PURCHASED
I’ve been slowly falling more and more with ILNP with their past few collections, and just what I DON’T need – they’ve become another brand on my auto-buy list. Their 6 piece collections have had such fun color stories, and have really been capturing each of the themes they choose. (And not me discovering all of their past collections are still available on their website, and just building an enormous cart).
And this next set is no different! This is the ‘Under the Sea’ collection from ILNP, and as soon as I saw these shades, I just needed the whole collection. (Yes of course I’m being dramatic, no one needs nail polish). As you can guess, we have the traditional 6 shade release, with shades all inspired by the sea, the water, and the magic that might be lurking underneath the surface. There are blues and greens, as well as some unexpected shades in red, purple and a perfect sandy shade.
These 6 shades all have a more jelly-like formula just filled with shimmers and glitters and flakies, all perfect for sitting by the shimmery water under the sun. They are available on the ILNP website – all of their collections stick around on their website, so it’ll be waiting for you whenever you’re looking to purchase.
Let’s get on into the swatches!
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We start right out with ‘Ariel’, and of course, fitting in with the “Under the Sea” theme it has to be a bright fiery red (because of the Little Mermaid, get it). It’s a bright red jelly base just filled with shifty golden flakes all throughout. And I can hear Sebastian the Crab yelling “AR-ee-yell” every time I look at it.
It is a jelly base so it is a touch more sheer, and about building up that color and layering up those flakes. It does build up very well and was practically opaque in just 2 coats. Depending on your own nails and application, you could want a 3rd to further build up the saturation and brightness of that base shade. But overall it’s smooth and easy to paint on.
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Now this next shade, I mean, just look at it. This is called ‘Paradise’ and it’s truly paradise for me, maybe the perfect nail color. This is a deep emerald green jelly base just jam-packed with teal flakes and a golden shimmer. It’s so rich and royal and magical.
Again, this was a jelly base so it’s about building up that base color. It was pretty well opaque in just 2 coats – and depending on your preferences you could stop here – but I chose to add a 3rd to further deepen the color and build it up on my nails. Those 3 coats just give so much depth to that shimmer and the overall finish on the nails.
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‘Blowing Bubbles’ has a formula that truly matches the name. This one is an aqua blue jelly base with so much silver holographic shimmer to it, just like a bubbling sea. I wore this one as a full manicure at one point, and when the sunlight hit it, I couldn’t stop staring at my nails.
Again it feels a touch more like a jelly base, so it is more sheer on the first coat. But it does have a more pigmented formula than the previous shades, so a 2nd coat easily covers and makes it fully opaque. So smooth to paint on, and I absolutely loved this.
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Next up we have ‘Sea Glass’. This is a deep cobalt blue jelly base filled with tons of flakies, giving it a more flecked “sea glass” like finish.
We have another jelly base so again it’s a more sheer 1st coat with some nail line still peeking through. A 2nd coat builds up the base and color so nicely and made it fully opaque. It’s a more pigmented formula just like ‘Blowing Bubbles’. The glitters layer up so nicely inside of that base and it’s such a glowy look on the nails.
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‘Hidden Treasure’ is a warm-toned purple jelly base just PACKED with coppery-golden flakes. It has the most dense flakie finish of the set.
You know the drill, it’s a jelly base so it’s just about building up the base color and layering up all of those gorgeous glitters. This was a touch more sheer like the first 2 shades, so I chose to build it up with 3 thin coats. With those 3 coats, the flakies layer up well and just really create a super sparkly “treasure-like” finish.
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And last, but CERTAINLY not least we have ‘Sandbar’. This is a neutral, warm-brown sheer jelly base filled with the most delicate of silver magnetic pigment. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this shade when I first saw it but once I had it on the nails, I was surprised at how much I fell in love. There’s just something about the look, and photos can’t fully do it justice. You just gotta try it on to understand.
This is the most sheer of the jelly bases – and it is meant to be a more sheer look – so even after 3 coats, I still had nail line peeking through. Unmagnetized, you’ll have this more scattered shimmery look but using a magnet will get you that strong silver stripe throughout. I can imagine this shade would look absolutely stunning with a “velvet” finish as well. Like I said, it’s more unique, and I know it won’t be for everyone – but I was so mesmerized by it on the nails! It’s unlike anything else I have in my collection, and it just looked like a sandy beach on the nails (without the texture).
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And that is the set! ILNP really nailed this ‘Under the Sea’ theme. We have those traditional blues and greens, as well as other more interesting finishes and shades, that all still felt cohesive. I absolutely loved the polishes, and I had no issues with application. Though these are more sheer jelly formulas, I was able to build them all up in 2-3 coats. Those jelly bases allow for more dimensional finishes, as the base layers over all of the sparkles and flakies. ‘Paradise’ is a favorite of course, with ‘Sandbar’ being a surprise love!
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Upcoming Posts
Glam Polish Halloween Horror Shop shades • ILNP Cosmos collection • Essie Fall 2023 collection • Holo Taco x Safiya collection • Salon Perfect Drop Dead Gorgeous collection
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