L'Oréal Pro Manicure Nail Polish in Apple of My Eye, swatch

L’Oréal’s current core nail polish line, Colour Riche Nail Colour, first came into being back in 2007, when the company totally revamped its nail polish (do you remember how the old bottles used to look?) and went 3-free, as well. The line was called Pro Manicure Nail Polish, even though the bottle only said “L’Oréal Paris Nail Polish”.

Since then, the polish has gone through a few renamings, repackagings, and probably reformulations, but the general look remains similar: a rectangular bottle with a squashed-square cap that’s been a L’Oréal signature for quite some time. The lipsticks still have this squashed square shape, and I actually recall that some of their old foundations had this cap-shape, too. I’ve never really liked it, but I suppose any signature is better than none at all.

I actually own more from the original Pro Manicure line than I do from the newer lines: somehow I fell off purchasing L’Oréal at the drugstore. There’s barely a L’Oréal product I use anymore—even my old reliable True Match liquid foundation has been surpassed by Revlon’s Nearly Naked.

In any case, I still quite like the old Pro Manicure line, and here’s a pretty standard red from the original 45-shade launch: Apple of My Eye, a slightly jelly-finish red that’s the perfect, clean, neutral shade of Snow White apple red.

Essie Nail Polish in Starry Starry Night (Retro Revival), swatch

Essie — Starry Starry Night (Retro Revival Nail Polish) Swatch & Review

2016-02-032017-06-05 fivezero6 Comments

Collection: Essie 2016 Spring, Retro Revival

Earlier this year, Essie released a Retro Revival collection, consisting of six older Essie shades. I already own three of them, so there remained just three for me to pick up: Bikini With a Martini, Birthday Suit, and the infamous Starry Starry Night.

You can check out my first review from this collection (Birthday Suit) for further details.

Here’s a shot of the three Retro Revival polishes I bought, plus the originals of the other three in this collection:

Bikini With a Martini [2006, frosted iridescent pink]
Birthday Suit [1981 Original Launch, cheeky delicate nude]
Cabana Boy [2005, ultra-cool pearly white]
Life of the Party [2002, pinot noir pearl]
Sequin Sash [2005, sheer glittery bronze with silver flecks]
Starry Starry Night [1997, twinkling midnight blue]

Starry Starry Night (958) [originally 295 from a 1997 collection] is a deep, just-about-vampy blue jelly with slightly sparse silver microglitter. The effect is, indeed, that of a starry, starry night!

The Starry Night (1889), Vincent van Gogh. Image: Google Art Project

Throwback Thursday! Inglot — 853 (Nail Enamel) Swatch & Review

2015-12-172017-07-11 fivezero9 Comments

Brand: Inglot

Today’s Throwback Thursday polish comes from Inglot, a Polish brand that opened its first international store in Montréal, Canada back in 2006. A few others followed in Ottawa and Toronto. Those stores were short-lived, but last year, Inglot re-launched both freestanding stores and an online store in Canada.

Back in ’06 or ’07, DH worked near the first Toronto location of Inglot, so he picked up a nail polish for me! It remains the only Inglot polish I own (I’ve since visited the current freestanding store at Dundas Square in Toronto, but only picked up a lipstick).

853 is a deep, vampy purple with very subtle purple and fuchsia shimmer in a glossy, slightly jelly finish.

Essie Nail Polish in Bahama Mama, swatch

Throwback Thursday! Essie — Bahama Mama (Nail Polish) Swatch & Review

2015-12-032017-07-12 fivezero19 Comments

Collection: Essie 2007 Summer, It’s Better in the Bahamas

Today’s Throwback Thursday polish is one of only two shades from Essie’s 2007 Summer collection (the other is Island Hopping) that remains in the core collection.

Essie describes Bahama Mama (609) as a “warm, rich, creamy deep plum”. It’s a very rich shade, but I’d say it’s just a tad too light to be vampy. It brightens up well in bright sun, too. This deep raisin-toned plum cream doesn’t particularly evoke the Bahamas for me, but I guess I haven’t been there, either.

I suppose any and all colors are present during the Bahamas’ annual Junkanoo Carnival, which takes place every Boxing Day (that’s the day after Christmas)!

Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival 2013, Photo by Michael Glass — Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival 2013. Photo by Michael Glass.
Image: fest300.com

China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Free Bear Hugs

China Glaze — Free Bear Hugs (Nail Lacquer) Swatch & Review

2015-09-292017-07-19 fivezero21 Comments

Collection: China Glaze 2015 Fall, The Great Outdoors

Welp, my low-buy’s not going that great! I spotted a slew of colors from China Glaze’s new fall collection, The Great Outdoors, at Winners and decided to pick up…several. This is the first China Glaze collection I’ve been wowed by for some time now! I got Cabin Fever, Check Out the Silver Fox, Free Bear Hugs, Pondering, Sleeping Under the Stars, and Wood You Wanna?

Free Bear Hugs (82714) is an intensely deep blood red cream with a browned-berry tone. It has a jelly formula, and reminds me of Essie Clutch Me If You Can in both color and consistency.

Ciaté — Speed Dial (Paint Pots) Swatch & Review

2015-09-182017-07-19 fivezero20 Comments

Brand: Ciaté

Ciaté is one of those brands that’s been on my radar for quite some time. The company name is pronounced “see-ar-tey” (I find the “ar” a bit odd, but I suppose it might be a British thing). It’s actually an acronym standing for “Colour, Innovation, Aspiration, Trend, and Extraordinary”.

I had not tried before Ciaté until this week. Shamefully, I actually already owned two Ciatés (Island Hopping and a mini Talent Scout), and received a third, Brocade Parade, earlier this month in my first Luxe Box.

This week, I received a fourth Ciaté in my latest Topbox, and decided enough was enough—I was going to try it!

Speed Dial (PP008) is described by Ciaté as “an extremely juicy orange”. It’s a fiery tangerine orange cream.

Zoya — Aphrodite (Professional Lacquer) Swatch & Review

2015-07-222017-10-05 fivezero20 Comments

Collection: Zoya 2015 Summer, Paradise Sun

Aphrodite is described by Zoya as a “vibrant summer red with a micronized pearl metallic finish and multi-hued flash”.

This is a lovely, slightly warm-toned (but not tomato-y) red jelly with red shimmer/microglitter flakes, an appropriately romantic shade named for the Greek goddess of love. It was also a massive pain in the butt to photograph, so I apologize for my swatch. In real life, the fine, glittery flakes are much more prominent on the nail, and the finish looks more like the way it looks in the bottle (though not that glittery).