Hi everyone! I have what might be the most interesting polish of the year to show you today.
Essie's jumped on the texture bandwagon with a collection of six for the holidays, and these are unlike anything we've seen. Ommorphia Beauty Bar loves them. The Polishaholic hates them. I was drawn to, and picked up, the most polarizing of the six, and also the anchor of the collection, Belugaria.
Belugaria is a black jelly polish packed with clear textured bits and medium sized holographic hexagon glitters. The black base, combined with the drying action, take away all vestiges of clear and in two coats, this dries matte and thick, with the hexes giving off the appearance of being embedded within. Its so odd, and completely fascinating.
Belugaria is thick, and its formula is a little temperamental. The first coat both frustrated me and gave me reason to think I was on Team Polishaholic for this one. It's patchy and draggy, and all those glitters and bits kept building up at the free edge of my nail. Like most polishes, though, the second coat fixes any initial application imperfections and gives the polish its proper, finished look.
Belugaria dries nice and quickly, like its 'traditional' textured counterparts, but DO NOT EXPECT THIS TO SET LIKE A NORMAL TEXTURE. It applies thick and it dries thick. It will feel slightly heavy on your nails and it will catch on your hair as well as certain material. Your hand and cuticle cream will get stuck in the crevices if you're not careful. It is difficult to wear but it is fabulous. It's like haute couture for your nails.
The comparisons that can be drawn from Belugaria's appearance are endless, and that which makes this so pretty also makes it quite ugly, at the same time. It's the ultimate in jolie laide and another reason why this polish is so intriguing. Kudos to Essie for creating a polish to exciting and innovative. Personally, I love it. It's my favorite textured polish yet.
Belugaria and the rest of the Encrusted Treasures collection is currently available at Ulta for $8.50 each.
Thank you for reading and have a marvelous day!! ♥
I'm intrigued by the looks of it. I think I will lay down a black base for starters. I just may pick it up after hearing your review :)
ReplyDeleteI bet the ladies that wear acrylic nails can make it smooth by encapsulating it with clear acrylic.
I'm trying it over a black creme base next. And I bet you're right, acrylic might just be the only way to smooth this puppy out. I do hope you get it :)
DeleteNo! LOL. Just no. Great pictures though?!
ReplyDeleteSo you're saying you wouldn't swap me anything for this? I'm confused....
DeleteI can see why you would be confused....perhaps I didn't make myself clear. I do not like this. ha.
DeleteI have no idea what Essie was thinking! That is just ugly! I'm sorry Liesl, it's not you it's that ugly polish. I just can't with this one. lol
ReplyDeleteHaha! When you said you had no idea what Essie was thinking, I definitely thought you meant Essie from iHeartPrettyPolish. So confused. But I get it now :)
DeleteSorry guys. I meant Essie, the "polish maker"...not Essie Rae the "pretty polisher." :) I hope you knew that Essie Rae. :)
DeleteLolol, well, sweets, you're clearly not alone. Those were the sentiments of most if the comments on Polishaholic's post. I'm in the minority-- we are few but we are proud!! lol.
DeleteNo @crystal....I never assume people are talking about me when mentioning Essie. :)
DeleteHuh, I really don't know what to think. It's like so ugly that it's beautiful? Love your pics though! :D
ReplyDelete~ Yun
You're so diplomatic, Yun <3 <3
DeleteFirst things first, Belugaria... a beluga from Bulgaria? I googled it and couldn't find a viable definition. Secondly, I want to just wast your hands because clearly, you've gone playing in wet asphalt again. Lastly, I love YOU, just not THAT *shudder*
ReplyDeletewash* your hands! Wasting your hands sounds terrible and violent :(
DeleteI seriously lol'ed at your comment-- "I googled it and couldn't find a viable definition." And wet asphalt is a prettier picture than some of the stuff my husband was saying-- avocado peel, amongst others... You are so adorable <3 This polish was worth it for the comments it's garnering alone.
DeleteI really don't know what to think about it...I like it in your photos, but it looks bad in all the others. Maybe there's just too much going on there? :S
ReplyDeleteIt definitely takes an interesting photo, lol, and there's *definitely* a lot going on. All I know is that I had to have it after seeing Ommorphia's shots, lol :D
DeleteIt's definitely interesting. Not on my must have list though I don't think.
ReplyDeleteNo?? Maybe it'll grow on ya ;)
DeleteNot my fav, the glitter seems too big?
ReplyDeleteAhh, that might be my favorite part! I'm okay with being on the minority on this one, lolol ;)
DeleteI totally get why you're in love with this. It's visually arresting. It's absolutely unforgettable. It's insane! And while I thought this was crazy awful on Polishaholic, I really, really love it on you. Your description of haute couture is great. I'm thinking avant garde...all you need now is an outfit made entirely of peacock feathers and chicken wire, and no doubt you would rock the whole ensemble. Beautiful photos. <3
ReplyDeleteOoh, I've never done avant grade, but you might be on to something! This polish is the beginning of my cutting edge-ness! And I love that, even though it's not your cup of tea, you get it. Perhaps you like it on me because I wear it with love and not with the intention of making it ugly. Or, it could all be the power of the written word. Either way, I love your comment immensely <3
DeleteHi Liesl, great pictures and what a great text!!! Polishwise I am in team Polishaholic and with Becca and Essie and Crystal. NO!Way!
ReplyDeleteLolol!! Rofl!! Your last two words and their punctuation seriously have me in stitches. And THANK YOU for your words about my writing. I don't remember when the words flowed as easily. I was done with this post in record time. Feeling inspired is a wonderful thing <3
DeleteI'm so unsure what to think of this polish. Part of me really hates it, but I find the pictures to be interesting and enticing in a way, and I love how it looks in the bottle (before you know it's textured). However, I definitely won't be buying this!
ReplyDeletePart of me feels like none of these pictures (mine or anyone else's) do Belugaria any justice. I highly encourage swatching it on one finger if that's ever possible. Does Nordstrom sell Essie? Or Sephora? They're the only two places I can think of that offers tester polish bottles. Anyhoo, it's kind of one you need to see in real life. You still may not be convinced but at least you'll see it as it truly is :)
DeleteSo dumb ole me saw this in the store, gasped at the beauty in the bottle and bought it on the spot without realizing it's TEXTURED, lol! I've never worn any polish with more texture than, say, a chunky glitter, so all the awful reviews I've seen scared the dickens out of me. You gave me the courage to swatch it for myself. It's thick, it's hard to apply, and things do tend to get stuck in it. It's also absolutely fascinating and I'm going to totally rock it on New Year's Eve! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYay!! Your comment totally makes me smile :) It is all of those things and I bet it looks amazing on you. I think it'll be absolutely perfect for New Year's Eve. I'm stoked you took the risk and ended up liking it ♥♥
Deletewhat an interesting nail polish, i saw it at target the other day and didn't know what to think. After this review, i'll definitely pick it up the next time I go. Its too interesting to pass up!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! And once you put it on, you'll be even more intrigued, I promise! Just get yourself past the tricky formula. ;)
DeleteJust purchased it. So different and sexy, particularly on short nails. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteYou bet!! I'm glad you like it, too :)
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