3 coats

Essie Pink-a-Boo is a light pink with iridescent shimmer. You know how some polishes have tons of shimmer and look amazing in the bottle and then once you've applied it, it might as well be a creme? This is not one of those polishes. The shimmer definitely showed up for the party.



I honestly do not remember how this applied, which might be a good thing. I mean, if it were absolutely terrible, I would remember...right? I will just say that the formula is average. Nothing remarkably terrible or amazing to report.

I chose the first three polishes that popped into my head to compare with Chanel June. My mind definitely cries dupe way more often than necessary (i.e. it's usually wrong).

Deborah Lippmann P.Y.T., Chanel June, China Glaze Peachy Keen, Barielle Blossom

It was obvious from the bottles that two were definite outliers, but I stayed the course anyway.

The swatches are shown in the same order as the bottles, 3 coats each

As far as comparisons...



-P.Y.T. is far too pink but has the same squishy creme finish as June.

-Peachy Keen is the most similar of the bunch, but it is brighter and has a true creme finish. Note to self: I bet a coat of PYT over Pechy Keen could achieve a near-June result.

-Blossom is not at all similar, but super pretty, and I must remember to wear it soon.





With the slew of dupes coming out from cheaper polish brands (oh hey Revlon), I would imagine that a color as popular as June may have a dupe sometime in the future. The only question is, are you willing to wait?



If any polishes come to mind that you'd like compared with June, let me know. If I have it, I'll compare it.

3 coats

Chanel June is a gorgeous peach. The finish is a cross between a creme and a jelly, which results in a squishy, yummy looking finish. I just love squishy cremes. The color is also a love for me. This is as close to orange as I can get before things get ugly.



The formula is great. I had no issues with application, and three thin coats were enough for full opacity.



So, is this a must-have? I can't in good conscience recommend a $26 polish to anyone, especially since a lot of popular Chanels have been duped by cheaper brands lately. However, I will say that I absolutely love it and plan to wear it often, so it is a must-have for me.



Chanel June is limited edition, retails for $26, and is available at Chanel.com

2 coats, Sinful Colors Pearl Harbor as an accent

Dior Tuxedo is a beautiful navy shimmer with a slight purple cast. The shade is classy and subtly vivid. The shimmer is not as obvious as pictured - I used flash to bring it out of hiding. In most lights, it has a subdued metallic sheen that catches the light beautifully.



Tuxedo, like most of the other Dior polishes I have encountered, applied beautifully. It is self-leveling and easy to control. I am not a fan of the brush, but the formula definitely makes up for it. The wear was also great - this picture was taken after 3 days of wear (with a topcoat refresher on day 2)



Dior Tuxedo was a limited edition release for the Fall 2011 collection.

3 coats

Illamasqua Nomad is an interesting hybrid of pistachio green and jade. It's a color for which I couldn't even begin to think of a dupe. Does this mean I just don't own enough greens? *plots to go shopping* Anyway, Nomad is a gorgeous creme!



The formula on this is...bearable. A little thick and streaky, a third coat was needed to even things out. The wear was great! My mani of 1 coat of Butter London Nail Foundation, 3 coats of Nomad, and 1 coat of Butter London Hardwear lasted 4 days without a chip or noticeable tipwear. Not too shabby.



Despite the less than perfect formula, I would still put this in the must-have category.



Illamasqua Nomad retails for £13.50 at Illamasqua and $14 at Sephora.

It is common knowledge that Emilio Pucci is the master of bold, bright prints, which is why I was so ecstatic when I learned of his collaboration with Guerlain for their Summer Terra Azzurra collection.



I mean...look at this palette!






Swatches after the jump!

Swatched with a finger, no primer, natural lighting

Guerlain Capri contains an iridescent white gold, a satin medium pink, a shimmery coral, and a satin cool dark brown. The colors in this palette just scream Summer, don't you think?



All of the shadows are wonderfully pigmented and have a smooth, blendable texture. They are also long-lasting. I didn't notice much fading at all after about ten hours of wear over my NARS primer.








I can definitely see this becoming my go-to Summer palette!






Guerlain Capri is $59 retail and is available for purchase at Sephora.com