Review & Swatches: Salon Perfect Summer 2013 Limited Edition Neon Collision Nail Lacquers

Press Sample

Recently I received some tweets from a few you regarding this collection, and I apologize if you sent me pics of the display (which is now popping up at Walmart stores) and I didn't get a chance to thank you. I  actually received three of the shades in the Neon Collision Collection for review a little while ago, but I wanted to put these to the test before I showed you swatches. So let's not waste another minute, because these babies are limited edition and they won't be around forever!

Salon Perfect Limited Edition Neon Collision Nail Lacquers in Exploded, Kaboom, Jolt

(retail: $3.98 each exclusively in Walmart stores, 0.5 oz)

For those who are unaware, Salon Perfect is a division of AII (makers of China Glaze) and their polishes are sold exclusively at Walmart. From Salon Perfect:

Introducing Salon Perfect® Neon Collision for Summer 2013 

What happens when you mash up two of this summer’s hottest nail trends: neons and matte glitters? You get an energizing burst of color from the new Salon Perfect® Neon Collision nail lacquers. 

Salon Perfect® floats neon matte fine glitter in a clear base to create this “can’t-not-look” collection of six eye-catching shades that offer complete coverage in 2-3 coats. Or give nails a blast of nail art by using any Salon Perfect® Neon Collision shade as a one-coat layering polish, or blend two shades to create an easy ombré look.

The Salon Perfect® Neon Collision collection includes:  

• Bang – Orange and yellow collision 

• Exploded – Reddish orange and yellow collision  

• Jolt – Yellow and orange collision 

• Kaboom – Turquoise and yellow collision 

• Shocked – Hot pink and turquoise collision 

• Zapped – Yellow and turquoise collision 

Salon Perfect® Neon Collision will launch in June exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide as part of a limited edition promotional display.  Individual shades will retail for $3.98. 

Now that you know all about these new polishes, let's take a closer look at the three I received for review! I used top coat for all of the following swatches (much more on that at the end of this post):

Exploded

Exploded contains two different sizes of hex glitter (tiny and even more tiny). The glitter colors are matte neon yellow, matte neon orange and matte neon pink. The overall effect makes this polish look pinker in some lights and more orange in other lights. The base is clear.

Pinky, ring and index finger: two coats of Exploded

Middle finger: one coat of Exploded over a peach creme polish

Outdoors

Indoors

Next up:

Kaboom

Kaboom contains two sizes of hex glitter (tiny and even more tiny). The glitter colors are matte teal and matte lime green/chartreuse and they're in a clear base. This polish seems to be a very close dupe for the much-talked-about Floam Nail Polish. I don't own Floam but, judging by the pics, they are nearly identical.

Pinky, ring and index finger: two coats of Kaboom

Middle finger: one coat of Exploded over a light blue creme polish

 Outdoors

 Indoors

And finally we have:

Jolt

Jolt contains, once again, tiny hex glitter and even tinier hex glitter. The glitter colors are matte canary yellow and matte orange in a clear base. Some of the yellow glitter in this polish actually has looks shimmery in certain lights and, as you're about to see, it looks even more shimmery when worn over black.

Pinky, ring and index finger: two coats of Jolt

Middle finger: one coat of Jolt over a black creme polish

 Outdoors

Indoors

As I mentioned earlier, I did use top coat for all of the swatches above. I know that I don't usually apply top coat in my polish swatches because I like for you to see the original finish of the polishes I review, but in this case I made an exception because I feel very strongly that these polishes look their best with top coat.

When the Neon Collision polishes dry, they are very bumpy and they have a matte finish. These polishes tend to "eat" normal top coats, so I had to use a well-known "top coat cocktail" that's popular in the nail community in order to smooth out super bumpy polishes. After I painted my nails, I applied two coats of Gelous Base Coat to each nail, and then followed that with a thick, quick-dry top coat (I used Essie Good To Go). This combo can give even the bumpiest polishes a smoother finish, but I do want to warn you that two coats of the Neon Collision polishes will give you a very bumpy surface. One coat over a base color will give you a much smoother finish, but I actually don't really like these polishes over a base color--I like them on their own (on bare nails). So for me personally, the "top coat cocktail" is totally worth it.

Application was pretty easy overall. You don't have to fish for the glitter because it's SO tiny--it completely coats the brush when you pull it out of the bottle. I do want to warn you though to not overdo it with brush strokes during application. Try to use the least amount of brush strokes possible because if you keep going back over this polish with your brush, the glitters will move and start sticking together to create clumps. So less is more with brush strokes. And if you miss a spot, don't worry because you can "dab" the spot with the end of your brush to fill in any gaps and it will level out and look seamless.

Since these polishes dry to a matte finish, expect them to dry very quickly. I didn't have any issues with dry time whatsoever.

Wear time will vary from person to person of course, depending on your body chemistry, how hard you are on your nails etc. I do want to tell you that I had MUCH better luck with the wear time of these polishes when I wore them on their own (two coats on bare nails) with NO base coat. When I wear these over a base coat and/or a base color, I find that they do chip near my tips about a day into my manicure.

FINAL VERDICT: With all of the textured polishes on the market right now, I find these to be a bit different and fun. They're not bar glitter (like the Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coats) and two coats yield very good coverage without the help of a base color. If you like teeny tiny matte, neon glitters, then you'll probably love these. They do require a bit of work if you're a stickler for a super smooth, shiny finish, but I think they're worth it. For under $4 a bottle, I think they're a fun choice for summertime if you're looking for something outside of the norm when it comes to drugstore nail polish.

Do you own any of the new Salon Perfect Neon Collision nail lacquers? Thoughts?

Again, these polishes are Limited Edition Walmart-exclusives and you can only purchase them in stores. I've heard from a few readers that they've already hit many Walmart locations, but if you haven't seen the display yet, keep looking (the official release date was June, so they might be in all stores yet...).

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. For more information, click here.