Nails inc Trafalgar Square vs. Boots 17 Gun Metal - The battle of the magnetics!

Hi everyone! Hope you had a lovely boxing day, I ended up doing more than planned hence the late post :p.

Today I'll be doing a comparison/review of Nails inc Trafalgar Square and Boots 17 Gun Metal magnetic polishes. I know magnetic polishes are relatively old news now, but having got both of the shades for Christmas I couldn't resist a comparison! Both polishes are fairly easy to use with a bit of practice, paint them on and then hold the magnet above the polish for about 10 seconds until the pattern is perfect. They also both seem to have the exact same lid so there shouldn't really be any variation in the patterns.

(haha oh dear, the polish on the lids is from my (many) failed attempts)

First up is Trafalgar Square, weighing in at a hefty £13 (or £21.97 if you buy the trio with topcoat from QVC) it's had rave reviews from magazines such as Look but now it's time to put it to the real test!

(do ignore the battered cuticles, that's what 41 hours of work will do to you!)

It took two coats for me to get an opaque polish, but I had to use three to properly get the magnetic effect. When I used the magnet on only two coats I ended up with bare nail in the middle of the pattern, a little strange for a £13 nail polish if you ask me! However, with the triple coating coverage was perfect, and you end up with a really defined and contrasting pattern after using the magnet. I'm not too sure how long this polish lasts by itself as I only tried it last night but as far as other Nails Inc polishes go I'm assuming this'll be quite good.

Pros:                       Cons:
Easy to use              Tad on the expensive side if it's not a polish you'll wear all the time
Contrasting pattern   Needs three coats
Drys quickly

Now onto our second contestant 17 Gun Metal, desirably more lightweight than Trafalgar Square at only £5.99. Also given a 5 star review from Look magazine, this polish is a gorgeous silver when used without the magnet.

It only took two coats to use the magnet well with this polish, but the effect you get isn't as defined as with Trafalgar Square. However that's not necessarily a bad thing, it gives a gorgeous kind of inky look to the nail that's forever changing in different lights. It's so shiny as well, I ended up wearing it without a top coat because I felt I didn't need it and after two days of washing up and dog walking there are no signs of wear. Drying time is good too despite a pretty thick formula so that's always a bonus!


Pros:                             Cons:
Cheap                           Thick formula
Drys quickly                  Pattern isn't that distinctive
Lovely to wear by itself
Easy to use

When it boils down to it, these polishes are so similar that I don't think it really makes a difference which you buy. Although Trafalgar Square has a stronger pattern than Gun Metal you can only really tell when the two are next to each other, otherwise Boots 17 nail polish is pretty much a perfect dupe for the Nails inc one. For me Gun Metal is the winner, it's less than half the price of Trafalgar Square and still gives off a stunning metallicy shine that's perfect to add a bit of glam to your fingertips!

Trafalgar Square is out of stock on the Nails inc site but, ironically, can be bought from Boots for £15.95 with shipping

Boots 17 Gun Metal can also be bought from Boots (obviously) for £8.94 with shipping

I'd assume both can also be picked up in the bigger Boots stores, I know mine doesn't carry the Nails inc but hopefully it will in the future (fingers crossed!)

I hope you enjoyed the comparison and if you're looking for magnetic polish to add to your collection you'll consider the cheaper (and in my opinion, better) option!

Have a great day!