Saturday, May 11th, 2013

Tom Ford Vapour Nail Lacquer
Tom Ford Vapour Nail Lacquer

Tom Ford Vapour Nail Lacquer ($30.00 for 0.41 oz.) is described as a “semi-opaquewhite.” It is a metallic white with neutral to warm undertones. Dior Lady is very comparable. Chanel Pearl Drop is warmer, slightly yellowed in comparison. Nubar Organza is also very similar.

Vapour is very streaky–the first coat is incredibly streaky, and the second coat is almost as bad but it covers up some of what the first coat showed. As a result, the coverage is uneven and semi-sheer to semi-opaque. Obviously, at this price point, you want a metallic white that performs much, much better. Even if you want to go the route of a brushed metal kind of finish, the streaks of this one are plentiful, curved, and not as easily controlled as some of thosed brushed finishes. The consistency was on the tinner side but not watery, so I was able to apply each coat without getting too much polish on the brush. I normally get a week of wear out of Tom Ford’s formula with minor tip wear but no chipping.

The Glossover

product

Vapour

C+
Obviously, at this price point, you want a metallic white that performs much, much better.

Product

6/10

Pigmentation

8.5/10

Texture

8.5/10

Longevity

9/10

Application

3/5

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Thursday, May 9th, 2013

Chanel Lilis (647) Le Vernis Nail Colour
Chanel Lilis (647) Le Vernis Nail Colour

Chanel Lilis (647) Le Vernis Nail Colour ($27.00 for 0.40 fl. oz.) is described as an “intense coral.” It’s a brightened, medium-dark orange-coral with a cream finish–but it almost has a squishy quality to it that makes me wonder if it’s a jelly-cream hybrid. MAC Vivid Effect is redder. MAC Ablaze is brighter, darker, and redder. Chanel Holiday is more orange. NARS Lal Mirchi is also more orange. Becca Tangerine Dream is a little lighter. MAC Oriele Orange is slightly more orange.

It was opaque in two coats, and it dried down to a naturally shiny finish. The consistency was great; really well-balanced so it applied beautifully and easily without streaking, bubbling, or pooling along the edges.  This was my favorite shade of the three for summer, because the application was outstanding–and this is how a $27 polish should apply and look.  Chanel’s formula wears a week with minor tip wear but no chipping in my experience.

The Glossover

product

Lilis (647)

A
This was my favorite shade of the three for summer, because the application was outstanding--and this is how a $27 polish should apply and look.

Product

10/10

Pigmentation

10/10

Texture

10/10

Longevity

9/10

Application

5/5

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Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

Chanel Bel-Argus (667) Le Vernis Nail Colour
Chanel Bel-Argus (667) Le Vernis Nail Colour

Chanel Bel-Argus (667) Le Vernis Nail Colour ($27.00 for 0.40 fl. oz.) is described as a “metallic blue.” It’s a rich, medium-dark blue with a metallic finish. It has a lot of dimension and gets lighter and darker depending on the angle you hold your nails and what kind of lighting there is. I could only come up with one shade that was similar, but it is surprisingly similar: China Glaze Blue Bells, which ends up having a more foil-like finish, while Bel-Argus is very metallic.

It was opaque in two coats, and unlike my experience with Azure, brush strokes were subtle and tended to fade away from sight when the light hit the polish. This is more of that brushed metal finish, rather than just a streaky finish, and they were fairly controllable so they follow in a straight line. The consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin, so the polish flowed well across the nail. I normally get about a week of wear with Chanel’s formula with minor tip wear but no chipping.

The Glossover

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Bel-Argus (667)

A-
I liked Bel-Argus a lot more than Azure, because the brush strokes were much subtler and the color was easier to apply overall.

Product

8.5/10

Pigmentation

10/10

Texture

9/10

Longevity

9/10

Application

4/5

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Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

Dior Samba Summer Nail Duo
Dior Samba Summer Nail Duo

Dior Samba Summer Nail Duo ($29.00 2 x 0.23 fl. oz.) contains two miniature-sized polishes from Dior’s summer collection, Bird of Paradise. They look just like Dior’s full-size polishes in exterior packaging, but they have a regular brush (compared to their wider, more tapered brush) that is wider than a normal brush, but it is not tapered.

