When I received the KBShimmer Birthstone Collection to swatch, I couldn’t help but notice that the polishes looked pretty similar to the ILNP Holiday Collection. As the days passed and word of the new KBS Birthstone Collection was spreading, others in the nail community were wondering – “Just how similar are they?” Well you’re about to find out!

Since the ILNP Holiday collection only has six Ultra Metallics, I picked six from the Birthstone Collection to compare and here’s the line up – Ruby, Blue Topaz, Emerald, Citrine, Amethyst, and Peridot.

All swatches in this comparison are two coats with no top coat. All photos were shot under a combination of Cree daylight and LED bulbs using a Samsung NX300 camera.

KBShimmer Ruby & ILNP Cherry Luxe

Index and Ring: KBS Ruby; Middle and Pinky: ILNP Cherry Luxe

Left: ILNP Cherry Luxe; Right: KBS Ruby

Cherry Luxe is described as a rich Christmas red while Ruby is a warm blue toned red.

KBShimmer Blue Topaz & ILNP Time In A Bottle

Index and Ring: KBS Blue Topaz; Middle and Pinky: ILNP Time In A Bottle

Left: ILNP Time In A Bottle; Right: KBS Blue Topaz

Time In A Bottle is a vibrant aquamarine – leaning blue while Blue Topaz is an icy blue.

KBShimmer Emerald & ILNP Lucky One

Index and Ring: KBS Emerald; Middle and Pinky: ILNP Lucky One

Left: ILNP Lucky One; Right: KBS Emerald

ILNP Lucky One is a vivid pine green and KBS Emerald is a rich grass green. Emerald is more of a true green than Lucky One… but not by much.

KBShimmer Citrine & ILNP Empire

Index and Ring: KBS Citrine; Middle and Pinky: ILNP Empire

Left: ILNP Empire; Right: KBS Citrine

ILNP Empire is a true gold while Citrine is a vibrant golden yellow. From the bottle, these two look similar but once on the nail – huge difference!

KBShimmer Amethyst & ILNP XO

Index and Ring: KBS Amethyst; Middle and Pinky: ILNP XO

Left: ILNP XO; Right: KBS Amethyst

ILNP is a warm palatinate purple while Amethyst is a cool toned purple. In certain lighting, these two looked practically identical!

KBShimmer Peridot & ILNP Limelight

Index and Ring: KBS Peridot; Middle and Pinky: ILNP Limelight

Left: ILNP Limelight; Right: KBS Peridot

Both of these polishes are lime green in base – Limelight is a brighter shade with Peridot being more pale.

Overall Comparison

Overall, there were two distinctive differences between the KBShimmer Birthstone and ILNP Holiday polishes that I found.

Size of Silver Flakes

The ILNP polishes have larger silver metallic flakes while KBShimmer’s are much smaller. When compared to each other, the flakes in ILNP stand out more in their bases and gives these polishes more of a contrast and depth. Although the flakes in the KBshimmer polishes are much smaller in size, it actually makes the Birthstone polishes more reflective and shinier than the Holiday polishes.

Holographic Element

The ILNP Holiday polishes have holographic pigment added into them which gives these polishes a linear holographic effect. The holographic in the KBShimmer Birthstone polishes is more of a micro holographic glitter – giving these polishes a scattered holo effect.

As far as formula, consistency, and application goes, all are fantastic! The only difference to note is that the KBShimmer Birthstone polishes dry faster than the ILNP Holiday polishes which I’m assuming is due to the size of the silver flakes.

After comparing both collections, you can clearly see that while they are similar, they are not the same. But the fact of the matter is that you don’t necessarily NEED both collections. If you’re looking for that shiny, reflective, and holographic finish, either collection will do. What is nice is that when you look at both collections together, you have a much wider range of shades to choose from. For me, that’s great because my skin tone doesn’t always work well with certain shades *cough* reds and yellows *cough*

From the polishes that I have compared above, these are the shades that I prefer:

Red – ILNP Cherry Luxe
Blue – ILNP Time In A Bottle
Dark Green – KBShimmer Emerald
Gold – ILNP Empire
Purple – KBShimmer Amethyst
Lime Green – KBShimmer Peridot

Well, well… Looks like we have a tie. 😉

Both collections are currently in stock and available for purchase. KBShimmer Birthstone Collection is available here and ILNP Holiday Collection, here.

So what are your thoughts on these two collections? Do you prefer one over the other or a mix of both?

All polishes compared were originally provided for my honest review.