I am coming at you with a true “nail mail” post today, as in: I actually received these polishes through the mail. Yay for accuracy! But I feel like this also qualifies as a mini-haul, because two of these polishes are no longer available for order. I still wanted to show them, though. Because it’s fun to gush about nail polish. But also because you might find them in destash sales or elsewhere, if you like them.
Toward the end of July, I made my first-ever Cupcake Polish order. I saw pictures of Diamond online, and I just HAD TO HAVE IT!! I got a serious case of the greedy-eyed polish lust. I didn’t have a lot of time to reflect on it, since two of the polishes I wanted were limited to the month of July. I still managed to dither over it for most of the month. I think I placed my order in the last day or two. I barely made it!!
For my first order, I went with three polishes: two of their birthday/anniversary limited releases, and one older polish that might be part of the core line. But I am not sure about that, as I am not super knowledgable about this brand.
ORDERING, PACKAGE, & PRICING INFO:
My order experience was super easy. I ordered through the Cupcake Polish website. My order was processed right away. Within a day or day and a half, I had an email telling me it was on its way to my house. My Cupcake order was waiting for me when I got home from my Texas trip. I was super excited! And impressed with their fast processing and shipping time. (This is in stark contrast to my last Pretty Serious order, for example. A month later, and I am still waiting. I know it was a whole huge close-out sale and all of that, but still … *sigh* But I digress.)
I found the packaging to be good. Each bottle was wrapped in beautiful pink tissue paper, which, in my opinion, really fit the theme of the company name, as well as their polish aesthetic. Each bottle was padded in bubble wrap on the outside of the tissue paper. So, it was bubble wrap … then pretty tissue … then the bottle of polish. I really liked this packaging, because it gave the bottles a good bit of protection, but also let me feel like I was opening up a special little present as I unwrapped each individual bottle. Plus, there was a cute holographic sticker with the brand’s name. Love it!!
Cupcake polishes generally sell for $13USD a bottle. I believe their toppers sell for $9USD each.
BOTTLE AND BRUSH INFO:
Cupcake Polishes come in 15ml bottles that are square shaped. They are not overly tall. I had bottles of OPI, China Glaze, Orly, and Quixotic Polish sitting out on my desk. I compared the heights, and Cupcake was shorter than all of them. The actual glass of the bottle is about the same height (and slightly taller than a Quixotic bottle). But the lid is slightly shorter. I like the bottle shape. It was comfortable in my hand as I manicured. I also found the brush handle easy to hold and maneuver.
The brush is on the thin side. Truthfully, it is slightly thinner than I would prefer. But the brush stem is not long. I think it is a good length, and I didn’t have problems with polish clumping up on the stem and dripping down to the brush. For me, this balances out the thinner brush to make a pleasant manicure experience.
THE POLISHES:
Diamond has to come first, because this is the polish that started it all. Diamond was part of this brand’s 5th Anniversary Trio. It is a clear base packed with iridescent flakes. This polish has a good formula. The base is neither too thick nor too thin. The flakes slide beautifully onto the nail, and I found this one easy to apply. It is opaque on its own in 2-3 coats. It is also gorgeous as a topper at just 1 coat.
This polish is freakin’ FANTASTIC!!! Seriously. I can not get over how pretty this is. Can’t even. I am a fan of iridescent anything, but the flakes give this polish such a soft and ethereal look on the nail. I was mesmerized by it as I swatched, and I had a hard time taking it off to do the rest of my swatches for that day. This is like a fairytale on your nails. If I was a Disney Princess, I am pretty sure this would be my signature color. I love it so darn much!
I like wearing this one on its own. Even as I type this post, Diamond is my manicure. I am currently wearing two coats of it over China Glaze, OMG (which is a silver holographic). But I decided to use my macro shot that was taken over a black base. This way, you can see all of the colors in the flakes.
5 Years is a bright pink with scattered holographic and a blue flash/shimmer. It was also part of the 5th Anniversary Trio. This polish has a good formula. It is so full of glitter that I halfway expected it to be thick, but it wasn’t. It has a great consistency that was opaque in 2 coats for me. I could see the potential for 3 coats, depending on application technique and nail length.
Va-Va-Va-VOOOOM!! Excuse me, but I am over here in the corner, having a Pink Moment. Big time. I adore this polish. I absolutely, completely ADORE it in a covetous way that is probably illegal in most of the United States. And you guys … I don’t even like pink! I think I may need to stop saying that, though. Because the pinks have been sneaking up on me in recent months.
This polish has such a beautiful sparkle to it. I love the extra pizazz from the blue tones in the shimmer/flash, and I think this polish is super delicate and girly on the nail.
Garnet is from the Gemstone Collection. It is a deep and vibrant red / cranberry packed with holographic glitter. This has a good formula, although I found my bottle was pretty thick. My bottle had quite a bit of polish that had gotten into the cap and in the threads of the bottle neck. I guess this happened during shipping. But it wasn’t properly sealed. I believe this is why my bottle was on the thicker side. This one was basically a 1-coater for me. When I swatched, there is no way I could have done 2 coats without ending up with a too-thick nail. I cleaned the bottle neck and sealed it well after I swatched. When I recently wore this one in a full manicure, I was happy with 2 coats. So … I feel like I have to call this one a 1-2 coater. But your mileage may vary.
So, slightly thick and unwieldy bottle aside, this polish is magnificent. It is a beautiful polish that has a lot of sparkle and shimmer as the light plays across the nail. It is gorgeous in every type of lighting. I love how it sometimes has a mysterious sort of glow, and it really does remind me of how light plays through the facets and depths of a gemstone. Gorgeous polish, and I love it! I just wish my bottle was not as thick as it is. Ah well. We can’t have everything, can we? Nope!
THE WRAP-UP:
I feel my first Cupcake Polish order was a wonderful success. I am hella impressed with this company’s turn-around time for order processing and shipping. I loved the careful packaging. And I loved the polishes in this order. The only thing I don’t love about Cupcake Polish is the slightly higher-than-average price tag. This is the main reason it took me such a long time to place an order. Having now seen these polishes in person and tried them on my nails, I feel like the price is a little more worth it. These are definitely beautiful, high-quality polishes!
I am already planning to order from Cupcake again. They have a new Radioactive Collection I’ve been eyeing. And I would love to get a couple more of the Birthstone polishes, now that I’ve seen how beautiful Garnet is in person.
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