Samba (794) is described as a “metallic peacock green.” It’s a bold, shimmering green-teal with an almost warm tone (from the green) and has a metallic finish. It was fully opaque in two coats, and while there were visible brush strokes, they were subtler and less distracting from the color/finish–they were also more easily controlled (so they look straight, rather than wonky). The consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin. Chanel Azure is darker, more of a duochrome, and ultimately, looks bluer and not nearly as bright as this. I think that you might prefer one over the other, but they’re not dupes. China Glaze Deviantly Daring is much bluer. Wet ‘n’ Wild Teal or No Teal is bluer. ORLY Haley’s Comet is more glittery, darker.

Samba (402) is described as a “cool turquoise.” It’s a darkened mint green cream. It was opaque for the most part after two coats, but the polish was somewhat streaky in places, so there were some patches that did not look quite opaque. Essie Turuquoise & Caicos is darker, less warm-toned. It reminded me a lot of Illamasqua Nomad. China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint is lighter. Essie First Timer is also similar–slightly greener.

For two Dior polishes, it’s almost a deal.  Normally, Dior’s polishes retail $23 for 0.33 fl. oz., which is $69.70/oz., while this kit is $63.04/oz., as you get 0.46 fl. oz. for $29.  If you have larger hands or longer fingers, you might find the smaller bottles harder to hold and use.

The Glossover

product

Samba (794)

B+
Neither are the best Dior polishes I've used, but they are shades I don't have a lot of dupes for, so that's always a good thing to see.

Product

8.5/10

Pigmentation

10/10

Texture

8.5/10

Longevity

9/10

Application

4/5

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Samba (402)

B

Product

8/10

Pigmentation

9/10

Texture

8/10

Longevity

9/10

Application

4/5

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Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

Chanel Azure (657) Le Vernis Nail Colour
Chanel Azure (657) Le Vernis Nail Colour

Chanel Azure (657) Le Vernis Nail Colour ($27.00 for 0.40 fl. oz.) is described as a “metallic blue green.” It’s a brightened, bluish-teal with a metallic finish. It seems to shift a bit from blue to teal to green, depending on the angle and how the light hits the color. The color itself is interesting and complex. I’ll be reviewing it soon, but Dior’s Samba isn’t an exact dupe for this–it is more of a true teal with less shift and more warmth. China Glaze Deviantly Daring is similar when Azure is in its blue stages, but it doesn’t have the same green-teal shift. Zoya Charla has a very different finish (more glitter/sparkle) and is a darker, bluer polish overall.

It’s fully opaque in two coats, and the drying time is about average, but it’s important to wait for each coat to dry before applying another as it will pull/drag if not fully dry. There are also a lot of noticeable brush strokes to the finish, even after it has dried down (sometimes they fade and blend away once the polish is dry, but not in this case). I wish this was slightly less metallic or wasn’t as prone to showing the brush strokes, because I think it takes away from the application and end result. The consistency was slightly thin but was fine to work with. I typically get a week of wear out of Chanel’s formula with minor tip wear but no chipping.

The Glossover

product

Azure (657)

B
I wish this was slightly less metallic or wasn't as prone to showing the brush strokes, because I think it takes away from the application and end result.

Product

8/10

Pigmentation

10/10

Texture

8/10

Longevity

9/10

Application

3.5/5

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Monday, May 6th, 2013

Revlon Rose Gold Chroma Chameleon Nail Enamel
Revlon Rose Gold Chroma Chameleon Nail Enamel

Revlon Rose Gold Chroma Chameleon Nail Enamel ($8.49 for 0.29 fl. oz.) is a gold to pink duochrome with a metallic finish. I felt like it was rather similar to China Glaze Swanky Silk–both in terms of color and even to a degree, formula.

The duochrome is noticeable but not strong, and it’s probably one that would be best over black or layered than on its own. The formula was thin and a bit watery, and two coats definitely wasn’t opaque–I’d recommend at least three. The drying time was average, and the brush strokes didn’t disappear after it dried down, so if you aren’t a fan of visible brush strokes, you won’t like this formula. I have to admit that I had some sticker shock over the price per ounce ($29.27/oz. vs. $19.97/oz. for Colorstay vs. $9.98/oz. for regular), because the bottles were rather small! The quality of the formula and the subtlety of the duochrome were not worth the major increase in cost. The good news is that it wore for seven days with minor tip wear but no chipping (which is par for the course for me).

The Glossover

product

Rose Gold

B
The quality of the formula and the subtlety of the duochrome were not worth the major increase in cost.

Product

7.5/10

Pigmentation

8.5/10

Texture

8.5/10

Longevity

9/10

Application

4/5

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