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

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- Classic Red Cremes

Left to right: Wet n Wild "Red Red," OPI "Color So Hot it Berns," and Hard Candy "Fishnet."

My quick-n-dirty swatch:


Thumb= WNW, pointer= OPI, and middle= HC

As you can see, they are all very similar in color. CSHIB is perhaps more orange-toned than the other too, and the WNW more blue-toned, while the HC is more in the middle.

As far as formula goes, I honestly prefer the WNW. The Hard Candy one was too thin while the OPI was too thick. The WNW applied like a dream. All dried very well and have nice glossy finishes.

Ultimately, because of the ease of application being the only difference really with these polishes, I gave 1st prize to WNW "Red Red" and the other two are tied for 2nd.

I don't think I need all three, they are all so similar. Some may prefer to have them all, they might be different enough to them. But this el cheapo wishes she only had one of them.

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- 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-

L.A. Colors- Phenomenon

“I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts; the rest are details.”
---Albert Einstein




This was a Dollar Tree find, of course. It's a fuchsia/plum color with no shimmer. I believe it's a creme. It is not very pigmented though. What is shown is 3 coats, and as you can see, it needs another coat or two. That third coat really didn't make much of a difference at all, so I reasoned that a 4th probably wouldn't either, so I called it there.

For a buck, I guess I can't complain. Compared to Borghese "Palermo Plum," it's a decent, cheaper alternative. I prefer the little nameless L.A. Color's fuchsia I got in a 2 pack called "Paradise" so ultimately, I will probably franken with this one.

Report card:

Color= D+ (boring- everyone has a fuchsia, and most are much nicer)
Formula= D (quick-drying at least, but it's thin and not very opaque)
Brush= B- (flimsy, but mostly average)
Price= A+ (just a dollar)

Overall= C+

Finger Paints- Free Form Fawn

Asleep on the moss, his head on his polished cleft
small ebony hoves,
The child of the doe, the dappled child of the deer.
---The Fawn, Edna St. Vincent Millay




I did not like this color. I thought I would. In the bottle, it looks like a conservative burgundy mauve type color, and I wanted something classic and simple. Well, ask and ye shall receive. I received the boringest, uninterestingest, blah blah blah color ever. And to boot, it made my fingers look pale, dry, and stubby. And aged. They looked like some old lady's hands. The polish was thick and made for difficult application as well, and then took a while to dry and remained very imprintable for over 24 hours, which is quickly becoming one of my biggest pet peeves.

I'll give it another whirl later maybe, it's possible I caught it on an off day or something. Maybe the planets were aligned incorrectly. But, I am not holding my breath.

Report card:

Color= C- (it is much more dull than it should be)
Formula= C- (thickity thick thick, and a slowpoke in drying)
Brush= B (average I suppose)
Price= C- (I paid 3.99 on sale at Sally Beauty, but it's normally 4.99, which I think is a rip-off when you can get nicer brands for cheaper)

Overall= C

L.A. Colors "Paradise" pink

“He that does good for good's sake seeks neither paradise nor reward, but he is sure of both in the end”
---William Penn




I love this color, seriously. It's a plummy fuschia creme. I HATE that it has no name, so I call it simply "Paradise Pink" since the package said "Paradise" on the top. It was a L.A. Colors 2 pack I found at Dollar General and half-off, when it was only a dollar to begin with. I love the color, the formula, the application, the finish, all of it. My only complaint is that it took forever to get opaque. This is 4 coats and even then, I still had a noticeable nail line in certain lights.

Report card:

Color= A- (probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I personally adore it)
Formula= A- (except for the opacity problem, no complaints)
Brush= A (no complaints)
Price= A+ (definitely no complaints here, it was a buck for 2 polishes without the sale I got on it of half off. So, I paid a quarter for this bad boy)

Overall= A-

Nic's Sticks- Do You Deliver

"A library, to modify the famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas - a place where history comes to life."
---Norman Cousins




Aw shucks- I love this color. But...my naughty son got into it and left the lid off. So now it's impossible for me to accurately gauge its quality. Even with the dry brush I had to fiddle with to get to work, I think it eventually looked ok. It was so thick though, since I had to glob on a lot to work with the dried brush. So it took forever to dry and remained prone to scratches. I can't be certain what caused it, if it was Oscar's meddling, or if it was inherent to the polish in the beginning. Either way, I think my bottle is ruined. Sad, because it was a gift from a friend. I'm going to hold on to it longer and hope that the brush eventually softens, as that would make application much much much easier.

