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Thursday, November 4, 2010

The Mad Men-inspired nail lacquer collection has landed!

As many of you know, AMC's Mad Men is my absolute favorite show on television. So back in July, when I mentioned here that a collection of Mad Men-inspired polishes were on the way to CVS Beauty 360 and Duane Reade stores this fall, I could hardly contain myself! Especially when I read that Janie Bryant, Mad Men's costume designer, was partnering with Nailtini to create four lacquer shades inspired by the fabrics used in 60s-era cocktail dresses (think velvets, satins and lamés). Oooh la la! The potential was enough to have me pre-swooning (yep, I just made up a word).

So ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to present to you the entire Nailtini Janie Bryant Limited Edition Lacquer Collection, which was sent to me recently for review:


Just like the television show, these polishes unleash their power slowly and steadily, until BOOM! Before you know it, you're absolutely obsessed. There's a beauty to these polishes that really creeps up on you, and I have to say that the fabric-to-polish translation is truly brilliant. Let's take a closer look:

Nailtini Janie Bryant Limited Edition Nail Lacquers
(retail: $14 each, .5 oz)

UPDATE: I had originally written that these bottles were .25 oz, because that's the size I received for this review. Since then, a lovely reader emailed me to let me know that she purchased Stinger at Duane Reade and it was 0.5 oz for $14. So please forgive me--the full-size bottle is $14 for 0.5 oz (the same size as a Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure bottle).


Let's start with French 75:



The true beauty of French 75 is its texture. If you've ever felt a vintage piece of gold lamé in your hands, you know that there's a bumpy, almost rough feel to it. The brilliance in French 75 is that it perfectly captures the texture of the fabric, but in polish form! From a distance it looks like liquid gold on the nails, but once you get closer, you see the interesting texture that mimics real gold lamé. This polish applied quite easily with two coats for total opacity, and I think it's one of the most unique colors I've ever seen. Be sure to enlarge the above pics so you can really see what's going on in the bottle. Stunning!

Next, we have Deauville:




Deauville, aka the "lady of the French coast", is probably one of the most prestigious and elegant seaside resorts in the world. Think James Bond, Coco Chanel, high-stakes casinos, horse racing, sailing, and other activities never mentioned on this blog. Ha! So when I think of Deauville, I think opulence. And there's no more opulent a nail color, really, than pure silver. According to the Nailtini website, "Deauville drapes nails in sparkling, white-hot liquid platinum". I would absolutely agree with this. I swear to you, this is the most streak-free metallic foil polish I have ever used. The formula is pure perfection. I mean, look at it! It looks like my nails are wrapped in smooth aluminum foil, right? No brush stokes, and only two coats for complete opacity.

Next, we have Bourbon Satin:




Let's not mince words here. Bourbon Satin is mind-blowing. I have never seen a polish that mimics the look of satin quite like this. But guess what? It also mimics the look of actual bourbon whiskey. Look closely at the above pics and I think you'll see the swirls of amber in the bottle. This absolutely reminds me of what bourbon looks like when it's being poured into a glass (which then leads me to think of Don Draper, and oh you Don Draper, always invading my thoughts!). Anyway, I tried to show you Bourbon Satin in three forms of lighting so that you can really see the richness and depth of this shade. In person it's even more amazing, and it doesn't stop there. The formula! This polish applies like buttah. It's smooth and just effortlessly covers my nails with one coat--I really didn't need a second coat, but I applied one anyway. I think this may be my favorite shade of the collection.

And last but not least, we have Stinger:




As is always the case with dark duochromes (or multi-chromes) this polish was difficult for me to photograph accurately. So please know that there's much more to this polish than what you see in these pictures. The Nailtini site describes Stinger accordingly: "Like a peacock's finest plume, this shimmering shade wraps nails in black spiked with iridescent hints of blue, green, red and purple." I absolutely agree with this description because, depending on the lighting, Stinger can look blue, purple, green or red. But all the while, it stays connected to its black base. On my hands, it never looks like a plain black polish though--there's always something going on with it, but that something keeps changing. I absolutely adore this complex shade and I have a feeling it's going to be the runaway hit of the collection.

In fact, the day after I painted my nails with Stinger I had to bust out my camera in different lighting just to try once more to capture the duochrome effect of this polish. By the way, Stinger applies like buttah, and you only need one coat for opacity, though I used two for these pics.

So here are some of my "second round" shots of Stinger:

Do you see the purple on the left side of my nails?


In this pic, the green really comes out

I hope this review has helped you to determine whether or not you'd like to invest in one (or more) of these new Mad Men-inspired nail lacquers. For $14 per bottle, they're a little more than what most of us are used to spending on a polish, but I think that their unique qualities completely justify the splurge. And if you're a Mad Men fan, well, you need these. Period.

You can purchase the Nailtini Janie Bryant Limited Edition Lacquer Collection online here, and I believe this collection will aso debut at CVS Beauty 360 and Duane Reade locations this month.

