Review and Swatches: Milani Limited Edition Texture Nail Lacquers

When I first posted the press release for these new textured nail polishes from Milani, I quickly discovered by your comments that textured polishes are a bit of a polarizing topic. Either you love textured polishes or, well, you don't. These new limited edition polishes from Milani were actually my first experience with textured polishes (I haven't yet tried any of the others currently on the market) and I believe they're the first textured polishes to hit the drugstore.

Milani sent me this collection for review, and I was so excited to try them. Unlike some of the other textured polishes on the market, these are completely sparkle-free, and I was so curious to see what they'd look like on my nails. Take a look...

Milani Limited Edition Texture Nail Lacquers

(retail: $4.99 each, 0.45 oz)

These polishes are made in the USA and there are six shades in the range.

Keep reading for my full review and swatches...

(All swatches were done using two coats of polish and no top coat.)

For this first pic, I wanted to show you what it looks like before this polish fully dries. If you look at the nail on the far right, this is what it looks like when this polish is in the middle of drying. The other two nails are completely dry, so you can see that the texture becomes more bumpy as the polish dries:

Spoiled In Fuchsia

Spoiled in Fuchsia is a true fuchsia that required two coats for good opacity.

 Shady Gray

Shady Gray is a charcoal gray that required two coats for good opacity.

Aqua Splash

Aqua Splash is probably my favorite of the bunch. It's a beautiful shade of teal and required two coats for what you see above.

 Yellow Mark

I was scared to try Yellow Mark, only because so many yellow polishes seem to be streaky and hard to work with. I was surprised to find that this was a very easy yellow to work with--I only needed two coats for what you see above.

Tainted In Red

Tainted In Red is a bright tomato red that's actually a bit more orange than what you see above. Two coats for perfect opacity.

Purple Streak

Purple Streak is a deep, true purple that, just like all of the others, required two coats for perfect opacity.

For my first dip into the textured nail polish pool, I'm beyond pleased with every color in this collection. All of these polishes apply as smoothly as a regular creme polish and, unlike glitter polishes, you don't have to concern yourself with placement of the "bumps." You can just swipe and go, and the bumpy texture will distribute itself evenly. It's actually kind of fun to watch the texture develop as it dries (these polishes also feel really neat--almost like fine, bumpy plastic).

Not one of these polishes required more than two coats, but none of them were one-coaters either. You'll definitely need two coats, regardless of which shade(s) you buy.

Dry time was very impressive with this collection. These polishes seem to dry quicker than standard (non-textured) polishes. I was also impressed with the wear on these, especially since I didn't apply top coat to any of them. I can get about two days of wear from these polishes before I start to see some tip wear and minor chipping.

Removal was very easy. I would say that these remove easier than glitter polishes, and almost as easily as regular polishes. I do use a 100% acetone remover though, so I can't tell you how these will remove if you use a non-acetone remover.

FINAL VERDICT: I realize that these are not for everybody, and they're certainly not for every occasion. But if you're looking to try something different and fun with your nails, and you don't have the patience for nail art or embellishments, these could be a very easy, hassle-free option for you. I personally love the look of them because, without any glitter or sparkle, they have a very 80s vibe to me (especially since they come in such vibrant, 80s-friendly shades). Again, I haven't seen any other glitter/sparkle-free textured polishes on the market (please correct me if I'm wrong!), so I find these pretty unique (especially for the drugstore). 

This limited edition collection is available at Meijer, Walgreens, HEB, and Fred Meyer. This collection will be hitting the majority of stores in March. The collection is also available on the Milani website here. To see what the display looks like, click here.

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.