Mentality: Essential, Instigate & Provoke

**I want to note that I am no longer affiliated with, or a supporter of, Mentality Nail Polish. Please see my post detailing my experiences with Mentality by clicking here for more information. In short, I would STRONGLY recommend not buying Mentality due to harmful effects that their polishes have had on some people. Even if you've been having an issue and you can't say for sure that it's Mentality polish that's causing it, discontinue use immediately. I didn't know what it was and by the time I realized, serious damage had been done to my nails. They are still not healed. Just don't take any chances. I will leave up my posts where I have reviewed or swatched Mentality polishes because I don't want to just delete them and pretend like nothing happened. I would also recommend reading these great, informative posts by Ashley is Polish Addicted and also The Mercurial Magpie who explain what's happened. Lab Muffin also offers some really interesting possibilities for what specifically about the polishes could be causing these effects.**

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Mine seemed to fly by, but we got so much done on the house, I'm okay with that! :)

Today it's back to real life and back to work, but I do have some lovely Mentality polishes to share with you to brighten up your Monday. :)

Let's start with Essential. It is described as "a blue purple metallic nail polish with gold flecks."

Essential is part of the Metallics collection. I've lumped it in with these other two since it didn't really fit in anywhere else haha. This is such a gorgeous shade, and the gold flecks are really stunning! This polish is almost the exact color as my favorite sweater, I love it! It's one of those colors that is really great for any season, too.

I used 2 coats of Essential plus 1 coat of HK Girl topcoat for these photos. Formula was great as per usual with Mentality. This one is highly pigmented, and especially since it's a metallic polish, I imagine it would be great for stamping! I can't wait to try it out in a nail art look.

Next up, I have Instigate. Instigate is "a yellow holographic jellychrome with glass flecks that shift violet-blue, violet, red, to orange-yellow."

When I first saw this shade, I wasn't sure how it would look with my skin tone. I have a hard time finding yellow shades that look good with my pale skin, but I think the glass flecks in this one help with that - it's not your typical yellow because of all the colors. I noticed a strong pink flash that was really unique! I actually ended up really liking this on me. :)

In some lighting, the green flecks took center stage and give Instigate an almost celery green look. Then, in other lights, the pink flash really shows through. I love polishes that are always transforming! :) And, the holo effect is really strong in this as well. I've used 3 coats here with HK Girl topcoat, and again, formula was great! I experienced no issues at all. As I've mentioned, these jellychromes tend to be thicker than your standard nail polish, which I actually love because it makes application a breeze! The polish is never runny and it stays where you put it, giving you a smooth, easy application. :)

I drove myself crazy trying to get the pink flash to show up on camera like it does in real life. I even had my fiance help me with lighting, holding flashlights and such haha! In the end, you can see it a bit in some of these photos, but it was so much more pronounced in real life. It really is a pretty combination of the base colors and the glass flecks, that I wouldn't have thought of, but it really works!

And, last for today is Provoke, which is described as "a green holographic jellychrome with glass flecks that shift red-purple, red, orange, to yellow."

I love this polish! It reminds me of the ocean. It's a really pretty almost aqua shade, and it's got a gorgeous pink/purple flash that reminds me of Instigate.

I used 3 coats of Provoke here, but 2 coats probably would have been sufficient. I used HK Girl to top it off. Again, formula was perfect. No problems at all to report! This is another very pigmented polish that I think would be an awesome stamper. I can't wait to try it out. :) This would be a pretty polish to use for a mermaid scale mani!

The holo effect is really strong in this one, I only wish we had some sun in Ohio so I could capture it and show you! I tried getting a shot with flash in an attempt to show off the holo.

Essential retails for $6.50, while Instigate and Provoke retail for $8.50 each. But, if you purchase the entire Holo Jellychrome set, you'll save some money because you'll get all 7 polishes for only $57, shipping included! :D

My thoughts on these? I absolutely loved these 3 polishes! These jellychromes are fabulous, and Essential is a gorgeous metallic. I think all 3 of these would be great for stamping. If I had to pick a favorite, I think it would be Provoke, because just looking at it inspires me and gives me nail art ideas. I love that!

Which of these is your favorite? I'd love to hear below! And be sure to have a look around the Mentality shop for these and more pretties. :)

Thanks for reading! <3
Kelly