Duri Keep Your Options Open Spring/Summer Collection Review - Part 2

Yesterday, I brought you the first part of this collection, and today, I have for you the 6 remaining colors, and I think I've saved the best for last...

Celebrate the Sunset - Dusty pink creme.  I was really drawn to this color.  Given the name, and the dustiness and slight purple tinge to this color, I was immediately reminded Mountbatten pink, a dusty pink used to camouflage warships at dusk (though I think this is pinker than true Mountbatten pink, that may actually have been closer to the mauve-pink below).  It's also the exact shade you will sometimes see at sunset when the sky near the horizon turns pink.  I had good coverage with the formula and was able to reach opacity in 2 coats.

How to pink a winner - dolphin-skin grey creme.  This is such a pretty grey with a lot of blue in the base.  It reminds me of Zoya Kelly and Caitlin, in that regard.  Also, in the bottle and on my nail, it is a bit bluer that it appears in my pictures.  It doesn't really scream "summer" to me, but it is a really nice color, nonetheless.  2 coats.

Keep Your Options Open - deep, vampy purple with subtle red, blue, and purple micro-shimmer.  You may be saying to yourself "oh another vampy purple", and it is a vampy purple.  However, it's the shimmer in this one that sets it apart.  The base is a jelly-ish creme and the micro-shimmer gets suspended in the base so when you move your fingers, you see sparkles of fine shimmer.  The shimmer's not exact hidden or secret, but it's not an overtly-shimmery polish, if that makes sense.  It was a little hard to capture the shimmer with my camera, but my ring finger in the top picture and my pinky finger in the bottom picture are good examples.  The formula was good and I had no issues.  2 coats.

Lazy Days - Medium-toned, dusty mauve.  When I first saw this one in the color, I thought it was going to be very "mom-ish".  Then I put it on and I fell in love with it.  It really reminds me of the long-discontinued Essie Lyford Lilac, though it's more purple than the Essie.  This one had the best formula of the lot and it was opaque in one coat, though I applied two.  

Steal the Spotlight - Bright, orange-based red with golden micro-shimmer.  I think this one is my favorite polish in this collection.  The color is warm, but is very wearable on my skintone, which can sometimes be an issue with orange-reds.  It's so bright and summery and would look fantastic with a tan.  I had no issues with the formula.  2 coats.  

The Big Score - rose champagne metallic.  This lone metallic in this collection is also the one which stumped me the most in coming up with a description.  The color is a pretty mix of mauve-pink, silver, and champagne gold, and while it's a foily-metallic, there are also large particles of silver and pink shimmer in this one.  This one is pretty unique in my collection.  The formula was good and I had no issues.  2 coats.  

I thought the previous colors from this collection were nice springy colors, but I absolutely love the colors in this second grouping.  If I had to pick favorites, I'd say Celebrate the Sunset and Steal the Spotlight, but there isn't one I don't like.  

Duri polishes are available at Duri.com and retail for $5 a bottle.

Duri Keep Your Options Open was sent to me review.  The above links like to a previous post on this blog and Duri's website and are not affiliate links.  

Julep Oscar Collection Review

A few days ago, in honor of the Academy Awards, I showed you Julep Viola topped with Julep Oscar.  I received these 2 polishes in my Julep Maven box for February.  I also received the other polishes, as well as Viola and Oscar, to review.

 Elizabeth - Deep purple with multicolored shimmer.  This one reminded me of a darker, blackened version of Grape...Set...Match from OPI's Serena Williams collection.  The shimmer in this amazing.  Formula was perfect.  2 coats.

Glenn - red foil.  In the bottle and on the nail, this one was more true-red, than berry red, as shown in the picture.  That said, it's still a gorgeous color.  This one had the best formula of the 7 in the collection, and though it's a red, it's probably my favorite.  It really reminded me of OPI's Red Like Roses or Never Lon-Done Shopping (both favorites of mine and both long-discontinued).  This will look fantastic around the holidays. 2 coats, but it was opaque at 1.

Marisa - deep blue shimmer.  Julep's website and PR information called this one a "cobalt blue".  However, IMO, it's more of a very deep cerulean blue, as it does lean a bit green.  It almost reminds me of bluer Zoya Charla (and all the dupes), though it's much darker, and doesn't have the foily finish.  Y'all know me and my sparkly blues, so it will come as no surprise when I say I love this one.  2 coats.

