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- 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- 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.

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!

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-