Illamasqua Toxic Nature Nail Varnish for SS11 Swatches, Photos & Review
Welcome to Illamasqua’s Toxic Nature Nail Varnish collection for spring/summer 2011.
It might be a concept that seems odd to people or creeps them out, but I for one am a huge fan!
“Unpredictable. Uncharted. Unnatural. Distorted by mankind, the natural world is fighting back. In retaliation against the genetically modified society that plunders it, the landscape has issued forth a torrent of hybrid shades. Corrupted hues glister amongst muted tones – extreme, intoxicating version of their original selves. This is an atomic-botanical environment where survival is key and camouflage by colour is the path to existence.”
What I love about this collection is that it comes with a cool concept, it’s not just “Oh here’s another makeup collection with some neat packaging.” It makes it more interesting to me and definitely more memorable.
Radium
Radium
Bacterium
Bacterium
Gamma
Stagnate
Radium
Radium is in a word, crazy!!! It’s a screaming bright acid lime green with gorgeous shimmer. I saw the promo pics for this earlier this week and knew it would be my favorite, and it didn’t let me down. I love it, it’s unique and so fun. It was on the thick side, but I still felt I needed three coats to get full opacity.
Bacterium
Bacterium is a brown/grey duochrome with silver/blue flashes. This is most definitely a very unique color, never seen a duochrome quite like it. It was a little bit on the brush-stroke-y side, but not too bad. I liked the color in this photo and in the bottle better than the way it really looked with my skin. I love the concept of it, but it didn’t quite work out for me like I hoped it would. Still very cool! This was three coats.
Gamma
Gamma is a SUPER bright neon orange. If you are looking for a bright color this spring or summer, this is a good one because it screams at you! 
This was a tiny bit uneven when I applied it so I used three coats.
Stagnate
Stagnate is a mushroom-y mauve creme. Of the four I tried, it was the thinnest formula and seemed a little watery at first. It did buld up nicely after three coats. I don’t think it’s the most unique color, but still a nice one.
Overall:
I think this is a really cool, and unique collection for the most part. The concept behind it made me like it even more. Radium is definitely a must have color, and I think a lot of people will want Bacterium just because it’s so unique.
Availability: March 10th online and March 17th in UK stores
Pricing: £13.50
I would love to know what you think about this nail collection, please let me know!
-Kelly
Welcome! My name is Kelly and Vampy Varnish is a animal friendly beauty blog.
Omg
I love Radium! It’s my fav of them and it’s indeed a must have!
;***
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Wow! I really like Radium and was kinda surprised by Gemma. I usually don’t like oranges. What websites have them? I’ve been trying to fine them. BTW, I like the new look of your blog. Keep up the great swatching!
Hi cinderella4ever,
Only Illamasqua’s site will have them as far as I know, unfortunately.
Sephora already has Gamma on their website, I don’t know if it is going to carry any of the other new colors though. I certainly hope so!
Sorry I meant Gamma. :/
I love the insane brightness of Gamma and Radium! I’m totally gonna have to get them now =)
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Gah! I want them all, even Stagnate, which I agree is not unique. I wish our Sephoras carried them here, because they won’t ship them here from the US. The UK prices are rather ridiculous, especially with the exchange rate.
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Radium reminds me of OPI’s Who The Shrek Are You, only with shimmer. Very nice, I think I’ll have to get Radium and Bacterium. Bacterium is like a brown version of Zoya’s Gemma lol.
I’m strangely tempted by Bacterium even though I have a feeling it wouldn’t look good on my hands since I have so much red in them.
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I’m just not crazy about any of these colors, I don’t really get what all the rage is about.
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Gamma is actually available on Sephora.com, weirdly enough. It seems to be the only one available of the new colors.
Because of the price ($16 in the USA) I never really looked at Illamasque seriously. There were that brand that if I ever came into extra money I would want to try. Gamma and Radium is making me want to buy right now, to hell with the cost. And Bacterium is growing on me. Really nice.
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i need/want Bacterium when i first saw the pic it just called my name it jumped out at me awesome
also want Gamma and Radium
I want Bacterium very badly, it reminds me of this 80′s vintage Maybelline I was obsessed with in Junior High… I’ve never been able to replace that color.
Thanks for the swatches. Definitely will have to get Radium, no doubt about that. I’m intrigued bye Gamma – would I dare wear such a shade? Probably, so it goes on the list. Bacterium is really pretty and different. Ah, so hard to decide…I love their nail polishes in general and use them more than any other brand I own.
The color I was most excited about in the promo pics was Bacterium, sad to see it was a bit brush-stroke-y, still might have to grab it up for the uniqueness factor. I’m surprisingly liking Radium, but I have a Revlon color that I think is similar, maybe more yellow. Oh forget it, I think I want Radium too, lol. Gamma is retina burning awesomeness, not sure I need it though, we’ll see. Stagnate is a pass for me. First swatches I’ve seen of this collection, thanks Kelly!
These are nice, but looking at the swatches I don’t like them as much as I thought I would. Good for my wallet, I guess!
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I like Radium the best too…..the others don’t do much for me. I completely agree with you on the fact that the idea behind the collection makes it more interesting. I loved the promo pics you posted the other day….so cool!
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Why does this company make the best color polishes ever? Ugh… my Wallet is screaming.
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Bacterium is a colour that really intrigues me because it’s not like anything I’ve seen. Too bad about the formula showing brushstrokes though – I’d like it a lot more without that.
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I love your ‘noodles’!!!!!
I think Bacterium is the coolest. Very unusual.
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Bacterium is my fave. I love that name, too! I don’t think it would look that great on my skin tone, but I still like it.
Whoah, Radium is really cool! Do want! Gamma is super bright, I felt my eyes re-adjust when I looked at it..lol
They look awesome! Only the Gamma is not my cup of tea, but the others…. love!
It’s nice to see a swatch of Bacterium! It’s definitely unique and I want it for that reason but I can see it probably wouldn’t suite me well lol. I’m not usually one for oranges but for some reason lately the bright ones have been tempting me, Gamma would be a super fun color for summer!
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I love those colors! Bacterium looks really interesting
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Hurrah for a good British brand!
Everything except Stagnate is totally MINE.
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A fun collection, the one that really screams my name is Bacterium. I love the complexity =)
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Gamma for my summer toes! <3 <3
Boo, I wish I liked bacterium more. I’m a microbiologist it would of been perfect for me!
Love all of the shades. Radium is really amazing. My favorite also.
This collection actually strikes me as quite well-rounded. I agree that Stagnate isn’t very unique, but it fits nicely with the rest of the offerings. I am absolutely in LOVE with Radium and would be so happy to get my paws on it!
Does this collection’s theme remind anyone of Bioshock? That was all I could think of, lol. And I’m not even a gamer.
That being said, I’m in love with Radium.
OMG!! I am loving Bacterium and Stagnate!! Kelly you are saying Stagnate is not unique. Im wondering if you could recommend another brand with that color because I absolutely have to have it!!
Radium is the one I like most
Bacterium and radium are my faves… But if Sephora isn’t carrying them they are a pass for me. I just don’t want to pay for international shipping… Fab photos!
Illamasqua needs to get more of their colors over to Sephora – I’ve been drooling over colors like Raindrops for MONTHS and now I get to add Bacterium to that list.
Every time I try to convince myself to order from their site, I stop short – shipping prices from the UK are just not worth it, especially when I have a Sephora that carries the brand in-store only a few miles away. Come on. T_T
Ooh radius is lovely. A must have
Wow Radium is so gorgeous! I don’t have anything like it in my greens
! Thanks for swatching these.