Color Club- Catwalk Queen

I'm a model you know what I mean
And I do my little turn on the catwalk
Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
I do my little turn on the catwalk
---Right Said Fred "I'm Too Sexy"




Ooh, how pretty! It's a shimmery, vampy, plummy browned-purple. It applied like a dream and was just so flattering on my skin-tone. I think it probably would be flattering for most, even though it's so dramatic. It's just pure sexiness. I found this in a 7 pack at Ross for 7.99 so if you find it, it is worth the money. The other colors were good too, so it's a nice investment.

Report card:

Color= B+ (pretty, although not unique)
Formula= A (very close to perfection, just a smidge unwieldy with the thin brush)
Brush= C+ (thin and a little flimsy, not good with the thick polish)
Price= A (ended up a dollar a polish, which is kick-butt)

Overall= B+

Essie- Demure Vixen

Among the taller wood with ivy hung,
The old fox plays and dances round her young.
---"The Vixen" by John Clare








Shown is about three days of wear, so w00t! I had a big lust for this color after seeing it on another blog, and I found it by happenstance on clearance at Ulta last month. I wasn't quite like I thought, it was much sheerer, but I have now come to understand why everyone says that about Essie. It's true! They are so sheer usually! This is about 4 coats I think, maybe even 5 on my thumb and middle finger.

I don't care though, it was gorgeous, and lasted forever, so when my mini one runs out, I will be buying another. It's just such a lovely, unique color and I can see it working for multiple occasions/scenarios.

Report card:

Color= A (love it, so perdy, but would get top marks if it was more saturated)
Formula= A (ditto, only prob is it's too sheer)
Brush= B (well, it's a mini, but even so, it's not a bad brush)
Price= D- (they seem to be 7ish bucks regular price, and that's expensive if you end up not liking it)

Overall= B-

Zoya- Penelope

In the pathway of the sun,
In the footsteps of the breeze,
Where the world and sky are one,
He shall ride the silver seas,
He shall cut the glittering wave.
I shall sit at home, and rock;
Rise, to heed a neighbor's knock;
Brew my tea, and snip my thread;
Bleach the linen for my bed.
They will call him brave.
-"Penelope" by Dorothy Parker




LOVE this! It's a creamy brownish pink. It is officially one of my favorite colors. It's so neutral, yet different from the average red, pink, or beige. It's just chic, minimalist, classiness.

It applied easily, dried at a decent pace, and lasted for a while. I think I wore it 5 days or so and it had nary a scuff and I only changed it because I get bored easily.

So, if you need a nice, yet different business-appropriate color, this is a winner!

Report card:

Color= A+ (it's neutral yet I swear it pops on your nails!)
Formula= A (it was just a little thick, but still so wonderful)
Brush= A (a little thin for the thickness of the polish, still excellent though)
Price= D- (it's $7 a bottle, which is expensive, but for me, this was a great investment!)

Overall= B

Cover Girl- Copper Penny

God if you're listening would you come up with some change?
Cause I wake up every morning with a penny to my name.
---"Penny" by Idina Menzel




This swatch is from about 36 hours of wear. Obviously, not too good. Chipped, grubby looking, scuffed, etc, just not a good look.

I love the color though. It's a rich, coppery autumn-brown-red. It was very flattering on me, colorwise, and even if a little brush-stokey, the metallic finish was nice with the color. It is just very thick.

I had a coupon though and only paid 65 cents for it, yeehaw!

Report card:

Color= B+ (I like it, it's also a generally flattering color)
Formula= C (thickish and brush-strokey)
Brush= C+ (for the thickness of the polish, the brush was definitely lacking)
Price= B (was just 2.65 and I had a $2 off coupon)

Overall= B-

Wet n Wild- Wild Card

I love you 'cause your Deuces Are Wild, girl
Like a double shot of lovin' so fine
I been lovin' you since you was a child, girl
'Cause you and me is two of a kind
---Aerosmith "Deuces are Wild"




Love this one! I came across it online in pics when I was trying to discover the name of a nameless Wet n Wild I got in a holiday gift set. My nameless is more pink. Wild Card is more purple. It is a slightly golden-tinged duochrome as well.

Formula is excellent, applies and dries awesomely. It is a pretty color to me as well, and I think flattering for many. I can see it working for lots of different occasions, dressed up or dressed down. For 99 cents, you can't go wrong!

