Monday 13 August 2012

Glitter Gal DuoChrome Hell-Bent Blue Swatches and Review

Recently, Glitter Gal released a collection of six duochromes that have a metallic chrome-like finish. They sound similar to the Glitter Gal Shade Shifters collection, which can be worn over black or alone, but the DuoChromes are meant to be worn over black to bring out the duochrome better.

Today I'll be reviewing one of the duochromes from Glitter Gal's new range of six duochromes that was sent to me for review by Mei Mei's Signatures. This one is named Hell-Bent Blue - let's find out if it's really hell-bent on staying blue - or not!


Before I start on the review proper, can I just mention how much I love the new Glitter Gal bottles? They are square and feel very substantial in the hand, similar to the luxurious feel of Deborah Lippmann polishes. Previously Glitter Gal only sold polishes in 9ml bottles, and the older 15ml bottles (when they were first released) didn't look as classy as these.

For this mani, I wore one coat of Hell-Bent Blue over A-england Camelot (the best black I own), and was very impressed by the results. Not only did Hell-Bent Blue dry very quickly, it was also so glossy that I skipped top coat for this mani.


Take a look at that awesome green/blue/purple multichrome effect! While Hell-Bent Blue is supposed to be a duochrome, I swear it's a green/blue/purple multichrome. Most of the time it appears to be a shimmery blue/green colour, like the sparkling surface of the sea:


But dark blue/purple, colours reminiscent of the depths of the ocean, show up at different angles and under different lighting conditions, revealing the true depths of this stunning polish. I tried to capture the different shifts in gradient and colour, but it was really trying for both myself and my camera.


As I'd recently bought Essie Matte About You and was very keen on trying it, I decided to apply it on my pointer and ring finger to see how Hell-Bent Blue would look mattified.


I think the matte top coat really gives a mysterious glow to Hell-Bent Blue, like a gauzy butterfly wing, don't you think? The duochrome effect can still be seen but it no longer is a metallic chrome, which has more of a beetle-wing effect.


I managed to capture the blue/green/purple shift quite well in the picture below: 


Note how different Hell-Bent Blue looks mattified and on its own. I really like both effects, and will be keeping this mani on my nails for quite a long time (a rare occurrence, actually). Hell-Bent Blue over black reminds me of Cirque Epoch, which is another beautiful polish stocked at Mei Mei's Signatures.

Colour-wise, you've already seen how complex and multifaceted this polish is. I feel like I'm wearing an ocean on my fingers when I have Hell-Bent Blue on. The constant shifting aquatic colours are really mesmerising and calming.

In terms of application, Hell-Bent Blue was a dream to apply. The formula was thin and flowed over the nails easily. It also dried in record time, which was a bonus because I had to do my laundry almost immediately after taking pictures, and I did not scuff my nails at all! If this polish sounds unbelievably good already, you'd be very glad to know that it gets better - Glitter Gal DuoChromes are 5-free, making them one of the safest non water-based polishes for your nails.

Props to Glitter Gal for creating such a beautiful polish of exceptional quality. Glitter Gal DuoChromes would make an excellent addition to your polish stash, as it did to mine, so do pop down to Mei Mei's Signatures where they are available for S$24.50 each. International readers please take note that Mei Mei's Signatures ships internationally too.

Once again, I'd like to thank Mei Mei's Signatures for the chance to review this beautiful polish, and I hope you've enjoyed this post!


Let's Break It Down

Product Name: Glitter Gal DuoChrome Hell-Bent Blue
Product type: Nail polish (5-free)
Amount of product: 15ml
Price per product: S$24.50
Comments: Shimmery blue/green/purple multichrome (advisable to wear over black), good formula, easy application, 5-free, nice packaging, good dry-time
Where to buy: Mei Mei's Signatures
To buy or not to buy: If you can overlook the slightly steeper price, this polish (and the whole range) is a must-have in every polish fan's stash.

Product Approved 4.5/5

Disclaimer: I received this product for review. My opinions are completely honest and 100% my own. No compensation was received for this review.

Rachel loves sharing about the beautiful things in life from different perspectives. She writes on beauty and lifestyle in Cherchez Beauté , and does more abstract stuff on Antelune . When she's not writing, she's playing with her dog Holly, doodling and reading fiction. You can follow her on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .