NEW BYS Nail Polishes + Swatches

Hello blog readers! Back in December last year (2 months ago now... wow time surely does fly) I received  7 new BYS nail polishes for consideration and by new I don't just mean brand new (obviously they would be haha) but from their newly released ranges - Diamond Glitter, Hi Impact and Quake nail enamels. I never knew it would be this exciting to be a beauty blogger, I feel so privileged to be able to try out products before they hit the shelves and/or being one of the first to get my hands on them. For this I wasn't obliged to write a review but this is my way of 'giving back' and sharing my honest thoughts and opinions with you guys :)

 From L-R: 3 Diamond Glitter, 1 Hi Impact and 2 Quake Nail Enamels

I was very eager to try these nail enamels out when I received them because I had read the press releases beforehand so as you can imagine, I had some pretty high expectations! I ended up using the nail wheel that I got from Saku to do the swatches and I am extremely thankful and glad that I have one because it would have taken me a really long time to swatch on my own nails! The whole nail wheel was used and I bought a new one on eBay recently for any future swatching (it can be a pain to remove the nail polishes from the wheel).

 

BYS Diamond Glitter Nail Enamels

Price: RRP $3.95 each

Where to buy: Fashion Addict, Kmart, selected discount stores

 L-R: Crystal, Cobalt & Rose and Amethyst

Ah, can I just start by saying that I LOVE glitter nail polishes?! Well yes, I do and I like how their names sound as pretty as they look. I know Amethyst is February's gemstone and cobalt and rose are shades but... it's just like a really pretty girl having a really pretty name lol, they'd go together so well don't you think? Crystal is a pretty name, same with Rose.

Before I got these ones, I only owned a couple of glitter nail polishes and now I'm heaps happy to add these ones to my collection ^_^ They're simply stunning, here are my pictures to prove it!

 L-R: 1 coat, 2 coats and 3 coats

 

 Crystal

 Cobalt & Rose

 Amethyst

What BYS says about this range:

Each bottle is packed full of light reflecting particles to keep your nails sparkling all night long!

Just quoting a sentence from the press release. It was mostly about the colours and being perfect for the party season which I didn't bother including here.

What I thought about the ones I received from the range:

• Are gorgeous top coats and colours
• After 3 coats it is opaque enough to be a nail polish
• Consistencies with each coat
• Quite even spread of glitter
• Accurate colour on nails to the bottle
• No issues with drying time
• High staying power, not easy to remove! (Both a good and bad thing)

My experience/s with these nail enamels:

I applied the Cobalt & Rose one on my toes before I jetted off to Sydney for 9 days and it was chip-proof for almost a week! It only started to chip when I swam at the beach and probably the water and/or sand made it fade a bit :| I am currently wearing the Amethyst one on my toes and it has still lasted with only minor chips for just over two weeks! In my opinion, all nail polishes last longer when worn on toenails so don't be too surprised that it has lasted this long :P But in comparison with other nail enamels, glitter ones clearly last the longest. It's not fun removing them! Thankfully there are easier methods using aluminum foil.

And since they still are a hassle to remove, I only applied glitter nail polish to the tips of my nails as my attempt of a gradient effect which was a bit of a fail :/ I tweeted a picture of it and I received a bit of praise, thank you girls :) I was inspired by Kitty's tutorial and by no means was I attempting to do a replica - it looked really nice on her nails and this made me want to do something similar to that with mine :D

 Did the manicure at night and used flash to take a picture...

 

 ... which was PERFECT because you can actually see the sparkles *__*

Taken the next morning~

Used Revlon Sheer Translucent in Sheer Blossom and BYS Diamond Glitter Crystal

Repurchase?

Umm yes! For only $3.95, it's entirely worth it. Long-lasting, superbly cheap and such pretty colours in the range! I want to collect them all ahaha, I've become glitter obsessed. I recommend :D

BYS Hi Impact Nail Enamels

Price: RRP $3.95 each

Where to buy: Fashion Addict, Kmart, selected discount stores

 

 Yes it's called 'Hi-Impact', not a typo

(well 'hi' in this case = high)

What BYS says about this range:

Maximum impact with minimal effort. When applied (they) give your nails a beautiful high shine metallic finish.

