JINsoon Tess Giberson Collection for Fall 2014 Swatches & Review
JINsoon X Tess Giberson
As New York Fashion Week begins, I can’t help but lament not being there. Mainly because of all the genius beauty gurus and writer friends I get to see when covering backstage. Jin Soon Choi is one of those people because she is an arbiter of nail fashion and one of the warmest, friendliest people you will ever meet.
So, while I sit here in Cleveland, watching the action from afar, I take some joy in wearing Jin’s latest collection, a fashion collaboration, JINsoon Tess Giberson for Fall 2014. Jin has a knack for delivering finishes that are unique and interesting yet understated and this collection is no exception.
Formula & Application
JINsoon nail polish is 5-Free and includes UV filters to prevent yellowing and fading of color. The bottles are tall, thin rectangles with shiny, black removable caps. Think of them as a thinner, more angular Chanel bottle shape.
I feel like the brush has evolved as the bristles are more flexible than I remember. It’s a flat and wide brush, a bit shorter than OPI’s Pro Wide. And while I used to have more of a challenge creating a smooth curve at the cuticle it was easier with this collection.
With the exception of the coral, which is a bit sheer, each shade applied smoothly with perfect pigmentation, only needing two coats.
Note: I started swatching this collection using a tacky base coat and the polishes applied streaky. When I switched to a smooth base coat, perfection!
JINsoon x Tess Giberson
JINsoon Farrago is a warm plummy purple packed with golden metallic flecks. This is a show-stopping sparkler, full of glitz and glamour.
JINsoon Farrago
JINsoon Farrago
JINsoon Heirloom is a emerald/teal/turquoise shimmery amalgam. The bottle, as you can see below, shows a bit of a shade shifting flash that is visible on the nail, at the correct angle, but very hard to capture on camera.
JINsoon Heirloom
JINsoon Heirloom
JINsoon Heirloom bottle
JINsoon Mélange has a silver chrome base and dark grey metallic glitter. The glitter is well dispersed and doesn’t require placement though it causes the finish to appear lumpy, even with top coat.
Note: I had a lab sample when I swatched this collection but have tested a final production bottle since, which looks more metallic and sparkly but still bumpy.
JINsoon Mélange
JINsoon Nocturne is an almost-black, charcoal grey shimmer. I think of it as a cross between Chanel Black Satin and Chanel Steel.
JINsoon Nocturne
JINsoon Pastiche is a peachy coral with an ethereal pink shimmer that cools off the warm base color.
JINsoon Pastiche
JINsoon Tess Giberson Nail Art
To showcase the collection, Jin created a number of nail art looks and, while they are all very chic and graphic, it’s the subtle simplicity of the Negative Space Nail Art using Nocturne that caught my eye.
JINsoon Fall 2014 nail art
JINsoon Tess Giberson nail art
In addition to how edgy and cool this design feels, I love how easy it is to create. Just drag a dotting tool through wet polish to create any pattern you like. I added a layer of matte top coat to mimic the design above.
In hindsight, I would have used a larger dotting tool, dipped in remover, to create a more distinct and clean line.
Negative Space Nail Art
JINsoon Fall 2014
Bottom Line: I know you expect me to rave about Heirloom and, believe me, it’s stunning but Farrago is my pick for “must-have” of the collection. And that’s coming from a self-proclaimed green queen. Like OPI Can’t Afjord, I’m digging the unexpected, bright pops for fall, like Pastiche, though I can’t get behind Mélange. I’m just not loving the bumpy finish.
The JINsoon Tess Giberson collection for Fall 2014 is available now at JINsoon.com, Nordstrom.com, Sephora.com and SpaceNK.com. JINsoon nail polish retails for $18/ea for a .37oz bottle.
So, what do we think of these new JINsoon colors? Which one do you consider the stand-out? Will you attempt any of Jin’s nail art designs?
Lisa N.
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I really admire your excellent writing skills. I feel like they set your blog apart and give your posts such depth, which I really appreciate.
I love Farrago and the dope negative space nail art! What smooth base coat do you favor?
Love that teal! The purple reminds me of Zoya Sansa. (I think?)
Those are nice colors for the fall season.
Melange looks strange on the nail. I’m not sure if it’s the photo, but the glitter doesn’t look like it sparkles through this polish.
It is strange on the nail. It looks so sparkly in the bottle.
All gorgeous and fun! Heirloom looks a lot like RBL Monologue. A got a free bottle from my style editor buddy.
That’s a nice buddy you have. I don’t own that color so I can’t compare them but Heirloom is gorg.
I loved everything except “Nocturne”, which is kind of boring
I can understand that. Glad you like the rest.
I love this collection..bought Pastiche (which I”m wearing right now) and Heirloom. I agree with you, Pastiche is a bit sheer. I required 3 coats but it is absolutely GORGEOUS. It looks creme in regular light and has that gorgeous pink shimmer in the sun. So far I’m on day three with no chipping at all..Yet to try heirloom and I think after reading your review I’ll have to get Farrago! I’m new to Jinsoon but will have to try other colors since there are so many interesting ones in her collection. Wish the bottles were a bit bigger but I’m all for the 5 free formula!! Thanks for the great swatches!
I’m so glad you like the ones you’ve tried so far. She has a great line and it’s hard not to want to collect them all.
These look great. Especially the charcoal. I hope someday I can try this line!
You definitely should. The polish is great.
Heirloom is gorgeous!
It’s even better in person. You must check it out
I love that negative space mani too! I wouldn’t have thought to use a dotting tool to do it, though, which is MUCH simpler than the ideas I was having to recreate it before I scrolled down more. I think I could probably deal with the bumpiness of Melange, just because I love the colors together.
Yes, I’ve been playing with my dotting tool since to try and see what else I can do with it to create negative space looks. Drawing a straight line is not happening, ha!
Ooo you should post some pics somewhere to show what magic you created! lol
I’m planning to.
YAY!!! lol
These are gorgeous! I really like the coral color. It’s unexpected for fall, but I would love to have any of them. I’m like you and don’t care for the bumpy look of the silver one. xx
Yeah, I’ve seen other pictures of Melange that look better but it’s just not for me.
Farrago and Heirloom are gorgeous!
Hey, Michelle! Sorry to ask a question so long after a post was made, but I wanted to know: How does Heirloom compare to Illamasqua “Viridian”? It looks pretty spot on, finish wise, but it’s difficult to judge the shade in photos. I think, if anything, it may be a touch more blue…but I know from experience that greens, blues, and purples (as well as any variation of those) can be tricky to capture!
I recently purchased Viridian, as well as Baptiste and Omen, from Hautelook for just $7 each! I was ecstatic, as I had never tried Illamasqua polishes due to their high cost. (JinSoon is pricey too, of course, and that’s the main reason I’m inquiring about Heirloom. Regardless, I’ll pony up and buy at least one polish soon!)
At any rate, I’m a huge fan of Illamasqua polish, now. Such fantastic colors and finishes, great brushes, and the perfect viscosity (for my preferences, anyway). I hope to see them again soon on Hautelook! (If so, it will likely be part of their #ManiMonday sale at the beginning of each week.)
Hi Lark! I’m always happy to answer questions. I would say that Heirloom is more blue because of the duo-chrome flash and that it’s more vibrant than Viridian. But they are very, very close.
And, HOW did I miss the Hautelook sale. Ugh! I’m still so bitter that Illamasqua isn’t being sold in the US, damn you Sephora, and I would have loved to stock up. I really need to keep my eye on their #ManiMonday sales.