Product Review: MAC Nail Lacquer Nightfall

"Christian said he'd call the next day, but in boy time, that meant Thursday. So, you can imagine my astonishment to hear from him while I was packing Daddy up."
(10 points to anyone who can identify the quote!)


Right, so I must be operating on Boy Time, since 'tomorrow' turned into like 5 days later. But nail polish this good is worth the wait!

I've never really been a nail polish person. Sure, I'll throw some on my toes if I'm wearing sandals, but on my actual finger nails? Couldn't be arsed. Until recently, when I randomly decided to go for a manicure, and ended up loving how glossy and shiny and rich my nails looked. I was hooked!

Of course, applying nail polish at home was a whole different story. I don't have the steadiest hands (caffeine diet, anyone?) and my first attempts ended up looking like those of a 5-year old with Parkinson's. But with patience, practice, and a ready supply of remover-soaked Q-Tips, I eventually managed to have nails I could be seen out in public with.

So, while I'm totally not a polish expert, I've since tried my hand (har!) at a good handful of nail lacquers. One that I'm totally loving is Nightfall, by MAC.








I had originally wanted a flat gunmetal grey, which is apparently impossible to find in stores in Canada. Nightfall is actually darker than that... a deep charcoal. But since it's a frost, the shimmer in it lightens up the shade enough that it's passable. (Rest assured though, this is not that Sally Hansen metallic dragon-lady frost of the 90's. Due to its depth of colour, it just shows up as a dark glossy colour with some shimmer.)

After wearing it for a day, I ended up loving this colour. Less harsh than black, you might think this looks really punk, but on short nails, it's really chic. I've been wearing it to work all week and I haven't felt weird or anything. (Granted, I don't exactly have an office job, but still.)

One of the best things about this formula is how well it wears. I've had it on literally a week, and other than some tip-wear (I spend my whole life typing, so this is pretty much unavoidable), it's stayed on like iron. Like silky glossy iron. Aside from one small chip that was easily fixed, I haven't even had to put on more top-coat or anything. Amazing! The application is also a breeze... smooth, pigmented even with 1 coat (though I do 2), and no tugging or streaking. Luscious.

At $13 CAD a bottle, it's not the cheapest. But the easy application, long wear, and gorgeous colour make it worthwhile. Plus, I think the bottle is a bit bigger than your typical polish. Sadly, MAC doesn't have that many shades, and are not likely to expand much in the future, according to the SA. This is understandable... their forte is their makeup. But Nightfall is definitely a winner... a perfect match for this season's grey and purple clothing, and would even carry you over into Christmas and New Years to put a bit of edge on your little black dress!