Thursday, January 28, 2016

Madam Glam Epic Swatch-a-thon: Part 1

Press Sample


Hello Loves!  So, I've been working on an Epic Madam Glam swatch project.  Basically, I'm working my way through their entire gel polish color line.  I've swatched a good many over the past year, but I barely made a dent in their collection.  So now I'm swatching like a mad woman to make it through over 300 gel polish colors!  I think it was around 130 colors I hadn't swatched yet, and I'm 69 in at this point.  I showed you the 10 One Step Gels a few weeks ago, so that leaves 59 that I have swatched but haven't shared with you yet.  I feels like they are multiplying as I go and my "to swatch" pile keeps growing!

So, let the Epic Swatch-a-thon commence! I'm going to break these into multiple posts to keep from completely crashing my blog.  I'm also going to alter my typical review format a little just to make things easier.  I mean, we are talking about 118 photos that are finished and ready to share with more being produced each week.  lol  So let's jump right in.  These are in no specific order (well, they're alphabetically for the first few parts of the series just because I had them listed that way as I uploaded the pictures, but they'll become more random as the project progresses). 

Polish:  Amor Azul
Description:  Super light, pale blue cream
Application/Notes:  Flawless.  This polish is nice and creamy, which allows for great coverage and application.  She's opaque in two coats.
Madam Glam Amor Azul Swatch
Madam Glam Amor Azul Swatch

PolishBack to Cali
Description:  Classic nude cream with slightly purple/pink tones
Application/Notes:  Flawless.  Opaque in two coats.  I love this one!  It's a great color for my skin tone.
Madam Glam Back to Cali Swatch
Madam Glam Back to Cali Swatch

PolishBehind the Scenes
Description:  Vibrant medium blue cream
Application/Notes:  Application is average.  Not quite as creamy as some, which gives it a gorgeous wet look but also allows for a little bit of shrinkage at the free edge.  Shrinking corrects itself with careful application of the second coat (which I didn't do here but discovered in the salon lol).  It offers two coat coverage.  :)
Madam Glam Behind the Scenes Swatch
Madam Glam Behind the Scenes Swatch

Polish: Cafe au Lait
Description:  Cream toned cream
Application/Notes:  Application is very nice.  Smooth and easy to apply with no shrinking.  I did find I needed three coats for even full coverage, but that is common for me with polishes in this color family.  You might be able to do two coats without issue.
Madam Glam Cafe au Lait Swatch
Madam Glam Cafe au Lait Swatch

Polish: Call of the Wild
Description:  Light grey cream with purple tones
Application/Notes:  Flawless application.  Perfect coverage in two coats.  Polish is creamy and smooth.
Madam Glam Call of the Wild Swatch
Madam Glam Call of the Wild Swatch

Polish: Caribbean Sea
Description:  Bright light blue cream with green undertones
Application/Notes:  Average application.  Polish is very creamy and stays where you put it.  However, I did need three coats for flawless, opaque coverage.
Madam Glam Caribbean Sea Swatch
Madam Glam Caribbean Sea Swatch

Polish: Color Me Coraly
Description:  Medium/Bright coral leaning pink cream
Application/Notes:  Flawless!  Perfect coverage in two coats with a slightly glassy finish.
Madam Glam Color Me Coraly Swatch
Madam Glam Color Me Coraly Swatch

Polish: Dark Magenta
Description:  Deep, rich purple cream
Application/Notes:  Beautiful!  Opaque in two coats.  Deep wet look with minimal shrinking at the tips on the first coat.  Corrects itself on the second coat with careful application (yet another where I wasn't careful to wrap the tips in the swatch)
Madam Glam Dark Magenta Swatch
Madam Glam Dark Magenta Swatch

Polish: Dark Orchid 
Description:  Muted, blue toned, light purple cream.
Application/Notes:  Creamy polish.  Smooth application with two coat coverage.
Madam Glam Dark Orchid Swatch
Madam Glam Dark Orchid Swatch

Polish: Down to Earth
Description:  Olive green cream
Application/Notes:  Perfection.  Smooth and easy with a deep, wet look.  Opaque in two coats.  I didn't think I would like this one since I'm not usually a fan of Earthy greens, but I love it!
Madam Glam Down to Earth Swatch
Madam Glam Down to Earth Swatch

Polish: Early Bird 
Description:  Creamy mint green cream with a bright pop
Application/Notes:  Nice.  Smooth and creamy.  Perfect coverage in two coats.
Madam Glam Early Bird Swatch
Madam Glam Early Bird Swatch

Polish: Fancy Pink
Description:  Deep, medium pink base with pink iridescent glass fleck shimmer
Application/Notes:  Polish is thick and offers nearly full coverage in one coat.  Two coats is perfect.  No shrinking or streaking.  It doesn't get much better than this.
Madam Glam Fancy Pink Swatch
Madam Glam Fancy Pink Swatch

Polish: Flower Child 
Description:  Shimmery gold base with fine gold glitters scattered throughout
Application/Notes:  Interesting.  Coverage is nice, but the glitters make things a little tricky.  I found I had to stroke over the nail several times for even glitter distribution, which left marks in the gold shimmery base.  Opaque in two coats, but I needed three because of the glitter to get a smooth finish.  Even with the third coat and top coat, the polish appears slightly textured. 
Madam Glam Flower Child Swatch
Madam Glam Flower Child Swatch

