Back in October, Face of Australia released Australia’s first range of textured nail polishes. There was an onslaught of reviews, but I wasn’t totally convinced. And then, Priceline had their 40% off sale. So I figured – for the sake of the blog, right?
The FOA Carnivale Nail Enamel range consists of 4 x matte shades inspired by the sunset, and 4 x glitter shades inspired by European Carnivales. I grabbed ‘Ferris Wheel’ – I was pretty keen to have this colour for the festive season, but what really cemented the decision was when I presented the range to my boyfriend & he told me that this was the one he liked the most. Gotta keep him happy, since most of my time is taken up with blogging stuff nowadays & he tries so hard to act interested!
The texture is a great dupe for the OPI Liquid Sand polishes (RRP $19.95), with the sandy feel and glittery look, but at a much more affordable price. The FOA polishes are a meagre $5.95 each! And as you can see, the consistency is quite thick, but application is so easy, and you only need 2 coast to achieve full, gritty coverage. Plus, the brush doesn’t get clumpy, which I was quite impressed with given the texture. And speaking of the texture – I’m getting used to it, but at first it made me shudder – nail files, anyone? How about fingers on a blackboard? It gave me that same feeling, as odd as it sounds. So while they say that you don’t need a top coat, I like to use one anyway just so the texture isn’t so offensive.
The colour of Ferris Wheel is hard to capture in photos, but it’s a silver/blue/green (depending on the light!) and the gorgeous hex glitters make it look amaaaazing in the sun. I couldn’t stop staring and flashing my hands around. And it had semi-decent staying power, lasting around 3 days before it started to chip. The only negative is that it’s a glitter polish – so of course, it’s a pain in the butt to remove. I used a base coat, and removed by soaking my nails in acetone polish remover, but I’m really intrigued by using the DIY PVA peel-off base coat method – has anyone given this a go yet?
It’s a limited edition collection, so stock up now – they’re a great introduction to textured polishes, and won’t break the bank.
What are your thoughts on textured nail polish?
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The fine print:
Face of Australia Carnivale Textured Nail Enamel in Ferris Wheel
RRP $5.95 (purchased at Priceline)