Report card:

Color= A (I think it's unique, and pretty as well as generally flattering for many skin tones)
Formula= A- (I had like one bubble, but the rest of it was awesome)
Brush= B- (it was a little long, I'd rather it were a smidge shorter)
Price= A+ (just 99 cents!)

Overall= A-

Franken- "Aurora"

Aurora is the effort
Of the Celestial Face
Unconsciousness of Perfectness
To simulate, to Us.
---Emily Dickinson "Aurora is the effort"




I frankened this with L.A. Colors "Classic White" and L.A. Colors "Classic Pink" plus some Jazz "18K Gold" and some Sally Hansen "White Diamond." I like it, it has a very odd, but pretty, finish in my opinion. It looks fluid and milky, yet also metallic. It looks like the gold rays of dawn breaking, hence why I named it "Aurora." It was opaque in 3 coats and didn't have many issues formulawise. I like it, and decided it's a keeper. Oh, I dug around and it looks very similar to Chanel "Gold Lame." Fun!

Report card:

Color= A (I realllllllly like it)
Formula= A- (it's pretty good I think, maybe a smidge gummy)
Brush= n/a (this is a L.A. Colors bottle, came in a mini mani 2 pack)
Price= B+ (I figured this up to have cost me about $2.25, so not bad)

Overall= A-

Color Club- Best-Dressed List

Any man may be in good spirits and good temper when he's well dressed. There ain't much credit in that.
---Charles Dickens




This might look a little beat-up. I had worn it for 4 days after the holidays, so I was packing up lots of stuff like the Christmas tree, decorations, wrapping stuff, etc. I loved it, and I think it looked great and lasted well. It's a taupey mushroomy earthy tan. Very pretty and flattering to my skin tone. Not sure if it would be flattering for everyone though.

On my ring finger is a comparison of L.A. Colors "Antique Rose." Obviously, it's much redder and much darker, and has the golden shimmer where BDL does not. I like both.

Report card:

Color= A- (pretty lovely, if a bit neutral)
Formula= A (just about the best around)
Brush= B (mine is just average)
Price= B- (I got mine in a multi-pack at Ross for 8 dollars, but they run 3-4 dollars singly online)

Overall= B+

L.A. Colors- Antique Rose

A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world.
---Leo Buscaglia




This is L.A. Colors "Antique Rose" with Color Club "Best-Dressed List" on the ring finger as a comparison. It is a dark clayish color with an interesting golden shimmer. I actually really like it, maybe the most of all my clay-toned polishes. It has a lovely depth hanks to the shimmer. It dried quickly and lasted well, and held up just as well, if not better, than the Color Club did. It hard barely any tipwear at all after 3 days, and the CC had slightly more. And get this- it could easily be a 1 coater if you apply it well!

All that for a dollar! I won't complain!

Report card:

Color= A (very nice, to me. It's one I plan to rewear often)
Formula= A (pretty nifty, it might be slightly thick, but overall, still great)
Brush= C+ (the brush is too thin to me, it would be better if it was a bit sturdier and wider)
Price= A+ (just a dollar, so that's the best you can ask for)

Overall= A-

Revlon- Perplex

EXPERIENCE, like a pale musician, holds
A dulcimer of patience in his hand,
Whence harmonies, we cannot understand,
Of God; will in his worlds, the strain unfolds
In sad-perplexed minors: deathly colds
Fall on us while we hear, and countermand
Our sanguine heart back from the fancyland
With nightingales in visionary wolds.
We murmur ' Where is any certain tune
Or measured music in such notes as these ? '
But angels, leaning from the golden seat,
Are not so minded their fine ear hath won
The issue of completed cadences,
And, smiling down the stars, they whisper--
SWEET.
---"Perplexed Music" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning




I have a terrible camera, in terms of fine, up-close detail like the shimmer in this polish. We also had a spate of terrible weather when I swatched this. But, I can attest that is looks just like all the other online swatches and is just gorgeous! This color has "me" written all over it. I love purples and blurples, and greyish colors, and shimmer. It's also excellent in terms of formula. It was opaque in just one coat for most fingers, though I added a second coat for good-measure, dried fairly quickly, and was hardy and lasted a while. I also think it would be flattering for many skin tones. Just an all-around nice polish.

Report card:

Color= A+ (Love it, even though I know it's a dupe. I am definitely not paying Chanel prices!)
Formula= A+ (also love it, hits all the marks)
Brush= A (mine is ever-so-slightly too narrow, but it is still awesome)
Price= C (I paid $4.49 at Ulta, well worth it!)

