Review & Swatches: New Crabtree & Evelyn Nail Lacquers

Back in January I posted about these new nail lacquers from Crabtree & Evelyn. After my original post, I received some shades from this collection for review (there are 21 shades in this range), so I'd like to share my thoughts about them today.

Crabtree & Evelyn Nail Lacquers

(retail: $6 each, 0.5 oz)

These new polishes are available for purchase on the Crabtree & Evelyn website, as well as in C&E retail locations (click here for a store locator).

Keep reading for swatches of all five shades I received...

The brush that comes with these polishes has a traditional shape (round and thin). The stem is on the short side, but I did not find it to be cumbersome during application:

These polishes are made in the USA:

The formula is Big Three Free:

All of the following swatches were done with two coats of polish and no top coat:

Avocado

Avocado is a lovely olive green with golden shimmer. This one was sheer on first coat but completely opaque at two. No issues at all with application.

Eggplant

Eggplant is much lovelier in person than what my swatch may lead you to believe. This is a deep, rich purple creme that's almost a one-coater. It's perfectly opaque after two coats with a  very smooth formula.

Wisteria

Wisteria is a perfect-for-springtime lavender with fine silver shimmer. This one was sheer on the first coat, perfectly opaque after the second coat. No issues with application.

 Peony

Peony is a soft pastel pink creme. This one was streaky on the first coat, but surprisingly opaque on the second coat. I'm always scared when it comes to pale cremes--they are definitely finicky--but other than being a little bit thick, this one yielded very nice results after two coats and I didn't see any visible patchiness or streaks to warrant a third coat.

Blueberry

Blueberry is a gorgeous navy blue jelly with teeny tiny royal blue flakes. The flakes in this polish make the nail glow in certain lights--my photos definitely do not do this one justice. The first coat was a little sheer (not surprising for a jelly) but the second coat really gave this polish some beautiful dimension. No problems at all with application.  This polish is so beautiful that I had to give you some extra shots of it:

 

FINAL VERDICT: I always have a bit of trepidation when established brands not known for nail polish add a polish collection to their core line. Sometimes the results can be less than stellar, but these new polishes from Crabtree & Evelyn really surprised me. Overall, the formulas are quite easy to work with, the dry time is excellent (with the exception of Blueberry which took a little bit longer to dry) and I can go a minimum of two days before I start to see tip wear or minor chipping. Removal is nice and clean (the only issue I had was with Blueberry, which did leave a little bit of residue on my cuticles, but it did not stain my actual nails or skin). The colors I received for review include some standards, as well as some surprisingly unique shades. I think that there's something here for everyone and, at $6 a bottle (or less when they're on sale), I think they're definitely worth keeping in mind the next time you're near a Crabtree & Evelyn location. I've had such a nice experience with these lacquers that I can't wait to try some other shades.

Have you tried any of the new Crabtree & Evelyn nail lacquers yet? 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.