I've never used Ciaté nail polishes, or 'paint pots', before. I believe they're more of a luxury brand — in the States I always saw them in Sephora, especially after the Olivia Palermo collection came out. Yes, the horrible girl from The City (spin-off of The Hills) is now, like, the darling of the fashion/beauty world. Yes, I watched that show, and yes, I still don't like her despite it being 6+ years ago!
This Ciaté one in the shade iced frappe I consider to be very good. It's probably not the best one I've ever used, but I would definitely consider buying more from the company if I had excess funds. (I never really go out of my way to spend money on nail polishes. I save that for makeup!) And I didn't even purchase this one directly — it actually came free with an InStyle UK magazine last month. I saw it and thought, what a steal! And a great way to try out the brand. Basically, their marketing worked on me. They played me.
The polish requires at least two coats. I can see them on my nails now, and there are one or two areas where it is not as thick as I would have liked. But on the same note, it's not too thin by any means — if it was just one notch thicker, it would be perfect. The brush is lovely and the kind I prefer: thicker and more flat, rather than those thin and flimsy circular ones. The lasting power is quite decent, I think around 4-5 days before any serious chipping occurs. I believe I'm currently on day 3, and I only see the tiniest of tiny chip on my right index finger. That's pretty good!
The packaging is, of course, adorable. I love the black bow, wide jar, and long thin cap/brush handle. And I do enjoy this colour — a very pale, cool-toned purple that can act as a neutral but also a great spring colour for the upcoming season. I'll definitely keep using it!
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