My first review and swatch - Spa Ritual Optical Illusion!

I decided to start doing reviews and swatches because, firstly, as some of you may know, I'm a vegan and I want to promote cruelty-free and vegan brands (btw, here is a very well-documented list of companies who don't test on animals - Cruelty Free & Vegan Brand List) and secondly, I'd love to get free products hehe (I know that won't happen in the near future but who knows) :P

M-am hotarat sa incep sa fac review-uri si swatch-uri pentru ca, in primul rand, dupa cum probabil stiti cateva dintre voi, sunt vegana si vreau sa promovez firme vegane si care nu testeaza pe animale (apropo, aici este o lista foarte bine documentata de companii care nu testeaza pe animale - Cruelty Free & Vegan Brand List) si in al doilea rand, mi-ar placea sa primesc produse gratis hehe (stiu ca nu se va intampla in viitorul apropiat dar cine stie) :P

A few months ago, I entered a giveaway on Flora's blog and, very much to my surprise, I won! I'd never won a random drawing so I was extremely happy! The prize consisted of three Spa Ritual nail polishes (I will soon show you the other two shades as well). Spa Ritual is a professional products brand, completely vegan and cruelty-free.

Acum cateva luni, m-am inscris la un giveaway pe blogul Florei si, spre surpriza mea, am castigat! Eu nu castigasem niciodata ceva prin tragere la sorti asa ca am fost extrem de fericita! Premiul consta in trei oje Spa Ritual (o sa vi le arat si pe celelalte doua curand). Spa Ritual este o marca de produse profesionale, complet vegane si netestate pe animale.

The shade I'm going to review today is called Optical Illusion. Lucy at "Lucy's Stash" also reviewed this shade. Here is her post, if you'd like to check that out too - SpaRitual Optical Illusion - Review and swatches. To me, this polish is a yellowish medium green jelly with lots of duo-chrome glass flecks (you can see gold, blue, purple, more visible in the bottle in natural lighting, not very visible once applied). If I got you all confused with this description, Michèle from "Lacquerized" did a great post on nail polish finishes - Finish it up! 25 different nail polish finishes. At first, this was the polish I least liked but when I applied it, I could see it's a special colour. I think it goes well with a lot of skin tones. However, there is something odd about it. I've checked a few reviews and some of them say it's opaque in two, even one coat and some say it's on the sheer side. Well, mine is definitely on the sheer side. I used three coats (first one thin, next ones thick) to get the opacity you see in these photos.

Nuanta pe care o sa v-o arat azi se cheama Optical Illusion. Lucy de la "Lucy's Stash" a facut si ea un review acestei nuante. Aici este postarea ei daca vrei sa o vezi - SpaRitual Optical Illusion - Review and swatches. Dupa mine, aceasta oja este un verde mediu galbui cu finis de "jeleu" cu multi fulgisori de sticla duocroma (se vad nuante de auriu, albastru, mov, mai vizibile in sticla in lumina naturala, nu foarte vizibile odata aplicata). Daca te-am confuzat cu aceasta descriere, Michèle de la "Lacquerized" a scris o postare foarte buna despre diversele finisuri ale ojelor - Finish it up! 25 different nail polish finishes. La inceput, aceasta a fost oja care mi-a placut cel mai putin dar cand am aplicat-o, mi-am dat seama ca este o culoare speciala. Cred ca se potriveste multor nuante de piele. Totusi, este ceva ciudat in legatura cu ea. Am vazut cateva review-uri si unele spuneau ca este opaca in doua sau chiar un strat iar altele spuneau ca este mai degraba transparenta. Ei bine, a mea este cu siguranta destul de transparenta. Am folosit trei straturi (primul subtire, urmatoarele groase) pentru a obtine opacitatea care se vede in poze.

Artificial lightning/ Lumina artificiala

Natural lightning/ Lumina naturala

Sunlight/Lumina soarelui

The application was very easy and it dried quite quickly despite the thick layers (I'm not wearing any topcoat in the photos). On nails as short as mine, no nail polish will last more than a few days, sadly. I have explained all about making your nail polish last longer in this post - Make your nail polish last as long as you want!. I can't wait for my nails to be longer!!

Aplicarea a fost foarte usoara si s-a uscat destul de repede in ciuda straturilor groase (nu port topcoat in aceste poze). Pe unghii asa scurte ca ale mele, nicio oja nu va rezista mai mult de cateva zile, din pacate. Am explicat totul despre cum sa-ti faci oja sa reziste mai mult in aceasta postare - Fa-ti oja sa reziste cat vrei tu!. Abia astept sa am unghiile mai lungi!!


Spa Ritual products can be found at Spa Ritual (US), Feelunique (UK), Zenith (Romania). You can see if there is a distributor in your country by googling "Spa Ritual (your country)".

Produsele Spa Ritual pot fi gasite la Spa Ritual (Statele Unite), Feelunique (Regatul Unit), Zenith (Romania). Poti vedea daca exista un distribuitor in tara ta cautand pe google "Spa Ritual (tara ta)".


Hope you liked this review! I did a nail art design on this polish but I didn't manage to get decent photos :( It was something simple anyway, you didn't miss anything :P Byee!

Sper ca v-a placut acest review! Mi-am facut si un design pe aceasta oja dar nu am apucat sa fac poze decente :( Era ceva simplu oricum, n-ati pierdut nimic :P Paa!