NARS Thakoon (2012)

 

My husband hates it when I eat two kinds of food:  Indian food and anything with truffles.  He claims the smell lingers for days on end, giving him a headache.  As much as I love my husband, I’m also a dedicated food enthusiast…sorry, honey bunny.

NARS Thakoon was inspired by the bright colors of Indian spice markets.  The names of the polishes are also names of Indian spices.

Amchoor (3 coats):  bright mango yellow crème

Amchoor reminds me of ataulfo mangoes, also known as champagne mangoes.  I’ve heard great things about Asian mangoes, particularly from India and the Philippines, but I’ve never tasted them.  The closest I can get in the US are Mexican ataulfo mangoes, which are sweeter than standard grocery store mangoes.

NARS Thakoon 2012 - Anardana.jpg

Anardana (2 coats):  azalea pink crème

The best time to visit the Charleston, SC area is spring time, especially if azaleas are blooming.  The nearby Town of Summerville is also known as Flowertown due to the prevalence of azaleas in their downtown area.  Anardana resembles these flowers very closely.

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Koliary (3 coats):  cyan blue crème

The blue-green quality in Koliary brings me back to my favorite place, Opal Beach.  Opal Beach is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, located between Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach.  If you are ever in Northwest Florida and desire to really get away from it all, definitely consider Opal Beach.

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Kutki (3 coats):  baby blue crème

One of my knitting friends is a die-hard University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sports fan.  This would definitely suit her tastes.

Lal Mirchi (2 coats):  hot pepper red crème

Lal Mirchi is my favorite due to the color’s richness.  It reminds me of shiny hot red peppers, such as bird’s eye chilis. 

Ratin Jot (2 coats):  orchid purple crème

2014’s color of the year was Radiant Orchid, similar to Ratin Jot.

The formula on these polishes are split.  Anardana, Lal Mirchi and Ratin Jot were the easiest to apply, only needing 2 coats each.  Amchoor, Koliary and Kutki needed 3 coats for opacity. 

NARS Thakoon was a limited-edition release and is no longer for sale.  However, you can find Amchoor, Anardana, Koliary and Ratin Jot on eBay below the retail price ($18).

 

Pretty Serious Pastel Pets 2 (2018)

 

(includes press samples)

Two years ago, Pretty Serious Cosmetics released their Pastel Pet Names collection to great fanfare.  If you like marbling nail art, they were perfect for such applications, as seen on More Nail Polish.  This April, a second Pastel Pet collection was released.

Bitsy Boo (2 coats):  sky blue crème

Bon Bon (2 coats):  cornflower blue crème

Pretty Serious Pastel Pets 2 - Chicky.jpg

Chicky (3 coats):  pale yellow crème

Dollface (2 coats):  lilac purple crème

Poppet (2 coats):  bubblegum pink crème

Smoochie (2 coats):  neon pastel green crème

Pretty Serious Pastel Pets 2 - Tootsie.jpg

Tootsie (2 coats):  pale yellow-orange crème

I should admit something:  crème polishes are my kryptonite when it comes to swatching.  I tend to always have trouble applying them, especially pastels.  The hardest to apply was Chicky, which is usually par for the course when it comes to yellow polish.  Chicky looks off-white to me; similar to Illamasqua Load.  Tootsie is supposed to be more yellow, but comes off very Kraft-macaroni-and-cheese on my skin tone.

Pastel Pets 2 is now available in the Pretty Serious USA online store and on the Pretty Serious International online store.