The color is a cranberry red creme, perfect for fall or winter.

Report card:

Color= B (average, lots of brands have a similar one)
Formula= C- (even with the messed up brush, the formula itself seems decent enough, just thick)
Brush= F (not counting how my son damaged it, I really can't say I like these applicators, especially for thick polishes like these. It's very hard to apply evenly)
Price= F (they are 7-8 bucks, and for the small amount you get, it's just not good)

Overall= D+

Revlon- Plum Night

My favorite plum
lies in wait for me
I'll be right here
longing endlessly
---"My Favorite Plum" Suzanne Vega




Again, awful swatch, sorry. But this is a pretty color. It takes 3-4 coats to ensure even coverage. It's very rich and dries fairly quickly considering. I have worn it so much I didn't want to do it again even to get it swatched. But it's pretty, take my word for it. It's a super dark plum purple that almost seems black. It's very dramatic and a "fancy" color, perfect for holiday shindigs. I like this color but I do still prefer Nicole by OPI's "Show You Care" better because it's a smidge brighter and has a delicate shimmer.

Report card:

Color= B+ (better than average, but lots of brands have similar ones, so it's sorta generic)
Formula= C+ (dries quickly and has a nice glossy finish, but takes too many coats to evenly coat the nail)
Brush= B (solidly average, like most Revlon brushes)
Price= C- (I got this as a gift, but they are 4.79 at my Walgreens, which is expensive, considering China Glaze and Finger Paints are similar in price but much nicer in quality)

Overall= C+

Revlon- Raven Red

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
---"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe




Weird name, kinda makes no sense, unless you are trying to gothify it I guess? But, goofy name aside, I like this red. It's classic, and thus sorta run-of-the-mill, but in my opinion, red is always sexy and classy. This is deep and brick-toned, definitely something I'll reserve for fall and winter. It's too warm, subdued, and inviting for summer, where I prefer colors to be airy, fresh, and energetic.

The formula is decent, and so is the brush. It's expensive though- for the price, I'd rather wait for a sale at Sally Beauty and pick up a better brand.

Report card:

Color= B (solidly average)
Formula= B (ditto)
Brush= B (ditto that ditto)
Price= C- (mine was $4.79 at Walgreens, and my Wal-mart doesn't have the price listed, and I'm too lazy to walk around to a price-check station to investigate)

Overall= B-

Revlon- Minted

"But your blood will be changed into a flower. Persephone, you were allowed to alter a woman’s body, Menthe’s, to fragrant mint: shall the transformation of my hero, of the blood of Cinyras, be grudged to me?”
---Aphrodite, said of Adonis, to Persephone




This is a fun polish. I found it a little difficult to apply, it is pretty thin. This is 4 coats, and I feel like it needed another. I loved it with the Cover Girl Nailslick's Chocolate Mint though. I saw it on another blogger's site and HAD TO HAVE IT. So I immediately scoured Ebay and got it. So I wore Revlon Minted on one hand and the Chocolate Mint on the other. A very fun mani for the growing chilly season.

The brush was great and it aided in the application, especially since it was fairly thin. This polish was a gift to me from a friend, but I do know they run around 3-5 bucks in drug stores. If you shop around, you can find them BOGO at Walgreens or other stores. I haven't ever really been too disappointed with Revlon polishes, and I think they are generally well-priced. They have a limited color palette though and I feel like they have very redundant colors. However, this is a fun color for them, very different from their usual reds, mauves, plums, and nudes.

Report card:

Color= B+ (very fun, but I guess everybody makes a mint color, so it isn't too avant garde)
Formula= C+ (thin and slow-drying, but hardy)
Brush= B+ (average to slightly above average)
Price= C (there are cheaper polishes for better or similar quality, but there are also worse ones that are more expensive.)

