Whimsy Nail Co I Prefer Cashmere Gel Polish Swatch

Published 2026-08-14. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase. These gel polishes were gifted as PR samples by Whimsy Nail Co, but all other supplies and opinions are my own.

During these last few months, I’ve been trying out Whimsy Nail Co Gel Polishes. 

The owner sent me a gel polish kit late last winter and I’ve been enjoying getting to know the collection of products that she makes. 

The Whimsy Nail Co gel polishes are all cleanly created. They feature a HEMA, TPO and HPMA free formula, along with being free of a bunch of other things.

The gel polish collection includes a dehydrator, primer, base coat, color gel and a no-wipe top coat that does not need to be wiped with alcohol once cured. You can just complete your manicure and go. Whimsy Nail Co makes several base coat options - a standard Gel Base Coat, a Rubber Base Coat and a builder-in-a-bottle (BIAB) base coat. 

In a future post, I’d love to take a closer look at each of these side-by-side, but for this post, I’m trying the Rubber Base Coat.

In general, unlike regular base coats, a Rubber Base Coat is slightly flexible, making it perfect for brittle or weak nails, or for anyone who wants a longer-lasting, chip-resistant gel manicure.

It creates a smooth foundation for gel color while enhancing the durability and helping prevent lifting of your manicure.

You just apply a thin layer and cure before your favorite gel or color.

This is my first time trying a Rubber Base Coat and, so far, I do feel it has bent with my natural nails a little better than regular gel base coats. 

It is also a little thicker consistency over all, than a standard base coat. 

But let’s take a look at this manicure overall. 

How I applied Whimsy Nail Co I Prefer Cashmere -

Step 1. Dehydration

After I fully cleaned and prepped my nails for a manicure, I applied a dehydrator using the brush. This removes any excess moisture or oils from the nail bed that would otherwise prevent a good adhesion.

In the event this dehydrator is sold out or otherwise unavailable, replace it with 91% or higher isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free wipe.

Step 2. Primer

After dehydrating the nail, apply this Acid-Free Primer.

Primer enhances the grip ofthe gel polish to the natural nail - it has a subtle shine to it, making it easy to see where you applied it so you can make sure you get even coverage.

Step 3. Rubber Base Coat

Now we get to the fun part! The base coat. 

You could use a regular Whimsy Nail Co Gel Base Coat here, but I’m trying the Rubber Base Coat.

Because it feels a bit more viscous than a regular gel base coat, I just applied it as thinly as I could to each nail on one hand and then cured it in my OPI Star Light for 60 seconds.

In my last post on Whimsy Nail Co, I cured every layer of my gel manicure for 90 seconds - but since this line cures for 30-90 seconds depending on your lamp, I’m experimenting. I did 60 second cures for the base and top coat - and 90 second cures for the color coats.

You’ll have to experiment and see what works best for your lamp.

A note on workflow: once you get to the gel application part, I suggest working 1 hand at a time - get all your nails one on your first hand, then move to the second and repeat the process.

Step 4. Color Gel Polish

Working one nail at a time, on one hand, now apply a thin coat of your gel color. 

In this case, I am using I Prefer Cashmere, a muted, dusty rose gel polish.

It’s very pigmented and opaque in one coat, but I suggest applying two coats to smooth everything out.

I cured it for 90 seconds due to the opacity and then reapplied a second coat; cured that for 90 seconds too.

Step 5. Glossy Gel Top Coat

Apply a thin layer of this top coat to each nail and then I cured it for 60 seconds.

This top coat is not sticky once it is fully cured, so I would consider it a no-wipe top coat, meaning you can also use it for chrome and do not need to wipe a tacky layer with alcohol after it cures.

Step 6. Repeat On Your Next Hand

Follow the whole process on your other hand and then you’re done!

Let’s take a moment to look at finished swatches of Whimsy Nail Co’s I Prefer Cashmere…

All in all, this is a gorgeous dusty rose pink creme gel polish. I think it is the perfect muted pink polish shade especially for late summer to early fall nails. 

You can wear colors like this anytime, though and while I consider dusty rose shades like this more as a fall, winter and spring nail color, as I write this, it is July, and I’m wearing it. 

So because the seasonal color rules don’t matter to me much, they may not matter to you much either.

And did you know that dusty rose nails were a trending bridal shade last year? It turns out that the wedding nail rules are also changing!

So I Prefer Cashmere really is a versatile nail shade that’s flattering to look at and easy to apply. I appreciate the opportunity to both try it out and share it with you.

Get all the supplies for this manicure here:

• Dehydrator
• Primer
• Rubber Base Coat
• I Prefer Cashmere
• Glossy Top Coat

And make sure to use code LOTSOFLACQUER for 10% OFF

Other Articles You May Enjoy:

• How To Remove Gel Polish At Home

• How To Get Better Gel Polish Adhesion

• 13 Tips for Success with At Home Gel Manicures

• The Differences Between Nail Lacquer And Gel Polish