You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘mint’ category.
I put on this color as it matches Novak Djokovic’s kit during this year’s French Open. I was really hoping to see him win today’s semifinal against Rafa Nadal and compete for the title on Sunday to complete the career slam, but it was not to be. 😦 I guess I’m particularly devastated because he practically had the match in his hands! Anyway, Ciaté Pepperminty is a cool, mint pastel creme:
Picture taken in natural light. (Pardon the blurriness of this photo; the weather matches my current mood.) This applied pretty well, and as expected for a pastel. It was streaky so I needed three coats for complete, even coverage. This isn’t the starkest of pastels, but it’s still light and nicely pigmented, so it qualifies. I probably already have something similar enough, but I do love mint polishes; they’re always pretty and they make me think of sweets. 🙂 This one leans on the cool side, but it isn’t so blue that it looks turquoise. I paired this with OPI Pink Friday on my toes.
<3sarah
I think I like these speckled polishes so much because I have a sweet tooth, and they make me think of a number of sweet treats. The ones from this collection make me crave ice cream. 🙂 Lippmann Rockin’ Robin (Staccato Collection, Spring 2013) is a soft pastel mint creme with small black hex glitter:
Picture taken in sunlight. This applied smoothly and was well-pigmented; I got full coverage in two coats, with some touchups in between. It could have just been my application but I got less glitter on the nail here than with I’m Not Edible. Based on trying I’m Not Edible, I also expected this to be much more brightly stark, but it actually has a really soft look. It’s a gorgeous mint color. I previously said that Illamasqua Mottle reminded me of mint chip ice cream, but this one really, really looks like I have mint chip ice cream right on my nails (but as there can be different shades of mint nail polish, there can be different shades of mint ice cream). Mint chip is my favorite “standard” flavor of ice cream, so I love looking at this. I paired it with OPI Mod About You on my toes.
<3sarah
Up next in this line of speckled polishes is Illamasqua Mottle (I’mperfection, Spring 2013), a pastel sage-mint creme with black hex glitter and fine black glitter:
Picture taken in sunlight. The formula seemed thick but still applied well in three coats. I tried doing thinner coats this time and I didn’t experience any wrinkling at the tips after topcoat. The color reminds me of a more pastel version of Milf, so I described this shade of green similarly. It’s not a typical shade of mint, which has a more aquamarine tone, but I do still think of it as one. The more I look at it, the more I love it! It has this really retro vibe. The pastel shade also really works well with the black glitter. In addition to looking like candy eggs, it also reminds me of mint chip ice cream. Once again I’m left wanting to eat my nails. 🙂 I paired this with Illamasqua Wink on my toes.
<3sarah
In yet another installment of “polishes I really should have tried by now,” I finally have on Illamasqua Milf, a sage-mint green creme:
Picture taken in sunlight. This applied well, and even though it was a tad bit streaky, I still only needed two coats with minor touchups for full coverage. Light mint greens can have slightly troublesome formulas but of course this one has that smooth Illamasqua formula. This is one of the first Illamasquas I ever bought, and one of the first mint polishes I’ve owned as well. I kept getting sidetracked from trying it, but I’m happy to have it on now. It differs from the other mints in my collection in that it leans yellow, as opposed to having a turquoise undertone. And it’s light, but not pastel-stark, but it’s not really dusty either. It’s just very lovely, fresh and springy. I’m probably being influenced by the brand’s British origin but I feel like I should be having afternoon tea with this polish on. I paired it with OPI Rumple’s Wiggin’ on my toes.
<3sarah
Since the sun wasn’t out today I didn’t feel like putting on a shimmer or glitter. I haven’t tried a creme since the beginning of the month anyway, so this is me not just trying an older polish, but revisiting an old trend as well. RGB Cosmetics Minty (Holiday 2009) is a mint creme:
Picture taken in natural light. This actually applied pretty well. It was nicely thick and pigmented; I got full coverage in two coats. It is very solidly pigmented, but not pastel enough to be really stark. I haven’t worn a mint in a while, so this was a refreshing color to try again. I was quick to call this a mint green, but this doesn’t really look like a green to me; the shade is more like a minty greenish turquoise. It reminds me of mint chocolate chip ice cream, the commercial kind. If I was one to do nail art I would paint in little chocolate chips. 🙂 I paired this with Essie Lollipop on my toes.
<3sarah
Keeping up with the month’s theme of soft colors, and because I haven’t worn a mint on my tips since last April, I’ve put on American Apparel Office, a dusty mint green creme:
Picture taken in natural light. The formula was a little sticky but it applied fine; I needed three coats to cover up streakiness. The finish was kind of rough-looking before adding topcoat. This isn’t really a bright, whited-out, stark pastel; it’s more muted. It’s a nice, middle shade of mint that maybe leans a touch more cool than warm. I paired this with Essence No More Drama (Colour & Go) on my toes.
<3sarah
I’m trying another mint green today! China Glaze Re-fresh Mint (Up & Away, Spring 2010) is a pale, pastel mint green creme:
Picture taken in natural light. The formula was not the easiest to work with. It was thick (but not too thick) and rather runny. The brush picked up a lot of polish and I found myself having to wipe off the excess on the neck of the bottle often. I had to be extra careful while I painted so the polish wouldn’t pool around my cuticle. However, I only needed two coats to get it opaque and even! I was pleasantly surprised. This is a great shade of mint, very stark and light. I paired this with Maybelline Sweetie Pie (Express Finish) on my toes.
<3sarah
I have a lot of newly-released pastels to choose from, but today I’m going with an oldie (but still an untried for me!). OPI Hey! Get in Lime! (Brights, Spring 2006) is a soft, springy mint green creme:
Picture taken in sunlight. The formula was rather thin, so I didn’t have as many application woes as I do with thick pastels. But because the formula is so thin, it was streaky and not very pigmented. I needed four coats to get it opaque (and I never do four coats.) Regardless, I do love the color, ’cause I love mint green polishes. 🙂 I paired this with OPI Suzi & the Lifeguard on my toes.
<3sarah
I love mint green! I think it’s because it reminds me of desserts. I’m so happy that all these brands have been releasing their own mint green polishes. Essie Mint Candy Apple (Sweet Time of the Year, Winter 2009) is a bluish mint green creme:
Picture taken in natural light. Even though I love the color, I didn’t love the formula. It was still streaky after two coats but was sufficiently opaque and even after three. I definitely suggest waiting a minute or two between coats/topcoat to avoid cuticle drag. But I think I can look past the application issues because the color is so pretty! It’s bright yet soft at the same time. I paired this with Essie Lollipop on my toes.
I’m on a mission to collect as many mint green shades as I can. It’s amazing that none of the ones I’ve seen are dupes of each other! This one falls on the blue side of the spectrum. Now I am craving a slice of grasshopper pie…
Happy Holidays!
<3sarah
For today’s manicure I decided to go with a polish that has arguably my favorite name of all time, Illamasqua’s Milf:
Remember how I said light blues were my favorite? Let’s make that light blues and light greens. This color is gorgeous, a pale green that’s much softer and muted than most of the mint trend polishes. That being said, it does have a few applicational (not a word, btw) woes. It goes on thick and yet the second coat still manages to be streaky, I don’t get it! This is two coats with a layer of topcoat and there are still brushstrokes.
The color is everything I want a winter color to be, and the name is everything I want to be when I’m a mommy, heh, but the application is just boo.
=c) Jules
Haus of Polish 