*press samples*
Hi everyone! Was it a manic Monday for you? I'm delighted to say it wasn't a hectic Monday here. The weather the last couple weeks have been absolutely gorgeous. Fall always feels too short here in North Carolina, so I will relish cooler days. Tonight I have a very special post to share with you all. I believe everyone should be able to wear nail polish. I don't care about your race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation; if you want to wear nail polish, you should rock it! I'll admit that I was a bit uneducated about the difficulty Muslim people had in finding nail polish they could wear while practicing the religion. According to the Muslim faith, the entire body must be cleansed before performing the 5 daily prayers. Since traditional nail polishes form a physical barrier from water and oxygen, it would have to be removed before prayer and then reapplied. Who would want to continue to apply and remove polish so often? Not only that, all of the acteone needed to remove the polish would wreck havoc on your nails and cuticles.
Despite there being over a billion Muslims, there are very few Halal nail polishes. When 786 Cosmetics contacted me about reviewing some of their polishes, I jumped at the chance. I was so curious how the polishes would differ from traditional polish. Since the polishes need to allow oxygen and water to pass through, I wanted to know how the application and wear compares to traditional polishes. The first time I remember hearing about a larger brand making halal polish was when Orly made their Breathable line a few years ago. I'm also really happy that 786 Cosmetics has included their water permeability certifications through the Kalamazoo Islamic Center and SGS Labs on their website. Whew, that's a lot of information, but it's information I think is important to know before getting to photos. The polishes retail for $12.95 each, and features cream, shimmer, and metallic finishes. Make sure to sign up for emails because they often have sales to save you some extra dough.
786 Cosmetics Izamal (3 coats)
I didn't mention it before, but all of the polishes are named after cities. Izamal just so happens to be inspired by the Mexican city, Izamal. Here is what 786 had to say about it: "Nicknamed “La Ciudad Amarilla” (or “The Yellow City”), Izamal is a small town in the state of Yucatan that is famous for its bright yellow buildings. The name Izamal means “dew that falls from the heavens.” The city was founded nearly 2,000 years ago by the Maya and is believed to have been named after the ancient Mayan god Itzamna. Not only will you find the beautiful painted city rich in color, but it is also rich in history as it is home to ancient temple pyramids."
Izamal the polish is a bright taxi cab yellow cream. Yellows are notoriously a difficult pigment for nail polish, but I'm happy to report that this one had a smooth formula and self-leveled nicely. These polishes don't feel like your traditional polish; these have a more plastic-y finish to them which actually feels really nice and smooth. This makes sense as the technology behind the polishes is similar to that used for contact lenses which is what these remind me of. I went ahead and used 3 thin coats for these swatches, and I found that the polishes dried quickly (even before applying a top coat).
786 Cosmetics Melaky (2 coats)
Up next we have Melaky which is inspired by "and named after the stone forest of Madagascar in the Melaky region. Found in the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is known for its unique geography, preserved mangrove forests, and wild bird and lemur populations."
Melaky is a beautiful neutral taupe cream that is very modern and work appropriate. I love using shades like this as a palate cleanser when wearing a bunch of colorful polishes. It had a perfect formula and achieved full opacity in 2 coats. I should also mention that these all are super easy to remove as well.
786 Cosmetics Patagonia (2 coats)
Last, but not least we have Patagonia which is inspired by "the Marble Caves of Patagonia, Chile. The Marble Caves, also called the Capillas de Mármol, formed over the last 6000+ years as water melted from nearby glaciers and washed up against solid rocks slowly carving out the caves. Over time, the minerals in the water caused the caves to have blue, green, aquamarine, yellow, and black hues."
The brand describes Patagonia as a mint aquamarine cream, while to my eye (and skintone) it's more of a pastel aqua color. For some reason I can't really see the green tones as much. Either way, I like to try pastel shades on brands I've never tried before because they can often end up a bit chalky and are hard to self-level. I'm happy to report that I had no issues with the formula on this one either.
I love a good nail primer, and they sent along the Nail Rescue Primer. This is NOT water permeable, so if you are praying, do not use this as your base. This is said to strengthen weak and damaged nails and you can use it on its own or as a base to your favorite polish. These types of products tend to take a while to see a difference on the nail, so I can't attest to its performance just yet. That said, I did use it and it dried quickly on the nail which is something I look for when trying new strengthening base coats.
Wear Test
Since this is a formula I've never used before and is quite different than your traditional polish, I wanted to do a quick wear test. I went ahead and used my favorite base and topcoats because I know how long most polishes tend to last with those (and I'm not a practicing Muslim). I am tough on my nails since my job requires me to use them all the time, so I never expect my polish to last longer than a few days without tipwear and chips. The photo above shows Izamal after 4 days of wear, and other than a chip on my index finger, the manicure looks really good!
There you have it, folks! Thoughts on the brand? I'm so glad there are more options for practicing Muslims to wear nail polish, and I was very impressed with their polishes. Again, they often run sales, so make sure to sign up for their emails. You can find out more about 786 Cosmetics on their website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest pages.
*These polishes were provided by the company or PR representative. All reviews are based solely on my opinion. For more information, please see my full disclosure at the bottom of the site*
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