Swatch stick labeled 2019: KB Shimmer Best Buds, purchased around June 2019. I over-thinned this to get it out of the bottle bc it’s running low so this is three coats.
Swatch stick labeled 2026: KB Shimmer Best Buds, purchased last week (April 2026). Two coats, though i think one thick coat might have been sufficent.
Both: KB Shimmer clearly on top QDTC
zxcv-qwerty on
I am super impressed by how well this thermal has held up – it’s lasted almost seven years! I have a photo of myself wearing it from June 2019 so I know it’s at least that old. I think I bought it pretty close to when it was initially released.
I repurchased it because my old bottle is only 1/4 full and it’s annoying to use, so I thought I’d compare the old and new! There is a difference – I think the middle shade has kind of died on the older one – as you can see from the first photo, the old version has a very clear light green (warm) shade and a deep purple (cool) shade, but no clear middle shade. There’s also a slight difference in the colors – I’m guessing it’s because of the color the middle shade has settled into over time.
There is no difference at all in the responsiveness of the thermal. Both swatch sticks transition instantly in warm water and then fade back very quickly in my chilly house. I wore the older one two weeks ago, thus prompting the new purchase, and I was very happy with the transitions on my nails.
The polish has been stored in a drawer in my basement the whole time. So no sunlight, and the temperature is usually in the mid 50s to mid/high 60s depending on the season. I have a few other KBShimmer polishes from the same era and they also still transition – though I should check to see if they still show all three colors. I also have a few other indie thermals from around that era or a little older, and they have mostly died.
light-up-biscuit-tin on
Looks like the transition colour is lost in the 2019 one but overall that’s pretty impressive!
soloshandpuppets on
this is on my wishlist, thank u for showing the comparison!!
JurassicFloof on
Gorgeous 😍
Justice for thermals! I’ve a few still going strong for 5+ years. People who don’t buy them due to their limited shelf life truly miss out IMO *if* you buy them from brands that nail the thermal formula at least 🤷♀️
Bold_Diglett on
I have a Best buds from probably 2017, it died a long time ago and it’s a kind of muted navy now.
6 Comments
Product list:
Swatch stick labeled 2019: KB Shimmer Best Buds, purchased around June 2019. I over-thinned this to get it out of the bottle bc it’s running low so this is three coats.
Swatch stick labeled 2026: KB Shimmer Best Buds, purchased last week (April 2026). Two coats, though i think one thick coat might have been sufficent.
Both: KB Shimmer clearly on top QDTC
I am super impressed by how well this thermal has held up – it’s lasted almost seven years! I have a photo of myself wearing it from June 2019 so I know it’s at least that old. I think I bought it pretty close to when it was initially released.
I repurchased it because my old bottle is only 1/4 full and it’s annoying to use, so I thought I’d compare the old and new! There is a difference – I think the middle shade has kind of died on the older one – as you can see from the first photo, the old version has a very clear light green (warm) shade and a deep purple (cool) shade, but no clear middle shade. There’s also a slight difference in the colors – I’m guessing it’s because of the color the middle shade has settled into over time.
There is no difference at all in the responsiveness of the thermal. Both swatch sticks transition instantly in warm water and then fade back very quickly in my chilly house. I wore the older one two weeks ago, thus prompting the new purchase, and I was very happy with the transitions on my nails.
The polish has been stored in a drawer in my basement the whole time. So no sunlight, and the temperature is usually in the mid 50s to mid/high 60s depending on the season. I have a few other KBShimmer polishes from the same era and they also still transition – though I should check to see if they still show all three colors. I also have a few other indie thermals from around that era or a little older, and they have mostly died.
Looks like the transition colour is lost in the 2019 one but overall that’s pretty impressive!
this is on my wishlist, thank u for showing the comparison!!
Gorgeous 😍
Justice for thermals! I’ve a few still going strong for 5+ years. People who don’t buy them due to their limited shelf life truly miss out IMO *if* you buy them from brands that nail the thermal formula at least 🤷♀️
I have a Best buds from probably 2017, it died a long time ago and it’s a kind of muted navy now.