Meryl - medium true grey.  I'm calling this a medium grey, but it's definitely on the lighter side of medium.  It's also not a taupe or a "greige", but a true grey.  I was kind of afraid it would wash me out or give me lobster hands, but it looked fine with my skin.  This collection is full of deep rich colors, so, at first, this grey creme seemed a bit out of place.  And I still wish they'd gone with something more vibrant for Meryl Streep, though when you think of it this matches her hair in "The Devil Wears Prada", so maybe they were right on the money.  LOL.  The formula on this one was thin, but very manageable, and was opaque in 2 coats.

Oscar - bright gold glitter.  As I mentioned in my earlier review, this can be worn as either a top coat or on it's own.  This is 3 coats of Oscar, so it is possible to reach opacity without having to apply a gazillion coats.  This is gorgeous, but somewhat distracting, and I'm not sure how this would be a practical look unless, of course, you were going to a party at Puff Daddy's house, but nonetheless, it's a beautiful glitter.  Application was super easy.  3 coats.  

Rachel - Deep copper shimmer.  This one reminded me of another copper by Julep, Zoe, though this one was much more wearable for me.  Rather than looking like a new penny, it looked like an old penny, only shiny (if that makes sense).  It also had that beautiful effect of looking blackened around the edges, kind of like a copper version of China Glaze Thunderbird.  The application on this was fantastic.  It was a little brushstrokey, as you can see in the pictures, but in all honesty, without the macro, the strokes weren't noticeable at all.  2 coats.  

Viola - deep browned purple.  As I mentioned in my previous post, this is a fantastic vampy color that I think looks amazing on shorter nails.  I also think this one is a bit unique in the fact that there is a good amount of brown in the base, so it's not a straight-up vampy purple.  Also, unlike a lot of other colors like it this one does not look muddy without topcoat.  I find that a lot of vampies can look muddy or dull until you layer them with TC, but that did not happen with this one and that gives it a major thumbs-up from me.  Additionally, I wanted to mention that in my previous review, I stated that I had a hard time with the application because the polish was very thick.  However, with the bottle that I received with this collection, rather than the one in my Maven box, I had none of the application problems I had before.  It applied very well, and in fact, was a lot like Meryl in that formula was a little on the thin side.  So perhaps I just received a bum bottle in my Maven box.  2 coats.  

As I previously mentioned, I am a HUGE fan of the movies and the Oscars, so I love this collection.  Glenn, Marisa, and Elizabeth were the definite standouts for me, though there wasn't a dud in the bunch.  Julep polishes are available on their website.  They are a little on the pricey side at $14 a bottle, though I recommend following them on Twitter and FB because they are often running discounts and specials.  You can also sign up to be a Julep Maven and receive a selection of polishes and other products for $19.99 and they often have codes to get your first Maven box greatly reduced.

These were sent to me for review

Oscar Day!

If you are like me, then the day of the Oscars is like your Super Bowl.  I absolutely love the Academy Awards, have since I was a child.  I remember watching them completely facscinated with the ceremony.  Now that I've gotten older, I also like to watch the pre-shows and make snarky comments about bad dresses, but it still all comes down to the awards for me.  I love them.

So when, as part of my Julep Maven Box, I received 2 colors from their Oscar collection, I was so excited to try them.  I've finally been able to carve out some time for my blog, so in honor of Oscar day, I bring you Julep Viola and Julep Oscar...

Viola is a rich, dark aubergine creme that leans a bit brown.  It's a gorgeous vampy color.  I love the name of this polish.  I think Viola Davis is one of the most incredible actresses of our time.  I could seriously watch her read the phone book.  As for the polish, as much as I love the color, the application left something to be desired.  The formula on this was very thick.  I had to go slow and be very specific about my strokes.  The color is so pretty, though, that I think it's worth trying a few drops of thinner to see if it's more manageable.  Picture is 2 coats.

Oscar is a golden glitter topcoat.  I'm calling this a topcoat, but in all honesty, this is so saturated with glitter that you could probably use it alone.  It will probably take 3 coats to reach opacity, but unlike Viola, the formula on Oscar wasn't thick or goopy, so you should have no problems with multiple coats.  I really like the contrast of Oscar over Viola, but I also think this would look amazing over a gold polish.  Picture is one coat of Oscar over Viola on my ring finger.

