Barielle Elle's Spell, Layla Ceramic Effect 53, Deborah Lippmann Raspberry Beret

4 coats Elle's Spelle, 3 coats 53, 2 coats Raspberry Beret

I thought I'd start off the year with a Purge Wars post, since my one and only New Year's resolution is to take purging my stash more seriously. Hopefully it sticks because I'm running out of storage space!



Today, I've pitted different flakies with colored bases against each other. I also wanted to see if I could franken-layer to achieve a similar look.



First into the arena were Layla Ceramic Effect 52 and Nfu.Oh 51

Layla Ceramic Effect 52, Nfu.Oh 51

5 coats 51, 3 coats 52

The base colors of 51 and 52 are more similar than I anticipated. The biggest difference would be the opacity. I'd probably choose 52 to wear alone more often than 51 because I don't often have time for a 5 coat mani. I had no trouble applying either of these.



I used American Apparel African Violet as a base, and then layered Essie Shine of the Times and Milani Purple Neon for my franken layer. The purples I chose were too warm, and the flakie was too dense, but I do think it's possible to get close to 51 or 52 with a few corrections and maybe a coat of 230 or something similar. I think my next attempt will be more successful.



Battle Casualty: I'm keeping both of these because...just look at the pretty! Look at it!



Next up are Urban Outfitters Mystic and Deborah Lippmann Ray of Light

Urban Outfitters Mystic, Deborah Lippmann Ray of Light

3 coats Mystic, 3 coats Ray of Light

Mystic has larger flakes and its base more vibrant than Ray of Light. Mystic also looks a touch darker than Ray of Light, which is probably because it lacks that slightly dusty quality that Ray of Light has. The formula on both was a bit thick, so I thinned them both. No problems after than.



My franken-layer is a Revlon Royal base with Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure and American Apparel Moonlight Beach layered. I think Hidden Treasure was a better choice than Shine of the Times because it's less dense. I think I'd go for a darker jelly to achieve a more accurate look. Maybe Deborah Lippmann Rehab.



Battle casualty: Urban Outfitters Mystic. There's something missing here. Maybe some depth? Not sure, but I don't mind parting with it.





Is it bad that I prefer my franken layers over all of them, though? Maybe I'm just stroking me ego. :)



That's it for this round of Purge Wars. Stayed tuned for Battle of the Flakies 2:

They're more similar than you think

This battle is a bit different because I haven't chosen suspected dupes, per se. Instead, I've simply chosen three (of many) Deborah Lippmanns that I have yet to try. I went through a phase of collecting a great deal of her polishes because I love the formula, brush, and bottle. In a short amount of time, I ended up with a lot of Lippmann polishes, which made the process of trying them seem overwhelming. Isn't that crazy? I fawn over how beautiful these polishes are and yet the prospect of trying them all overwhelms me. Strange, I know.



Anyway, I forgot to do a bottle shot, so let's jump right into it. The polishes I selected for this battle are Satin Doll, I Dreamed You, and I'm Not Innocent

3 coats

Deborah Lippmann Satin Doll is a warm tan with lots of silver pearl. The pearl reminds me of the pearl that is in Zoya Touch polishes. I don't love it. I'm not even sure I like it.




The formula is a great consistency, and the opacity built up nicely at three coats.

3 coats

Deborah Lippmann I Dreamed You is a soft pink pearl. It has an iridescent quality as sometimes the pearl looks slightly red or slightly copper. I can honestly say I only bought this because it was in a duo with another polish that I actually wanted. I like it, but I'm not sure I would wear it again.



I Dreamed You is a bit prone to brushstrokes, but a careful application (I applied quite haphazardly) would likely minimize that. The formula is on the thin side but not at all runny.

4 coats

Deborah Lippmann I'm Not Innocent is a light peach creme. When I'm shopping for soft shades, I tend to gravitate towards colors like this, so I probably have a few other polishes that are similar.



I experienced some streaking during application, and though it was opaque in three coats, I needed the fourth to even everything out.



Side note: If you've been on the hunt for work/interview appropriate shades, all of these fit the bill quite nicely.





Battle casualties: I Dreamed You and Satin Doll. I just don't like the finish on these, and I could live without these shades in my stash.



Wounded in action: I'm Not Innocent. I'm keeping this, but it is contingent on a comparison with other similar shades in my stash. If this is the best, it'll stay. If I find something else that applies better, into the purge pile it goes.



That's it for this week's battle. Which would you have kept? Are you more into nudes or brights?



Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

I'm taking a break from purging cremes to take a look at my ultimate vice: holos. I can't get enough of them! However, I thought it would make this whole process easier if I could purge from my beloved holo stash.

Layla Mercury Twilight, Gosh Holographic, Nfu.Oh 61

I only did comp pics because swatching each of these with aqua base would've taken more time than I had.

Pinky to middle: 2 coats Nfu.Oh 61, 2 coats Gosh Holographic, 3 coats Layla Mercury Twilight

I purchased my Nfu.Oh 61 October 2010, and it was one of the dud batches. I have a few other bottles that I'll have to compare it to.



Gosh Holographic is very holo, and out of these three, it looks the least dull indoors. I love how smooth this is.



Layla Mercury Twilight is the most holo of the bunch. It's gorgeous!



