KBShimmer Summer 2014 Collection Swatch and Review

*Press Samples (2 were purchased by me)*

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to share a selection of KBShimmer's Summer 2014 Collection with you today. There were 12 total polishes in the collection and I got to choose 6 polishes to sample and then I couldn't narrow it down so I bought 2 more (and already wish I had gotten 2 others!). That is just how fabulous this entire collection is guys. You are going to want them all!

You're So Shellfish is a neon peachy orange creme. It leans slightly more pink in real life than it shows in pictures (you know...neons freaking out the camera and all), but it is such a bright and fun summer shade! Formula was perfect with complete coverage in 2 easy coats. This is definitely going on my toes next!

Happily Ever Aster (over KBShimmer A Touch of Glass) is a sweet and ethereal mix of matte and holo glitters in white, purple, lilac, aqua, and periwinkle all in a clear base. For my mani I used 2 coats of the glitter over my base color. I really could have almost gotten away with 1 coat, but I went back with a super thin second coat for just a tad more glitter. The glitter formula spread very smoothly and easily with excellent distribution, which is super for a chunkier glitter like this (I did place a few of the larger glitters here and there). I used 1 coat of a thicker topcoat (Essence Gel Look Top coat) and 1 coat of a regular quick-dry topcoat (NYC Grand Central Station) on top and my mani was glassy smooth.

I had to show you over a different base too because Elevation Polish Mount McKinley arrived in the mail at the same time as these KBShimmers and it looked so pretty sitting next to Happily Ever Aster, so I had to layer them. So sweet and pretty!

Sweet Wave is a confection of coral, yellow, mint, white, and periwinkle matte glitters in a clear base. This combo of colors reminds of me of some sort of fancy candy and I love it! I saw @lacquerloon's swatch of this one on Instagram over You're So Shellfish and I thought it was the perfect match, so naturally I copied her. This one works best to paint on a thin coat and then sort of dab on a second coat in places where glitters are needed. I used my thick + regular topcoat combination as I did with Happily Ever Aster and it worked very well to smooth the glitters. Such a fun, summery glitter!

Scribble Me This is the polish I was most looking forward to in this collection and it did not disappoint! It was inspired by graffiti and it has neon pink, neon yellow, lime green, mint, purple, and black glitters (including stars, dots, and triangles) in a clear base. Formula was similar to Sweet Wave in that it required an initial thin coat and then a dabbed second coat to get glitter placement how I wanted it (especially with the stars and triangles). For some reason, I thought of KBShimmer Sky Jinks to use as a base and the combo looked really cool! Not really an expected choice, but it works. Again, I used my thick + regular topcoat combo to get a smooth finish on this mani.

I also kept thinking this would look so awesome over a buttery yellow, so I grabbed China Glaze Lemon Fizz to use as a base for Scribble Me This. I adored this combo sooooo much!

Periwinkle In Time has a periwinkle crelly base with a mixture of aqua, navy, silver, and purple glitters including some larger silver and lavender dots. The holographic glitters in this polish really set it off and add a subtle twinkle. Formula for this polish was excellent with pefect glitter density and spread. I used 3 thin coats for this mani.  I did find that the first time I applied it, I did not shake it up beforehand and I didn't seem to get many of the larger dot glitters, but I swatched it again and shook the polish up before I started and I got the perfect amount out with no fishing necessary.  Also, I must mention how much I love that it is named after one of my favorite childhood books (A Wrinkle in Time).

Sea You Around is a deep green (teal leaning) jelly with fuchsia, silver, and light blue glitters including larger and smaller dot glitters and some scattered fuchsia micro bar glitters. The jelly base on this one is pretty opaque, so it is really fine at 2 coats, but I did 3 coats for my mani which made it look even deeper green. Formula was great with great glitter distribution and spread. I'm a sucker for the fuchia/green color combination so I knew as soon as I saw it that I would love this polish, and I did!

I'm not sure how much of a difference you can tell, but this was 2 coats of Sea You Around. You could definitely get away with 2 coats, I just added a third for good measure. You can see it looks a little lighter and more squishy at 2 coats.

Look High and Holo has a raspberry jelly base filled with multicolored holo hexes and squares. The base of this one is very jelly, so I used 3 coats for this mani. I had a little more trouble with this one than the others because it is so packed with glitter. The best way to apply this one is to be sure to scrape excess glitter off of your brush each time so that you have just enough glitter, but not too much because that can make it hard to spread and get even on the nail. Also, be sure to wait between coats to avoid dragging, because you want to keep an even distribution of glitter on the nail. I used my thick + regular topcoat on this to smooth it out and give it a glassy finish. The effect of this polish on the nails is very jewel-like and blingy.

Mint-al Vacation is a cool mint holographic polish filled with silvery shimmer. This polish is so soft and pretty! The shimmer gives it a whole other layer of depth that you don't get with a plain holographic polish and it is very nice in the sun and the shade. Formula was good and opaque in 2 coats. As you can see, the holographic effect is a bit more subtle than a straight holographic polish because of the added shimmer. I love mint polishes, and this is a unique twist on a mint holo.

Light Box

Full Sun

Here are some pictures of Mint-al Vacation in the shade so that you can really see the silver shimmer that is very prominent in this polish.

Shade

KBShimmer polishes are available from their website as well as from Harlow & Co. (Canada). The Summer 2014 Collection goes on sale this Friday (6/20), so be sure to pick up your favorites (it would be a tough choice for me)! Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates on new collections and to see swatches of all of their polishes.