Illamasqua Optimist: It’s Okay to Splurge (Sometimes)

While Adventures in Polishland is all about fabulous nails at an affordable price, there are times when it is okay to splurge on a special polish. After seeing beautiful swatches of the Illamasqua Limited Edition Rubber Finish Nail Varnish over at LacqueredLover.com, I decided to treat myself to a polish from the collection to celebrate my start of law school. I headed over to Sephora’s website, and chose Optimist, what Illamasqua describes as “warm yellow.” I was a bit surprised when my new polish came in the mail and it was a bright orange! At first I was a little bummed, but I paid $14 for my new Illamasqua and the least I could do was try it on.

I have never tried a polish with a rubber finish before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The formula is easy to work with, but you can definitely see any imperfections and brush strokes. I began with two coats, but I added a third coat just to make sure the finish looked the way I wanted it to. I knew that I wouldn’t be using a top coat with this polish, because the whole point is to showcase the rubber finish! It took a little while for me to get used to this new look, but after a few hours I came to love Optimist!

 

The color of Optimist actually reminds me of the Crayola crayon “Macaroni and Cheese.” I love how smooth and creamy the finish looks. I have been looking for the perfect orange polish, and I found it here with Illamasqua’s Optimist even though I thought I was buying a yellow polish. This color is great for fall, and even reminded me a bit of a pumpkin. I like how the color is bright, but not a neon.  That way it a bit more subdued, and not as “in your face.”

 

 

Though I can’t spend $14 for nail polish on a regular basis, I am sure glad I splurged on Illamasqua. If you are looking to try out a great, higher end brand be sure to stop by your local Sephora store. After buying this polish online and being surprised by the color, I definitely suggest looking at these in person first. That way you will find the perfect color for you!

Have you tried Illamasqua polish? What do think of Optimist?

5 thoughts on “Illamasqua Optimist: It’s Okay to Splurge (Sometimes)

  1. While that looks nice, I couldn’t justify paying 14 for it. I’d rather spend that on something better/sparklier, like an indie if I had that much.

  2. I know exactly what you mean about splurging every once in a while. Though the most I’ve ever spent on a polish was $9 on Floam a while back, which was my summer splurge :-). Other than that, it’s been a couple OPI’s that run for $7 at my favorite salon store. Now, when you find these brands on clearance, and you get $8 polish for $2 each (like I did three of the Muppet OPI’s!), it’s an added bonus! However, I do want these rubber polishes, and I have a feeling they will never go on sale like that…so if I want them bad enough, I’ll have to splurge like you!

    PS Good luck with law school!!!!

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