L.A. Colors- Tease

A song just doesn't come on. I've always had to tease it out, squeeze it out.
---Dorothy Fields





Ew...this was just....ew. Shown is 4-5 coats. It took forever for opacity. By those last coats, I got lazy and disgruntled, hence the horrible paintjob. I knew I was removing it later and never wearing it again.

That's all I got to say about that!

Report card:

Color= D- (except for some slightly interesting blue flash, most unoriginal fuchsia ever)
Formula= F (5 coats! Need I say it again?)
Brush= D- (super thin and flimsy, barely usable with this polish)
Price= A+ (hey, it was a buck- a buck wasted though imo, but I'll give it an A here, generally I am happy with L.A. Colors)

Overall= D+

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-

Wet n Wild- nameless "Wild Card/Mauve Frost?"

Pink it was love at first sight
Pink when I turn out the light
Pink it´s like red but not quite
And I think everything is going to be all right
No matter what we do tonight
---"Pink" by Aerosmith




This was one of those Dollar General holiday gift set Wet n Wild polishes I got. They claim to be "Wild Shine" polishes on the bottle but list no name or number. I googled around and I think it is either "Wild Card" or "Mauve Frost" but I can't really be certain. It could be something different entirely, something discontinued or maybe even not released at all at this time.

It's frosty pink with a slight golden duochrome flash. It's a powdery pink and reminds me of a gauzy negligee. It smacks of Dynasty for some reason. It looks like the perfect color for a blouse Krystle Carrington would be rockin.

It's a fun, demure, bimbo-pink color that has it's place I think, but I just wasn't too wowed tbh. I love pink nail polish, and there are others I'd rather wear. It was kinda thick and had a tacky, gummy feel for several hours, not to mention its sheerness. But it was fun and I think would be flattering on most skin tones and nail lengths, so it is fairly versatile, if that's a color you like.

Report card:

Color= C (it's unusual, but not tantalizing)
Formula= C- (has some issues)
Brush= B- (actually not too bad considering)
Price= A+ (it was $4 for 5 polishes, so SCORE!)

Overall= B-

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-

Hard Candy- Fishnet

"I do recommend it for all girls, and boys, out there: put on a pair of fishnet stockings and find your inner sexiness!"
---Nia Vardalos




I was in need of a classic red. I saw this in a clearance bin at Walmart, with no price. But since the most expensive one there was the Nicole by OPI, at 7.50, I thought surely it didn't exceed that. I hadn't bought or even perused the Hardy Candy polishes really at that point, they just never seem like something I like. So, I bought it, guessing it was around 2 bucks or maybe a little more, which seemed reasonable for the color I wanted, a classic red.

I should have paid attention when she rang it up (along with 2 other colors Splendid and Frenzy). It was NOT on clearance, despite being in a clearance bin, with tons of other duplicates. I paid $5 for this. Ick, such a small bottle, and such a regular color, I could have gotten a LA Color one for 1 dollar! But this was very much the red I envisioned, so I decided to roll with it.

I tried it. It's ok on my toes, but it's really thin on my fingernails and takes forever to get opaque enough, plus remaining tacky and gummy. It chipped within a few hours as well. Poo. :( It's a shame, because it really is a classic red. Oh well, I used it for my first attempt at frankening last night, so it's not totally wasted.

Report card:

Color= A+ (classic red can't be beat!)
Formula= D- (nearly failing)
Brush= D+ (long and thin, not good)
Price= D- (considering how small the bottle is, this is just about the biggest nail polish rip-off I've seen.)

Overall= C-

OPI- Nice Color, Eh?

The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.
---Marcus Aurelius




Yes it is! This is another of my favorites. It's lighter than "I'm Not Really a Waitress" and "Soho Nice to Meet You" so it seems more appropriate for casual or day wear. It's a pretty strawberry red with a faint shimmer, and the finish is lovely and kinda matte.

Of course, the brush and formula are great, as it's OPI. Worth the expensive price tag in my experience, if this is a color you know you will wear.

Report card:
Color= A- (everyone has a red, but this again is red done right)
Formula= A+ (the tops!)
Brush= A (always nice)
Price= D- (expensive, I won't lie. At about 8 bucks, you have to treat it as an investment, only buy if it's a color you know will get a lot of use)

Overall= B

Nicole by OPI- Deeply In Love

And so we remained till the red of the dawn began to fall through the snow gloom. I was desolate and afraid, and full of woe and terror. But when that beautiful sun began to climb the horizon life was to me again.
---Bram Stoker



This color makes me think of vampires. It's truly blood red and it's so sensual and sexy, I think it would look right at home on the fingertips of some vampy woman. It's a deep brownish red with no shimmer. It has a matte finish, and absolutely no sparkle or shimmer. It doesn't need it though, it's class and sex appeal all on its own. The formula was thin, but very opaque, and easy to manage with the nice brush.

So far, this is probably the favorite red of my collection, and I definitely will be using it again. I thought at first that it was a fallish red, but I actually think it is more appropriate for any season. It's a classic red and I think classic is always in season.

Report card:
Color= A (Red done right!)
Formula= A (tres bien!)
Brush= A- (another plus!)
Price= D- (A blemish on an otherwise nearly flawless review. This polish was a gift to me from a friend, but since these retail for 7.50 at Wal-Mart, that's an ouchy price in my opinion. However, I think it's worth it if you are looking for a gorgeous, enduring, classic red.)

Overall= B

Sally Hansen- Rose to the Occasion

"When you came along, with a strange new song
and the sweetest innovation
And you said "One should never fall in love,
but rise to the occasion..."
---Nanci Griffith "Rise to the Occasion"

---




Wow, my pic does NOT do this justice. It is such a gorgeous pink with a delicate, barely-there shimmer. It is so fun and retro-looking. It immediately makes me think of Barbie's high heels, My Little Ponies, and my coveted LA Gears. I love it.

The polish is decent, although it definitely needed at least 2 coats and then another coat of a good topcoat, since it was fairly gritty looking without it. It also only lasted about a day. I probably could have done a better job with the application and maybe a better job with the topcoat, so it might have lasted better, but I'm not thinking it would have been much more than another day. Sad, because I really love the color. Even with the shoddy formula, I'll be whipping this out again in the future, for whenever I feel like being totally rad.

On to the report card!
Color: A (LOVE IT, absolutely FUN. Not for everyday and every skintone, but I personally dig it)
Formula: C (worse than average, but it was not so awful that I won't wear it again)
Brush: C+ (sorta thin, sorta flimsy, but got the job done)
Price: A+ (found it at Dollar Tree in a two-pack for a buck. So 50 cents? I'm there!)

Overall: B