Ciaté Shell Manicure Collection Review

Since we are fast approaching the final days of summer, I thought now would be the perfect time to recap one of my favorite mani collections released for summer 2014...Ciaté's Shell Manicure sets in She Sells Seashells, Wish Upon A Starfish, and Ciaté Mermaid You Look. So without further ado...

She Sells Seashells is a pink multicolor duo that contains one Paint Pot creme polish {Candy Floss}, and one Paint Pot Effect {multicolored crushed seashells in She Sells Sea Shells}; allowing you the artistic freedom to create a beachy mani all your own.

I didn't feel like going full out with my first shell attempt, but I wanted more than an accent nail; so I did the next best thing...2 accent nails. It doesn't sound like much, but it definitely allows you to show off the multicolored goodness of the shell effect. Let's take a look...

Le sigh...no, seriously; when I look at this mani, I'm just completely in love. It's perfection.

You may remember me featuring Candy Floss a few months back in Part 2 of my Mini Mani Month Set Review, and my thoughts about the quality have not changed...it's still flawless in every sense of the word {not to mention the ultimate Barbie pink}. It reminds me a bit of Essie's Cascade Cool in that, in shade, subtle lavender undertones show up. The formula here was good. With a heavy hand, this could probably be a one coater. This is 2 coats.

She Sells Sea Shells, the Effects Paint Pot, consists of crushed seashells in a wide variety of shades ranging from iridescent Seafoam and Lavender, to Amber and Rose Pink that color shift and sparkle in the light or whenever you move your hand / fingers. The pieces range in size and shape - some being large and jagged and others being ground to pearlescent dust. It's an ethereal combination of colors that is insanely hard to stop staring at.

Wish Upon A Starfish is a holographic white duo that contains the Paint Pot holographic polish Halo, and the Paint Pot Effect Wish Upon A Starfish {which consists of white iridescent shell bits}.

Since I did a double accent nail for my first Seashell Mani, I decided to go full out with Wish Upon A Starfish. My thoughts...

Halo is an iridescent, holographic polish that is predominately lilac / purple in hue; but has a color shift that moves from pale pink to baby blue. It is absolutely mesmerizing to look at; though, obviously, you can't see it here because it is covered in crushed seashells. One of my primary reasons for that nail art decision was...Halo is completely transparent. It serves best as a top coat over another polish as, even with multiple coats, it doesn't build in opacity. I used 2 coats.

Wish Upon A Starfish is the Effects Paint Pot. While She Sells Sea Shells featured a variety of Rock Candy-esque colored shades; the crushed seashells found in Wish Upon A Starfish are white with a beige/yellow/off-white undertone that mimics the interior color of a seashell. An incredibly accurate likeness, if I do say so myself.

Mermaid You Look is a dusty purple duo that contains the Paint Pot Pillow Fight, and the Paint Pot Effect Mermaid You Look {which consists of dusty purple iridescent shell bits}.

Since I did a double accent nail for my first Seashell Mani, and a full out, 10-finger mani for my second Seashell feature; I decided to do a triple accent for Mermaid You Look, because these Seashell Mani sets are truly too pretty for a single accent.

You may remember Pillow Fight from my Ciaté Mini Mani Month Set Review {Part 2}. Pillow Fight is a Delicate Gray with Lilac Undertones. In the bottle, the shade looks far darker than it appears on the nail; which was a happy surprise, as pale grays are my preference. The first coat is streaky; but the color and opacity completely level out after the second coat is applied. In sunlight you will definitely see the presence of the lilac undertones, which add a little more dimension to the shade, and make it even more beautiful to look at. This is 2 coats.

Mermaid You Look is the Effects Paint Pot. The crushed seashells in this set match the Pillow Fight Paint Pot perfectly in that they are a dusty gray / purple in hue with the prettiest silver iridescent shift.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is one of the most brilliant summer nail ideas I have ever seen - and such a fun way to add sparkle to your fingertips without the use of glitter.

I was expecting a texture similar to that of Ciaté's Caviar Effect; however, the texture and look of these is actually very similar to that of Rock Candy. While the shell pieces look jagged and scratchy, they aren't - you simply have to make sure that no effect pieces are sticking out around the edges or at the nail tip {I gently ran a glass nail file around my nail to ensure that everything was on the nail bed before applying top coat}.

If you're looking for a fancy mani that's a little bit flirty and a lot of fun, I truly cannot recommend these enough. They would be perfect for a beach party, right?

SHOP THE POST

xx

FTC Disclosure: Ciaté's Shell Manicure in She Sells Seashells, Wish Upon A Starfish, and Mermaid You Look were provided to me for review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.