Overall= A-

Comparison- Vampy Reds

Left to right: Nicole by OPI "Deeply in Love," Revlon "Raven Red," and Nic's Sticks "Do You Deliver."




Middle= Nic's Stick
Ring= Revlon
Pinky= NOPI

As you can see, the colors are all similar, yet different.

The Nic's Stick is the darkest. It almost has a purple-based tone to it. Shown is three coats for that one, since it is difficult to apply with that applicator. I love the color though, a great berry-wine red. It might have been easier to apply but my cheeky-monkey aka my son Oscar messed with it a while back and left the cap off, so it dried out. I've messed with it and nursed it back to usability, but it's frustrating, and as you can see, I have at least 2 other colors that fill the vampy-red desire and are much more easily applied.

The Revlon is a creme. Supposedly it got it's name based on the blood of a raven? Eh. It just sounds like an attempt to be gothier-than-thou to me. But, my middle name is Raven, so I had to purchase it (this was before I knew Zoya made a polish named Raven). The color is nice, and it applies decently. This is just a very average polish, in all terms. Average color, average application, average availability and price. It's just not something spectacular. But I would consider it classic. It is more bricky and opaque than the others. It does need a topcoat in my opinion, it can be prone to scuffs and tipwear more than average. Shown is 2 coats.

The Nicole by OPI polish- oh me. I love it. It's not a creme I don't think. I believe it's a jelly, or perhaps a mixture. Shown is 3 coats, but I think you can do 2 thickish coats instead. It's lovely and applies to nicely. It's a blood-red, and so dramatic. It has a slight blue tone to it and just exudes class and sexuality all in one and definitely VAMPY. It dries fairly quickly and with a cushy, glossy jelly-like finish. If you want a classic or vampy red, this is a great investment. Definitely the winner of the group.

OPI- Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous

"I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man I keep his house."
---Zsa Zsa Gabor




This was part of a mini set I got for Christmas from OPI called "Irri-swiss-ables." This was my favorite of the set. It is a shiny, dark silvery foil/glitter. I has a great finish, only slightly gritty. It says a lot when I like a glitter, since I normally can't stand them.

To me, this color is worth any hassle a glitter might deliver. I wore this for several days. Since it is a mini, I may end up buying the full-size, once I wear through this one. I'm not really sure.

Oh, and if you are wondering what's up with my ring finger, it's lighter because I put a coat of Wet n Wild Blitzen on there out of curiosity.


Report card:

Color= A (pretty nifty)
Formula= A (pretty nifty as well)
Brush= B+ (well, this is a mini, so it's not the best, but normally OPI brushes are awesome)
Price= F ($8.50, even that is a big expense on my budget!)

Overall= B-

Borghese- Angelica Blush

Baby
You're my angel
Come and save me tonight
You're my angel
Come and make it all right
---Aerosmith "Angel"



This is a polish I picked up on clearance for 2.19 at Walgreens right after Christmas. My L.A. Colors Classic Pink for french manis turned out bupkis. It was streaky and sheer, so I slated it for frankening (it now has a new life as a yummy golden-pink champagne color, which I've dubbed Aurora and I'll feature soon, or dreckly as my granny says.)

So, I picked up this color, hoping it would fill that now-empty spot. It is a mixed review. On one hand, it was thickish and somewhat streaky- at first application. Luckily, it smoothed out and took on an even glossy, milky-pink tone at 2 applications. My advice is to do the first application thin, then a moderate coat for the second application, to have even coverage and a nice, cushy finish once dry.

Ultimately, this will suit my purposes well and I am no longer in search of a sheer pink for french manis.

Report card:

Color= C+ (this is 'bout as generic as it gets, but hey, classics are classics for a reason I guess)
Formula= B- (suitably average, but would be nice if it were quite so thick)
Brush= A+ (love Borghese brushes)
Price= F (these run $8+ a Wags. If you want to spend that, buy OPI or something else)

Overall= C+

Wet n Wild- Red Red

"The lady in red is dancing with me cheek to cheek"
---Lady in Red, by Chris De Burgh






This is pure and simple, classic red. I had read some iffy reviews, so I wasn't sure if it would be a disappointment or not. Well, I lucked out- my bottle must be just fine. It applied like butter and dried very quickly with a lovely finish. I got it on clearance at Fred's, so it was 49 cents, but these normally run 99 cents to a dollar. Awesomeness! I am really a Wet n Wild fan. Occasionally I am let down, but no more so than with other polish brands in general. My main prob was that the brush was a smidge splayed. Kinda annoying but manageable.

