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.
