Models Own - Mermaid Tears + Red Sea

When life gets you down, add glitter and stare at the sparklies all day. That's what I do anyway. Few  sparklies get prettier than the Models Own Splash collection. Of which, once again, I only own two of. Maybe I have an obsession with the number two... Regardless, here they are!

Models Own "Mermaid Tears" is a clear polish filled with iridescent teal-to-purple glitter flakes.

1 Coat Models Own "Mermaid Tears"; "Pukka Purple" on middle + pinkie

At first glance, you'd think this was a sheer purple rather than a clear one right? I know I did, so I was pretty surprised when it came out see-through. Just goes to show how strong these chunky flakes, despite the fact that they're also sheer and so look see-through at some angles too. That was obviously the effect that MO was going for with this, and I can't say I like it. However, when "Mermaid Tears" throws colours, it chucks them hard. The iridescent beauty is just insane!

Mandatory "glitter is hard to remove" mention, though I find large chunks are easier to remove. Said large flakes are pretty hard to place, on the other hand. I love doing glitter placement with this but with just a normal mani, this wouldn't work. The flakes are all bendy and need to be pressed flat, and it's hard for the brush to pick up a good amount. This is definitely a specialty polish.

★★★✰✰

Models Own "Pukka Purple" is a red sheer polish filled with iridescent orange-to-purple glitter flakes.

1 Coat Models Own "Red Sea" ; "Pink Punch" on middle + pinkie.

Similar pitfalls and benefits with this polish. The main difference is the fact that the base actually has colour, and a surprised amount! With two coats, this could even be opaque and could create a nice pond mani. Then again, the flakes in "Red Sea" are generally much smaller than in "Mermaid Tears", and they get lost in the coloured base. So despite the pigmentation, this is a subtler flakie polish. Smaller pieces are also harder to remove...

★★★✰✰