First up is called "Gilded Coral" by Orly - I don't know why, but I really really love this color. This color is from Orly's Spring 2011 "Precious" collection. I couldn't quite capture the gold brilliance that this polish shows off in the sun - it's been a bit cloudy recently. However, this is a great rosy metallic neutral that almost gave me that "mannequin hands" look but with a little kick. Opaque in 2 coats, with a layer of SV. The formula was great - nice and smooth, and with some patience you can avoid visible polish strokes/lines like in a lot of shimmers.
 |
| "Butterfly Moment" and "Gilded Coral" |
As I was contemplating buying this, I thought it looked familiar. It's a more amped-up cousin of "Butterfly Moment", from OPI's Mariah Carey Collection. I didn't love Butterfly Moment as much when I bought it, but seeing it juxtaposed with Gilded Coral may have changed my mind. They're both nice subtle colors that offer themselves to the soft shades we see for spring, but with a hint of shimmer.
 |
| "Butterfly Moment" alternating with "Gilded Coral" |
Next up is a random Essie that happened to grab my attention - "Haute as Hello", from Essie's 2010 Summer collection. In the bottle, it seemed like a nice peach color, simple and solid. But on the nail, "Hello" is right - This is definitely a soft neon orange! Looking at the picture below, you can see the clear difference between the bottle shade and the finished result. Can I mention how like other neons, this one was a HUGE pain?? The formula was terrible and draggy, poor at layering out and took a lot of coats - this is 3 or 4 with SV on top. I also think this would look better with a tan, so I'll save it for after I've spent a few days at the beach. I've also heard that this is very similar to Essie's "Tart Deco" - however this shade is more orange whereas the latter is definitely more pink/red. Both are very appropriate for summer!
Can I just say that this last one - HUGE HUGE lemming. This is another Essie shade, one that has gained
a LOT of following and popularity via Pinterest. However, and I say this sternly - it is NOT called "Cottage and Vine"! The shade is called "No More Film", and hails from Essie's 2012 Resort Collection. I had been trying to hunt this one down for a while - it had been at my local beauty shop, but since it got shut down I hadn't seen it.
The formula on this misbehaved a bit - but these shots are only one coat, believe it or not! It was a bit runny at first, but once I learned to control it, application was a breeze. Next time, I'll have to try 2 coats to see if it makes any difference, but you could easily get away with one and a topcoat like I've shown here.
This one is also a bit of a color changer in different lights - sometimes blue leaning, sometimes purple. In the bottle, it falls more purple on my spectrum, but clearly can be described as a deep, rich indigo....the "I" in your R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. for you rainbow junkies out there.
 |
| A touch of blue... |
 |
| ...with a bit of purple! |
Which out of these was your favorite? Are there any other polishes you've seen online that you just HAVE to get your hands on??
Happy Polishing!
-Maggie