PolishFluorescent Lights
Description:  Silver glass flecks and purple shimmer in a clear base
Application/Notes:  Can be worn as a standalone polish or as a topper.  I swatched three coats here and you can see slight VNL.  Application is smooth and easy.  No fighting at all when wearing alone.  Over a base color, you may need to smooth over the nail a few times for even distribution.  But look!  Just look!  Isn't she gorgeous????
Madam Glam Fluorescent Lights Swatch
Madam Glam Fluorescent Lights Swatch

Polish: For Green Lover
Description:  Green jelly base that is loaded with multiple sizes of green holographic glitter
Application/Notes:  Average application.  Glitter distributes easily over the nail.  There is some shrinking at the dips as is to be expected with a jelly finish.  Almost paque in three coats.  I should note that this one was difficult for me to photograph.  The color looks right on my screen, but the vibrancy is a little off.  It pops much more in person.
Madam Glam For Green Lovers Swatch
Madam Glam For Green Lovers Swatch

Polish: Games People Play
Description:  Peach leaning nude cream
Application/Notes:  Applies nicely.  No shrinking or fussing.  Polish is nice and creamy and is opaque in two coats.
Madam Glam Games People Play Swatch
Madam Glam Games People Play Swatch

Polish: Glittery Purple
Description: Blackened purple base with purple micro glitter
Application/Notes:  This polish is a huge hit at the salon, despite being a little difficult to apply.  It does have a bit of shrink back, but it is manageable in three coats.  The glitters have a little bit of a copper color shift as you can see on the index nail in the first shot.  Gorgeous polish - well worth a little extra time for application.
Madam Glam Glittery Purple Swatch
Madam Glam Glittery Purple Swatch

Polish: Green Garden
Description:  Light, pastel green cream
Application/Notes:  The polish is thick and creamy.  Application is smooth, but be careful if you have to stroke over the nail.  It doesn't level quite as nicely as some and can leave brush dents as you can see on my index nail.
Madam Glam Green Garden Swatch
Madam Glam Green Garden Swatch

Polish: Halo 
Description:  Bright, sunshine yellow cream
Application/Notes:  I love this yellow!  If you're looking for a bright yellow that doesn't cross into highlighter or neon territory, this is is.  Application was a breeze, which is odd for yellows.  I did need three coats for full opacity, but experienced no shrinking or streaking.
Madam Glam Halo Swatch
Madam Glam Halo Swatch

Polish: High School Stories
Description:  Bright, almost neon lime green with very slight blue undertones
Application/Notes:  While this isn't really a color I gravitate toward, I can appreciate the brightness and pop.  Application is average.  I needed three coats and feel that four might have been better.  You can see some areas are a little thin around the cuticle line in the pictures, but it was not noticeable in person.
Madam Glam High School Stories Swatch
Madam Glam High School Stories Swatch

Whew!  Twenty down, a bazillion left to go!  lol  This concludes Part 1 of my Epic Madam Glam Swatch-a-thon.  Hopefully it loaded ok for you.  If not, please let me know in the comments and I'll reduce the number of polishes for future Swatch-a-thon posts.  If you need any of these polishes in your collection, you can pick them up on Madam Glam's website here.  Remember, they are always having awesome sales and specials.  If you don't catch one on the first try, give it a few days and you'll hit a deal.  :)

Also, if you can't the polish you're looking for on their website, it might be out of stock.  They take listings down when they sell out and put them back up when they restock.  So keep checking back if the polish you want isn't listed.  :)  Since the listings tend to come and go with availability, I didn't direct link each color throughout the post this time.

I'll be back in a few days with the next round of swatches.  And yes, I promise it will only be a few days.  I won't disappear for weeks again until I at least get caught up with these.  ;)

~Michelle

*The gel polishes featured in this post were provided by Madam Glam for my honest review.  All links within this post are courtesy links and do not benefit ManicTalons.com


10 comments:

  1. Omg, that's a lot! Thank you for these swatches! your nails and fingers must hurt. I can't imagine soaking off 20 polishes one after another... You're officially my hero! :)

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    Replies
    1. That's the same thought I had. Thanks for these lovely swatches!

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  2. Omg, that's a lot! Thank you for these swatches! your nails and fingers must hurt. I can't imagine soaking off 20 polishes one after another... You're officially my hero! :)

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  3. I have really slow internet and it loaded just fine for me - as I scrolled down to read all of the images were there. What an epic project!

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  4. Gosh, I just signed up for Madam Glam's monthly "gel box" deal, so this swatch post could not have been more on time for me! Extremely helpful Michelle, thank you!!

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  5. This makes it so much easier to see the colors. You're the best. ;)

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  6. So so helpful, thank you for doing these! Love your swatches. :) Can't wait to see the next parts.

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  7. Thank you for these!! Have you tried their peel off base coat?

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  8. All three parts are incredible. Thank you for this epic job! Do you use a top coat? I'd assume so, but you mention the final finish sometimes, so I wondered.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. There are are least 4 more parts to the series coming soon. :) I do use a top coat for my swatches. I used the Madam Glam No Wipe Topcoat for these. When I talk about the finish, I'm referring to the look more than the actual finish. Like some polishes are creamy and more opaque. Some look deeper like they are semi-opaque but build to full coverage. Nail bloggers often describe these cream/jelly hybrids (or crellies) as "squishy". Then, of course, you add shimmer to the different finishes and a whole new world of decriptions comes to life. lol

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