An Insatiable Purple for Spring

Estee Lauder Insatiable Nail Lacquer ($20.00 for 0.30 fl. oz.) is a muted, gray-purple with a cream finish. Zoya Lotus is warmer, pinker, and has shimmer. Cult Nails My Kind of Cool Aid is much, much lighter and has sparkle. Rescue Beauty Lounge Insouciant is lighter, less gray. None of these, however, were close enough to be considered dupes–I just wanted to walk you through the potentials I considered but nothing came close.  (I heartily invite you to chime in if you know of a dupe!)

I always love it when I come across a shade that I don’t quite have (and that’s not to say there aren’t dupes in existence, merely that I don’t know of any and hopefully, that means it is at the very least not easily duped!). It’s a very stormy, cool-toned, rainy-day kind of purple, which is why it’s a bit different from other shades. It doesn’t have strong pink or red in its base, and when it comes to muted purples, the ones I’ve swatched have had more obvious pink/red underpinnings.  Insatiable was opaque in two coats, and the consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin.  It applied evenly, fluidly, and didn’t bubble, streak, or pool along the edges. I typically get a full week out of Estee Lauder’s lacquer formula and only have very minor tip wear.  I only wish the bottle contained more product–it seems large but the container itself is deceptively small.

The Glossover

LE	Insatiable Temptalia Recommends A+
	It's a very stormy, cool-toned, rainy-day kind of purple, which is why it's a bit different from other shades.
	Product 10/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 10/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 5/5
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Estee Lauder Insatiable Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Insatiable Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Insatiable Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Insatiable Nail Lacquer (sample labeling)

Estee Lauder Insatiable Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Insatiable Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Teal Topaz Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Teal Topaz Nail Lacquer ($19.00 for 0.30 fl. oz.) is a dusty teal with a cream finish, though it dries to an almost vinyl-like finish. Illamasqua Muse is a richer, deeper teal that isn’t much darker but has more depth. Cult Nails Let Me Fly is a bit darker and has shimmer. Orly Viridian Vinyl is very close in color but has a pleather-like finish.

It’s not quite opaque after two coats, and it doesn’t apply completely evenly; there is a tendency to streak and pull. I’ve had good luck with Estee Lauder’s new Pure Color lacquers, but this one fell flat for me. The application was off; it wasn’t as pigmented as other shades, and it did not apply flawlessly. Estee Lauder bottles look big, but they’re deceptively small in actual product–there’s a lot of excess glass, which makes the bottle heavy and chunky (it takes up more space than your average bottle of polish).  I typically get a week of wear with very minor tip wear with Estee Lauder’s formula.

The Glossover

LE	Teal Topaz B
	It's a really pretty shade, but the formula falls short--at this price tag, and with several other dupes available, it's unacceptable.
	Product 7/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 8.5/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 3/5
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Estee Lauder Teal Topaz Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Teal Topaz Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Teal Topaz Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Teal Topaz Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Teal Topaz Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Teal Topaz Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess: Shimmering Bronze

Estee Lauder Shimmering Bronze Nail Lacquer ($19.00 for 0.30 fl. oz.) is a shimmering, red-enriched bronze with subtle metallic threads running through an otherwise copper and bronze shimmered finish. I used two coats for complete opacity, and it applied easily. The polish flowed without being too thick or thin, and each coat was nicely pigmented. I have no problem achieving a full week’s worth of wear out of Estee Lauder’s formula (with a proper base/top coat, of course). For swatches, I used Zoya’s Anchor and Armor for my base and top coats.

A major downside to the product is the quantity: a mere 0.30 fl. oz., while most lacquers weigh in at 0.50 fl. oz. It seems customary for some of the higher-end brands to average just below that at 0.40 fl. oz., but it still makes this bottle seem small (even though you’d never think it, based on packaging’s appearance).

