Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish Review, Photos, Swatches

Reviews
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Christine |

Illamasqua Obsess Nail Lacquer
Illamasqua Obsess Nail Lacquer

Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish ($14.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described simply as “bright fuchsia pink.” It’s almost neon; it’s exceedingly bright and vibrant, but there’s something in the finish that holds it back from being a true neon. Obsess is a bright fuchsia pink with an underlying hint of violet with a cream finish. Urban Decay Miss T is similar but appears purpler. It’s purpler compared to Deborah Lippmann Makin’ Whoopee, though.

Illamasqua’s formula is three-free (it does not include DBP, formaldehyde, or toulene), and it wears a full week on me with very minor tip wear (and no chipping). The consistency of Obsess is phenomenal; perfectly balanced between thin and thick that it flows to the edges of the nail with ease and does so evenly. It’s opaque in nearly one coat (I used two for swatches).

P.S. — I have no idea why the stickers on some of my Illamasqua bottles are wonky; I’ll take that minor inconvenience because of the stellar formula, though.

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Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish
Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish
Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish
Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish
Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish
Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish
Illamasqua Obsess Nail Varnish

Where to Buy

Illamasqua
The Bay (CA)
Selfridges
Skinstore
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About the Reviewer

Reviewer

Christine has normal-to-dry skin with areas of dryness (cheeks, nose, and under the eyes). She has a light-medium skintone with subtle, warmer yellow undertones. Her best foundation matches include: Tarte Rainforest of the Sea in Light-Medium Neutral (best match), Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup in Desert Beige 2N1, Giorgio Armani Maestro Glow in 4.0, Hourglass Warm Ivory Vanish Seamless Finish, Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous in Dusk, MAC NC20/NC25, Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Liquid in Y305 (140). For more matches, please read our full Foundation FAQ. For more information on our review process, please read our Review FAQ.

Compare Any Two Swatches

Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!

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20 Comments

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MORENA

This shade is easy to dupe, so I would save the $14 and shop around.
One illamasqua nail polish that is worth buying is Collide. Its a very hot, neon pink. great summer, or poolside nailpolish color.

JoElla

What a pretty color. It is bright, but not ‘OHMYGAWD I NEED SUNGLASSES’ bright.
Looking at the color in the bottle I would pass, seeing it actually swatched on nails, makes me want to try actually try it.

Joey

if anyone has this nail varnish, and China Glaze’s Purple Panic, would you be able to compare the two please and see if that is a potential dupe? they look incredibly similar in online swatches and unfortunately I don’t have an Illamasqua counter anywhere near me, where I could do my own comparison.
thank you! 🙂

Genevieve

The ones that I think come closest are Urban Decay’s Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color in Crush, Shiseido’s PK331 – Divine, Collection 2000’s Pink Shock, and Covergirl’s Powder Puff Pink. Sadly, the only one I can pull off is Crush 🙁

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