Review & Swatches: Lumina Lacquer Nail Polishes

Press Sample 

My very first indie nail polish review! Can you believe it?!?

Some of you fellow nail polish fanatics might be wondering what took me so long to get on the indie nail polish train, and my answer to you is quite simple: I love nail polish so much that I'm like a deer caught in headlights when it comes to the world of indie nail polish brands. There are so many amazing, creative, talented indie polish makers out there that I just could never make up my mind about which one to try first.

But the floodgates have opened, my friends! And the story about how My Very First Indie Polish came to be is a fun one that I hope you'll take a moment to read!

Lumina Lacquer nail colors 

Wrapped In Red ($11), Three Ch-ears For Mickey Ears ($15), God of Wine ($12)

(0.5 oz each)

A little while back, Tatiana, the owner of Lumina Lacquer, was having a "name this nail polish" contest on her Instagram. She asked her followers to help her name this polish, which also happens to be a charity polish ($7 from each polish sold will be going to Toys for Tots):

Tatiana mentioned that this polish contains three different colors of Mickey Mouse ear glitters (pink, red and black). So I  put my thinking cap on and came up with a name: Three Ch-ears for Mickey Ears. I submitted my name, and guess what? I WON!

Lumina Lacquer Three Ch-ears For Mickey Ears

(as named by yours truly)

As the winner of this contest, Tatiana sent me Three Ch-ears For Mickey Ears, and she also sent me two other polishes from her Holiday 2013 collection. I'm so excited to show them all to you today!

But first, a bit about Lumina Lacquer polishes, from the Lumina Lacquer website:

Each polish is handmade in small batches with cosmetic approved ingredients. There may be a slight variation between batches. All of the polishes are 3-free and cruelty-free and do not contain DBP, toluene, or formaldehyde. All bottles are .5floz/15ml, with no current plans to offer mini bottles. 

Lumina Lacquer ships worldwide. For more info about which polishes are currently available for purchase, visit the Lumina Lacquer site here.

So let's start with the polish I named!

As you can see, this is a serious glitter bomb. There are varying sizes of  hexagonal, square, circle, star and diamond glitters in this polish, and of course Mickey ears! Another macro shot:

I swatched this polish over a white creme and then, on my accent nail, I swatched it over a pink creme. I also applied two coats of NYC Grand Central Station clear nail polish as top coat:

Three Ch-ears for Mickey Ears

As with any glitter bomb, you do need to "fish" with your brush to pick up the bigger glitter pieces, and you have to dab the glitter on, versus brushing it on, to ensure proper placement. But I had no issues with getting at least one or two Mickey ears onto my brush each time--a few swirls in the bottle will pick up plenty of glitter (on my ring finger I actually managed to apply three sets of Mickey eyes on the first try). 

The best part about this polish is that every time you "go fishing" a new and different glitter may show up on your brush. In fact, I didn't even realize this polish contained star glitter until I was on my third nail (you can see the pink star on my middle finger below):

I love love that there are circles and squares in this mix, as well as holographic hex glitter. I could not stop looking at my nails the entire time I was wearing this one.

The clear base isn't too thick or goopy, although I do suggest applying a quick-dry top coat to help things along, because this one will take a bit longer to dry without top coat (as is the case with just about every glitter bomb I own).

Next up, Wrapped In Red:

Tatiana describes Wrapped In Red accordingly:

A red polish with some red holo micro glitter, red shimmer, and a dusting of rainbow holo pigment.

I applied two coats for all of the photos below, but this was actually a one-coater, with perfect opacity after the first coat. I also applied one coat of NYC Grand Central Station as top coat:

This is definitely one of the more complex reds in my collection--I have nothing else like it. The combination of rainbow holo pigment and red shimmer creates a subtle violet blue flash in certain lights. You can kind of see that below:

And then in other lights, the sparse holo microglitter adds just a dot or two of extra "twinkle" to each nail. I had a very hard time capturing the little glitter "dots" on each of my nails, but you can see them best in this photo:

And then in full sunlight, the holographic effect of this polish really comes alive:

Dry time was excellent on this one--by the time I painted my fifth nail, my first nail was dry. The formula was a tiny bit thick, but in a good way. I had no issues with application, and this polish dries to a shiny finish. It's a little bit bumpy to the touch on its own, but you can easily remedy this with top coat.

And last but not least, God Of Wine:

Tatiana describes God Of Wine accordingly:

An opaque wine colored polish with a dash of magenta micro glitters and rainbow holo pigmentation.

I applied two coats of God Of Wine in all of the photos below, but this was almost a one-coater. I also applied NYC Grand Central Station as top coat:

God Of Wine

As with Wrapped In Red, the sparse glitter in this polish adds such a lovely little accent to each nail. This color is rich and truly wine-like. I love the holographic effect mixed with the glitter--it's a winning combo.

Here's a photo in sunlight:

The formula was pretty much identical to Wrapped In Red, as far as dry time and application. This one's a tiny bit thick (in a good way) and it dries very quickly. I had no issues at all with application.

FINAL VERDICT: I am no longer an indie nail polish virgin, and I could not be happier about that. Not only am I thrilled with the colors of my first indie polishes, but I'm also very impressed with the formulas and creativity behind Lumina Lacquers. Yes, indie polishes can retail for a bit more than mainstream nail polishes, but you have to consider that indies are often a one-person-show, and that person has put their blood, sweat and tears (figuratively speaking) into every single polish they create. Think of it like Coors Light vs. craft beer. There's a time and place for both. Sometimes an ice cold Coors Light hits the spot, while other times you may want to spend a bit more and get something special, unique and hand-crafted. If you're new to indie nail polishes (like I am), I hope this post helped you get your feet wet, so to speak! If you're ready to take the plunge, I think Lumina Lacquer is a fantastic place to start.

Lumina Lacquer ships worldwide. For more info about which polishes are currently available for purchase, visit the Lumina Lacquer site here.

Are you already a fan of Lumina Lacquer? Do you own any indie nail polishes? I would absolutely love to hear from you!

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.