I love I Love Nail Polish: Fall 2014 swatches with a twist

...say that 10 times fast and see if anyone doesn't think you're crazy. If you love holos, multi-chromes, but want to also satisfy the nail art bug in you then you're in for a treat today cause I'm introducing swatches with a twist! Featuring the stupidly amazing 11-piece Fall 2014 I Love Nail Polish (ILNP) collection which boasts holos and multi-chromes galore, and an accent nail using various nail vinyls from my ever-growing stash of these amazing little plasticy things that make nail art all that much easier and fun.

Let's get to it! Pic heavy :)

ILNP 2014 Fall collection - available Sept 12 from ILNP.com

 

VIDEO SWATCHES AT THE END OF THE POST!


Swatching conditions applicable to all 11 polishes:

• All photos were taken indoors with direct lighting under two 5200k 28W daylight simulator CFL (compact fluorescent lighting) bulbs (no light box) - No sun shots because my condo and the buildings around it hate me
• For some shots where you see a bulb glare that is warmer in tone I'd added a regular halogen soft white bulb to the lighting mix to bring out the warmer hues present in the ultra chromes and some of the holos with gold flakes
• I used my Nikon D5300 DSL-R with a 40mm macro lens, never with flash
• I did minor colour, exposure and tone adjustements in Adobe Photoshop CS5 in order to best reflect the true colour of the polish 
• I used OPI's peel off base coat under every mani and Sally Hansen Diamond Flash top coat
• I applied three thin coats for every polish swatch. Many of them could have taken two, but to ensure super opaque coverage and even brush strokes (particularily for the ultra chromes) I always did three
• Between swatches, when I had to use acetone to get the tiny bits of polish off from around the edges after peeling off my base, I used Badger Baby Balm to counteract the drying effects of acetone and restore my cuticles back to full suppleness. This product is awesome and doesn't leave behind a greasy residue like some cuticle balms. Thank you to Emily of Very Emily for this awesome tip :)

To make things a bit more exciting and nail artsy I did an accent nail with a different nail vinyl from either Nailvinyls.com or Up Your Nail (see photo headers for direct links to vinyl designs used). I used a different colour in the collection as the BASE for the accent nail and always layered the colour that I was swatching OVER the nail vinyl. This way you can see just how opaque the polish in question is for use with nail vinyls. As you are probably aware, you can only do one thick coat before removing the nail vinyl as the vinyl must be removed while the polish is still wet to avoid stringyness. This also shows you some sweet colour pairing ideas!

The formulas on each and every one of them were AWESOME so I have nothing to specify for any of them individually.

First up, ILNP Atomic Sherbert ft. Aztec nail vinyls from Up Your Nail

A bright orange sherbert-hued polish (no kidding) that is holographic with micro gold flakes. The gold flakes really come out in the macro setting and under indirect light. This polish is probably the least holo of all the holos in this collection, probably because its base colour is relatively light, and some might even say neon. I've paired it with Fall Semester as the base for the accent nail.

Next, one of my favs, ILNP Iconic ft. Mini raz nail vinyls from Up Your Nail

A gold holo with rich pigment and micro gold flakes scattered throughout. It's more opaque than Atomic Sherbert and some of the other holos because the flakes seem more condensed and give the polish a foil effect. Look how perfect it layers over a dark purple Homecoming in one thick coat!

Here's ILNP Black Orchid ft. Right angle nail vinyls from Nailvinyls.com

Now this one is super unique. It's unlike anything I have in my collection of 450+ polishes. A deep holo burgundy/purple that is sexy and intriguing. The holo effect is really strong on this polish and the base colour is pretty much one of the best colours ever. Apparently the genius behind ILNP, Barbra, worked on this shade for two whole years. Time well spent! I've paired it with Masquerade (H) for some added ultra chrome action.

The sweet ILNP Champagne Blush ft. Lightning bolt nail vinyls from Nailvinyls.com

If you've been looking for the perfect rose gold but got greedy and wanted added holo, then look no further. This tasty rich pink rose holo has micro gold flakes throughout that really come through in indirect lighting. The holo is surprisingly strong for a light polish. I've paired it with a Peace (H), which at certain angles shines pink.

The perfect indigo, ILNP Homecoming ft. Half moon nail vinyls from Nailvinyls.com

In essence a blurple, this dark evening colour is mysterious but exciting with its super strong holo power. Like Iconic and Champagne Blush, this number has micro gold flakes throughout that reveal themselves most under indirect lighting. I'm often searching for an indigo that is not too warm but not too blue/cool-toned, and I've hit jackpot with this one. I've layered it over Atomic Sherbert.

