ALU’s 365 of Untried – Sonia Kashuk Starry Night
365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to.
Even though nail polish colors have essentially become seasonless, I think we will always gravitate, in some way, towards the more typical shades associated with each season. Brights for summer, darks for winter, etc. That being said, there’s something so refreshing about flipping the script mid-season by wearing a sky blue in winter, a la China Glaze Bahama Blues, or a sexy black in the sweltering heat of summer. That brings me to today’s untried, Sonia Kashuk Starry Night. When I originally acquired this shade last year I wasn’t feeling it. I was ready for fun Spring colors but now that the dog days are upon us, I’m loving the contrast. |
Formula & Application: Sonia Kashuk nail polishes are 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin) and free of camphor, which can be an irritant. The square glass bottle and smooth metallic cap are identical to the Inglot Nail Enamel packaging. The round, fat brushes even look the same but they apply the polish differently. Where the Inglot brush tends to impede application, causing dragging, I experienced no issues with the Sonia Kashuk brush. The bristles weren’t as densely packed, making the brush more flexible overall.
The pigmentation of this polish is simply phenom and the formula is thin, slightly squishy and workable. I barely needed two coats to get it opaque and it dried with a smooth, glossy finish.
Sonia Kashuk Starry Night has a jet black base with silvery micro-glitter peppered throughout. I imagine this is the type of starry sky you see when it’s “country dark.” Though the way the sparkles seem to run down the nail in lines, it looks like some kind of 80s computerized backdrop that you might see behind Max Headroom. What impressed me the most is how inky the base is in spite of the silver micro-glitter. Usually the addition of shimmer or glitter will significantly lighten a black polish.
In looking for Starry Night twins I came up with two close relatives; Orly Goth and Dior Black Sequins. Starry Night doesn’t have the irregular shaped flecks that have contributed to Goth’s popularity yet is has a lot more sparkle power than Black Diamonds. I wouldn’t say the differences are enough to warrant owning all three. It’s more a matter of accessibility and budget.
Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a great sparkly black, Starry Night is a great option. It’s not super glittafied (yes I’m making up my own words) but it packs enough punch to make sure people know your nails have a little bling. If you already own Orly Goth I would say skip it but if you are lamenting missing out on Dior Black Sequins, this will satiate you.
365 of Untrieds Stash/Share Verdict: I would keep it if I didn’t already own Black Sequins and Goth but since I do, SHARE.
Sonia Kashuk Starry Night was released as part of the Fall 2010 collection but it is still available at Target and Target.com. Sonia Kashuk nail polishes retail for $4.99/ea for a .5oz bottle.
Are you into Starry Night? What are your thoughts on Sonia Kashuk nail polish? Which colors would you recommend the line? What is your all-time fave black shimmer/glitter polish?
Disclosure: A product sample was provided by reps for Sonia Kashuk. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
It’s a gorgeous black, love the glitter!
It’s also similar to Sally Hansen’s ‘Midnight in NY’, which was in the CSM line a year or so back. The main differences are that the sparkles are a bit sparser (like the Dior, imo,) and multicolored.
Ooh! I have NEVer worn a black polish, but this one could make me change my mind! It is really pretty. I don’t think a plain black cream would work for me. Maybe you’d like to share with me and open my world a bit? Wow, what a way to step out of one’s routine. I may even consider this one. My local Target store carries the Sonja Kashuk line but I never see any of her polishes there. I don’t know where else to find them. Any ideas? Anyway, I think it’s gorgeous! (The addition of the bling makes it work for me, at least in theory. I’d love to try it. Thanks for the continuing 365 untried series–I love it!+
I think her line may be a Target exclusive. If they don’t carry the polish in store you can always order from their website.
Gorgeous!!! Definitely swinging by Target tomorrow.
Love this polish! Thanks for the comparisons =]
I like it! I like that it is so inky black even with the sparkle factor.
I was idly swatching colors on my nails today because I can’t decide whether I’m in an orange/coral/bright summer mood or a dark sparkly mood. Must be season-changing time.
Max Headroom! Luved him…and this is a great color I need to toddle over to Target this weekend.
This is so awesome! I love this. Also wanted to tell you that I tried Nails Inc polish and their top coat since you always rave-and you do NOT tell a lie! I am hooked, already placed a 2nd order to stock up! Thank you so much.
Share it to me! lol
Ooh! I like it!
I actually just started a polish swap on Facebook, and the very first swap I made was for Petites Midnight Frost, which is also a black with silver micro-glitter. I should be getting my polish in the mail some time next week, and this post has me even more excited than I already was to try it!
I really love the dark black cherry tones of OPI Midnight in Moscow and Black Cherry Chutney. A lot of people tell me that it just looks black to them, but I still love those jewel-like, blackish-ruby colors.
This is a wonderful Fall/Winter color or great for use on Halloween. Gothic but not in a totally scary over-the-top way!
Where do you “share” your polishes?
I host a charity beauty sale in my home with local bloggers. All the money raised goes to charity. Last year we raised over $1000 for Living Beyond Breast Cancer.
That’s a brilliant idea!
This is a beautiful color!
Just wondering what you mean when you say “share” are you selling them or giving them away to people?
I host a charity beauty sale every fall with local bloggers. The money raised goes to charity. Last year we raised over $1000 for Living Beyond Breast Cancer.
Starry Night is so pretty!! Im in love! Could it possibly be similar to OPI- My Private Jet?
This is such a gorgeous color, I can’t believe I’ve missed this in all my trips to target… I will have to keep my eyes peeled!
I’m one of those script-flippers who has taken to wearing the darks in summer and the brights in winter with no apologies, although right now I’m rocking what I call a “sour apple” manicure using Sinful Colors’ Innocent and Happy Ending in an ombre pattern.
I am just curious how Starry Night compares to the much-hyped Chanel Black Satin? It looks fairly similar to me.
Its also very similar to the new NARS Night Series that came out here in the UK this week.
That color looks great! I’ve been looking for a color like this! Thanks!!
I love it!! Pick ME!!
wow, i love this! for some reason a “ton” of glitter seems to not be my favorite (gasp! i know, lol), but this really has the perfect amount. thanks for swatching, and for telling us where to get it!
it impresses me how beautiful your nails are, and how much resource you share with us. thank you so much!!
I love this polish! There is a brand called Funky Finger and I love their black glittery polish called Semi-Automatic. The best part is, its only two dollars!
I agree with your idea of wearing a non-seasonal colour randomly. I tend to wear pale blues when it has snowed outside trying to tie my mood to the solitary sparse environment outdoors. I also love wearing dark metallics to the club during all seasons to keep that dark, predator-like edge to my outfit. It’s a genius idea all around!
I pretty much only wear black and grey polishes (the horror!) and I now need a bottle of either this or Orly Goth… I love Orly’s brush, but it sounds like I might like this brush too! Decisions, decisions…
what a beautiful black i would love to get it but the sonia kashuk section is always picked clean at my target.
I’m really, definitely not on blacks, glittered or not… So this one does me nothing! I’d have prefered it with a touch of blue or red into it… But thanks for the comparison, the day I turn my mind on blacks, I’ll probably go for that one instead of the Dior (I feel it easier to wear a dark color with a lot of sparkles, just to avoid the whole goth thing!)
It’s been three days since your last post. Been missing them…but hope everything’s okay in your world!
I loved MAX HEADROOM!
I’m such a fan of black. Thanks for the review- this color is now in my stash.
Finger Paints “Where Art Renoir?” seems to be really close to these colors as well.