 BYS High Impact Purple

I tried my best to be a little different with my photography

What I thought about the one I received from the range:

• First assumption = 1 coat would give a big punch of pigmentation, but it didn't
• Slight inconsistencies with application and opacity
• Required 3 coats to accurately achieve that 'high shine metallic finish'
• Smooth coats but had some streaks (as seen most clear in the first swatch)
• Accurate colour on nail with the bottle colour
• Not the fastest drying time
• Chipped too quickly (a day or two later)

My experience/s with these nail enamels:

I had initially thought that 'hi impact' (high impact) would mean that one coat of this nail polish would 'go a long way' so to me this seemed a little misleading. I thought that BYS had finally come up with a new range of nail polishes where one coat would be very opaque without needing a second or a third. I honestly wish that all nail enamels only required one coat to achieve opacity for many reasons: 1, faster drying time. 2, quicker to apply. 3, saves time in general. 4, less product usage. 5, more likely to last longer (because it's thinner and hence will be harder to peel/chip).

Then I realised that by 'hi impact' they actually mean that after three coats of nail polish, your nails will be metallic and have high shine. But then I don't get the 'minimal effort' thing...? I guess it means minimal effort to create this high shine and metallic finish using just one nail polish. That's the best thing I can think of anyway.

  

 L-R: 1 coat, 2 coats and 3 coats

It took longer than I expected to dry and that's why there are fingerprints xD

Repurchase?

The third coat finish is stunning and for $3.95 it is a really cheap nail enamel. However, I am all for fast-drying nail polishes and unfortunately this doesn't cut it for me. I can honestly say that I won't go out and buy more of these Hi Impact nail enamels because I wasn't too impressed with the staying power. And streaky, slightly inconsistent nail polishes do make me feel less encouraged to buy more. I will continue to use this one and for me, one is enough :) If you are looking for an affordable nail polish for under $5, I would still recommend this.

BYS Quake Nail Enamels

Price: RRP $6.95 each

Where to buy: Fashion Addict, Kmart, selected discount stores

 Boxed packaging

Quake Red and Quake Bright Pink

1 Swatch on its own

So before you start assuming that this nail enamel is just like the crackle ones, think again. I had never heard of 'quake' nail enamels until I received these BYS ones and from reading their media release, these have a different formula to their cracked nail enamels. I don't own any cracked nail enamels (I had one but it was a major disappointment, therefore I donated it to an ABBM swap) so I can't make a comparison with them but they do look similar and the same sort of thing happens.

What BYS says about this range:

Shake up your look in seconds. Instant quake effect, long lasting effects.

I used the Hi Impact Purple nail polish as the base colour just because I wanted to stick to using BYS nail polishes for the demo :) It keeps it consistent for the review, you know?

  

 Using the Quake Red nail enamel

 Using the Quake Bright Pink nail enamel

What I thought about the ones I received from the range:

• Quake pattern occurs instantly after one thin coat
• Inconsistency makes the pattern unique however some didn't 'shatter' as much as others (see the red swatch)
• Fairly long-lasting
• No issues with drying time
• Formula is smooth to apply
• Shouldn't apply thick or multiple coats or else it wouldn't work

My experience/s with these nail enamels:

I had that exact combination above (Hi Impact Purple and Quake Red) as my nails for Chinese New Year and I think it suited the theme but probably not the best colour combination. Next time I'll try a blue or a darker colour as the base so that the quake effect can be seen clearer. The quake effect has gaps in between so it is more prone to chipping - that's why you must wear a clear top coat over it. I really like the pattern, it's not as 'random-looking' as the crackle types and there are smaller gaps. I did notice an inconsistency with the Quake Red one... one of the nails had vertical stripes with hardly any shatter gaps. Maybe it had something to do with the way I applied it (perhaps too thick... if it's too thick then the effect won't occur). I was impressed with how fast the effect appeared, it was actually interesting to watch!

Repurchase?

I could definitely see myself getting more of these, I like the shattered effect. I'd love to try different colours and also the original crackle ones. It's so quick and easy to do and it's especially good for people like me who lack nail artistic skills. $6.95 is not too bad, it's a pretty okay investment. Only one coat is required for each nail application so one bottle is bound to last you for a while :D

That is all for my new BYS swatches and reviews! This post actually took me so long to write and I'm glad to have finally finished it. If you have any questions or comments about these nail enamels then feel free to let me know :)

My questjen for the week is:

How important is nail polish to you?

My answer: Not that important because...

I can't wear nail polish to work because I deal with food so it's an occupational health and safety thing. I wish I could wear nail polish all the time though, I love having pretty nail colours and designs ^^ I always have toenail polish on, I love how it lasts much longer than nail polish on fingernails. The days I don't work though, I would apply nail polish hehe.