Overall, if you want a classic red, and don' want to pay a pretty penny, this should aptly satisfy the need.

Report card:

Color= A (it's a classic for a reason)
Formula= A- (great, and cheap too!)
Brush= B- (it could've been slightly better)
Price= A+ (only one dollar!)

Overall= A-

L.A Colors- Pink-a-boo

Pinky Dinky's always thinking big.
Yessarooni Positooni
Zip Zam Zoom!
Pinky Dinky Doo
---from kids' show, "Pinky Dinky Doo"




This is a fun little color, but it's too sheer I think. It's a candy-toned classic pink. It's youthful and fun but might smack of bimbo I suppose, depending on how you are dressed. I loved it for my toes though, and it lasts well there.

The brush was a little thin on this bottle. The formula was sheer and runny, so it was streaky at first and the thin brush did not help matters. I ended up using 4 coats. It dried at a decent rate at least, and it only cost a buck.

Report card:

Color= C- (very unoriginal, albeit classic. I've seen it done better elsewhere)
Formula= D+ (very sheer, took 4 coats for some opacity, thin, runny, etc)
Brush= C- (too thin, sorta flimsy)
Price= A+ (just a dollar)

Overall= C+

L.A. Colors- Hot-blooded

Well, I'm hot blooded, check it and see
I got a fever of a hundred and three
Come on baby, do you do more than dance?
I'm hot blooded, I'm hot blooded
---"Hot Blooded" by Foreigner





I wore this color on one hand shortly before Christmas, and another color, Morbid by Wet n Wild, on the other. Hot Blooded is a blood-toned brick red. It's a lovely color but unfortunately, it was sheer. This is 4 coats, and although it isn't too visible in this picture, there was a VNL.

I won't wear it again and slated it for frankening. I have better reds to wear. It was a buck though, so I won't feel too bad about it. I needed a red for frankening anyway.

Report card:

Color= C- (pretty unoriginal)
Formula= C- (sheer, dry time was too long, kinda smudgey even after a while, etc)
Brush= B (ok, average I'd say)
Price= A+ (just a dollar at Dollar Tree)

Overall= B-

Nicole by OPI- Scene Stealer

"The scene is dull. Tell him to put more life into his dying."
---Samuel Goldwyn




I loved this color in the bottle. It is so pretty and demure and classy and fitting for all occasions. I love it. It's a light violet-toned pink. It has a very extremely faint shimmer that in my opinion was not detectable hardly at all once dry.

Now, for all my high expectations for this, considering that I have never really had a bad experience formula-wise with Nicole by OPI polishes, I must say, I am quite disappointed. It was very sheer. That I can deal with. But it was also thick and globby and streaky and dried after like...eons. And when I say dry, I mean, it was "dry" but still was easily imprinted and smudged. 48 hours later, it was STILL imprintable and smudgey. But, I love the color so much, I plan on retrying it soon. Maybe something was off that day.

Report card:

Color= A (really pretty and flattering for most people I'd say)
Formula= C (thin, sheer, took forever to dry, was smudgey forever)
Brush= C+ (too flimsy for the polish's consistency)
Price= D- (I got mine in a 2 pack for $6.99, but normally they are 7.50, which is pricy, considering you can get China Glaze or Orly for less, and OPI for similar)

Overall= C

Sinful Colors- Hot Spot

Me mind on fire -- Me soul on fire -- Feeling hot hot hot
---Buster Poindexter, "Hot Hot Hot"




This is a fun color. I thought I'd like it for winter, but it just really strikes me as more of a summer color, especially like for 4th of July. It's got a foil-like quality, and not just a frosty/metallic sheen. It's a classic blue with silver metallic sheen, that dries to a nearly matte finish.

It was fairly hardy and applied easily and dried quickly. It was a little prone to scuffs and I think it would benefit from a topcoat, although it would probably mess up the nice matte-quality of the finish.