Overall= B-

Nina Ultra- Never Glum Plum

“What is more mortifying than to feel that you have missed the plum for want of courage to shake the tree?”
-Logan Pearsall Smith

---






These pics aren't quite true-to-color for me. Well, I guess when I took them, it was. But I swear this polish "aged" into a darker color within a few hours of my pics. It got very dark and when I asked my husband what color he thought this was, he said "black?" That's how dark it was, seriously. It's certainly much darker than it looks in the bottle, which is annoying, because I wanted a color that is basically the same as the bottle. Oh well, just an excuse to buy another bottle sometime!

The formula is good, maybe a bit globby, but it dries quickly and is slightly self-correcting. It isn't too expensive, and the brush was average, as far as ease of application goes. In my world, it is matte* (remember, I know nothing of jellies and cremes and whatnot).

The negatives, other than it's apparent color-changing issues, are that I found it to not look good on short nails at all. It made my fingers and nails look so stubby. So, I'm relegating it to longer-nails only. Also, and it might have just been the frantic car-cleaning I had to do while I searched for a school textbook, but it chipped before it had even been a day. So, that was annoying too.

So, the report card is as follows:

Color= C* (it's a nice color, but it's ambiguity is annoying to me)
Formula=B+ (slightly above average, but lost points due to globbiness)
Brush= B (average, nothing special)
Price= C+ (I think it's 3.99 at Sally Beauty, not too bad, but for me, it's slightly above what I prefer)

Overall= B-

China Glaze- Classic Camel

"Gold! gold! gold! gold!
Bright and yellow, hard and cold!
~Thomas Hood"

(Here's my swatch. I know I have cuticles and such and it isn't perfect, but it's the best I can do, and as far as the cuticles go, I just learned about those in Anatomy and Physiology, and they are more important than you think, so I let mine do their thing.)



I was very intrigued with this color, which I found in the clearance bin at Sally Beauty, which only just recently opened up in my town. We otherwise have few options for polish, without traveling 45 minutes to over an hour.

What first struck me about this color is that it looked matte, even in the bottle, which I found peculiar. I also noticed it has very fine glitter, which, if my eyes are correct, contains some silver and even a few faintly-lavender flecks. I knew I had no other color like it, and it was 1.99 I believe, so how could I say no? Even if it was a bust, I figured I could play around with it if I ever got a stamp kit or the guts to try marbling.

Anyway, it's basically a golden-mustardy-honey tone with very faint amounts of glitter. I would call it simply "matte" so whether it's a creme or a jelly or a gravy, I can't tell you. But its finish was very matte on my nails with no frosty/metallic sheen, and no chromatic effect. That's basically the 3 types of nail polish in my lexicon- matte, metallic, and chromatic.

The formula is nice. It went on smoothly and easily. The brush was good, maybe even better than average, for application ease, and the smell wasn't abnormally vaporous. I was impressed with the drying time, although a little annoyed at the initial translucence. I am not one to put on more than 2 coats (and that includes top and/or basecoats!), so I hoped it would work with just two. I still did have a faintly detectable nail line after the second coat, but only in certain angles and light sources, so I was not concerned.

I wore it three days, including school with hard wear-and-tear from schoolish activities. By the end of the third day, it was still perfect with no tip-wear. I received several compliments on it, and I personally felt like it was flattering. There were a few times in certain lights that I thought it had a greenish tone that wasn't flattering, and I'm not sure it will be flattering on all skin-tones, but for me, overall, I really loved it. I do feel like it's more a fall color, or a color for a "fancy" occasion, so it probably isn't something I will wear year-round. However, it will most definitely be getting heavy wear this fall and winter!

So the report card overall is:

Color=A* (*with my skin-tone, but it probably isn't for everyone)
Formula= A+ (I wish all polish was with a similar formula)
Brush= B (I've had better, but I'd say it's average)
Price= C- (I'm going to take into account its full price, not what I paid for clearance. Full price is 4.99 and for me, that's a bit rich for nail polish. But, I've seen worse, and I'd gladly pay it for a color I love)

Overall=B