Orly- La Playa

Hey Blue, there is a song for you
Ink on a pin
Underneath the skin
An empty space to fill in
--"Blue" by Joni Mitchell




This was a color I was "lemming" and finally found on clearance at Ulta this past January. The color is just gorgeous! It is a bright, yet also dark and dramatic blue and so glossy. However, as pretty as the color is, the quality...meh, it leaves something to be desired. You wanna guess how old the above mani is?

You probably are thinking a couple days or so. NOPE! It was just 12 hours! Yeah...you see why I am disappointed. But the color...oooh, it's so pretty. Maybe if I can find the right topcoat (I used Orly's Top to Bottom I think it was called). Either way, I love the color quite a bit, and certainly think it's worth another shot. Especially since it was basically a one-coater!

Report card:

Color= A (pretty dang beautiful)
Formula= C+ (thick, difficult to paint somewhat, and did not hold up)
Brush= B (pretty good, but not quite sturdy enough to maneuver the polish adeptly)
Price= C- (4.99 usually at most beauty supplies, not too bad if it were good quality, but it was disappointing. I at least found mine on clearance for 2.99)

Overall= B-

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+

Comparison- Revlon "Perplex" versus NOPI "Bah Plum-Bug"

This is Revlon "Perplex" and Nicole by OPI "Bah Plum-Bug." I had spotted the NOPI at Marshall's and this was before I'd found Perplex at Ulta. So I thought it might work towards my Jones for Perplex/Paradoxal. Obviously, it is more "blurple" than dusky violet like Perplex/Paradoxal. It also has more of a rosy shimmer versus the violet glow that Perplex has.

One shoddy swatch later (ignore icky cuticles and how I didn't bother cleaning it up, I was lazy that night lol)- Perplex on thumb and Bah Plum Bug on pointer.




The differences are even more obvious on the nail than in the bottle. They really aren't alike at all, but, the idea is similar I suppose. Perplex is opaque in 1 coat, I swear. And I believe it's a creme. BPB is a jelly I think, and it took 2 coats, 3 on my thumb and middle finger I think.

I hesitate to pick a winner of these. Obviously, Perplex is gorgeous. But BPB isn't to be ignored either. I am glad to have both, but to be honest, the BPB's quality does leave something to be desired. It definitely needs a good topcoat (or two) because it is not a hardy polish. Easily scuffed for sure!

Comparison- Dark plums

I kinda have been obsessed with dark plums lately. Obviously, or I wouldn't have so many lol.

Pictured above, left to right: Revlon "Plum Night," Nic's Sticks "Dash Into the Dark," Borghese "Carnevale Grape," and Nicole by OPI "Show You Care." There are subtle difference to these colors. The Revlon is a dark vampy plum, almost black. The Nic's Stick is slightly grapier than the Revlon. The Borghese is opaque at one coat, and obviously red-toned and grapey, but at two coats, is nearly indistinguishable from the others. The NOPI color is similar to the others, an uber-dark, grapey-plum but it has lovely, delicate silvery shimmer which provides interesting depth.



Quick n dirty swatch: thumb= Revlon "Plum Night," pointer= Nic's Sticks "Dash into the Dark," middle= Borghese "Carnevale Grape," and ring finger= NOPI "Show You Care."

The Revlon is a great example of a good, standard polish. I applies well in 2 coats, dries ok, nice and glossy, etc, and is easy and fairly inexpensive to find. The Nic's Stick, well...I don't like those things. I can't apply them very well. Lovely color, difficult applicator. The Borghese gets my vote for the fave of this spread. It's opaque with just one coat and dries at a decent rate and is nice and glossy with a lovely cushy, yet not smudgey, finish. It's also not so close to black as the others, so it stands out more. The NOPI one, that also is a fave, tied for first place I'd say. The shimmer just really sets it apart from the rest, and I think it's worth having, even if you have other dark plum shades.

Report card:

1st place: Borghese "Carnevale Grape & Nicole by OPI "Show You Care"
2nd place: Revlon "Plum Night"
3rd place: Nic's Stick "Dash into the Dark"

There ya have it!

Wet n Wild- Caribbean Frost

I want to give people a taste of the Caribbean, and show them the fun side of me.
---Rihanna




This was my first recent WNW purchase since I've gotten back into polish, along with Blazed. They are nice. Maybe a smidge prone to bubbles. But for a dollar, I'll deal with it.

Caribbean Frost is a tealish green metallic. I really like it. It kinda shows brush-strokes though. But still, it's ok. For a buck, you can't hardly ask for the moon.

Report card:

Color= C- (pretty generic, everyone's got this color)
Formula= D+ (bubbly, thick, a bit unwieldy, took some time to dry)
Brush= C+ (mine is a smidge wonky)
Price= A+ (just a dollar)

Overall= C+

Wet n Wild- Morbid

I love the dead before they're cold,
Their blueing flesh for me to hold.
Cadaver eyes upon me see nothing
---"I Love the Dead" by Alice Cooper




Morbid is a very dark pine green base with green and teal shimmer. It was lovely and perfect for Christmas, despite it's Halloween-ish name, when I needed a dark, fancy-type green to correspond on my other hand, opposite the L.A. Colors Hot-Blooded.

