Cirque Back To Basics Set Review and Nail Art

Hi guys! Today I have another gift set to review from Cirque Colors! Some of you may remember the amazing Ultimate Luxe Set I reviewed a couple of weeks ago - I mentioned that it would make a great holiday gift or stocking stuffer, and the Back To Basics Set is no different! This set is actually great for all year round - as the name implies, this is a set of basics to create any awesome manicure: base coat, top coat, white polish, and black polish, all in a convenient vinyl pouch.

Here are the contents of the pouch. You'll remember that Cirque is a relatively new brand to me, and I was stunned by the incredible formula and packaging last time! I was very pleased with everything in this set as well. I will start by reviewing the polishes, and then I will talk about the base and top coat - as well as some new accessories I also got a chance to review! Enough talk, let's get started:

Memento Mori is a basic black cream with perfect coverage in just one coat. Full opacity in one coat?! That's right folks, I have found my new favorite black polish. Formula was perfection, and as with the others in this set, I found that this polish had a really unique scent. I want to say it was almost like pine needles - but I think it was really similar to the scent of their tea tree cuticle oil. Anyway, it was mesmerizing! I kept sniffing my nails as they dried. Shown above is one coat with Holdfast™ Base Coat and Liquid Laminate™ Top Coat.

Carpe Diem is a pure white cream with another flawless formula! I feel like white polishes are always a struggle - they're always thick and gloopy, or they take so many coats to reach opacity. This one was incredible - it was creamy and easy to apply, and it reached full opacity in just two coats. Plus, it also had that amazing tea tree oil scent. I know I'm starting to gush, but I think this just may be my new favorite white polish. Shown above is two easy, self levelling coats with Holdfast™ Base Coat and Liquid Laminate™ Top Coat.

Before I show you my simple nail art look, I wanted to share my experience with the base and top coat. The Holdfast™ Base Coat is a garlic infused base coat with strengthening properties. No, it doesn't smell like garlic! It smelled just as amazing as everything else in this set. It applied smoothly, dried quickly, and kept my nails from getting stained. I can't tell you much about the longevity of this base coat, since I can never keep my polish on for too long!

Liquid Laminate™ Top Coat is a fast drying top coat that adds a super glossy shine. Believe me, this top coat dries super quick! For my nail art, I wanted to use striping tape and I got impatient after about five minutes of letting the top coat dry, and it was already rock solid! The tape didn't lift or dent the polish at all. It's also super glossy.

Here is the simple nail art look I created with all the products in this gift set. I started with a base of Carpe Diem and added top coat. Then, I taped off sections and painted on Memento Mori. I topped everything off with a generous amount of top coat! You can see that there was just a tiny bit of dragging with the top coat, but again, I was being really impatient and I only gave the black polish a couple of minutes to dry before I topped it off. Even with that short amount of time, I was really impressed that the top coat didn't completely smear the black polish!

And finally, here are the two extra products I got to try - Tea Tree Cuticle Oil, and a Cirque crystal nail file. The tea tree cuticle oil smelled AMAZING, and it was so thick and luxurious. I imagine that this would be perfect for applying before bedtime, but it absorbs quickly and it's in such a convenient little pen - perfect for on the go! I actually used this with my regular lotion right before the photos you see above, and I don't think my hands look greasy at all. The nail file is also handy to keep in your bag on the go, and it's made from glass, so you can easily wash or sterilize it.

Overall, I think it's safe to say I'm totally crushing on Cirque Colors right now. Everything I have tried from them so far has left me so impressed! I cant wait to use these products in my every day routine - they seem incredible so far, and I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for some good basic polishes and treatments.

All of these products are available on the Cirque online shop. The Back to Basics Set is available for $36 USD (you can purchase the products separately, but I recommend getting the set, since you'll love all of them, plus it's cheaper!). The Tea Tree Cuticle Oil and the Crystal Nail File are available for $10 USD each.

You can also find Cirque brand in-store and internationally - see their stockists here. Make sure you follow Cirque on Facebook for news and information!

What do you think of this set? Do you own any of these products from Cirque? Let me know your experience with them!

These products were provided for my honest review.