♦ Hello everyone! ♦
♦ It all started 2 weeks ago when I was presented with these two unusual nail lacquers from a brand that I’ve never heard of before. 
Smith & Cult product designs are so unusual that at first I even though that they presented me nail lacquers with broken tops! But later I found out that it was their prominent feature!
♦ It happened that they presented me with two matching shades. Why are they matching? Because I love it when my mani is colorful.
♦ The bright barbie pink shade is called Plastic Beach.
♦ The deep blue color is named She said Yeah.
The names are so unique! I love that trend when the colors from the collection have their own sophisticated naming.
The brand is American and they retail their nail lacquers at $18 each. I doubt that I’d ever buy it for myself. I think that this is too much for a nail lacquer. :)
♦ They are beautiful and bright for sure and they would have been worth their price 100% if only their staying power wasn’t so pathetic. But I’ll comment about their staying power a little bit lower.
It’s noteworthy that the tube is huge - 14ml of the nail lacquer inside. It’ll be enough to use for a couple of years + it’s so pleasant that the maker put those steel balls inside to mix the formula.
Usually, many manufacturers don’t put them in at all and makes the formula dry down quicker. But here, I give it an additional plus.
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♥ Interesting design ♥
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♦ That’s true that the Smith & Cult nail lacquers are nicely designed - flat bottom is adorned with a top cap of a wrong shape. It looks like a roughly cut stone, which was rumpled randomly. At first I had a though that the top caps were rumpled and became upset. Some time later I found out that it was the concept. The top caps are bewildering.
♦ Under the cap there’s a small black handle which holds the brush.
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♥ Brush ♥
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♦ The brush is very good here. It’s long to some extent and furry. The bristles don’t stick out and the cut is even.
It always has the right amount of the lacquer on it. The brush is big enough to cover ¾ of my nail.
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♥ Consistency and Color ♥
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♦ The consistency of the product is thick. It doesn’t drain down from the brush. It’s obvious that it’s scented as any other nail polish.
The consistency is so good that 2 coats are already enough for me (even though I always opt for 3 or more layers) to make my nails look perfect.
♦ The first layer already applies well (yet still I advise you to oil-free your nails beforehand). The coverage doesn’t look streaky and dries down literally within 3 minutes.
♦ Thanks to the matchy colors, I decided to wear both shades at once. This way my mani looks brighter and at the same time, I will be able to test them both out - if the consistency is different or staying power of this or that color. Unfortunately, this may happen to a lot of nail lacquers of different brands when the quality of the product depends on the color. Here I state that the Smith & Cult nail lacquers are the same regardless of the color.
♦ This is how the first layer looks like:
♦ I apply the second coat 3 minutes after the first one. It applies with a thicker coverage and takes longer to dry down. The coverage looks fantastic - bright, pigmented and so saturated. My nails are perfected with them on.
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♥ Staying power ♥
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♦ The staying power aspect is actually the only thing that frustrates me about these nail lacquers. At first I used to wear them without a glossy top coat so as to test out their staying power purely. But within 2 days I could already see how chipped my nails were. Yes, that’s true, I do a lot of household chores every day and my nails are long enough to suffer while I’m working. Within 4 days, it was enough and removed the product from my nails.
♦ After that I experimented with a glossy top coat. With it on, the nail lacquers from Smith & Cult were able to stay for almost 7 days. And of course there was a boost of shine. But still, the staying power is actually their weak point!
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♥ Removing ♥
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♥ I haven’t experienced any problems with removing the polish. My nails weren’t yellow afterwards and 1 cotton round was enough for one hand.
So, I conclude that:
The color selection there excelled. There are bright and nude colors in the line
The price isn’t so affordable
The staying power is an issue. 2 stars for it
The formula is easy to remove.
For the price they cost, I wouldn't buy them myself. If you aren’t busy with any job about your home and you feel fine to splurge 18 bucks for a nail lacquer, then, of course, buy it, why not. :) In all other respects, I don’t recommend it.
