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Tuesday 16 April 2013

Nail of the Day: Gummy Green (+ Comparison with Illamasqua Speckled Nail Varnishes)

Hi, everyone! If you saw my recent Haul Post, you'll know that I recently picked up a seriously cool-looking nail polish that is perfect for spring. Specifically, I picked up Hard Candy's Candy Sprinkles Nail Lacquer in Gummy Green. The Candy Sprinkles line is brand new for spring and features a range of sugary pastel shades filled with multi-coloured glitter. So fun and girly!

Hard Candy Candy Sprinkles Nail Lacquer in Gummy Green

Gummy Green is not a true green, but rather a minty aqua shade filled with black, white, and silver glitter. The aqua base is semi-sheer but builds up to nearly-opaque with a couple of coats. The glitter is packed pretty densely into the base, which makes it a prominent feature of the polish. Here's a close-up of what it looks like on my nail with 2 generous coats:


As you can see, the result is quite mesmerizing and unique! I painted my nails yesterday and still can't stop staring at them. I do find the glitter to be quite chunky (feels uneven and gritty to the touch), but I think this could be remedied by smoothing a top coat over it. Because I've only been wearing it for 24 hours, I can't speak well to its lasting power, but I can say that it remained completely intact after a gruelling outdoor bootcamp, which is pretty impressive!

Hard Candy Candy Sprinkles Nail Lacquer in Gummy Green

Another reason I picked up Gummy Green is that Hard Candy's Candy Sprinkles range much reminded me of Illamasqua's new Speckled Nail Varnishes, also released this spring. I recently picked up a Speckled Nail Varnish in Scarce, a candy pink with multi-sized blue glitter. I fell in love because the robin's egg effect was so neat! Though I wanted to grab the whole line, the nearly $20 price tag was definitely a hindrance. So when I spotted the Candy Sprinkles line, I thought I might have stumbled upon a super affordable dupe!

So to do a quick contrast, as compared to Illamasqua's Speckled Nail Varnishes, Hard Candy's Candy Sprinkles Nail Lacquers have:

  • glitter that is all one size and more densely packed (which doesn't replicate the irregular, robin's egg look)
  • glitter of different colours, which make them a bit more multifaceted
  • more sheer of a base, which prevents the glitter from the first coat from getting covered up (and also makes the glitter more prominent)
  • a more gritty texture
  • less of a smooth, shiny finish


So overall, while the Speckled Nail Varnish and Candy Sprinkles ranges do have a similar overall aesthetic, they are definitely not exact dupes. I think the Illamasqua version wins out in terms of top-quality formula and the unique, irregularly dispersed glitter. While Hard Candy's line may not be quite as elegant, the multi-coloured, densely-packed glitter really make for a lovely effect! For only $3, I highly encourage that you pick some up!

Here are a couple more shots of Gummy Green on my nails:



And that's it! Hope you found my comparison between Hard Candy's Candy Sprinkles and Illamasqua's Speckled ranges to be helpful! And hopefully I've piqued your interest with the lovely Gummy Green?! Is this a shade you would wear? Have you tried any of the Candy Sprinkles Nail Lacquers yet?

Thanks for reading! xo

39 comments:

  1. i really like the speckled nail polishes and this ones really pretty! :)

    http://laurenlovesmakeupxoxo.blogspot.co.uk/

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Megan! This is definitely a great, affordable option if you like a speckled look! xo

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  2. Hey Jen, this is awesome! I'm really into the speckled nails lately so naturally I love this :).
    Have a great day :)!

    xx
    http://gita-oddsandends.blogspot.com/

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    Replies
    1. Glad you like it, Gita! Hope your day is great :)

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  3. I think I'll be checking these out...much more affordable than the Illamasqua.

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    Replies
    1. Definitely a better price point- glad I've tempted you :) Thanks for stopping by, Lisa!

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  4. This actual reminds me more of the Nails Inc. Sprinkle polishes. It looks like the L'Oreal Confetti topcoat is the best dupe for the Illamasqua polishes but I've yet to see it in stores :(

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, these definitely aren't a dupe for the Illamasqua Speckled polishes, but a decent, affordable option nonetheless! Will have to peek at the L'Oreal Confetti :)

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  5. This looks gorgeous!such a pretty shade and I love the speckled detailing.dont think we get this in the uk unfortunately :( xxx

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    Replies
    1. Glad you like it, Hannah! Hope you're able to track them down. I've been super jealous of all the amazing Barry M. polishes I've been seeing lately- so wish we had that line in Canada! xo

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  6. Looks so cute!I love it!I love blue nails!:3
    http://unkownrandomfashionblog.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thanks, Madleine! This is definitely a fun option if you like blue/green polish :)

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  7. I love the nailpolish! Really beautiful colors:)

    http://theprintedsea.blogspot.de/

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  8. your nails look soooo good!

    xx
    www.pretpenser.com
    www.pretpenser.com

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  9. This is so pretty - really is unique, although the rough texture would probably drive me nuts and then I'd pick it haha, booo :(

    hollyamberrio.blogspot.co.uk
    xx

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, I feel the same way! The texture is a bit disappointing, but the shade is so pretty to look at. Thanks for stopping by, Holly! xo

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  10. i had no idea that hard candy is still around! i remember they were the hot trend like 10 yrs ago ... one of the first nail polish companies to have blue :)

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    1. Yes- they used to be a high-end brand at Sephora, but a few years ago they re-emerged as a drugstore brand and the quality is still pretty good! :)

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  11. this hard candy polish might tide me over until i can grab an illamasqua speckled one
    thanks for sharing

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  12. Replies
    1. Thanks, Coco! I know you weren't super keen on the other shades you tried from this line, but Gummy Green is pretty cool! xo

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  13. This is freaking cool! I want to try it now xx

    www.lam-style.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks, Maricruz! Glad I've inspired you to check it out :)

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  14. This is such a lovely colour! I love polishes with glitter and sprinkles in!

    Emily x
    http://emilyandlife.blogspot.com/

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Emily! This is definitely one of the prettiest glitter polishes I've seen :)

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  15. Ah this is so beautiful! I can definitely see myself wearing this during the summer a lot! Fab shade! :))

    XO,
    http://www.rosychicc.com/

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    Replies
    1. Aww, thanks! Glad I've inspired you to check it out! Definitely a perfect shade for summer :)

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  16. love it, so pretty!

    what about following each other?? ♥
    Très Jolie blog
    Bloglovin
    Facebook page

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Will check out your blog soon :)

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  17. thanks for your comment
    can't wait for your next post

    xo

    Inspirations Have I None

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    1. No worries, Naville! Always enjoy stopping by your blog. Thanks again for visiting mine! xo

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  18. Eeeek what a gorgeous polish, it really is mesmerising like you said! xx

    Gemma ♥ | Miss Makeup Magpie

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    1. Isn't it cool? Glad you're liking it :) Thanks for stopping by, Gemma! xo

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  19. Yes, definitely posted a photo of this on Facebook! Glad you're liking this- super affordable and would definitely oomph up an outfit, especially for spring! :)

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All of your lovely comments make my day! Thanks for taking the time to share your musings, ideas, and opinions. Feel free to leave a link to your blog- I'd be happy to check it out :)