REVIEW | e.l.f. Essential 14-Piece Nail Cube ✌

So today's post is all about elf's Essential 14-Piece Nail Cube in Jewel Tones! I love painting my nails and it's a quick and easy way to switch up your look. These colors are all very fall and holiday appropriate with the jewel tones, nudes, and glittery colors. (✿◠‿◠) 

All the swatches are done with one coat. I've tried most of them and am very happy with the color payoff, finish, and longevity, for the most part. The bottles are smaller than a standard nail polish but that's fine with me since I've never finished a bottle of polish. ≧◔◡◔≦ The bottle design is also pretty cute and sometimes when you twist the cap to close it, the cap and bottle don't align BUT you can pull off the top and realign it, similar to Illamasqua nail polishes. I love how all of these polishes dry super fast because I hate waiting for them to dry. (─‿‿─) The polishes last a week or more with little to no chipping on my nails, but I do use Sally Hansen's Double Duty Strengthening Base and Top Coat and Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat. 

From Right to Left: Violet Velvet, Red-y or Not, Cherry Bomb

Violet Velvet is a pearly violet. I find that it applies easily but streaky on the first coat. It needs two coats to achieve full opacity. Red-y or Not is a pearly finish. I had it on for a week (with base and top coats) and it barely chipped, mostly near the bottom of the nails. It's really amazing for such cheap polish. I think it's a perfect holiday red. This nail polish is okay with one coat but two coast makes it look perfect! Cherry Bomb is nice dark red, not quite a burgundy. It is a cream finish, which is my favorite kind. Again, one coat is okay but two coats look best. I love this red color for fall because it isn't too dark but still fall-appropriate. However, it chips like crazy! (ง'̀-'́)ง I even put base and top coats. The first day I had them on, two fingers chipped. I was so annoyed that I removed the whole manicure and painted them another color. This was disappointing since I love color.

From left to right: Sea Escape, Dazzle Diva, Green Machine

Sea Escape is a black nail polish with cerulean glitters. This color is really interesting because it's really dark but when the sun hits the nails, you see the glitters sparkling, which is pretty cool. One coat is opaque but the glitters are not visible, so I like applying two coats. Dazzle Diva is a sheer green multiple glitters polish. It's super sheer so you need 4 coats to get full opacity or layer it over another polish for extra dimension. It reminds me of a mermaid. ❁◕ ‿ ◕❁  However, it does not last. It chipped and smudged no matter how long I waited; I also applied base and top coats. I think this was a dud for me. Green Machine is a dark green cream finish polish. The color reminds me of a Christmas tree, perfect for the holidays! It's fully opaque in one coat, which is awesome! It also dries pretty quickly so I love it when I'm short on time. 

From Left to right: Taupe of the World, Smokey Brown, Misty Haze, Desert Haze

Taupe of the World is a dark taupe color with a cream finish. It's opaque in one coat, which is nice! Smokey Brown is a dark brown. It's very similar to Taupe of the World but it's darker and warmer. It's cream finish and fully opaque in one coat. The longevity is also pretty good; I had minor chipping after a week. Misty Haze is a nice light gray color. Again, it's opaque in one coat. Desert Haze is a lovely nude color. I love nude polishes for the fall because it helps break up darker outfits. I have a hard time finding nudes that don't wash out my skin or give it an unhealthy appearance but I'm very glad to say that this works very well on my medium skin tone. It's nicely opaque with one coat.

From left to right: Glamour Girl, Blushing Beauty, Chic Confetti, Gold Star

Glamour Girl is a medium tan base with tiny gold glitters in it. It is very opaque with one coat. Most of the time, I like to apply two coats for extra security but with this color, I have no need! It's not gritty on the nails or anything, which bugs me about glitter polishes sometimes. This doesn't chip on me at all for a whole week! (I always use base and top coat whenever I paint my nails) It's a nice understated color with a little hint of sparkle. Blushing Beauty is a nice orange gold color with silver sparkles. It kind of reminds me of a rose gold. Again, Blushing Beauty is similar to Glamour Girl in that it has amazing lasting power but I like to apply a second coat but it still looks nice with one coat. Chic Confetti is a multi-glitter polish. It looks really nice in the bottle but it isn't dense glitter at all. It's very sparse but if I dab the brush instead of brushing the color on, it applies denser. However, it takes FOREVER to dry between coats so I dislike using it. Gold Star is a gold glitter with large and small glitters. Again, it has the same issue as Chic Confetti, so I don't use it often.

From left to right: Glamour Girl, Blushing Beauty, Chic Confetti, Gold Star

So that's a wrap for today's post! Overall, I do love this set and use it quite often. With a couple of exceptions, they all apply smoothly and opaquely while drying quite quickly. I always use a base and top coat with every manicure so I can't really say if they'll last as long without--however, you should always use a base coat to protect your natural nail!

XOXO,

MWAH ♥

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Disclosure Statement: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money. I am not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned above and was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. Links are not affiliate links and are provided for the readers' convenience. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were either given to me as a sample or gift with purchase or given to me by my friends and family.