I think it's pretty clear that the battle casualty is Nfu.Oh 61. I think I've heard that 61 is back on track and no longer dud city, but I can't say for sure until I swatch my other bottles from more recent batches.



I'm going to keep Holographic and Mercury Twilight for now until I have a chance to comp them against some of my other silver holos.



Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

This week's battle features three mid-tone purple cremes. Surprisingly, I don't own a lot of these. The more examine my stash, the more I'm learning about what colors interest me. So far, coral is hands down the winner. What color dominates your stash?



Anyway, into the arena:

American Apparel African Violet, Barielle Grape Escape, OPI

Disclaimer: Purples are always a challenge to photograph, but I tried to
get the most color accurate photos (to my eye and monitor) that I could. I sacrificed focus for color, so sorry for any
blurriness you see.

2 coats

American Apparel African Violet has more of a red undertone than I expected. I think slightly warmer purples look better on me than the cool ones.



I thought African Violet would be on the thick and a one-coater like most of my AA's. However, its consistency is thinner and a bit tough to control on the nail. I was prepared for it on the second coat, though, and it was totally manageable.

2 coats

Barielle Grape Escape is just a touch cooler than African Violet, but it is almost negligible. They are pretty much dupes. The formula on this is quite similar to African Violet's formula as well.

3 coats

OPI Funky Dunkey is much cooler than both African Violet and Grape Escape. The formula is also superb compared to the other two. It practically applied itself, which is something that almost never happens with OPIs. Pleasant surprise.

3 coats of each

Battle casualty: Barielle Grape Escape. Another Barielle bites the dust!



I chose African Violet over Grape escape because I like the bottle and the brush better. Funky Dunkey's wonderful formula and cool undertone saved it from the purge pile.



Which polish(es) would you have purged?



Have a wonderful weekend!

My purging continues with some more corals. Seeing as I am addicted to all shades of coral, there will be many more coral battles to come.



Into the arena goes:

Finger Paints Circus Peanuts, Rescue Beauty Lounge Starfish Patrick, Barielle Blossom

2 coats

Finger Paints Circus Peanuts is such a pretty peachy coral creme. I like how bright and opaque this is, but the formula is thicker than I like.

3 coats

RBL Starfish Patrick is a more subdued coral due to its jelly finish. It is rare that RBL polishes have application issues, so it should come as no surprise that Starfish Patrick practically applied itself. My only gripe is I would need at least one more coat or underwear for opacity.

3 coats

Barielle Blossom is so pretty, but I just cannot hang with the formula. It was so streaky and goopy that I am pretty sure I got a bum bottle. I thinned it and tried again to no avail.





Battle casualty: Barielle Blossom. I haven't been this frustrated with a polish in quite some time.



I kept a creme and jelly coral - makes sense to me. :)



 Have a great weekend!

A bit belated, but another battle in this purge war has begun!

OPI Mermaid's Tears, OPI Thanks a Windmillion, Zoya Bevin

Let's see who'll make it out unscathed.

2 coats

OPI Mermaid's Tears isn't a sage green, but I wanted to include it anyway. It's more of a minty green. Whatever it's called, I absolutely love the shade. However, Mermaid's Tears was a bit thin and streaky. I didn't love the application.

2 coats

OPI Thanks a Windmillion is more what I would call sage. Love it! I also really like the formula on this one - not too thin or thick and self-levelling.

2 coats

I think I prefer Zoya Bevin to TaW because it's lighter a bit more flattering. Like most Zoya cremes I have encountered, though, it was thick and finicky to apply.





Battle casualties: OPI Mermaid's Tears and OPI Thanks a Windmillion.



I feel Zoya Bevin suits my skin tone the best, and I really don't wear this shade or anything close to it very often. I'll deal with the formula by adding some thinner.



So, how do you feel about this week's battle? What would you have purged?

I am overwhelmed by both my stash and the amount of untried polishes I have, so I am starting what is bound to be a difficult, tedious polish purge.



To make this process slightly more fun, I am introducing a new blog series called Purge Wars. Here's the premise: each week, three polishes from the same color family will enter the purge arena. However, only two (or maybe one if things get crazy) will make it out un-purged. Got it? Awesome!



This week is the battle of the pink corals. Who will be the victors?








First up, Deborah Lippmann Daytripper

3 coats

Daytripper sort of has an advantage because it's a Lippmann! Not to mention, it's a squishy creme. Two qualities for which I am a major hoor. No question that this is a gorgeous polish. Daytripper was also a dream to apply. It self-leveled and didn't run or streak.



Next up, Illamasqua Lament.

3 coats

Lament is a full creme. It almost has a neon quality to it - so pretty and fun. The formula was less than desirable. Lament was a bit thick and difficult to control. I never cleanup for swatches, so you can tell how poorly a polish applied by how messy my cuticle gap is. It's really nothing a bit of thinner can't solve, though.



Finally, American Apparel Pink Ladies

2 coats

Pink Ladies is probably my favorite shade of the bunch. It's a full creme, and it is slightly warmer and more subdued than the others. The formula is kind of similar to Lament's, but slightly thinner.





Battle casualty: So long, Illamasqua Lament. I hardly knew ye!