Thursday, November 10, 2011

Illamasqua 'Poke' Nail Varnish

Hello darlings~ Sorry if I have neglected replying to comments/commenting on other blogs, but I have been terribly busy. I at least have tried to keep up with posting regularly. I have a millions things to post and not enough time unfortunately. I will do some requested posts, starting with this one which is a swatch and review of Illamasqua's Poke nail polish, which I got in my recent F&F Haul.

Poke is a bright purple with a blueish tone and loads of multi-colored shimmer. I don't have a dupe for this but it is somewhat similar to colors like Rescue Beauty Lounge 'Scrangie." the major difference being that 'Poke' is much more of a bright purple and it is more opaque. I might do a comparison between them at some later time.



Price andAvailability
$14 at Sephora and 13.50 GBP at Illamasqua.com and Illamasqua stores. If you do the conversion from pounds to dollars (13.5 GBP is about $20-$21), you might notice that it is way more expensive for people in the UK. Why the prices are so different, I have no clue. But it is good for us American and Canadian buyers since it is much cheaper to buy the Illamasqua nail polishes from Sephora.

Formula 
The reason I bought this polish (besides that the color is gorgeous) is because Christine from Temptalia raved that this polish had an amazing formula. It is rare to see colors like this one that are actually opaque and nice. After trying the polish myself, I have to agree with her statement. The polish is smooth and is completely opaque in two coats. One coat is not fully opaque but it is not sheer. You can definitely wear one coat for a more subtle purple color. I personally like the brightness it gives in two coats~
I will say that this looks much better with a top coat since it can be a little dull-looking without one.The top coat will also emphasize the beautiful micro-shimmer!
Also, it was very easy to remove! Another plus.

Swatches
*If you see any small bumps on my nails, it is not from 'Poke' but from a basecoat I used underneath.
*I have on a basecoat, 2 coats of Poke, and a top coat.

Indoor lighting: 


 In sunlight:


Verdict
I am definitely glad I picked this up during the 20% sale! It is a gorgeous color that is a great addition to my collection. I love my purples~ ♥ The formula is great, and it applies easily. This is quickly becoming my favorite out of all my Illamasqua polishes! I highly recommend it if you like the color.
And as gorgeous as it looks closeup, it also looks stunning from far away.I love how bright and fun it looks, and it will be a great pop of color against a darker outfit.

Rating: 9.5/10 (price is not so nice/ hard to get for many people)
Recommend? Yes!~ Very much so!
Repurchase? Perhaps, if I finished my bottle. I would definitely contemplate getting this again.

Stay tuned for the Nails Inc The Donmar collection review and swatches ^_^ I will post it up sometime today~

10 comments:

  1. such a pretty purple, i love all purple shades, but this one is shimmery and so pretty ;-)

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  2. I love the shimmer in it :) It's so pretty!

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  3. This is absolutely AMAZING!


    lots of love,
    lionsandmakeup.blogspot.com
    xoxo

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  4. Ooooh! This is a perfect purple, imho.

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  5. Amazing purple color! It look super pretty on you!

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  6. Definitely the perfect purple. I agree with Sarah....

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  7. When it comes to make up (and a lot of other thing) US is A LOT cheaper then UK (not good for me!) and I don't know why really. I mean, you why should I pay more for my nail polish because I live in the UK ? Doesnt make any sense !

    Anyway, the colour is really gorgeous and I'd love to buy it ! Now the price tag is way over what I cant afford ! I'm gona stick with Barry M and their £3.99 polishes !

    thanks for the review =)

    I wrote a list with your favourite Pokemon and I'll try and do at least one of them =) hehe !

    xxx Vee

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  8. wow how amazing! i know its your favorite color range so im glad you found that polish!

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  9. This is gorgeous! It looks exactly the same as it is in the bottle. Must save up for this!

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Thank you for taking the time to comment <3 I appreciate every single comment I receive ^_^