Are you a Mad Men fan? What do you think of this new collection? Any must-haves that are jumping out at you? I'd love to hear from you!

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.
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28 comments

  1. Wow! In some of the pics, Stinger looks like a dupe for Mac's Formidable.

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  2. Stinger Is defiantly up there on my list!!!

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  3. When I heard Mad Men nail polish, I knew I had to have the entire collection. But actually seeing them? I'm not impressed. We've all seen Deauville incarnations before. And it seems like French 75 is stuff we complain about in other polishes. Nail polish shouldn't be bumpy or rough, even if it is gold lame.

    Stinger does look gorgeous. But I'm not paying $14 for a mini. And .25 oz is definitely a mini.

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  4. I like Stinger and Bourbon Satin the best! Stinger reminds me MAC Formidable/Orly Galaxy Girl/Urban Decay Bruise only with the green amped up! :D $14 does seem like a lot to spend on a smaller polish though, since occasionally I do finish ones that I really like. :(

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  5. AMAZING! I have yet to start watching the show - but if the nail polishes are any indication of what the show might be like, then count me in! I love all of these colors and I can't wait to get my hands on them (especially Bourbon Satin - I've never seen anything like it!) Thanks for this awesome post! Your photos are phenomenal ♥

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  6. Could you please stick to blogging about cheap (as in inexpensive) stuff? $14.00 for any nail polish is expensive and for a mini bottle is even less of a good deal. As to how great they are, just because something's named after a TV show doesn't make it good. Bumpy nail polish? I can make any n/p bumpy with cheap glitter on top or in between coats -- Wet n Wild Kaleidescope.

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  7. Stinger and Bourbon Satin are gorgeous :) You inspired me to paint my nails tonight!

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  8. olgiepolgie: You know, I don't own Formidable, but I'll take your word for it! :)

    MissMidnightBlue: It's gorgeous, huh? ;)

    Michelle: I actually just updated this post with new information: the bottles are 0.5 oz (the same size as Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure bottles) so I think that's a much better deal. Sorry these colors aren't appealing to you--I actually like the fact that French 75 mimics the fabric, and I don't usually like bumpy polishes. It's got a neat texture in real life (to me, at least). :)

    Mimi: Did you see my update? It turns out that I received sample bottles, and the real bottles are .5 oz for $14, not .25. :)

    Alexa: Ooooh, I'd love to know what you think of the show if you start watching! :) And yes, the women on that show wear amazing outfits, and I think this collection truly reflects the era. I'm happy to hear these colors appeal to you! :)

    Roseanne: Hum...I have a lot to say in response to you comment, so I think I'll devote an entire post to it! Stay tuned. :)

    Phyrra: Glad you like those two shades! And wow, I guess it's payback for how many times you've inspired ME to wear brighter colors on my eyes. :D xo

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  9. Gorgeous shades! I agree that bourbon satin really looks like bourbon AND satin! Funny thing about your nails looking like there is foil on them; In high school I went to a school where I wasn't allowed to wear nail polish. In rebellion to this I peeled my gum wrappers and pressed them onto my nails to make silver nails that weren't actually polish. I argued that what I was wearing was not polish and was therefore not breaking the rules, but they made me take it off anyway. If only I'd had a good lawyer!

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  10. Gorgeous Hun. I'm sorry I haven't been commenting lately. My fiance broke things off & I'm a mess. He has someone else. My heart's so broken. Makeup doesn't cheer me up (yep,it's that serious). Thx for listening...email me sometime ok? Xoxo

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  11. Those are gorgeous! I guess something else to add to my, ever growing, Christmas wish list.

    bobbysgeel ~ I just want to tell you i'm sorry :(. I've been in a similar situation and it hurts so bad. Just know that time is a great healer and things will get better.

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  12. These colors are so beautiful! Bourbon Satin and Stinger definitely caught my eye. However, I'm not sure if I'm up for a $14 polish :(

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  13. Amazing collection I'm so glad you reviewed this! I'm def. interested in these so unique and beautiful! Thanks so much!

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  14. These are some of the prettiest polishes I've ever seen. I'm not a polish person and even I'm in love.

    If the ingredients weren't too bad perhaps I would get one for Christmas. Do you know what they are?

    You're right, they aren't expensive, but more expensive than what you usually do.

    I'm surprised you like the texture of the rougher polishes...you usually air on the smoother end of the spectrum, given the preferences you stated in previous posts. I suppose lamé is unique and lovely enough for it to be different to you than just any old bumpy polish.

    Again, do you know the ingredients?

