NARS Vintage Nail Polishes see the re-release of five coveted NARS shades. As of late last night, Zulu was back in stock, actually, though it was sold out for a time. These are all limited edition, and each shade retails for $16.

• King Kong is a orange-toned molten copper bronze with copper shimmer threaded through the base color. This was the most pigmented shade out of the five; I used two coats. This applied evenly and smoothly, and it didn’t show brushstrokes too much for a metallic finish.
• Mash is a darkened olive green base with green and gold shimmer that warm it up. This was my favorite color out of the bunch. You’ll definitely need three coats, and some brushstrokes ended up showing for me, so be patient.
• Zulu is a deep, dark blackened green jelly. It’s very inky and solid and virtually black in low lighting. In the sunlight, the green of its base is more apparent. You’ll need at least three coats, if not four, to get full, opaque color. I’d also recommend slightly thicker coats, because those thinner coats seem to cause some streaking.
• Midnight Express is a deep, dark blackened navy. Just like Zulu, this shade is mostly black in low light and brightens up to its bluer form in sunlight. I did three coats, but you may find four better. The application for this shade was exactly the same as Zulu for me.
• Full Metal Jacket is a bluish silvered gray with silver shimmer. It is the most metallic of the five, and it is incredibly prone to showing brushstrokes. Patience is key with these kinds of metallics–you want to minimize the pressure and the number of times you brush the polish on the nails. Three coats.

The application issues make me wary of recommending these. Part of me wants to tell you to scoop up any shades that catch your eye before they’re sold out or gone for good, but the other part of me just wants to say, well, they don’t seem super-freaking-awesome as some shades have been hyped up to be. (Zulu, I’m looking at you!) It can be fun own a piece of history, as it were, though, and with some patience and a steady hand, all of these shades are workable. Mash and King Kong were good, while the rest were decent, so they kind of balance out. What also saves these polishes is that they’re not easy to dupe, which makes them even more covetable.

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• Product: 25/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 3/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: If you don’t normally purchase $16 nail polish, these might not be the best ones to go for first. They’re not as easy to apply as your average nail polish. Also, if you can’t be fussed to be careful and wait between coats, you’ll probably have a poor experience with these.

AVAILABILITY: NARS

King Kong, Mash, Zulu

Zulu, Midnight Express, Full Metal Jacket

King Kong, Mash, Zulu, Midnight Express, Full Metal Jacket

King Kong, Mash, Zulu

Zulu, Midnight Express, Full Metal Jacket

King Kong, Mash, Zulu, Midnight Express, Full Metal Jacket

NARS King Kong Nail Polish (Natural Light)

NARS King Kong Nail Polish (Natural Light)

NARS King Kong Nail Polish (Natural Light)

NARS King Kong Nail Polish (Flash)

NARS Mash Nail Polish (Natural Light)

NARS Mash Nail Polish (Natural Light)

NARS Mash Nail Polish (Natural Light)

NARS Mash Nail Polish (Flash)

NARS Zulu Nail Polish (Natural Light)

NARS Zulu Nail Polish (Natural Light)

NARS Zulu Nail Polish (Natural Light)

NARS Zulu Nail Polish (Flash)

NARS Midnight Express Nail Polish (Natural Light)

NARS Midnight Express Polish (Natural Light)

NARS Midnight Express Polish (Natural Light)

NARS Midnight Express Nail Polish (Flash)

NARS Full Metal Jacket Nail Polish (Natural Light)

NARS Full Metal Jacket Nail Polish (Natural Light)

NARS Full Metal Jacket Nail Polish (Natural Light)

NARS Full Metal Jacket Nail Polish (Flash)