PURCHASED
Have you ever thought to yourself, “Hey I need some nail polishes inspired by dinosaurs?” If so, well, Mooncat has a new release for you! (Who hasn’t had that thought, really).
Listen, Mooncat has quickly made it’s way right into my heart, and I’m just always on the lookout now for their newest releases. They fully have a hold on me, I shall buy whatever they put out, and that’s just even more true after how much I loved this set of polishes. I mean, COME ON, DINOSAURS.
This is the ‘Pretty Prehistoric’ collection, and as you might guess, it features 8 gorgeous shades all inspired by the colors of the prehistoric age of the that we’ve all seen in textbooks and museums for years now. We’ve got some blues, greens and purples, and a gorgeous orange-red. Very Jurassic. There’s lots and LOTS of flakies and shimmers and shiftiness here, and the color palette and finishes just feel prehistoric somehow. Don’t ask me why, it just does.
All of these shades dry with a more matte finish, and of course, a top coat can be added on for another look and to bring out that shimmer even more. These are available on the Mooncat website, both in a discounted bundle, or individually.
Let’s get on into the swatches!
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Up first we’re starting right out with the fan favorite of this set. This is ‘Sabertooth’, and it’s this soft, icy sky blue shade just filled with the most delicate of turquoise shimmer all throughout. It just feels like icy, but you know, in a good way.
This is a softer and more delicate finish and formula than others in the set, so I preferred to build it up with 3 thin coats. I did have some patches peeking through after that 2nd coat, but they were fully covered after floating a 3rd on. Though I do believe if you have smoother nails than me – I have very naturally ridged nails that cause any polish to be a touch more uneven – you’ll be fine with just 2 thicker coats.
As mentioned, these dry with a satin matte finish, so I included photos of each shade with a glossy top coat. For this one it really brings out that delicate shimmer gives it a whole new look. I can’t fully decide which finish I like more.
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Next up we have ‘Triceratops’ and this shade starts our journey with all of the flakies in this collection. This is a black jelly base filled with iridescent shifting flakies all throughout. The way those flakes contrast against that darker base is just *chef’s kiss*.
Since it’s a jelly base, it’ll be about building up that base color. I got to full opacity with 3 thin coats – it could also be good with just 2, but it’ll depend on your own preferences and application (and how smooth your nails are as well).
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The name ‘Raawr’ gives me war flashbacks to Tumblr circa about 2011 – you all know what I’m talking about. This polish is a medium, warm-toned purple base filled with more of those iridescent shifty flakies.
Just like the previous shade, with that jelly base it’s a touch more sheer and just about building up that color. It builds up very well with just 2, but I chose to add a 3rd to further deepen up the color and layer it up. It paints on smoothly and those flakes pick up and distribute easily.
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This next shades takes that previous flakey finish, and just cranks it up a few notches with a little something more. This is ‘Tyrannosaurus Hex’ and it’s a deep forest green jelly base filled with those same iridescent shifty flakes, but also a boatload of reflective glitters. (Funny enough, I forgot this one was reflective, though you really only see that bright reflective look through an iPhone camera. Otherwise, it’s still gorgeous glitter on its own).
Y’all know the drill now: this also has a jelly base so it’s more sheer and just about building up the base color, which I was able to do with 3 thin coats. But depending on your application you could be set with just 2. The jelly bases on all of these let those flakes and glitters layer up so well, and they combine here for such a fun, forest-y look. It feels like we’re sneaking through the trees in our own Jurassic Park.
A shiny top coat on this one makes it look like a sparkling emerald on the nails, so you just have multiple ways to enjoy this shade.
Tyrannosaurus Hex – Live Swatch
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Up next we have ‘Velociraptor’. This is a deep teal jelly base filled with red shifty iridescent flakes and reflective glitter. (Again, I missed the memo that this had reflective glitters, and didn’t fully show the effect but you can only really see it through an iPhone camera).
Since it’s a jelly base, it is a touch more sheer on the 1st coat, but the base builds up well with a 2nd. You could be set with just 2 coats here, but if you have longer nails you might need a 3rd to fully deepen up that base and make it opaque. It’ll depend on your own application, but overall it’s smooth and easy to paint on – even with those larger flakes all throughout.
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‘Pangea’ is a deeper blue jelly base filled with smaller flakes than all the others. They’re just as shifty as all the others, and go from a deep green to a yellow all the way to a bright orange-red. They really pop against that deep blue base and I love the effect.
This has a very similar formula to the previous shade (and all of the shades really) – with it being a more jelly base it’s about building up that color, but it builds up well with just 2 coats since it’s a deeper color. Depending on your application and the length of your nails, you might want a 3rd to cover any last unevenness, but again it’s smooth and easy to paint on.
A top coat over this shade deepens up that blue base and really brings out the red of those flakes, and it’s just so stunning! Again 2 such different ways to wear this 1 shade.
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One of my favorite shades of this entire set (though it was very hard to choose) is ‘Tectonic Shift’. It was just so unique and so interesting. It’s a light minty, seafoam green base just filled with super shifty smaller flakes. Those flakes go from a bright pink to a bright orange, and the base itself is shifting from that minty green over to a deeper teal. A combination of pink and green will always be superior.
For the formula, I was able to build this up very easily with just 2 coats. But as always, depending on your application and nail length, you might want a 3rd to further build it up. This one is just so shifty and interesting and I couldn’t stop staring at it on my nails. With a top coat it even looks more silvery, and just changes so much as well.
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And last but CERTAINLY not least, we have ‘Molten Lava’. This is a bright coral orange base filled with delicate and shifty yellow-red flakes all throughout. Truly fiery on the nails.
Following all of the others in this set, it’s more of a jelly base, so it’s a touch more sheer on that 1st coat. I was able to build and layer this up to full opacity in 3 thin coats – though depending on your application and preferences, you could be set with just 2 coats. A top coat brings out more of that shimmer, but otherwise it’s a cool glowy look when it’s matte as well.
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And that’s the set! It’s such a cool mix of finishes and formulas here, and I just feel like it fits a more Jurassic and prehistoric theme. Mooncat has really been impressing me with their innovative color stories and releases, and this makes me even more excited to see what they’ll continue to release!
Have you tried Mooncat? What’s your favorite shade here?
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