thick nor thin and do not pool around the cuticles. They dry down pretty quick and cure completely so that dents cannot easily be made in the surface. On my natural nails I can get about 3 to 4 days of chip-free wear time and easily up to a week with minor chipping. On my solar nails, these last and last and last. I wore Kerfuffle on my solar nails for 5 days with no chipping but then I took it off because I wanted to change colors. The only thing I wish they would change is the brush. It’s not at all bad but I prefer wider brushes since I can cover more surface in one stroke and they tend to give me a cleaner application. These cost about $15 each and can be found at Ulta, Sephora, and department stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom.

The formula of these polishes is not my favorite but I love the color range so it’s not a deal breaker for me. It is a little thick but it does not run into the sides of the nail or cuticles which is great because I usually have that trouble with most nail polishes. The brush is wider than usual with a nice evenly cut edge and tapered corners. The shape of this brush makes it really easy to avoid making mistakes and apply the polish quickly. After applying two coats, I would give this polish at least 15 minutes to dry before you do anything, more time if you plan to go to sleep. I waited about 3 hours and then I went to bed and I still wound up with sheet creases in the surface of my nails. You might want to do your nails in the morning and give them all day to harden fully to avoid this.

I wore this for 3 days before it chipped which, for me, is pretty good. I’m really rough on my nails and many don’t survive even a day. I did notice some minor tip wear on the second day.

I usually don’t like very dark colors but this one is just so sleek. It has just enough purple in it to counter the darkness. It’s very fashion forward and I’m not uncomfortable wearing this color at all.

The bottle contains 0.4 oz (11.7 mL) and retails for about $5 – $8, depending on where you purchase it.