Review: Ruby Wing Color Changing Polishes in Birdie and Meadow (from the makers of Color Club)

I was recently sent two of the new Ruby Wing nail polishes from Ricky's NYC (they just started carrying this line in-store and online). I had been wanting to try these polishes since I first heard about them a little while back, so today I'd like to share my thoughts with you about the two shades I received for review.

 Ruby Wing Color Changing Polish in Meadow and Birdie

(retail: $12 each, 0.5 oz)

Ruby Wing is made by the same company that makes Color Club nail polishes. From the Ruby Wing website:

Ruby Wing™, the first collection from SolarClub, is every free spirit’s dream: nail polish that changes color in the sunlight or daylight.

(SolarClub is part of the New York-based company Forsythe Cosmetics®, manufacturer of Color Club®-a brand dedicated to celebrating color in all its form. SolarClub represents a perfect blend of east and west, city and country, day and night.)

Color changing polish has traditionally been unpredictable. But after years of research and development, SolarClub has perfected the most consistent, stable, and durable SolarActive® technology to date.

Formulated and bottled in New York City, every Ruby Wing™ polish is completely non-toxic, environmentally safe, and 4-FREE (no harsh chemicals like toluene, formaldehyde, camphor, and DBP). Plus, they're vegan, and never tested on animals. Your life is full of variety and change. Shouldn't your nail polish be, too?

 Keep reading for indoor and outdoor swatches...

The brush that comes with these polishes is standard--not super wide or flat, not super thin:

I've reviewed other color-changing nail polishes here on the blog (click here for one of my Del Sol reviews) and I think they're a lot of fun--especially for someone like me who tends to get bored with my nail color after a few days. All you have to do is go outside and voilà! You've changed your mani!

But the thing that I've noticed with other color-changing polishes is that they all seem to have the same finish: shimmer/frost. I can't recall ever seeing creme or metallic foil color-changing polishes before, so I was happy that Ricky's NYC sent one of each.

First let's take a look at Birdie, which is a creme:

(all photos were taken after two coats of polish and no top coat)

INDOORS

 

 TRANSITIONING FROM SHADE TO SUNLIGHT

 STILL TRANSITIONING...

 FULL SUNLIGHT

 Next up, Meadow:

 INDOORS

 

  TRANSITIONING FROM SHADE TO SUNLIGHT

 STILL TRANSITIONING...

FULL SUNLIGHT

I had no issues with getting either of these polishes to change color in sunlight. Let's talk about each individual shade:

Birdie - this yellow creme changes to a bright peachy-coral in sunlight. The consistency is good, but a little on the thick side. I had no issues with application though, and I think that two coats yields good opacity for a pastel creme. Unlike the shimmery color-changing polishes I've used in the past, Birdie has a slower transition time from its inside color to outside color. You can watch it change before your eyes, and I noticed that the sides of my nails took a little longer to change from yellow to peach than the middle of my nails, which seemed to transition at a much faster rate. The same goes for transitioning back to the indoor color: it takes a bit of time (maybe a full minute) whereas other polishes I've used transition almost instantaneously the moment you go indoors. I actually like the "transitional" color a lot on this one--it looks kind of like a gradient mani, going from yellow to coral on the nail. I almost wish I could freeze that moment and wear it in its transitional state. The dry time on this one was a bit longer than standard polishes, which probably owes to its thicker consistency.

Meadow - metallic foils are notorious for leaving visible brush strokes on the nail, but I was impressed with this one because it seems to self-level if you're careful with application (see my nail on the far left in the swatches above as an example). The transition time on this one was much quicker than Birdie. I only had to hold my hand in the sunshine for maybe 5-10 seconds before it changed from silver to the pinky-rose shade you see above. The consistency of this polish was very good--not too thick and not thin or watery. It flows very smoothly onto the nail and it's almost a one-coater (perfect opacity at two coats). Dry time for this one was much better than Birdie.

If you've never used a color-changing polish before, you should know that you CAN apply clear top coat on top of these polishes, as long as your top coat does not contain any UV blockers. If your top coat contains UV blockers, then it's going to prevent this polish from changing color when you're out in the sun.

FINAL VERDICT: I'm very happy with the two Ruby Polishes I received for review. Both shades have a dramatic transition from indoors to sunlight, and I found them both easy to apply (by the way, removal was easy as well--these remove just like any normal nail polish). If you're a color-changing nail polish fan who has been wishing for a non-shimmery/frosty finish, then I think you'll be pleased with the selection from Ruby Wing. The creme finish that I received does have a slightly longer dry-time and a thicker consistency, but it's still easy to work with--I think it would be a great shade for springtime. The metallic foil shade I received is almost flawless--perfect consistency, great application, great dry time and a very quick transition from indoor color to outdoor color (and vice versa).

You can purchase Ruby Wing polishes at Ricky's NYC (both in-store and online) and via the Ruby Wing website. (Tip: Ricky's NYC often runs sales on their website.)

Have you tried any Ruby Wing polishes? Are you a color-changing polish fan? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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.