8.24.2014

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.
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10 comments

The Equinox Fashion by Paweerata said...

aww very beautiful!

ellie said...

I love pillow fight so much. Such a fun review!

ellie's desk said...

Love the look. A great way for the final touches on those special days..at parties or weddings.

ivy said...

Love the effect! So cool! Great Sunday post!

Bellas Shelf said...

all of them look absolutely gorgeous. I love the shout accents. My favorite shade is the pillow fight. I can easily see that shade being worn throughout the fall and winter.

sherin said...

Massively in love with these manicures. I love how fun they all are, especially the last one.

Sara said...

I love all of these! I didn't even know about all of the amazing things that you can do with nails until you started this feature on your blog.

Imogen said...

This is so pretty. My favourite is the pink, so absolutely gorgeous.

Couture Carrie said...

Love Wish Upon A Starfish!

xoxox,
CC

Why Girls Are Weird said...

Very pretty!

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