Report card:

Color= C+ (it's kinda generic I guess, but fun)
Formula= C+ (the scuffs sorta detract from the overall experience)
Brush= B+ (slightly better than average)
Price= A- (just $1.99)

Overall= B-

Nicole by OPI- Spring Romance

"Hey, where did we go
Days when the rains came?
Down in the hollow
Playin' a new game
Laughin' and a-runnin', hey hey
Skippin' and a-jumpin'
In the misty mornin' fog
With our, our hearts a-thumpin'

And you, my brown eyed girl"
---Brown-Eyed Girl, Van Morrison




I wanted Love Your Life from Nicole by OPI a while back after spotting it on someone else's blog. Or thought I did, I guess I should say. I spotted this similar polish, Spring Romance, in a bin at Goodwill. Now, some may scoff at second-hand polish, but beggars can't be choosers, and I like to recycle, and save money, so whatever. I don't think it was tried, it didn't look like it at the neck of the bottle, but you never know. Anyway, it was $1.99. They had a half empty, half-dried bottle of some uber-gold Love My Nails, completely retro, for the same price. I declined. I didn't think it was retro in a good way.

I think the difference between Spring Romance and Love Your Life is that LYL is more pink and silver glitter-based, were Spring Romance is more purple and multi-colored glitter-based. I haven't got a bottle of LYL to compare, but that's what it looks to me when I google around. Spring Romance has large, pinkish heart-shaped glitter mixed with oodles of regular-sized glitter in a rainbow of colors, all in a slightly lavender-tinged based.

I think the hearts are not ample enough inside the bottle, and so heavy that it makes applying them difficult. Hard to get them on the brush when they immediately start sinking to the bottom after you get done mixing it up. When you do get some hearts on the brush, its an act of Congress to get them in the proper location. By then, the runny, glitter extra polish is globbed around and drying fast as you try to do damage control before everything is completely ruined. Maybe I am just too clumsy at application, maybe I just need some practice. Personally, I really don't care enough to try again. I would love to ditch this polish. I wish I could filter out the hearts, I do like the other glitter. It's the hearts that throw everything into a tizz.

*This is over the WNW "Lust" btw, if you couldn't tell.

Report card:

Color= B+ (close, but no cigar)
Formula= C+ (dried too fast, was too runny)
Brush= C- (too flimsy and thin for the large glitter)
Price= D- (even though I got mine for $1.99, they retail for $7.50 or so at Wal-Mart. This bottle was def not worth it IMO)

Overall= C

Wet n Wild- Lust

Young Lust, you're dying and you're screamin' inside
Oh, you're guilty way before you've been tried
And it's crazy but you're diggin' it
Ooohh
---Aerosmith "Young Lust"




This polish is from the Wet n Wild Color Craze collection. My Walgreens had them on sale so I scooped up this one and Morbid. Lust is a fruit punch pink with a purple glossy sheen. It's unusual and festive, so I think it's perfect for the holidays or special occasions, or whenever you want to feel glam. I loved the formula as well, it applied easily, dried quickly, and was fairly long-lasting, especially for the price. I will definitely wear it again, it's a nice color. The brush handle was a smidge short but in my stubby fingers, it was perfect. The polish wasn't too thick or thin and it was opaque in 3 coats, maybe 4 for good measure and maximum glossiness.

Report card:

Color= B (average, but it's not something ground-breaking)
Formula= A- (pretty dang good)
Brush= B+ (I like the short and stubbiness but I think some might find it clumsy)
Price= A- (normally a $1.99, even though I paid have priced for mine. Either way, not bad)

Overall= B+

Franken- "Apoplexy"

"Apoplexy is a sudden abolition of all the senses, external and internal, and of all voluntary motion, by the stoppage of the flux and reflux of the animal spirits through the nerves destined for those motions."
---Dr. John Arbuthnot




This was my attempt at a Paradoxal/Perplex type color. I took the remnants of the half-empty OPI Soho Nice to Meet You, plus a little black (Sinful Colors, Black on Black), plus a teal metallic with green and gold shimmer which was the sister color to the fuchsia/plum color, in an L.A. Colors' 2 pack called "Paradise." I dumped as much of the teal as I could. This was the result. As you can see, it's more grape-purple than grey-purple. It's ok though. I think it would have been better if the OPI didn't have the silvery shimmer to begin with, I think it throw's the whole intended finish off. I still think it's a pretty color, and it wears well.

Report card:

Color= A- (I think it's unique, and fun, and definitely a color I would like to wear frequently)
Formula= A- (the OPI was thick to begin with, but the addition of the newer, thinner polishes is great, and it maintained it's original OPI quality)
Brush= n/a (just happened to end up in the OPI bottle, which has an awesome brush by the way)
Price= A- (I estimate this cost me about a buck fifty, considering I was about to toss the OPI, it was too thick on its own)

Overall= A-