SWATCH & REVIEW: Kokie Cosmetics Nail Polish

by - January 06, 2021


I've been curious about Kokie Cosmetics for a while now, so I was SUPER stoked to hear that their nail polishes were going to finally be available here in Canada at Sally Beauty and I was definitely in when I got a chance to try out some of the shades for myself. It's always exciting to me when new formulas of nail polish, especially ones that live in the under $10 a bottle range, become available in stores locally. I only have 6 shades to share with you guys today, but there are definitely some different finishes in this bunch, and I definitely hope to share more in the future.

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What really strikes me as I look through the 50 shades of Kokie Professional Nail Polish that Sally Beauty is selling is that there really is an incredible variety and some distinct uniqueness to this line. This is definitely not your run of the mill drugstore line. Though there are definitely some staple shades in their collection, there are a lot of shades that are incredibly unique and distinctly stand out when it comes to mainstream polishes in permanent collections. That's a huge, huge draw for me personally and I think definitely makes Kokie stand out. 

But let's get into the shades I got to try out, shall we?


Kokie Cosmetics Nail Polish in Cosmic Dust*
I would describe Cosmic Dust as a charcoal grey packed with fine gold shimmer. I was a little bit worried that this polish would have brush strokes but I was happy to discover that it's the type of formula where any brush strokes that appear on application disappear as it dries. The formulas has a really smooth, easy application and two coat coverage with a nice shine even without top coat. I really like the pairing of the ashy charcoal and the warmth of the gold shimmer, I think it makes this polish both really beautiful (and not too vampy) but also quite unique.


Kokie Cosmetics Nail Polish in Inked*
Inked is a really stunning navy blue jelly polish - and I think it's complicated. For fully opacity, I think you would need 3 coats of this, but I found that I really liked the look of 2 coats because it gave me coverage but still maintained that jelly look. I never think of jelly polishes as being really pigmented, but this one really, really is and as such it's both not as sheer as you might expect and also requires a pretty careful hand. I personally think that it's worth it though, because in the end you have a really  beautiful depth to the blue along with that sort of squishy, slightly see through formula. It's really unique, much more unique than I was expecting when I saw the bottle. Now, if you're looking for a navy blue créme, this might not be for you, but I definitely think it's a polish worth taking a look at if this formula sounds like it could be your thing. 


Kokie Cosmetics Nail Polish in London Fog*
London Fog is a taupe créme shade that really rides that balance between brown and grey undertones with just a hint of pink to keep it from being too much of a concrete tone. It's a super pigmented and smooth shade and, while I think you could easily make this a thicker one coater, two thin coats is just dreamy. I honestly don't know what more to say about this - it's a really great formula in a nicely undertoned shade that will probably really flatter a wide range of skin tones. Two thumbs up.


Kokie Cosmetics Nail Polish in Playing Games*
I'm not sure if the uniqueness of this shade is coming across in photos - but it really does manage to be very wearable and even classic while still being unique and surprising. In my notes, I described this as an Ashy Berry Créme and I stand by that. It's definitely a berry shade that walks that red, pink, purple line really beautifully, but there is an ashiness to the undertone and just a hint of depth beyond midtone that I think really modernizes it. The formula of this is really great with a smooth, easy application and two coat full coverage. Again, I think this will be a really widely flattering shade on just about anyone. 


Kokie Cosmetics Nail Polish in Purple Goddess*
Initially I thought that Purple Goddess was going to be same formula as Cosmic Dust, so colour me surprised when it dried down to a matte finish! I would describe this as a neutral grape matte with a silver shimmer. I actually don't tend to love metallic matte polishes because of the visible brush strokes, so I was really, really impressed at how smoothly and evenly this both applied and dried down. You could probably easily get away with one coat of this one for full coverage, but I recommend two so that you have some volume since matte polishes tend to be quite thin and chip fairly easily. This is stunning though, seriously a beautiful polish and again really unique and universally flattering. 


Kokie Cosmetics Nail Polish in Wild Child*
And finally, we have a bit of a wild card here in Wild Child. I would describe this as a grass green créme shade. Maybe a kelly green? Anyway, it's very impactful and not at all what I would call a muted green shade. Like the other two straight up créme shades, I would say that you probably could get full coverage in one thicker coat with this one, but I personally prefer two thinner coats for coverage. This one is definitely a little bit thicker in consistency for me which did mean I had to use a bit more polish than I might usually to get all the way to the tips of my nails smoothly, but it levelled well and dried quite smooth and shiny. 


Overall, I have to say that I'm impressed with Kokie as a brand and the way that all of the polishes performed. I'm actually really curious to try out some of their more unique shades and finishes and will definitely be picking up more of their polishes in the near future.

As I said, the Kokie Professional Nail Polishes are available in 50 shades from Sally Beauty, in store and online, and retail for $7.19CAD.

Thanks for reading!


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