From nail varnish to VANISH. Pick; Before it's gone... (Rimmel I Love Lasting Finish)

Member Name: fruityzo

Product:	Rimmel I Love Lasting Finish
Date:	04/06/09 (61 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quirky colour range.

Disadvantages: Doesn't last long at all.

Whilst mooching through my local branch of Superdrug, I decided that it was time for a new nail varnish. I make these epic decisions every couple of weeks when I've decided that I couldn't *possibly* make it through my working day with such boring nail varnish colours as I currently have.
Needless to say, this logic means I have pretty much every shade I could need; yet I am a shopaholic, so the saga continues.

This particular day I quite fancied a bright sunshine yellow, and spotted the perfect shade in the Rimmel section.
They appeared to have slightly re-branded their 'Lasting Finish' range, and changed it to I Love Lasting Finish.

I do believe this re-branding is aimed towards the younger end of the market (due to the typeface used and the love heart on the front), however I'm not particularly bothered by this - after all its the colour that goes on your nails, not the label.

**** The Product ****

The I Love Lasting Finish range comes in 13 different shades with names such as; 'Black Cherries', 'London Clouds', and 'Sunshine'.
I'd say the colours available pretty much cover the spectrum, however this is not the range for you if you prefer subtle shade variations of the more 'classic' pinks, reds etc.

Each bottle is 8ml, has the 'Lasting Finish' and Rimmel logo on the front. It also clearly states the name and number of the shade underneath this (a lot easier to read than when it is minuscule print on the base label).
I've found price can vary on this product, but expect to pay around the £2.49 - £2.83 mark. This varnish is currently on a 3 for 2 Rimmel offer in both Boots and Superdrug.

**** Usage ****

Lasting finish my bum!

I bought this varnish in 2 different shades (Bling & Sunshine), and found that with both of these one coat is not enough. The product goes on quite streaky, thus needing a second coat (I believe that a wider brush would've been beneficial for this product, eliminating some of the streaky effect).

This normally wouldn't be a huge issue as a lot of varnishes are similar, however, on the application of a second coat, the varnish appears quite thick on my nails.

After a good 15-20 minutes of chicken-flapping, my nails seemed to have dried. I do have to say though that the thickness of the second coat needed does increase drying time in my opinion, especially compared to other brands that I've used.

*Time passes; an apprentice candidate gets fired; a cat scavenges in a bin... *

So after an hour or so I have a gander at my nails, and to my utter disgust I find that my "Long lasting, chip resistant" nail colour has (drum roll please...) CHIPPED (I just know that the build up there was far too much excitement for some)!!

I wouldn't be so infuriated by this if it wasn't for the fact that I wasn't really doing anything that should cause the varnish to chip, especially after such a short period of time.

I believe the reason for this is due to the polish needing a couple of thick coats to get an even colour. This for me meant that the polish resembled a child's peel-off nail varnish, as I actually found that I could peel off large pieces of this Rimmel one.

**** Conclusion ****

Overall I have to say I was rather disappointed with this varnish. It's supposed ability to be chip resistant is non-existent.

Although the colour range is quite quirky, and at less than £3 it is not a bank-breaker, it is not a worthwhile investment if like me you're lazy and only like to 'do' your nails every 4-5 days.

I now have 2 bottles of this stuff to use (waste not...).
I think this will be best suited for one-off nights out, rather than day to day wear, purely due to its lack of longevity.

Summary: Only worth it if you don't mind constant re-applications.