Review (4/5): Sheer formula, builds well.
This is a nice Nautical gift set with 4 pretty polishes. They are 13.5 ml each, and made in the U.S.A. Initially I thought I would love Stay Nude the most, but it ended up being my least favorite of the set, only because it is pearl and streaks are unavoidable due to the type of finish it is. All 4 have a shiny topcoat built into the formula. The 3 cremes are all very sheer formulas, not super opaque. The thickness of the formula for all of these is good. If you like a sheer formula, where you can see your nail bed thru the polish, then these are your jam. I did several manicures with each of them, and found that if I wanted a sheer look then 1 coat worked perfectly, otherwise 2 or 3 coats for full coverage and less peek thru of your natural nail and smile line. I did 2 easy coats for each of my manicures. The blue (Hypnosis) seemed to have the best coverage, and the formula for that was my favorite of the 4, it dried the fastest at 8 minutes to the touch. They all go on easily, with a regular round brush (not flat) and they dry fairly well, in about 10-15 minutes each layer. I did find that using my own quick drying topcoat that these wore much better, but from the manufacturer neither base nor top coat are required. I did not get any staining from these, which I love. The pink and white will both be really good polishes for doing either French tip or pond manicures when you just want a sheer base, where you do a layer, do art over it, then cover it again, and more art on that layer-it gives a layered effect that is fun to do. The color palate is a fun one, with lots of options for artwork. These are not quick drying-more of the typical 10 minutes per layer, and I expected them to be hardened on their own, without the help of a quick drying topcoat, but that was not the case with them.