Review: Rimmel Lycra Pro Professional Finish Nail Polish in 286 Oyster Pink

Before, nail colour was just a fun thing for me – painting my fingernails was a form of assignment procrastination more than self-pampering or beautification. Now that I’m a working woman though, the tables have turned slightly and I’m starting to realize the subtle importance of having nicely upkept and groomed nails as part of a polished appearance.

I recently ran out and purchased two little bottles of polish from my nearby Watson’s outlet – one for fingernails and one for toenails. Here, I will review the former: Rimmel Lycra Pro Professional Finish in 286 Oyster Pink.

Rimmel Lycra Pro Professional Finish Nail Polish in 286 Oyster Pink – Photo: Author’s Own

Read on for my verdict!

Rimmel’s Lycra Pro Professional Finish claims to last for up to 10 days on nails without chipping off. The secret is apparently in the formula, which incorporates Lycra technology into it. I’m personally not completely sure how this works.

The first thing that caught my eye with this polish was not the Lycra logo tacked on its label – it was the colour. I was drawn to its pearly sheen (I am a sucker for pearly sheen anything when it comes to nails, I love the elegance of the sheen!) and its delicate almost-nude, pink shade.

This is what it looks like, two coats later:

Rimmel Lycra Pro Professional Finish Nail Colour in 286 Oyster Pink, two coats – Photo: Author’s Own

I like that it’s subtle and sheer. Your nails still look polished, but without being garish or over the top. This colour also goes great with any office attire, yet still looks soft and feminine when paired with casual clothes or a summer dress for a weekend of shopping with the girls.

When it comes to staying power, I didn’t find that two coats lasted a whole 10 days as the bottle claimed. It held fast for about a week straight – not bad as I spend an inordinate amount of time typing rather vigorously at my laptop or work PC, and am a well-known klutz when it comes to maintaining the state of my nails. However, three coats of polish held fast for about two weeks, which was a pleasant surprise. The three-coat look didn’t look too different from the two-coat look as the pink shade of the polish is sheer and therefore very buildable.

Another interesting point to note about this polish is the brush: it’s Rimmel’s Maxi Brush that claims to provide “mistake free application”. It’s basically a wider, flatter version of your regular nail polish brush that fans out and evenly distributes the polish onto your nail in one stroke, thereby eliminating the need for multiple strokes (and streaking) that comes with a regular-sized brush.

Does it do the job? Yes, absolutely! As much as I love pearly nail colours, I am generally loath to purchase many because they streak when not applied with a perfectly steady hand, ruining any chance of a polished look. This brush got rid of that problem for me as one smooth stroke did the trick and the whole nail was covered. Even with the thumb, just two strokes were enough.

Pour conclure, I will definitely be buying this again once I run out. I’m all for a nail colour that is versatile, wearable, professional and pretty. It’s also good value for money – a 12ml bottle of Rimmel Lycra Pro Professional Finish retails at about SGD8 (sometimes cheaper if bought on promotion) or RM16 at your local pharmacy.