Kiara Sky is a new two-step gel polish from the makers of INK gel polish. Kiara Sky colorbase has the base and color mixed into one bottle. A separate base coat is optional, but a top coat is required. This new formula is also solvent-free, which means that it doesn’t have a strong smell, and won’t yellow or thicken over time. There are 87 unique colors in the Kiara Sky line, and each of the gel polish colors also has a matching nail lacquer (purchased separately). I learned about this brand during my visit to Cosmoprof this past July and was fortunate to receive a few samples to try.
Wear
I was very eager to try the Kiara Sky gel polishes since some of the colors that I received are so unique, especially the glitter polishes. I did several wear tests on the gel polishes as a two-step system with just the colorbase and a top coat. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to keep the polish on for more than a few days as each time the polish would come off in full sheets. I think my nails are over-buffed and too smooth from some of my other wear tests. That is not to say that the two-step polish wouldn’t work for others, but it didn’t work for me. After switching to using the optional Kiara Sky base I had much more success! The wear test below is my result WITH the base coat.
All of the Kiara Sky gel polishes that I tried applied really nicely from edge-to-edge with no shrinkage or pooling, and they were opaque in just two coats. For this wear test I applied the base coat, two coats of color and the top coat. I used two different colors so that I could test a cream and a glitter. The dark pink shade is #455 Socialite, and the glitter on the ring finger is #464 Cherry Dust. The cream polishes have a great consistency that’s very easy to apply. The glitters are a little thicker, but that’s so that you get full glitter coverage in just two coats. I personally found the brushes to be a little wide, which made application slightly messy for me since my nails are rather narrow and the curves can be hard to get into. I’m told that professionals prefer a wider brush to be able to cover the nails faster with fewer strokes. Below is a picture of my completed manicure.
I had no issues with lifting, chipping or peeling with the base coat, and my manicure lasted the full 14 days of my wear test. This polish also made my nails feel very strong, which I loved. They were also strong without the base coat in case you’re wondering. Below is a picture of my nails on day 14, still perfectly in tact. The only thing I noticed is that the shine of the top coat did dull a little over time.
Removal
For the removal process I soaked my nails in acetone using my Nail Mates removers. The cream polish soaked off nicely in just 10-12 minutes with minimal pushing with an orange stick… no damage or issues! Glitter gel polishes in a clear base always take longer to soak-off so I wasn’t surprised that the glitter took longer, but it was about 30 minutes total. I didn’t try applying heat, but that might have helped speed up the process a little.
Colors
So let’s take a look at some of the colors. My focus today is on the glitter polishes since I think they’re pretty unique. The glitters all apply with good, even coverage in just two coats and some of them give the appearance of textured nail art, which also looks really cool with a matte top coat. Each of the swatches below are two coats.
Graffiti (#462) is a clear base with small black glitters and white glitter in different sizes. This one has a salt and pepper feel to it and would work well as an accent nail with almost any other color.
Forbidden (#461) is very similar to Graffiti, except it has small red glitters instead of black.
Serene Sky (#463) is a clear base that’s loaded with light, sky blue glitter in various sizes.
Lava at First Sight (#420) is different from the others since the glitter is more fine and it has some holographic glitter in it that gives it some sparkle.
I also have some cream finish colors, but I will swatch and post those at a future date. In the meantime, below are some photos that I took at Cosmoprof of the 87 Kiara Sky colors. You can click on these images to view them at a larger size.
Where to Buy
Kiara Sky is carried in several beauty supply stores. You can use the distributor map on the Kiara Sky website to locate a distributor near you (requires creating an account and logging in). I was also able to find a few online distributors by searching on Google. The average price per bottle seems to be around $9, which is pretty reasonable.