The Glossover

LE	Shimmering Bronze A-
	It's a decadent, summery bronze. I like that the finish isn't a full-on metallic but part-shimmer, part-metallic (Estee Lauder calls it "pearl"). I think it gives it luster while maintaining a sleek look.
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
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Estee Lauder Shimmering Bronze Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Shimmering Bronze Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Shimmering Bronze Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Shimmering Bronze Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Shimmering Bronze Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Shimmering Bronze Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Shimmering Bronze Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Spring 2011: Wild Storm

Estee Lauder Wild Storm Nail Lacquer ($19.00 for 0.30 fl. oz.) is a steely gray with a hint of bluish-teal micro-shimmer with a faint metallic-frost finish. The blue-tinge is very subtle–it’s more noticeable in the bottle than it is on the hands. The blue comes out strongest in natural light (or low light), but it is there. I only need two coats for an opaque result, and it applied smoothly and fairly evenly, despite minor brushstrokes showing up under flash lighting.

I was initially reminded of Chanel Steel, but it’s nothing like it–it is far too black to be similar. Then, I thought perhaps it was in the same vein as Chanel Black Pearl, but Black Pearl is much more teal–not so much silver or blue. It is like a darker version of NARS Full Metal Jacket. It is also like Zoya Kelly–with shimmer.

The formula itself wasn’t too thick or thin and applied smoothly without any issues. Drying time seemed average, and there was a soft glossy shine, but I’d still recommend a top coat. The amount in the bottle is a little below average, I’d say, while the price tag is a bit hefty.

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• Product: 27/30
• Value: 6/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

FINAL THOUGHTS: While I’ve been really impressed with the uniqueness in some of Estee Lauder’s polishes lately, Wild Storm doesn’t quite hit those notes for me.

WHERE TO BUY: Estee Lauder

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Estee Lauder Wild Storm Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Wild Storm Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Wild Storm Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Wild Storm Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Wild Storm Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Wild Storm Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Wild Storm Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Best of Fall: Extravagant Night

Estee Lauder Extravagant Night Nail Lacquer ($18.00 0.3 fl oz.) is a stunning deep dark purple wine base decked out with multi-colored flecks that range from deep fuchsia to violet to gold. Ahh! This was absolutely gorgeous from the first coat on (two coats shown). I don’t even know how to describe the way it looks, because it practically dances under bright lights (like flash), but it still retains its character and depth in natural light. It applies evenly, just like a normal shimmer polish tends to do, but the effect is so much more like a glitter–without the grittiness.

It’s sold out in a lot of places, but Macy’s still has it online! I wish it weren’t so expensive or else they put more in the bottle (0.3 fl. oz. is below average for the price point).

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• Product: 29/30
• Value: 6/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: If it’s something in your budget, YES!

AVAILABILITY: Macy’s

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Estee Lauder Extravagant Night Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Extravagant Night Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Extravagant Night Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Extravagant Night Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Estee Lauder Extravagant Night Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Estee Lauder Extravagant Night Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

Estee Lauder Extravagant Night Nail Lacquer (Flash)

Estee Lauder Blue Dahlia: Surreal Violet

Estee Lauder Surreal Violet Nail Lacquer ($18.00 for 0.3 fl. oz.) is a gray-toned pink-mauve with copper-bronze shimmer. It’s a little on the sheerer side with two coats, but it was nearly opaque, so I left the swatches with two–but you could probably do a third for a totally opaque result.  The formula itself wasn’t too thick or thin and applied smoothly without any issues.  Drying time seemed average, and there was a soft glossy shine, but I’d still recommend a top coat.

The amount in the bottle is a little below average, I’d say, while the price tag is a bit hefty.  Those with larger collections may want to add this more unique shade to their stashes, but if you’re just building up your collection, this may be too much on the expensive side.  You can grab Illamasqua ($14/0.5 fl. oz.), NARS ($16 for 0.5 fl. oz), and Lippmann ($18/0.5 fl. oz.), which are all stellar polish brands, and get more for your money.

I would also like to give this polish props for being utterly difficult to photograph in natural light — thanks a lot! What a diva on set!

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• Product: 26/30
• Value: 6 /10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: Those who are fans of greiges and purples may find themselves in love with this mix of both!

AVAILABILITY: Nordstrom

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Estee Lauder Surreal Violet Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Surreal Violet Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Surreal Violet Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Surreal Violet Nail Lacquer

Estee Lauder Surreal Violet Nail Lacquer