From the electric neon glow of Akihabara and to peaceful spring afternoons under the cherry blossoms, each shade captures the energy of a distinct Tokyo landmark or neighborhood. Even the packaging sets the scene before you unscrew a bottle! Let's dive into the swatches and see how these vibrant neons, shimmers, and flakies look up close for the Tokyo Collection. I will be swatching the Chicago set soon, but for now I'll show you a preview of the whole PR package.
Their website is www.citycorefashion.com and they offered a discount code for you, dear readers!
Use XOXOJEN10 to save 10%
In addition to this, 20% of all sales will be donated to ONE TAIL AT A TIME, a Chicago-based animal rescue, until January 1. Let's dive into the photos and swatches!
Let's talk about the packaging, shall we?
They upcycle. All the things. Newspaper, pill bottles, packing papers. He networked to get those bottles, sanitized them, pulled off the labels, applied his custom labels and packed polishes in them. Such a great idea! And I don't know whether it was intended, but polish is a great "medicine" for many ailments, amirite?
He sent a big variety of products from his shop, all included in the following three pictures, perfume, polish, earrings, and bracelets. Have a look!
Akiba - short for Akihabara, also known as the electric city, this neighborhood in Tokyo is where all of the weeboos, otakus, and fans of whatever fandom is out there, come together to celebrate everything geeky. no matter what time of day or morning or night, there's always a maid cafe or arcade waiting for you to stumble upon its entrance. this neon yellow nail lacquer has bits of black specks that resembles the lens one views Akiba from.
This polish surprised me and quicly became my favorite of the bunch! The formula is amazingly smooth, it practically applied itself, and what's not to love about black and yellow together? (although, it does seem to have a slight tinge of green, and appears a bit chartreuse in some lighting)
Hanami - it's the age-old phenomenon where people of all ages, backgrounds, and other walks of life come together to sit back and enjoy the sakura blooming in the springtime. often accompanied with alcohol and other mind-altering substances, it's the perfect way to enjoy the fresh blossoms and witness one of nature's finest gifts to tokyo. this nail lacquer is a creamy pink with white flakes and has a subtle shimmer; a classic look from work day to weekend. The formula for this polish (and Yoyogi Park) is slightly thicker than the others, but workable.
Nichome - just west of shinjuku station, nichome (neech-OH-may) offers hundreds of lgbtq+ friendly bars and nightclubs, along with some shops and coin lockers, and a guaranteed good time. if you check sniffies while in this area, your internet will crash. it seems that everyone here is in some kind of misty haze, and this nail lacquer portrays that exact filter -- deep, rich, and a little bit glimmery, this orangey reddish neon nail polish will make you never forget about the best neighborhood in tokyo. Another great formula, practically applied itself.
Rainbow Bridge - after a long day of walking, you realize it's almost 7:00. There aren't really a lot of ways to get back to the mainland of tokyo, since you've wandered off to the human-made island of odaiba. a shiny, glistening bridge forms in the background as you approach tokyo bay. realizing you don't have too much time, you decide to proceed anyways and trek across. arguably the best view of the tokyo skyline, cars pass you as you take in the view of the city of cities. flaky, sparkly, with a little bit of blue, this nail lacquer preserves the exact feeling that one has while walking across rainbow bridge.
What a gorgeously sparkly flakie! Some of the flakes have a metallic or pearly vibe about them. Looks great alone or over another shade in the collection!
Shown over Hanami
Yoyogi Park - adjacent to harajuku, the trendiest part of tokyo, yoyogi park offers a serene getaway from the city madness -- until you stumble upon some more city madness in yoyogi park. there seems to always be something interesting going on, groups gathering and performing rituals of sorts. offering a lush green space for all, yoyogi park is somewhere anyone can get a little extra dose of nature. minty green with some botanical flakes, this nail lacquer perfectly resembles the mossy patina spots within yoyogi park. The formula for this polish (and Hanami) is slightly thicker than the others, but workable.
All of my swatches are shown in two thick coats with topcoat and had no formula issues unless otherwise stated. All photography uses a neutral color temperature bulb with white bounce card. My nails are natural with no enhancements and no blurring/cream base, I have a fairly prominent VNL.
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