Thursday, September 20th, 2012

Guerlain Lou-Ling Nail Lacquer
Guerlain Lou-Ling Nail Lacquer

Dig Your Nails Into a Juicy Plum

Guerlain Lou-Ling Nail Lacquer ($23.00 for 0.38 fl. oz.) is described as a “stunning plum for a spellbinding look.” It’s a deep berry-burgundy with strong red wine undertones and a very subtle dusting of subdued red shimmer. There are a lot of similar shades on the market–the biggest difference is going to be that smattering of shimmer, but it’s not very visible in most lighting. MAC Gadabout Girl is darker. Deborah Lippmann Single Ladies is redder. MAC Blueblood is a smidgen darker, no shimmer. China Glaze Velvet Bow is a touch redder. Urban Decay Wrecked is similar but darker. MAC Purple Majesty is also a fair bit darker. Zoya Anja is fairly close (no shimmer, though). China Glaze Loft-y Ambitions is the closest–it has subtle shimmer and is a tiny bit lighter. Rescue Beauty Lounge Drifter is similar but has no shimmer.

Lou-Ling performs well; it’s fluid, flowing, and completely opaque in two coats.  The consistency was on the thinner side but not watery.  It dried down a little faster than average, and there was a natural shine to the end result.  In the past, I’ve had no problem getting a week of wear out of Guerlain’s polish, but they haven’t released a lot of shades. I’ll be testing this one fully, and if there are any deviations from that, will update.  (But heads up, next to nothing chips on me, even if I go without a base and top coat!)

The Glossover

product

Lou-Ling

A
The biggest drawback to this shade is that it's rather dupeable--because the shimmer is so subtle, even opting for a similar-hued cream finish will get you very close to the way it looks most of the time.

Product

10/10

Pigmentation

10/10

Texture

10/10

Longevity

9/10

Application

5/5

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Monday, September 17th, 2012

Guerlain Altoum Nail Lacquer
Guerlain Altoum Nail Lacquer

A Splash of Gold for Your Nails

Guerlain Altoum Nail Lacquer ($23.00 for 0.38 fl. oz.) is described as a “gleaming gold for precious glow.” It’s a pale golden beige with a metallic finish. I don’t have anything quite like it in my stash, so I’d love to hear if you know of any potential dupes. China Glaze White Cap is more of a white gold and has chunkier sparkle/glitter. China Glaze Fast Track is much, much darker and browner. Zoya Minka is more beige and much lighter.

The color coverage is opaque after two coats, and it applied smoothly and evenly. The consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin, which enabled the polish to flow easily over the nail without bubbling, streaking, or pooling along the edges. Because of the metallic finish, there are visible brush strokes. I found them to be easily controlled, so they go on fairly straight, rather thank wonky has some polishes do. I get a full week of wear out of Guerlain’s polish with minor tip wear and no chipping. It dried faster than average.

The Glossover

product

Altoum

A-
This is a great take on gold that's more wearable and less obviously holiday-inspired--it could be worn at any time. The metallic finish does show some brush strokes, which may be a deal-breaker for some.

Product

9/10

Pigmentation

10/10

Texture

9.5/10

Longevity

9/10

Application

4/5

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