The Monthly Nail Review

I got my first nail mail today and I was so EXCITED! Last month I decided that I wanted to join a mail order nail box so I looked around for one that suited me. I finally settled on The Monthly Nail for a couple of reasons.

First, they ONLY ship polishes. There is a reason this blog is named what it is; I am not a 'beauty'-ful person. I'm not into the newest skin cream or make up color. I have a drawer full of stuff I don't use already, so I didn't want to join a box that included a beauty product that would just sit on my shelf and never get used.

Second, your box is completely customizable. I opted for the premium package which allows me to get 2 big name polishes (essie or OPI) and 2 of their indie brand, Eugene Malibu. You have the option of choosing any of the current or previous essie or OPI polishes, even if they aren't listed on their website, as long as the color hasn't been discontinued. For the Eugene Malibu colors, this is where the fun comes in, and my number three reason so:

Third, YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN POLISH! I was so excited over this. You have the ability to completely customize your own polish creation. You can choose the base, the color, if you want glitter or shimmer and on and on. There's even a note box so that you can get even more specific.

Finally, the price is unbeatable. For $23.99 a month I get four polishes. I figured it up and if I had bought them retail at Wal-Mart, even, I would've paid at least $9 for each bottle, so I'm saving over $10 this way. Plus they don't charge any shipping on the box subscriptions.

So, here's what I got in the mail today:

The box wasn't anything fancy. On their website it says that the monthly subscription can be gifted and it will come in a pretty box. I'm hoping that if you request it you get gift wrap.

I ordered 2 essie polishes (blue: strut your stuff, pink: haute in the heat) and I created the two Eugene Malibu colors myself. For the first one, I asked for a clear base with purple, black and green glitter and I must say it is PACKED with glitter  (called Beloved). It's really awesome and I can't wait to use it. For the second one (swatched below) I ordered a white crelly with red and black glitter (called Black and White and Red All Over).

Another cool option is that you get to name your creations. So on the bottom of my two custom bottles is a stick with MY polish name.

Now, onto the review of the actual polish. I used the white one and I really do love it. The formula was very smooth, and for a white crelly it covered pretty well. I have three coats on in the photo, but I could've gotten along with just two. It dried pretty quickly and there wasn't any streaking when adding the additional coats. The glitter wasn't as packed in this one as the purple, but it was still easy to get a good amount on my nails.

The red is a Shany polish that I've had for a while. It doesn't have a name (sorry). What do you think?

My only complaint so far with The Monthly Nail is that their website hasn't been updated since may and it doesn't look terribly professional. I was worried that it might be a two-bit run operation, but I'm very pleased with the actual product. Can't wait to get my email to customize September's box!