Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Enamel in N°24 Black Carbon

Black and green are two of my favourite colours. Part of the Bourjois Fashion Paradise collection, N°24 Black Carbon not only contains these hues, it also appeals to my penchant for deep shades.

More green than black, this shimmery nail polish is rich and dark in the bottle. I  am quite impressed by the fact that the glass bottle is embossed with the code of the enamel. Aren’t nail polish bottles usually generic?

A closer look reveals hints of metallic purple, adding complexity to the colour. I didn’t expect the presence of this shade and was pleasantly surprised by its addition.

You can see the differently-coloured sparkles in the swatch. Incredibly, the elongated cap of the bottle is a pretty blend of black, green and purple shimmer too. Like the embossed base, this is a clear sign of Bourjois’s attention to detail.

I really like the pinceau panoramique (fan effect brush). It has a slight roundedness that helps apply the lacquer smoothly. Unfortunately, the varnish has a tendency to dry streaky, as you can tell in the swatch photo. In addition, each coat doesn’t seem to dry in 50 seconds, as the brand claims. That said, I will work with it a little more (layer thinly, let the layers dry one by one, apply a good topcoat,  for instance) and hope that its nail surface appearance improves.

If you don’t mind the extra effort in exchange for the beautiful shade, you can purchase it now at Watsons for S$7.70 (its usual retail price is S$10.70). Mine was free in a way – I redeemed it with my Watsons Card points. ;)

Image source: Bourjois UK