day one hundred and eighty two, ginger+liz gray area (wax coat)

i've been positively BURSTING at the seams, i've been dying to talk about the ginger + liz colour collection since...i don't know november at least but i haven't been able to until now. i've been a big fan of this brand since before they launched their official website, after they launched it i never got around to placing an order (i just kept creating wishlists and then exiting because i was trying to hold off buying polish!) and i finally pulled the trigger in january. the reason i'm only getting to this brand NOW is because (much to mine and the lovely ginger and liz's horror) my nail polish parcel got lost in the post for a few weeks. it just kind of floated around in the mail room limbo until it finally made it's way to me in London, safe and sound! it was such a freak thing and the wonderful ladies felt so bad about it...but sadly postal flukes can happen to all of us!!

also another FAVOURITE thing of mine about G+L is their international shipping. most of the polish brands i love are US based...because well...that's where the majority of ALL the big polish brands are from!!! so i usually have to either sacrifice my firstborn child to pay for shipping or i can't even get it shipped directly to me in the UK at all. i am lucky to have some great friends in the states who are happy to enable my nail polish (and shoe and purse and jewellery and this and that, etc!) addiction and will receive orders on my behalf and then ship them to me in the UK. but G+L? $10! i kid you not. $10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! regardless of order size (and mine was pretty big) it's just flat rate, $10!! that is UNHEARD OF. seriously. i've NEVER EVER seen ANY company that will do that for their international customers which makes them super special on my list!

okay, enough about the brand, onto the colour!!! gray area is the special G+L matte style and they call it a wax coat. it basically looks like coloured candlewax in the form of polish on your fingers. it's almost like the satiny finish you sometimes get after a day of wear a very flat matte colour from your natural hand oils and daily activities (washing your hands, etc). it's really cool and i am pleased with it. it is NOT your typical matte. it is nothing like the OPI mattes where the colour is incredibly flat and lifeless and has terrible wear time. i did put a basecoat on and then 3 coats of gray area and no topcoat and i had no chips at the end of 24 hours (even after taking a shower, cleaning my kitchen and fixing my hair and such). i've never had such great staying power with a matte. like most mattes it dries relatively quickly but i do find it to be just a touch slower with these...which works out well, it makes them a bit more forgiving if your initial application isn't 100% perfect (i know mine RARELY ever are!). i don't know if it is this polish or my weird obsession but i do think that matte polishes are a bit harsh on the natural ridges in your nails, it's one of the reasons i prefer 3 coats.

also g+l specially designed their polish bristles/brush/thing and i am super happy and impressed with it. this was opaque in ONE COAT. i just put more on because i wanted to (and i messed up the first coat because i'm clumsy and used my fingernails to open a door(unintentionally) when i meant to use my actual fingers! but yes. great brush, it holds colour well, very malleable yet structured at the same time....i really could go on and ON about how amazing this polish is and how impressed i am with the brand. you will DEFINITELY be seeing more from ginger + liz on here!

a few things to note:

-the Ginger + Liz formula is organic, vegan friendly, and toxin-free (No Toluene, Formaldehyde or DBP

-polishes cost $12 each (i know a bit on the pricey side...but 100% worth it!)

you can buy them from their website, http://www.gingerandliz.com/