Hell's Belle Claw Polish

[Eemia]

Metallic Pearl
A smoky beige-pink pearl flecked with a golden metallic sheen.

After I painted my nails with this and went outside I couldn't believe how the light plays on the color. It just radiated and shimmered so beautifully. Every single bit of gold glimmer catches in the sun and makes the color look multi-faceted. It's a stunning color that's actually more subtle than I would have thought.

Hell's Belle is a lovely shimmering lilac with golden iridescence throughout. The color itself seems understated and relies on the multi-tonal shimmer to steal the show. It looks very liquid and slinky. The color does look smoky and somewhat misty, which is made even more prominent by it's sheerness. Even with two layers it remains sheer, though the color payoff is brilliant. The pink itself is in the background and it isn't a pastel or icy version. It almost leans towards a cool toned flesh color rather than a traditional pink.

Perfect on my fingertips when I want something that looks quietly lovely, but that still has some kick.

[Iceblink]

Utterly lovely and I'm sure once spring rolls around this'll be on my nails for weeks on end. In the bottle you'd never think that gold shimmer is there, but it is! This reminds me a lot of one of my favorite polishes, OPI Nomad's Dream, which I don't think they make anymore so thanks BPTP for giving me a perfect substitute!

Hell's Belle is the only polish I've bought so far that's named for an oil I've never tried. Need to remedy that.

[Keslynn]

Upon first applying Helle's Belle, I was actually a little disappointed. The shade is about the same as my skin tone, but with a little more pink. It's also less opaque than other polishes so I could still see some of my nail underneath. Much more subtle than I expected. Then my nails caught the light and WOW! My opinion did a complete 180. When the light catches it, Helle's Belle gets this magnificent gold shimmer. It's wonderful over the pink base color. I find myself moving my hands around in light and shadow to catch that wonderful glittering gleam.

 

The polish goes on smooth and dries quickly.

 

Verdict: Helle's Belle is very true to the name. It starts out as a demure and unassuming pink, but the gold shimmer shows her sexy side. Conservative enough for a stuffy office yet also fun enough for evening wear.

[Thursdae]

I received an unsolicited compliment on Hell's Belle polish today.

 

I agree that it's on the sheer side (at least two coats and three's better). It dried to a smooth finish and has lasted well.

 

And I agree also on the demure. Demure yet chic. Suitable for day or night wear.

[zankoku_zen]

I love this nail polish. I like how its an understated pink. Very demure and very classy. It's safe for work. But the glimmer and golden sheen that strikes it is *very* pretty and just adds an unexpected flash to it.

 

Loving it. It's very sheer, so two-three coats are necessary. Very impressed on the quality. Definitely can't wait until Midnight on the Midway arrives. Woo.

[Suu4LC]

Ok, I have a love/hate relationship with this polish.

 

What I love: THE COLOR! This is absolutely a gorgeous polish in terms of color. It is beautiful and unique-I've never seen anything like it-soft beigy pink with insane pearly sheen-I will try to swatch it at some point. In the sunlight, it just magnificent. It is very sheer though, so more than one coat is necessary...this leads to what I hate...

 

What I hate: THE APPLICATION! UGH. I think this is the most frustrating polish I have ever used. It.Never.Dries. I have applied this many times, each time hoping for better results, but the formula is just such a pain in the ass. As I said earlier, to make this look good, you need at least 2-3 coats, but no matter how thin I make the coats, I can never get it to fully dry so I end up with smudges and dents. I haven't had this problem with any of the creme bptp polishes, just this one...makes me wary of trying the other shimmers.

 

In conclusion, love the color, hate the formula. If you are a patient person, give it a go!

[lilirose]

I've been on a bit of a nail polish kick for the last few months, collecting OPIs and Essies and Orlys like a mad thing, but Hell's Belle is one of my very favourite polishes ever.

 

The colour is pretty much unique, in my experience. With my skin, it looks like a seashell-pink with lots and lots of gold- far more pink than beige. It has an amazing gorgeous shimmer, especially in sunlight. It's subtle, classy, and neutral, but it's also one that makes me catch sight of my nails and go "ooooh". It looked really good when my nails were short, and it looks just as good now that my nails are getting longer.

 

It is sheer, but for me three medium-thickness coats makes it pretty much opaque. I don't have any drying problems when using a quick-dry top coat over it. My only complaint is that its wear length before tip wear and chipping is medium at best- it has a tendency to chip a bit faster than some of my other polishes, though not as fast as others.

 

Even so, I've finished about a quarter of my bottle (which I've only had for about two months) and I will definitely order more when it's gone.

Edited August 16, 2009 by lilirose

[veronicafranco]

ooooh. my first bptp polish. in the bottle, i was afraid it would be too purple; but as others have said, it looks more seashell pink on. (except in very bright direct sunlight, when it's still lavender.) i love the gold shimmer. i only ever paint my toenails, not my fingernails, and i like low-maintenance, neutral/fair colors i can wear even after they start wearing off/growing out. this definitely goes in that category. i like it so much i looked up the perfume to see what was in it (not sure the oil would be me, but the polish definitely is).

[KesHiro]

My first BPTP Claw Polish!

 

Hell’s Belle is one of the most versatile colors I’ve encountered – classy, sophisticated, and elegant. Subtle enough to be safe in most work situations, it also packs a nice little kick with its golden sheen and is far from being “simply another pink.”