You're tealing me with ILNP Fall Semester ft. Micro wave nail vinyls from Up Your Nail

I LOVE teal. Love love love it. This one has just the right mix of green and blue pigments that could make Ariel jump right out of her tail to chase this holo baby down. If you want to see how this shade compares to other ILNP teal's/turquoise's, check out this gradient mani I did with three of them. I've paired this dream colour with Champagne Blush.

Dubbed 'Fall in a bottle', here's ILNP Abundance ft. Wavy thin fancy chevrons from Up Your Nail

This ultra chrome chrome really does capture the essence of fall: leaves changing colours from olive green, to dirty yellow, to rich copper hues. The colour shift is more subtle in this polish than some of ILNP's other ultra chromes, but it carries us through all the key colours of fall seamlessly. I'm somewhat new to working with ultra chromes/duo chromes, so I haven't quite aced the perfect brush stroke technique (don't hate me, I was drooling over the colours). I've layered one thick coat of this seasonal suitor over the equally rich Black Orchid.

The jaw-dropping ILNP Masquerade (H) ft. Single chevron nail vinyls from Nailvinyls.com

This has got to be my fav of all the ultra chromes in the land. What am I saying, I don't even own all of ILNP's ultra chromes. But I mean, look at it!! It has one of the strongest colour shifts I've ever seen and the fact that it's a re-release of its non-holo predecessor tells you that it is indeed a fan favourite. Now with holo?! Stop trying to kill me. I've layered it over the new classic Mega (L).

A bonus shot of three of the predominant colours you get from this stupid awesome ultra chrome:

Next up, a reinvented ILNP Mega (L) ft. Starburst nail vinyls from Nailvinyls.com

This reincarnation of the original Mega has a linear holo as opposed to a more scattered one, yielding a smoother finish that glides on like silky butter (silky butter?! Can that be a thing?). Check out a great comparison shot of the two Mega's at the bottom of Very Emily's awesome blog review. I've layered this classic silver linear holo over Abundance. Look how nicely that coverage is, even over a highly pigmented and darker ultra chrome!

For all the olive lovers out there, here's ILNP Bishop (H) ft. Straight nail vinyls from Nailvinyls.com

Bishop first made an appearance as a traditional ultra chrome, sans holo. I think this shade nicely rounds out the fall collection with its warm olive tones that shift from nearly blue-ish green to a deep golden hue. And holo for the win, obviously. I've paired it with Iconic for a subtle classic accent nail.

And last but not least, we have ILNP Peace (H) ft. Chevron mini nail vinyls from Nailvinyls.com

Possibly the prettiest pink/purple holo in all the land. Barbie and Barney would probably pull each other's hair out over this one. Maybe Barney doesn't have hair, but whatever, a fight would definitely take place. Peace (H) is a re-release of the original non-holo Peace and boasts the same sweet colour shifts that make you re-think what peace on earth might actually look like. I've paired it with Bishop (H) to pay tribute to the one of the far ends of the Peace colour-shifting spectrum.

From a bright blue-indigo to a violet purple to a warm magenta and finally to its final kick of goldish-green, this polish is a girly rainbow in a bottle:

VIDEO SWATCHES cause I want so badly for you to see these babies in action

(see also 15sec Instagram teaser)

Who doesn't love this collection?! It's pretty awesome. I am so happy to have got the chance to swatch it, and I hope that my twisted take on swatches does these polishes the justice each and every one of them deserve while at the same time demonstrating their versatility for use in nail art with vinyl work, AND offer some rad colour combos. Needless to say I'll be doing some fun nail arts with these babies soon! I can't thank ILNP enough for coming out with such an extensive to-die for collection of which I'd need to buy every single one if I wasn't already given them by the fabulous people behind ILNP. Thank you so much for trusting me to do your polishes justice!

Direct sunlight! *dead*

This collection looks fit to be my date for the next cocktail party I go to. I may not get out much.

Seen enough? Not possible! Click here for more drool-worthy ILNP.

All 11 polishes will be available for order directly from ILNP on September 12. They ship internationally.

Which ones are you going to grab??

*Disclosure: ILNP polishes were provided to me as a press sample. Some of the nail vinyls from Nailvinyls.com used above were also provided to me for review.