Grey manicures; tipped to be one of the biggest nail trends of 2019. Consider it to be the new nude along flattering shades of taupe, brown and olive green. Think simple, soft, chic and perfectly neutral. We saw grey on the Prabal Gurung runway, showing just how pretty this soft and subtle shade can be.
Another big trend? Super glossy and high shine finishes. Think gel inspired manicures that catch the light and almost look wet. So when I got this No. 7 ‘Porcini’ coloured Gel Finish Nail Colour, I was super excited. Two trends wrapped up together in a soft, subtle shade. I knew it was something that I had to try straight away. And of course share my honest opinion and review.
Bad Reviews
I know that this nail varnish has been getting some bad reviews, and a lot of people have been saying that it’s gloopy, too thin or just doesn’t cover very well. But I didn’t find any of that a problem. Sure, the first coat was a bit thin and streaky, but I don’t think that’s anything strange or unlike any of the other brands of nail polish that I’ve used in the past. The second layer went on absolutely fine, and although some people were saying that they needed to apply three or even four (!) layers to get full coverage, I found that two was more than enough. Although I will say, I found that if you accidentally went over the same section more than once, the polish did get a sort of ‘dimpled’ look – but this disappeared once a clear top coat was applied.
I will admit, I was more than a bit disappointed with the overall finish. The bottle says it will give a ‘gel finish’, and I was expecting super shiny, glossy nails. But really, it just looks like any other ‘normal’ nail varnish. Not super shiny at all! Honestly, a bit of a disappointment. Without the help of my favourite topcoat, I doubt the finish would have looked any different to standard nail varnish. But, putting the ‘gel’ look aside, I am left with a very even, solid colour and am impressed with the overall look of my nails. I love the colour and it’s perfect for the upcoming 2019 trend of grey nails. The colour, although it is really nice, is slightly darker it appears in the bottle. It’s not as soft as it appears in the bottle, and has more of grey tone than I was expecting.
Worth The Money?
I was lucky enough to get this little sample bottle (4 ml) in the No. 7 Christmas advent calendar that I got for my birthday at the beginning of December. But, when this runs out, I’m not sure if I would pay the £7.50 for the full-sized bottle (10 ml). Although it is a really nice, neutral colour. But that’s the problem, it’s just a ‘nice’ colour; you don’t get the gel finish that’s promised, and lets face it, that’s probably why the price tag is slightly higher than other brands.
So, to sum everything up… I do love the colour, although it’s not exactly the same as the bottle. And I think that overall it was easy to apply. After two coats the coverage was perfect, any more probably would have led to a gloopy and thick nail – you know the ones that NEVER dry. The staying power is also quite good, i’m chip -free for 4 days and counting right now! The biggest disappointment with this product was the finish – I was promised a gel-like shine and, rightfully, that is what I expected. Without a top coat, it looked no different to the finish of a ‘normal’ nail polish.
So, now for the big question! Can I honestly recommend this for £7.50? I don’t think so. I mean, I know that nail varnish is expensive, but that just seems like a lot of money when you don’t get the gel finish that it promises.
The colour’s soft and subtle and I really do love it. But for the money and the bog standard finish, I don’t really think that it’s worth it.
Rosie x
