Color is totally the new black, and I recently discovered this cool new nail polish brand that made that their philosophy. The New Black is an innovative nail color brand that puts together affordable sets, allowing you to create cool nail art looks right out of the box. They are also vegan-friendly and camphor-free. I tested out two of their neat sets, the Ombré Shades & Typography sets, but you can see their full line-up here (Canada) and here (USA), which also include glitter duos, candy-inspired trios and pearl-inspired shades.

Typography

I’ve always loved the look of newsprint nails, I thought they were unique and innovative (and you could totally print out your out writing to create custom words!). I love how The New Black Typography ($16 USD here / $17.50 CAD  here) sets, shown here in Weekly Journal, have everything you need right out of the box.  It comes with a nude nail polish for a base (these shades differ between the sets), a transfer solution (which is basically just rubbing alcohol) and a top coat to seal it all in. The set also comes with several sheets of printed words and sayings (flipped horizontally, of course!).

The New Black Typography Set in Weekly Journal

This process definitely takes some practice, and watch the video (there is a QR code on the inside). I followed the directions that were printed, and that ended in total fail. But after watching the video, I realized I was supposed to apply the transfer solution on top of the paper as well, not just on the nail. That made a huge difference!  After a few tries, I got the hang of it and it was quite easy… but

The bottles are small, only about 4mL each, so you’re only going to get a few full manicures out of it… but its a good way to try out the trend and make it easier!

RATING: A-

The New Black Typography Set in Weekly Journal

The New Black Typography Set in Weekly Journal

The New Black Typography Set in Weekly Journal

Ombré Shades

You can do ombré shades two different ways on your nails- one is to blend several shades of polish onto one nail, or use a different color for each nail. The only problem with that is that you need five different shades of polish, all in the same color family, just varying a bit in color.  That’s not always easy to find, and can be quite expensive… so these The New Black Ombré Shades 5-Piece Sets ($22 USD here / $24 CAD here), shown here in Haze, make it a lot more easy.  The bottles are smaller than usual, but hey, if you’re only doing one shade per nail… it will last a long time.

The New Black Ombré Shades 5-Piece Set in Haze

The sets come in 8 different color-coordinating themes.  It’s really a great concept and the polishes themselves are great quality. They are totally opaque in 2 coats (even the lightest shades), and last about 4 days on me without chipping! My only gripe with the set is that the shades vary slightly in texture as well. Some are creams, some are shimmery… so I find that it makes them look more different than they should. I feel like they should all be the same texture and just vary in color, but that’s just me- if you like variety in your ombré then you’ll love these!

RATING: A-

The New Black Ombré Shades 5-Piece Set in Haze

The New Black Ombré Shades 5-Piece Set in Haze

The New Black Ombré Shades 5-Piece Set in Haze

Summary

• Price: $16 USD / $17.50 CAD (Typography) / $22 USD / $24 CAD (Ombré Shades)
• Availability: eBeauty.ca (for Canadians) and Nordstrom (for Americans)
• Overall: I think these sets are a great idea, especially for those who want to try out a nail art look without splurging on several different polishes to get the job done. I love their line-up, and the quality of the polishes are really great too! The Typography Set lacks complete direction on the written insert, so make sure to watch the video. The Ombré Shades set is a great concept, but I would prefer it if the polishes were all the same texture. Overall though, I think they are great starter kits, especially for the price!
• Rating: A-