OPI Purple with a Purpose + OPI Can't you Sea?

 

I wanted to see if I could make any use of OPI Can't you Sea? - a super sheer, watery polish with tiny microflakes that reflect blue, green and gold tones. On it's own it looks terrible! I added two coats of Can't You Sea? over two coats of OPI Purple with a Purpose. It does look much better on top of another colour but it is still too sheer and underwhelming to impress me. Purple with a Purpose has great formula. I wouldn't call it muted or dusty, but isn't the brightest of purples. There is also a tiny amount of magenta shimmer in there, but sorry OPI after using Zoya Mimi this doesn't come close to being a fave purple :)

A polish nightmare..

Ah Revlon Sunshine Sparkle... I had high hopes but this has to be possibly the worst nail polish I have tried. It looks pretty in the bottle, a cute pastel yellow with some light silver shimmer. But go to apply it and the nightmare begins :/ this is 5 coats, all went on streaky and painfully. It bubbles. It never EVER dries. It is a bit chalky and the colour on me looks really bad. Much worse in person... Sometimes Revlon has amazing nail polishes, I have tried many one and two coaters that look stunning from them. But this one makes me wonder - how can they approve this for sale knowing the formula is so bad. Unfortunately from seeing other blogs they think the same of this polish so my bottle can't be the only terrible one :(

I am curious to know, how have your experiences been with yellows and do you know of any good ones to recommend? All the ones I have tried are at least 3 coats if I'm lucky, and often bad application. If anyone knows a 2 coater yellow that is gorgeous please pass on the name :) I am on a search!

IsaDora Violet

Just a quick pic of IsaDora Violet. I love this for 3 reasons -

1. It reminds me of Sailor Mars

2. It has a jelly blurple base

3. It was a present :) they are always the best type of nail polishes

Shown is two coats, the base is a little watery so isn't super easy around the cuticles but not too bad. The magenta shimmer is beautiful and pops against the bluer jelly like base. In person there is a little more visible nail line than this picture shows. And it dries super shiny :) a good go-to purple for me. <3

Revlon Cherry Berry and Grape Shimmer

Revlon Cherry Berry is a pretty, slightly muted blue toned red/berry creme. The formula on Revlon's reds are usually 1 - 2 coaters, this one included. The colour is flattering on my skin, and the formula is easy to work with. Not an uncommon colour at all so not crazy about it. I tried adding a coat of an old Revlon Glimmer Gloss in Grape Shimmer to see what it looks like on the nail. It does add a beautiful shine to the nail, and a small amount of purple and blue shimmer. The shimmer is very tiny flakes, and has a subtle effect.

OPI It's My Year

I adore this beautiful colour :) OPI It's My Year is a stunning warm medium purple base with a heavy amount of gold foil shimmer. It is from the OPI Miss Universe Collection of Summer 2011. Flash and bright light brings out the base colour, and in the shade the gold stands out. It dries quickly and takes 3 coats. The formula applies and levels very well. Such a flattering, pretty colour :)

Essie Smooth Sailing

This is Essie Smooth Sailing from the Summer 2011 Braziliant Collection. It is a beautiful periwinkle blue. It has plenty of silver shimmer through it, which looks like very small flakes. In the bottle the shimmer gives off just a hint of light pinkish purple and blue, but this doesn't translate well onto the nail. Though the colour is unique and pretty I am not a fan of it on me, I found it was aging on my pale skin. The formula is smooth and easy to use, and is opaque in two coats. Any uneven areas are my own fault :) I am used to using the wide OPI brushes instead of Essie's thin brushes. Whenever I use a different brand of nail polish I always love coming back to OPI's easy to use brushes. I have to say though, every Essie nail polish I have used has been top notch on formula and I am a fan of their bottles :)

Nicole by OPI Lets get Star-ted over Revlon Blue Lagoon

I love the colour of Revlon Blue Lagoon - but the formula lets it down. After three coats it was still a bit steaky and uneven, and the dry time wasn't the best. I would recommend taking your time to apply it and wait a few minutes between coats, and use a good base coat. Blue Lagoon has a shot of silver microglitter through it which is very pretty. If anyone knows of a dupe to BL with a better formula please let me know :) I wanted to try Nicole by OPI Lets get Star-ted over top, and it looks very cute. It has iridescent glitter and holographic light purple stars. They don't sit perfectly flat on my fingernails, but where they do sit flat (or on my toes) they last on the nail until taken off with nail polish remover. Otherwise I am too tempted to peel them off :)

OPI Bright Lights Big Color

OPI Bright Lights Big Color is from their Brights Collection. It is a peachy coral, with a golden yellow shimmer which makes it gorgeous. It has great formula and takes two coats to reach full opacity. It would look better on someone with darker skin than mine, but I still love that shimmer :) magic!

Zoya Mimi with OPI I Lily Love You

Zoya Mimi is gorgeous :) it reminds me of Sailor Mars. Mimi is from the Zoya Sparkle collection and has to be one of the best from it. It is a bit more warm toned than it shows, it has a near magenta shimmer that runs through it in some lights. It takes 3 coats and dries nicely, but is best to let it dry between coats. Zoya Mimi is what I wanted Orly Out of this World to be :) much brighter, a better shimmer on the nail, and a better formula. I think a coat of OPI I Lily Love You looks great over dark colours, it brings out the colours of the flakes :) It is so hard to remove but I love it!

OPI Glam Slam! U.S.

This is the new duo of Serena Williams Glam Slam series, U.S. Pros and Bronze and Love is a Racket

These two are amazing!

Pros and Bronze

This is a layering polish, meant to be layered over Love is a Racket, but looks beautiful on it's own. This is 4 coats, and needs quite a while to dry. It has a strong bronze gold duochrome that almost looks peachy pink and golden yellow. Looks amazing in the light!

Love is a Racket

This is my favourite, a super bright red with pink tones. Looks like a very ripe tomato with a little bit of hot pink :) Formula is great, looks jellyish at one coat and opaque at two. Drys well and lasts too.You could wear it at one coat if you like it a bit see through as it evens out well. The shimmer flakes are bigger than the OPI Burlesque shimmers.

Pros and Bronze over Love is a Racket

And together it makes a beautiful red with gold/bronze duochrome, very shimmery and stunning. This is one coat Pros and Bronze over 2 coats Love is a Racket. I love this set :) I really can't think of any complaints :) perfect! I would love to try Pros and Bronze layered over other colours too - any ideas?

ORLY Nite Owl

I love that silver shimmer :) This is Orly Nite Owl from the new Birds of a Feather collection. I am so impressed with the formula on this one, I applied it terribly (late at night and tired >.<) and it evened out itself really well. One finger I put a giant blob of it on top of still wet first coat, I was sure it would turn out horrible but it smoothed out so easily. Dry time was quick. These pics are taken 3 days after I put it on. I used OPI Chip skip and base coat with no top coat and it still looks ok. Colour wise it's not the right tone for me but I still admire it :)