 

In dim to normal lighting, this polish has a seashell pink color with lots of gold shimmer. In bright, direct lighting to sunlight, it is a bit more lavender in coloring and the gold seems more sheen-like. I love how this polish changes depending on the way you hold your hands or feet, the lighting, etc.

 

Application wise, I would say that it takes two to three coats; the first was a bit streaky but the second remedied this initial appearance. I’m happy with two coats but you may prefer three.

 

I should note that I only tested this and so cannot yet comment on wear (dry time, tip wear, chipping, etc). Once I’ve had the chance to do a full run on this polish, I’ll come back and edit my review with this information.

 

For now: gorgeous color, suitable for almost all situations, and perfect for spring and summer!

 

Edit, 6/14 for technical stuff: I wore this for four days -- base coat, two color coats, no top coat. Despite typing up a storm on two of the days, Top Chef style kitchen shenanigans on one, and World Cup nuttery on three, I had no tip wear or chips. Amazing! I also got lots of compliments on the color. The one negative for Hell's Belle is the dry time; it took about an hour. I usually do my nails when I have the time, so this doesn't bother me but it might annoy the more on-the-go polish wearers. Other than that, this polish is perfect!

Edited June 14, 2010 by Kejiaron

[ajansuz]

I'm not sure if I got a bum bottle of this or what, but this is the first BPTP claw polish that I don't really love. The color is beautiful, everything that everyone has already said, a very complex pink with gold shimmer and a tendency to look more lavender in brighter light. It's the texture that gave me serious issues.

 

When I opened the bottle, it was very hard to open because some polish had somehow leaked during shipping and gunked up the glass threads. The polish itself was very thick. It was hard to get a neat application without having to close the bottle and continually shake it. Even so, the layers went on a little gloppy and uneven. I couldn't get a smooth application. It reminded me of old polish that has been sitting around a long time, and it took nearly three hours to fully dry. I'm wondering if it got overheated somehow during shipping since I live in a very hot climate, and we're at the peak of summer.

 

I like the color enough possibly to try for a second bottle in the winter, and I've been so happy with the other polishes I've bought that I can't help but to think maybe my bottle was some sort of fluke.

[Ravenclaw79]

The color is pretty, but it's really sheer and doesn't seem to dry well -- even when I waited an hour or more between coats (and many hours afterward), it never dried properly and ended up getting smushed by my shoes and socks.

[Evilynn]

I normally wear bright bold colours (or black ) on my nails, but I like to have one or two neutrals that I can use when I need to hide the discolouration that the reds and blacks inevitably bring. Recently I've mostly used OPIs Cosmo Not Tonight Honey, but I thought some change would be nice, and it was.

 

Helle's Belle is a cool toned pink with gold shimmer and a lavender flash in daylight. I'm warm toned myself, so a lot of cool tones are difficult for me to wear, but the gold shimmer saves this for me.

 

I can't comment on the dry time, because I usually only wear one coat (maaaybe two) of my neutrals, since I mostly use them for camouflage, and one layer dries just fine.

[Delirium1009]

A gorgeous and very feminine, subtle polish. But not boring... oh, no. You may not notice this at first, but once you do you won't stop staring! It's a gorgeous light color, right in the middle between baby pink and lavender. It has a beautiful golden flash and is almost duochrome but not quite.

 

I thought at first it would be a frost color, but it behaves so much better than frosts usually do on me and there's no odd lines on my nails whatsoever. Maybe it would be more honest to call this more of a pearl finish, which is what it reminds me of.

 

This color is very transparent, and at 2 coats there's visible nail line while 3 is just about perfect. Application was flawless and the dry time was average.

[fairestrocza]

I had a similar experience as several of the previous reviewers. I used three coats because two didn't seem to offer enough coverage. The polish took *forever* to dry (and was still soft until sometime the next day), and as a result, I had ended up with numerous imperfections. Hell's Belle seems to chip and wear off fairly quickly. Fortunately, being such a subtle color, the wear and tear aren't super obvious unless you get a close look.

I like the color, but I don't love it. I was hoping for a bit more of the gold shimmer. The color is a bit too subtle for my toes, and not practical for my fingers. I will probably wait until summer to wear this again, because I think frequent sunlight will improve my opinion of the color.

After the glorious perfection that is Bordello claw polish, Hell's Belle was a disappointment.

ETA: I think the quick-dry top coat someone mentioned above is a good idea for this polish.

Edited December 15, 2010 by Rocza

[Ryan Hemphill]

I got a bottle of this off Ebay recently. I adore the color- very subtle but glam. However, as mentioned in other reviews, it's almost impossible to get a nice finish. Hours and hours after application any slight tap to the nail left an indention in the finish. Sad

 

I did use a clear top coat, but maybe I'll try again with my gel top coat and see if that is any better.

 

I sure hope so, because I there are VERY few pinks and purples that I can wear with my skin tone, and this one actually worked for me!

[puck_nc]

I'm surprised I never got around to reviewing this polish. It is far and away my favorite of the first wave of BPTP claw polishes. The subtle sheer pink that turns into a glorious glittery shimmer when the light hits is a perfect combo for everyday wear.

 

I put some on tonight after seeing the latest review about drying time, because I didn't remember it being a problem. I put on the base coat, one coat of polish, and the top coat, waiting what I thought was the appropriate time.

 

Yeah, there's a tackiness to the polish. Rubbing the nails across my lips doesn't mar the finish at all, but it doesn't feel like it's properly dry. Definitely a difference compared to the new run that most definitely dried in a timely manner.