Test Wearing Butter London Patent Gel Base and Top Coat with KBShimmer Pansy Monium

Were you missing a post of mine yesterday? Well this is because I venture into new territory here on Polished Marvels. So far - and for the better part of the last two years - I hardly wore a nail polish for more than two days. The other day I was once more twiddling thumbs while waiting on the phone with a service line to get the actual service provided which usually leads to dangerous journeys to one of my favorite etailers - Pshiiit Boutique!!! There two new Base and Top Coat sets by Butter London have hit shore and as the waiting on that line went on and on none of you are probably surprised that both have not hit shore with my stash.

The first set is the Patent Gel Base and Top Coat. Butter London claims that this set provides a gel like mani with no need for UV lamp and a long-lasting perfect finish. Butter London application instructions advice to let the Base Coat dry completely, then paint Butter London nail polish over it, let it dry completely, then add a layer of Patent-Gel Flawless Top Coat and again wait until it is completely dry.

So on to my first experience with this set. I strayed from the suggestions and choose one of KBShimmer new creams - a beautiful saturated purple, yes you are right, this would be Pansy Monium.  Now the collection was introduced in the nail polish blog world left and right, so I keep my review sweet and short: if you love purple and if you love creams, this is FOR YOU!!! I can recommend it from any given aspect: Formula, consistency, application, quick dry time, high shine.

The Butter London Patent-Gel Flawless Base Coat is clear and appears more rubbery than a regular clear Base Coat like for example Maybelline Express Protecting Base Coat. Please excuse the view of my bare, discolored nails but this is what my nails looked like after applying the Butter London Base Coat. As it is totally clear, I have no idea how this would work for instance with a pastel jelly (note to self: remains to be tested).

The note to let the Base Coat dry completely kept me wary, if it would dry somewhat slower, but no, not at all, it dries very quickly. When I started to apply the first coat of KBShimmer Pansy Monium, there was another surprise - it is wonderfully ridge filling - as good as Seche Ridge Filling Base Coat!!!. The application of KBShimmer Pansy Monium was fantastic over this Base Coat. To me it seemed as if the Base Coat would act like an adhesive for it!!!

With Butter London Patent Gel Flawless Top Coat:

Fast forward to applying the Patent-Gel Flawless Top Coat. Well, it is FLAWLESS - perfect consistency in my opinion - not too thin though far from gluey - it spreads nice and quick on the nail and dries super super fast. I did not check clocks but once I sealed all nails with it, the first couple were already dry - if this makes sense.

No on to durability: Truth being told, I never did any Gel nails so I am the last person to be able to write proper comparison. This week I donated one of my precious weeks of vacation to Spring Clean - what better opportunity to test those Base and Top Coats? I honestly cannot say it behaves any different from any other average Base and Top Coat set out there - why? It didn't give me any chipping (this would have kicked it out of "average" class) but significant tip wear and dulling around the tips as well as sort of a milky finish over the whole nail - look:

After Day 1:

After Day 2

And since I am such a holo addict, I also wanted to test it with a holographic polish. I choose Liquid Sky Lacquer Black Opal. This is a black (as if you wouldn't have guessed) holo with a rather strong small pigmented holo rainbow and some purple shimmer. In the shade it looks pewter. Now here the application was not as flawless as with the cream. I had to do very careful thin and light as a feather coats to prevent polish dragging. Black Opal dries normal to slow, so I was in desperate need of a dose of patience as Butter London advices to let the polish dry completely before applying the Top Coat. Again the mani dries within the blink of an eye. But the wear - oh my - not any different for what we are used to of so many holos - after a morning of household work I had so much tip wear and dulling around the tips that I could not face going through it all day.

What you see above is BEFORE any housework, just after a proper night of sleep - yes, this is polish shrinkage on my middle and index!!! But the holo is beautiful - no? And for the records: the holo effect was not diminished!

after one day

Observation on both manis, the cream and the holo: this set causes polish shrinkage :-o!!!! Tip wrapping is mandatory if you do not want to wake up to face a nice white line along the tips of your nails!!! My pictures might not give it away, but my nails really looked like some worn out sweat shirt: tired and at the end of their life span. While I love those to hang around on my couch I definitely do not want to be reminded of them when looking at my nails. The removal is easy and fast: just use your usual remover and done.

Final thoughts: I totally love the concept, the application of both the Base and Top Coat. I also love the finished look. It clearly fails on durability - but then I would not put a final stamp on this one as everyone's nail chemistry is different. As I never wear any polish longer than two days and my usual daily routine does not include spring cleaning action, I know, I will reach for this set a lot. However, it comes pricey but me being a big Butter London fan and loving the result - especially over creams - don't mind spending more on it.

I ordered Butter London Patent Gel Flawless Base and Top Coat with Pshiiit Boutique - ohhh they have given their site a make-over - it is beautiful!!!! I got both KBShimmer Pansy Monium and Liquid Sky Lacquer Black Opal from Harlow & Co.

Now I am really curious of your thoughts - was this review helpful? Thanks for leaving a comment and dropping by!!!
Christine <3