I was stocking up on some essentials in Boots a few weeks ago when I picked up a bottle of Max Factor Max Effect Mini Nail Polish in Fantasy Fire. I wasn’t looking for it in particular, I just spotted it on the shelf and thought I’d try it seeing as it seemed to have been causing a bit of a stir amongst other bloggers, plus it was only £3.99. Bargain.
I then promptly forgot about it as I tend to do with most nail polishes I buy. Saturday evening however I was messing about with water marbling and was rummaging through my collection for my freshest polishes when I spotted it. Water marbling is messy and fiddly, so I thought “feck it” and decided to do my nails with Fantasy Fire.
In the bottle it looks so beautiful. It’s a rich metallic purple polish with absolutely loads of iridescent pink, gold, green and blue seemingly running through it depending on how the light hits it. Applied to the nails, you can create an array of looks as different tones come through depending on the base coat used. I’ve seen it on other blogs applied over a nude base colour which makes it look a more blue-lilac colour and over a dark base colour it deepens the purple and more of the blue-green shimmer is highlighted.
I simply applied it over a clear base coat and have to admit I was pretty peeved that it took three coats to get this look. It’s a very sheer polish and I actually think that a fourth coat is needed really; on closer inspection the next day I could still see the white tips of my nails through the polish! Any polish that needs two of more coats quickly loses favour with me. No patience!
I applied the polish on Saturday night and have only just managed to chip it today as I was talking to someone quick boring on the phone and fiddling with a pen which caught the edge of my nail. I’m sure it would last longer if I hadn’t have done that.
Overall I think it’s a lovely colour, very eye-catching. It’s just a shame that so many coats are needed! It’s certainly worth buying if, unlike me, you're patient when doing your nails!
