Catrice Steel My Heart

Hello lovelies! Here's my second post of the day, bringing you an awesome nail polish swatch. This is one of the new Catrice shades that came out this fall and I immediately had to have it (courtesy of Joanna) once I saw it on some lovely blogs. In the end I have mixed feelings about this shade and I will tell you why. Meanwhile let's see what we're talking about. 

Catrice Steel My Heart with top coat, indoors, artificial light

Steel My Heart is a dark taupe with lots of tiny multicolored shimmer in it. The reason this is such a special polish is because it has the so-called "brushed metal effect". This is, in my opinion, just another fancy name for the matte finish. Above you can see how it looks with top coat. The next pictures will show you how it looked before adding top coat. 

Catrice Steel My Heart in the sun, no top coat

Can you get a glimpse of those tiny multicolored sparkles? That was the reason I wanted this polish and the reason I liked it so much in the bottle. But the truth is that they are not that visible unless in bright light. Otherwise it just looks like a shimmery dark taupe. It also photographs a bit darker than it is in reality, so keep that in mind when you look at my swatches. 

Catrice Steel My Heart in the sun, no top coat

 Application is pretty standard with this one. 2 coats, no issues. The new Catrice brush however is something I loathe. I'm not a fan of wide brushes in general, just because I like a more precise application. The way this brush is cut is even worse than other wide brushes I've tried. There's just no way it can fit the curve of my cuticles. It feels more like a mop honestly. 

Catrice Steel My Heart in artificial direct light, no top coat

All in all, I think this polish is great value for the low price it has, and a very interesting shade for a drugstore European brand. Although I like matte polishes, I'm not sure I would wear this without a top coat. I've had experience with Catrice polishes chipping on me without top coat, plus I think the sparkles are much more visible if the polish is shiny. Thoughts?