Review & Swatches: Sally Hansen Sparktacular (from the Limited Edition Summer 2014 Triple Shine Collection)

Purchased by Me 

Is it too early for me to declare a favorite drugstore glitter polish of 2014? Maybe, but this has GOT to be my number one pick so far this year. The Limited Edition Summer 2014 Tahiti Sunset Collection is now hitting stores, and Sparktacular is one of the shades in this collection. To me, this was the only shade in the collection that didn't have a similar shade in the permanent collection, so that's initially why I purchased it. (I just added new side-by-side pics of permanent shades vs. the limited edition shades to my original post, if you'd like a look).

But back to Sparktacular...I didn't anticipate until I got this polish out of the store and into the sunlight that it would be this beautiful. No amount of photos can really capture what this polish looks like in person (so sparkly, almost like lamé on the nail), but I sure did try! Take a peek:

Sally Hansen Sparktacular

from the Summer 2014 Limited Edition Tahiti Sunset Triple Shine Collection

(retail: $4.99, 0.33 oz)

This polish is a rusty-orange jelly that contains fine glitter: 

There are gold and teal glitters in this one:

It wasn't until I enlarged the photo above that I realized there are tiny teal hexagonal glitters and tiny golden SQUARE glitters in this one:

Two coats + top coat

Please believe me when I say that this polish looks amazing in person. These photos just do not do it justice. And the base is a TRUE jelly (unlike the Summer 2014 Triple Shine Jellies, which are actually tints). I only needed two coats for the opacity you see in these photos.

And you know I had to mattify it: 

Two coats + one coat matte top coat

Even though it only takes two coats of this polish to get the opacity you see above, this polish can also easily function as a topper. Here is one coat over a black creme (plus top coat):

One coat over a black creme + top coat

And again, you know I had to mattify this one:

One coat over a black creme + matte top coat

A closer look:

The formula of Sparktacular is a tiny bit thick, but not frustrating or unworkable in the slightest. There's no need to go fishing with your brush to pick up glitter and you can brush this on like a regular polish (no dabbing required). Also, due to the size of the glitters (they're tiny), this polish is not bumpy to the touch--it's very smooth, even without top coat. Dry-time was slow to average without top coat, so I suggest using a quick-dry top coat to speed up the process.

I say run, don't walk, to your local drugstore and look for this one. If you're a glitter lover, you might want to grab this before it's gone since there are only two bottles per display. I promise you that when you see it in person on your nails, you'll fall in love. But if you don't, just keep your receipt so you can return it (I can't envision anyone not loving this one, but never say never, right?). I honestly don't have another polish that even remotely resembles this one in my 1,500+ bottle nail polish stash. So for that reason alone, it was a must-have for me, but I really never anticipated it would be THIS beautiful until I got it on my nails.

Do you already own Sparktacular? If so, do you agree that my photos do not do it justice?

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.