I can haz Smith & Cult paw polishes…? Because I’d like a wall of shelves filled with them.
It’s the bottles, man! I could spend hours starting at the bottles…
It’s as if whoever designed the bottle plumbed the depths of my makeup-loving soul for things that make my heart flutter, like the cursive typography, the hefty glass, the oval curves and the Dali-like cap (it looks like it’s melting!).
I love it when beauty products are actually, like, beautiful…and I friggin’ LOVE these bottles.
These three fun shades are part of the new $54 Smith & Cult Red and Glitter Holiday Trio available now at Neiman Marcus stores and online. The trio comes with three full-size bottles of Smith & Cult Nailed Lacquer from the brand’s permanent line in poppy red Kundalini Hustle, creamy eggplant Dark Like Me and golden glittery Shattered Souls.
Kundalini Hustle and Dark Like Me are both fully opaque, while Shattered Souls is glitter in a clear base.
As far as bargains go…this isn’t one of those sets. Smith & Cult nail polishes usually sell for $18 each, so $54 for three doesn’t constitute a price break, but I still think you get a nice combination of complementary colors (there’s also another trio available with pastels).
Other than the bottles, which I think are beautiful, I love how opaque Smith & Cult’s Nailed Lacquers are. They’re so pigmented and rich that there’s a good chance you’ll only need a single layer. The brush also fans out to perfectly spread that smooth paw paint all over your nails.
Each layer takes just under 10 minutes to dry, so I wouldn’t call the formula “quick drying,” but it’s still pretty quick. Some Essie polishes can take up to an hour.
When I do my nails, the conditions are rarely (as in never) optimal, like Tabs is trying to hop on my lap, or El Hub is throwing pillows at me, or I’m half asleep and painting my nails in the living room before bed, but no matter what, when I use Smith & Cult, my nails end up looking like they were painted by a pro.
I’m a big fan of the formula, especially now.
When I first started wearing Smith & Cult, the wear time seemed basically alright — like around four or five days — when I used used them with a base and top coat.
So not epic or fantastic… Just OK.
But I think something may have changed within the past few months. I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, or if the formula changed, but they’ve been lasting longer. Now they go six or seven days, which for me is great.
Smith & Cult is one of those brands I’d definitely splurge on if I were to ever win a mega zillion-dollar lottery jackpot and could then completely fulfill my eccentric billionaire dreams. I’d have one entire wall in my mansion filled from floor to ceiling with their polishes.
This I swear on my tabby’s tum! You’d be invited to come over and play, by the way. Just please don’t forget to bring your cat/s (to entertain me Tabs). 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Erin says
Dark like me is very tempting! I love vampy shades!
Samantha says
Love the dark like me shade, so pretty!
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hanna says
Oh I like all of these colors. Especially the gold though because I always have trouble finding nice glitter polish.
Wendy says
Smith & Cult is my go-to nail polish this year. I use with Sephora’s Formula X (cleaner/prep, base coat & top coat) and consistently get 10-14 chip free days (my extra tip is to wear gloves when washing any dishes). These two colors are in my shopping cart but I have/love Lo-Fi, Bang the Dream, Feathers & Flesh, Lovers Creep and Stockholm Syndrome topped with 1 cost of Vegas Post Apocalyptic. One Word Chorus lip gloss is also a winner!
Karen says
Hi Wendy,
I’ve been loving this polish with the Formula X top coat! It’s a match made in heaven. 🙂 Looks like I’ll need Lovers Creep next. Love those dark shades!
Katalin says
Pricey but pretty colors and packaging. (I thought you dropped one bottle, that’s why it’s dented) 😀
Karen says
LOL, no! It’s supposed to look like that. I think that’s cool though — those extra touches.
MonicaP says
I’ve had my eye on this line for quite a while and would love to pick up a few of the creamy colors.
Kinda of a bummer that there’s no price break for purchasing all three because even though I’d pass on the glitter if three were say, $36 I’d go for it.
Monica.
Karen says
They’ve got a lot of beautiful creamy colors! I hope you give them a try sometime.
Leticia | Thee Limited Edition says
These are the most perfect holiday colors!! Dark like me is my favorite!
LindaLibraLoca says
When I first saw the cap I thought it was damaged, but once I took a closer look I realized it was meant to be. So pretty!
Kiss & Make-up says
What a pretty red! I bet it looks great with that gold layered on top!
Carol in a Page says
And the award for Best Nail Polish Packaging goes to…..
Dang, I’m drooling!
Karen says
Hi Carol,
Definitely! I love how these look. 🙂
Kim says
Dark Like Me would be lovely on my toenails! 🙂 I also like the different size/shaped glitter in Shattered Souls. It looks just a little more upscale (?) than the average gold glitter. I’m smiling about your eccentric billionaire dreams. We have a lottery commercial in NY where a rich old lady is stroking an iguana at a dinner party and laughing/telling him he’s terrible (the gist is you’d spend your lottery millions better than this women who paid a fortune to be a pet whisperer). I guess it’s not so funny when written out but I can picture you giggling with your bottles of polish. 🙂
Karen says
I would love to be friends with that lady in the commercial, LOL! We’d have a good time.
Oh, and by the way, I’ve worn Dark Like Me on my toes and it’s a great pedi color. 🙂
I’ve been meaning to ask you — how did the band concert go?
Kim says
It’s a pretty funny commercial. If you want to check it out, here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9axNJ6hwIt4
The concert was really good! Thanks for remembering! I mean, for 7th and 8th graders who’ve only been playing for 2 years or so. Did I tell you that they played the Star Wars theme? It was short, which was nice, but the boys thought it would be awful so we were all pleasantly surprised. A couple of rough spots in one song but, overall, a success. Keeping in mind that’s a parent perspective, of course. Someone off the street might have been like “yikes”. HAHA!
Tatiana says
Must resist the temptation. I want “Dark Like Me”. One question, does the gold cap lift off to reveal a smaller, easier to hold cap for painting the nails. Or do you have to figure out how to hold that chunky cap while brushing on the color?
Karen says
Hi Tatiana,
Yes, there’s a smaller black cap within the big silver cap. It makes it easy to paint those paws! Plus the brush is great too.
I’ve been meaning to tell you thank you so much for sending the persimmon bread recipe. 🙂 I’m really looking forward to making it soon.
Tatiana says
I think I need to pop into my local Neimans or SpaceNK tomorrow, to take a look at these polishes in person. Especially if they have a smaller cap that makes it easier to paint with. How does the longevity compare to Tom Ford? I usually have good luck with his colors.
I hope the persimmon recipe works out for you. I’m using the recipe to make some muffins tonight. That way I can put the extras in the freezer and then just reheat one when I’m in the mood. A loaf of bread on the counter is just way too much temptation for my weak will.
Kwmechelle says
My word, those COLORS!!! Geesh, how pretty are they! Can’t fork over that price but would do the same as you if I won the lottery! Such striking colors….
Marina (Makeup4all) says
Thank you for review, now I want these even more!!!