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  15. PCS: that is hilarious! What a cute story. Thanks or sharing. :)

    bobbysgeel: Honey, I am so very sorry to hear what you're going through right now. I will definitely email you, ok? Please hang in there--it WILL get better. I promise. *hugs* xo

    bren: So glad you like them too! :)

    The Peach: I understand your feelings about the price tag. Maybe you could save up for just one shade, if it turns out that you can't get it out of your head and you really feel you *need* it. lol! ;)

    Hebridean Sprite: You are so welcome! I'm so happy these shades appeal to you as well! :)

    SH: You are absolutely right! 99.9% of the time, I prefer a smooth finish to my polishes and I will go to any extreme to make it smooth! I think I just love the concept of this polish and how it mimics the fabric so much--coupled with the fact that it has different colors of glitter in it, which help give it that gold lame feel. On my nails, it just seems to look like the fabric, so I honestly don't mind the "bumps" in this case. It really gives it a unique quality. Does that make sense? As for the ingredients, I went on the Nailtini site and they list the ingredients for every formula. Since I'm not sure what formula these polishes actually are, I'm pasting the entire section here for you to see. Hope this helps!

    NAILTINI Lacquers
    Vodka:
    Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol/Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Propyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Acrylates Copolymer, Camphor, Benzophenone-1, Violet 2 (CI 60725).

    Simple Syrup:
    Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol/Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Nitrocellulose, Tripehyl Phosphate, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Ethyl Tosylamide, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, Tosylamide/Epoxy Resin, Benzophenone-1, Titanium Dioxide, Benzophenone-1, Citric Acid, Dimethicone, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Phthalic Anhydride/Trimellitic Anhydride/Glycols Copolymer, Violet 2 (CI 60725).

    Dry Gin:
    Ethyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Butyl Acetate, Propyl Acetate, Heptane, Acrylates Copolymer, Sucrose Benzoate, Triphenyl Phosphate, Etocrylene, Violet 2 (CI 60725).

    All Others:
    Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Phthalic Anhydride/Trimellitic Anhydride/Glycols Copolymer, Isopropyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Adipic Acid/Fumaric Acid/Tricclodecate Dimenthanol Copolymer, Camphor, Citric Acid. May Contain (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 34 Lake (CI 15880), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), YELLOW 10 LAKE (CI 47005), BLUE 1 LAKE (CI 42090), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77499), Mica (CI 77019), VIOLET 2 (CI 60725), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Aluminum Powder (77000), Polyethylene Terephthalate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide (CI 77891).

    Nailtini nail lacquers are made in the USA.

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  16. Mad Men is my fave show as well! These are soo hot! Thanks for swatching & sharing! :O)

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  17. wow these look amazing. do you know if they will be aviable in canada?

    thanks. i also saw the mean post from the person and your response. good for you it is your blog and you should write about whatever you like. keep up the good work.

    kristy from vancouver,bc

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  18. Those are GORGEOUS! Bourbon Satin doesn't look like anything else I've seen anywhere. I'm said that we don't have a CVS here so I can check them out. I'm always afraid to order polishes online since I'm not sure whether they'll flatter my skintone or arrive broken. SIGH.

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  19. Those polishes are absolutely GORGEOUS! I love them all equally, but I'd have to say, the Stinger just drew me in. It's so lovely. :)

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  20. Haha, I happily go through life not knowing these things exist and then I see your blog and photos of the Bourbon Satin one and suddenly I'm all, "I MUST HAVE THIS IN MY LIIIIIIIFFFFFEEEE!" ;-D

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  21. These look absolutely amazing!!!!
    I need to find these! Great post!

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  22. Stinger looks and sounds like Borghese Stellar Notte. If you hsve it, do you think you could do a comparison?
    love reading your blog btw

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  23. They LOOK rich. Bourbon Satin looks exactly like the color of a cigar to me.

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  24. Thanks for the review! Not sure that I can get my hands on these, but Stinger really caught my eye! It immediately reminded me of Joe Fresh nail polish in Peacock (Canadian brand and only in Canada). I don't own it myself but I've been lemming for them, especially since they're only 3/$10 or $4 each. I hope you don't mind me posting someone else's blog link where the polish I mentioned is swatched:
    http://polish-holic.blogspot.com/2010/06/joe-fresh-peacock.html

    I don't believe it's in a black base as Stinger is, since it's not as dark in real life.

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  25. Anna, I was thinking that Stinger looks like Stellare Notte on steroids! Stellare Notte is a duochrome on my hands, goes from green to purple, Stinger looks more like a multichrome, it has the green and purple but so much more.

    Bobbysgeel, I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. If he's just a dirty dog then you're better off without him. If he got scared then maybe not. Sometimes it happens, the idea of forever and marriage can be frightening. He'll run but come back when he realizes you're the best thing that he ever had. It's what my sister did when she got engaged. I'm just glad my b-i-l forgave her and was willing to work things through. They've been happily married 25+ years now.

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  26. G--these are sooo nice! i am tempted to get the full pack on QVC. I think .25 ounce is great for me since i have yet to finish any bottle of nail polish. thanks for your review and your blog is the ONLY blog I read everyday consistently. keep up the good, honest work :)

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  27. LOVE the last two shades! If they'll be at CVS, might be able to get a nice deal on them using ECBs!

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  28. OMG! These look glorious! I just started watching Mad Men, too! I don't know why I slept on the show for so long. It's such a well-written show. Anyway, I love the polishes, but I do wish they'd be cheaper.

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