Nails Inc. Ballet Sheers "Mayfair" & Garden Party "Westbourne Gardens"

Happy Hump Day, darling readers!  I've been sitting on these swatches for a while now; sometimes, I'm just too lazy to write about things.  It requires thinking, you know.  Also, I knew they'd come in useful right about now, when time is of the essence and every moment is under siege with a million things to do.

One of my very first posts (the second, in fact) was about the Nails Inc. Ballet Sheers Collection, but it was missing one polish... which we shall see today!  Oy, it's a little embarrassing to look back at my early posts.  Such struggles to hold onto that nail polish bottle... like most newborn things, it's so awkward that it's almost kinda cute.  And yet, that was a mere two months ago!  Ah, well.

Anywhoo, here's "Mayfair" and "Westbourne Gardens" for ya. 

Nails Inc. "Mayfair" + "Westbourne Gardens"

 

Mayfair Ballet

"Mayfair" is a winter white polish with fine pearlescent shimmer.  I was drawn to the faintest putty tint that gives this shade such a soft, plush warmth.  Predictably, however (though for some reason I hoped it wouldn't), the shimmer came up full of brushstrokes, which I just cannot abide.  I tried the matte top coat trick to counter the streakies (as described at the very end of *this post*), but was sadly surprised to see the lustrous pearl sheen become completely flattened and dull.  So I guess it's stroke-city or the highway.  If brushstrokes don't generally bother you too much then these won't either, they're really not awful.  I just would prefer that they GTFO of my $10 nail polish.  Like the rest of the Ballet Sheers collection, this really isn't sheer in the sense that it would make a good layering polish; I think I used three coats.  Gorgeous wintery hue, but the shimmer disappointment ultimately makes "Mayfair" a pass for me.
 

Nails Inc. "Mayfair"

Nails Inc. "Mayfair"

 

Westbourne Gardens

"Westbourne Gardens" is a beauteous mélange of blushing ballerina pink and white matte glitters, sparked with metallic silver hex glitter.  It is part of the Garden Party collection, as evidenced by the charming teapot decal gracing the bottle.  I hope Westbourne Gardens has flowering ornamental trees, because this polish is so beautifully reminiscent of cherry blossoms, perhaps floating on a flirtatious gust of wind to rest on a silver mirrored pool.  Dense with glitters and easy to apply, I think "Westbourne Gardens" makes a delightful polka-dotted complement to the cashmere softness of "Mayfair".

Nails Inc. "Mayfair" + "Westbourne Gardens"

     

I found "Mayfair" at Ulta, which is the only place I've found with the Ballet Sheers Collection, and only in stores; it retails for $9.50.  "Westbourne Gardens" I found at Sephora (though apparently it is not online), but it is also available at Ulta, Nails Inc., and Macy's; it retails for $11.  Nails Inc. seems to have undergone some serious rebranding recently; I've noticed giant square bottles at Sephora now and by golly they are the heaviest nail polish bottle I've ever hefted.  Like, we're talking some serious paunch.  And they're not the only thing that has gotten bigger; the price tag now seems to be sitting at $14 for regular polishes and $15 for special effects.  Looks like I'll be swiping up the current cylindrical bottles from Ulta while they last; I fear the days of awesome Sephora clearances on Nail Inc. lacquers may be over :(  Shame.  I've really loved Nails Inc., but I'm not so sure about where this new direction is taking them.  Also, they seem to be calling their regular line NailKale now, which idk I just find rather odd.

Have you seen the new Nails Inc. look?  What do you think of the behemoth bottles??