All in all, I like both of these polishes.  The color on Viola is amazing.  I haven't compared it to my collection to check for dupes, but there is a richness about it that makes it quite special.  I just wish the formula was a bit easier to use. 

Both of these polishes are available at Julep.com and retail for $14 each. 

These were sent to my in my Julep Maven Box.  You can sign up for Maven on their website.

NOTD: OPI Siberian Nights

Siberian Nights is from OPI's F/W 2007 Russian Collection, which, IMO is the best OPI collection to date.  Believe it or not, this was an untried for me.  I'd pick it up and just be unimpressed and then put it down.  Well, lately, I've been gravitating more towards cremes, so I decided to give this was a chance.  It's a dark, vampy purple, which is darker IRL than in the pic.  Application was nice.  I had no problems using the polish or the older (wider) style ProWide Brush.  It was streaky at one coat, so a second coat was required to even it out.  Also, I know in the pic, it looks spotty and like it needs a third coat, but I don't really see that IRL.  I don't like applying third coats, as they never dry on me, but I think you would be fine with two, nonetheless.

NOTD: Zoya Sloane

Pardon the dry cuticles and the lovely burn on my index finger (damn toaster).

Well, I finally did it.  I finally got a Zoya nail polish to play nice with me.  Except for Roxy and Indigo, I had zero luck with my Zoyas.  They never wanted to set on my nails.  I want to say it was because of the fake nails, but considering those 2 polishes worked okay on me, and considering other people, who don't wear false nails, had bad luck as well, I had no clue what the problem was.

Maybe it was because of the artificial nails, because I finally got a Zoya to work with me.  I used one coat of Orly Calcium Shield, one coat of Dermelect Makeover Ridgefiller, 2 coats of Sloane, and one coat of Out the Door.  It was dry to the touch within 10 minutes, but it took me another hour or so to get it to fully set. 

Sloane applied okay.  It was a little spotty at one coat, so I applied a second, and I still see places I should have gone over before I applied my TC, but the aren't that noticeable.  The color is gorgeous, though.  It's a deep, vampy reddish-purple with purple microshimmer.  It does look black in low-light, though.  I think the closest thing in my collection is OPI Black Cherry Chutney, which I do prefer over Sloane, to be honest.  I had to apply a second top of TC this morning because it did look a little muddy this morning.  I still like the color, though, and I especially like it on my stumpy nubbins. 

Sloane is available through Zoya's website or through a few ebay sellers. 

Dear OPI Vampire State Building...

I'm so sorry for leaving you in my list of untrieds for months. When I found you on eBay for dirt cheap, I bought you just because you were HTF. I liked your name, but I figured you were "just another vampy". I had no idea of your amazingness. You're not brown, you're not red, you're just plain awesome. I'm sorry for not giving you the love and respect you so deserve. Please forgive me. I promise to use you, though not often because you are rare and expensive to replace. LOL.

Love always,

Megan

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Now that I've got that out of the way, let me tell you about this awesome color. I have no idea why I've ignored VSB for months. I guess the reason is 2-fold. 1. I just thought it was another vampy and 2. as it was OF OPI, I thought it would be a bitch to apply (I have MUCH better luck with the PW brush). I was dead wrong on both counts.

First, this color is amazing. I have nothing like this in my collection. Like I mentioned above, it's not brown and it's not red. It's a happy marriage of the 2. It's pretty much the color of molasses bar-b-que sauce. I've seen pics on Nailgal that look a bit lighter, but my pic is 3 coats.

Secondly, this applied better than just about any OPI I have, PW brush or not. It practically jumped out of the bottle onto my nails. It dried super fast, too. It was a bit spotty with one, and even 2 coats, so I applied a third.

VSB is from OPI's 2000 Fall/Winter New York City collection. As you probably know, it's d/c'd and super hard to find. I managed to find mine on eBay for a song compared to it's going price. I paid $11 shipped while most sellers are asking $30-35 for it, and I've read it's been much higher in the past. As much as I love VSB, I have to say that it's not worth $30+. It's a gorgeous color and if you can get it in a swap or for a cheaper price, then I say pick it up. Otherwise, I've heard that Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ is a dupe (though not exact) and you can still pick it up for regular OPI prices. I don't own MO'LBBQ, however, so I can't personally attest to dupeyness, but if you search the NB for VSB dupes, MO'LBBQ is what pops up.