It was $1.99 at Walgreens, but I got it on sale for $1.09. I bought Lust with it as well, and since I had been so impressed with that one, I had high hopes for Morbid. It's not that it is bad formula- it's not, it's actually great. The color is great too. My problem was the terrible brush. There are like 5 strands that are longer than the rest, and the rest seem sort of "fluffy" and puffed up. It's unusual. But, I guess for such a cheap price, you can't be too shocked. But it makes for a very difficult application.

However, ultimately, I really like this color. I will wear it again, and indeed, I wore it several times this month. I also layered WNW Blitzen over it at one point (pictured earlier) and absolutely loved that effect. I think Blitzen might be my favorite nail polish purchase of all year. It's certainly been the most versatile, despite being a holiday polish. I'll be rocking that bad boy come New Year's Day and I bet my birthday as well.

Anyway, Morbid's report card:

Color= B+ (pretty neat, but lots of brands have similar colors)
Formula= A- (pretty dang good, it might be a smidge prone to bubbles though)
Brush= F (practically useless)
Price= A- (even not on sale, $1.99 isn't bad)

Overall= B-

Wet n Wild- Blue Moon

I said blue moon of Kentucky
keep on shining
Shine on the one that's gone and left me blue
---"Blue Moon of Kentucky" by Bill Monroe






Not the best swatch, but take it from me, it's a gorgeous color. It's a deep inky blue with delicate shimmer and a great shiny, glossy finish. It's like looking into a pool of starlight.

Application is decent, brush was ok, but not the best. It dried quickly and lasted til I was bored with it (about 2 days). It wasn't easily scuffed nor was it very imprintable once dry. Once again, I am smitten with Wet n Wild.

Report card:

Color= B+ (I like it, it's dramatic, yet I can see it being casual too)
Formula= A- (very nice)
Brush= C+ (this particular one wasn't the best, it was just weird a little, but still fine)
Price= A+ (can't beat 99 cents!)

Overall= B+

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-

Sinful Colors- Black on Black

I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
---"Paint It Black" Rolling Stones





This is your simple plain black creme. I really like this formula too. I know some people would use black year-round but for me, it's strictly a fall or winter color. I used to be all about black polish, but not any more. I do love it for fall especially though. It's great for layering too though, and for stamping I'm sure. If you need a black, this one is just $1.99 and is great for the price. Look how glossy and pretty it ended up? It was opaque in two coats and dried quickly.

Report card:

Color= C- (very generic, it's hard to mess up black)
Formula= A- (very nice)
Brush= B+ (better than average)
Price= A- (just under $2, that's a great price)

Overall= B

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+

Borghese- Stellare Notte

Starry, starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning fields of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.
---from the song "Vincent" by Don McLean




I know this is not the best swatch. It's the best I can do with my camera. I didn't like this polish as much as I knew I would from the bottle. From the bottle, it almost looks like a dream polish for me. I love duochrome and dark, dramatic colors. The 3 Ds if you will. However, I felt it was too thick, which dulled the chromatic effect, as well as made brush strokes fairly visible. Additionally, it took FOREVER to dry. Good news is that it's pretty pigmented and I didn't need more than 2 coats. I think one can be sufficient if you are ninja-like with your application.

Lastly, because it's so thick, it was prone to scuffs and scratches, which even further dulled the finish. This needs a good glossy topcoat fer sure. But the brush was AWESOME, as all Borghese brushes are IMO. And it is indeed a unique color. I am more than willing to retry this puppy later, in case for some reason the weather made a difference. It was raining when I tried it, so I am holding out hope that the humidity affected it, and I will also try a quick-dry topcoat and hope that makes for improvement as well. I really want this color to work.

Report card (pending review):

Color= A+ (unique, I haven't really seen much similar to it)
Formula= C- (ultra thick and slow-drying, plus a dull finish)
Brush= A+ (Borghese gots the best brushes)
Price= F (I bought mine on clearance, but normal price is 8 bucks, and unless it's a unique color, spend that money on OPI or something else)

Overall= B-

Nic's Sticks- Dash Into the Dark

Dashing through the snow
On a one-horse open sleigh,
Over the fields we go,
Laughing all the way;
---Jingle Bells




Dare I even share this awful swatch? This was actually my third attempt. These Nic's Sticks are so varied. It seems the metallic/frosty lacquers apply pretty well but the cremes do not. This is 4 coats. Look at the persistent baldness! And the mess! But it's a pretty color, if it could just be applied aptly. Perhaps someone with a steadier hand than I. It's like a licorice/jelly bean uber-dark plum color.

Report card:

Color= B+ (pretty fun, but it's hard to say, since I can't get true opacity)
Formula= D+ (thick, gummy, hard-to-apply, prone to unwieldy bald spots, etc)
Brush= F (this format does not work with the thick and quick-drying nature of the formula, it just globs up the brush)
Price= F (they are too expensive for the small amount of lacquer you get, even more when you consider the difficulty in application)

Overall= D+