Hello moonbeams,
I know this seems like a weird polish to be reviewing at the end
of March but sometimes your palate cleanser comes in the form of black creme
polish with gold flakes that you buy on clearance. I am of course talking about
the bottle of Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in 240 Twilight Rays that I
picked up in San Francisco.
Color: Maybelline Twilight Rays is a black creme polish with gold flakes. A flakie polish, if you will. The gold flakes in Twilight Rays are very small. They're larger than shimmer or microglitter but not by much. As the flakes of gold are irregularly shaped, there are a few that are a bit larger than the average flake but again, not by much. This polish ended up looking duller than I would have liked. The black creme base isn't an inky black, which is really what I think you expect from a black creme. Why would you want an off-black polish? The gold flakes don't really pop. They are noticeable but not terribly so. I find it easier to notice the flakes outdoors. Indoors, it's really difficult to see that there are flakes unless you're looking for them and you are within close proximity.
Formula: The formula isn't notably thin or thick.
Application: The first coat went on smoothly without any drag though it was quite sheer for a black creme polish. The application of the second coat didn't go entirely smoothly. The brush didn't drag but application could have been better. After two coats, the polish was still nowhere near opaque. When I applied the third coat of polish, I figured out what the issue was. The brush doesn't drag but when you even out the polish with the brush, it ends up not looking as smooth. I think perhaps the flakes prevent the polish from behaving like a traditional creme polish. It doesn't self-level or flow as nicely and perhaps going over the polish with the brush redistributes the flakes. Regardless, I ended up with a fine manicure with no major unevenness.
Wear: I wore this polish for four days. It started off looking duller than I would have liked but it grew increasingly dull during that time. There was a bit of tip wear, mainly where I had wrapped the tips of my nails.
CONCLUSION: Application was alright but not amazing. The polish looked fine but a bit dull. Honestly, I would recommend just getting a nice inky black polish like Confetti Black Tie and a gold flakie top coat and layering them. Of course, if you don't want to have a big nail polish collection and you'd rather save a step, Maybelline Twilight Rays might be just what you're looking for. I just found that it didn't meet my expectations or needs for a polish like this.
SWATCHES
Color: Maybelline Twilight Rays is a black creme polish with gold flakes. A flakie polish, if you will. The gold flakes in Twilight Rays are very small. They're larger than shimmer or microglitter but not by much. As the flakes of gold are irregularly shaped, there are a few that are a bit larger than the average flake but again, not by much. This polish ended up looking duller than I would have liked. The black creme base isn't an inky black, which is really what I think you expect from a black creme. Why would you want an off-black polish? The gold flakes don't really pop. They are noticeable but not terribly so. I find it easier to notice the flakes outdoors. Indoors, it's really difficult to see that there are flakes unless you're looking for them and you are within close proximity.
Formula: The formula isn't notably thin or thick.
Application: The first coat went on smoothly without any drag though it was quite sheer for a black creme polish. The application of the second coat didn't go entirely smoothly. The brush didn't drag but application could have been better. After two coats, the polish was still nowhere near opaque. When I applied the third coat of polish, I figured out what the issue was. The brush doesn't drag but when you even out the polish with the brush, it ends up not looking as smooth. I think perhaps the flakes prevent the polish from behaving like a traditional creme polish. It doesn't self-level or flow as nicely and perhaps going over the polish with the brush redistributes the flakes. Regardless, I ended up with a fine manicure with no major unevenness.
Wear: I wore this polish for four days. It started off looking duller than I would have liked but it grew increasingly dull during that time. There was a bit of tip wear, mainly where I had wrapped the tips of my nails.
CONCLUSION: Application was alright but not amazing. The polish looked fine but a bit dull. Honestly, I would recommend just getting a nice inky black polish like Confetti Black Tie and a gold flakie top coat and layering them. Of course, if you don't want to have a big nail polish collection and you'd rather save a step, Maybelline Twilight Rays might be just what you're looking for. I just found that it didn't meet my expectations or needs for a polish like this.
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