Here you have proof that Big-3-Free (formaldehdye, toluene and DBP) and non Big-3-Free polishes do not always get along. Nubar is proud to be Big-3-
Free, and also contains no Formaldehyde Resin, or Camphor. The topcoat I used, my usual Seche Vite, is not Big-3-free, and I remember reading somewhere before that using a non Big-3-Free topcoat over a Big-3-Free polish can lead to shrinking and pulling of your polish.
You may think that this is just a con to get you to buy a Big-3-Free topcoat but honestly, look at the tip shrinkage I got here from matching Chocolate Coffee Bean with Seche Vite. This photo was taken about 12 hours after putting the polish on. For someone like me, who changes their polish every day, it’s not the end of the world, but for those of you that like a manicure to last a week, it might be worth thinking about. I want to see how it works the other way, a Big-3-Free topcoat over a polish that contains the Big-3.
Anyway, aside from the shrinkage thing, Nubar do sell an excellent Big-3-Free topcoat. Costing £6.55, you can buy it here. It dries almost as fast as
Seche Vite, and doesn’t contain any nasties. Could I be leaving the Seche camp? We shall see.
So, onto the polish. Chocolate Coffee Bean is a lovely, rich dark jelly polish with a glimmer of pinky-red. I think it is similar in shade and tone to Raspberry Truffle, but Chocolate Coffee Bean has a darker base and more of a shimmery effect, as opposed to the larger glass flecks of Raspberry Truffle.
I think that Chocolate Coffee Bean is darker and more mysterious somehow and I really liked wearing it. It is a great winter vamp, with perfect application. Like all of the others, it was sorted in two coats, and is removed really easily.
You can purchase Nubar’s Chocolate Truffle range here at Beauty Shed, for £8.00 per bottle.




























