En Couleur @ Cal

Arancione by Kiko Whenever I travel, I’m constantly on the...

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:19:39 -0700

Arancione by Kiko

Whenever I travel, I’m constantly on the lookout for local nail polish brands not available in the US. There’s a Kiko store on every other block in Spain, and their dazzling array of makeup pops against gleaming white shelves and display cases. Despite the fancy appearances (think MAC store), Kiko, which is actually an Italian brand, is extremely affordable. Nail polish goes for 2.5 Euros per bottle. Arancione is a summery bright tangerine creme which applies beautifully. And who could resist a name like that? I highly recommend Kiko to any nail polish lovers bound for Europe.

Dive Deeper by Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure worn over...

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 19:00:21 -0700

Dive Deeper by Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure worn over What’s With the Cat-titude? by OPI

To everyone who’s still reading this blog, thanks for sticking around despite the dearth of recent posts. After finals and graduation, we at En Couleur have had little time for updates due to celebrating our freedom from the yoke of oppression. Now that things have settled down a bit, I’d like to inaugurate this summer’s posts with this sheerly sparkling, cornflower blue mani. Dive Deeper on its own is so sheer that you’d be painting to the point of frustration—I’m guessing four coats for opacity, at least. Layer it with What’s With the Cat-titude underneath to cut that down to one coat, and brighten the blue tone. For best results, wear with a bikini and hit the beach! It may not be the most traditional beach color, but doesn’t that color remind you of waves gently glittering under the sun?

Scrangie by Rescue Beauty Lounge To me, Scrangie is more than a...

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 13:35:49 -0700

Scrangie by Rescue Beauty Lounge

To me, Scrangie is more than a magic bottle of purple-blue duochrome perfection—it is also a story. It is a story of yearning and loss, of redemption and extraordinary kindness. For months I had longed for a RBL polish, but I could never justify taking the plunge. Throughout that time, Scrangie dominated my wish list. I loved everything about it: the interplay of the red-toned purple base and the cerulean shimmer, the backstory (how it was created by the famous blogger of the same name), and the fact that it was inspired by iridescent beetles’ wings.

Scrangie is incredibly hard to find, since it’s been sold out for a while. Though RBL is bringing it back, the new batch will take 5-6 months to produce. So how did this beauty end up in my well-manicured hands? The answer is my friend and fellow polish connoisseur JS, who takes the art of gift-giving to a whole new level.

As for the polish itself, in person it was just as beautiful as I had imagined. This is two coats, and I probably could have used three. The brush is a bit small, but it applies flawlessly. Scrangie definitely ranks among my favorite polishes ever; I just pray that my bottle never runs out.

Simply Smashing by OPI I know Pantone said it was all about...

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:36:07 -0700

Simply Smashing by OPI

I know Pantone said it was all about honeysuckle this year, but chartreuse is one of the hottest colors this season. Many of the major nail polish brands have released a contender in this vibrant yellow-green hue recently. There’s Illasmasqua Radium, China Glaze Electric Pineapple, and Zoya Mitzi. Simply Smashing, a result of OPI’s collaboration with Serena Williams, stands out to me due to its brilliant glittery finish. Though it has the color of split-pea soup in this picture, Simply Smashing is more yellow in real life, so that it resembles a tennis ball. It’s one of those ugly-pretty colors in the vein of OPI Who the Shrek Are You?, so it may evoke strong (and not necessarily positive) feelings in many people. More flattering colors definitely exist, but Simply Smashing exerted a hold over me that’s difficult to explain—you just have to see it in person.

Heather by Zoya Heather is one of those delightfully...

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:46:56 -0700

Heather by Zoya

Heather is one of those delightfully unobtrusive, barely-there shades that I associate with springtime and skirts. You could probably wear it in even the most conservative environment, as it’s delicate, feminine, and classy. This is a close dupe for OPI’s Panda-monium Pink, although Zoya is no longer much cheaper than OPI. Despite the OPI color’s name, I would classify this shade as lavender, with more purple in it than pink. However, it is a pink-based purple as opposed to say, OPI’s Rumple’s Wiggin’, which may look similar at casual glance but is really a blue-based purple.

Bronze Medal by Estee Lauder This sun warmed bronze color is...

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:52:48 -0700

Bronze Medal by Estee Lauder

This sun warmed bronze color is ideal for subtly dressing up any summery outfit. Although it’s a metallic, Bronze Medal lacked the streakiness of many polishes with this finish. Toned down enough for the office and glamorous enough for a night out, Bronze Medal is definitely a winning polish for day-to-night this season.

Green by LA Colors This green shimmer had a foil-like quality to...

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 15:28:58 -0700

Green by LA Colors

This green shimmer had a foil-like quality to it, judging from how reflective it was. Probably my least favorite of the bunch, it should have been either more green or more blue, instead of this weird in-between hue. Still, the vibrancy of this hue will appeal to some, and you could think of it as a freebie since the entire set is so cheap.

Magenta glass-flecked jelly by LA Colors This is a pretty color,...

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 15:32:00 -0700

Magenta glass-flecked jelly by LA Colors

This is a pretty color, even if a little boring. It’s great for summertime, but so is every other bright pink out there. It has the same finish as the purple color from this set, but the purple one gets the edge due to its blue duochrome. The jelly base of this magenta polish is also more translucent, which makes VPL a bigger problem. This is not a terrible polish, but while you could do a lot worse, you could also certainly do better.

Purple by LA Colors This plum glass-flecked jelly dazzles...

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 22:58:11 -0700

Purple by LA Colors

This plum glass-flecked jelly dazzles because the glass flecks have a blue duochrome, making it another great color from the LA Colors 4-pack. It might be a little intense for many situations, but it’d be great for a night on the town, or a rock concert. It applies a little streakily, but that’s no biggie given the low price.

Katy by Zoya Sunny skies and flip-flop weather has finally...

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:22:15 -0700

Katy by Zoya

Sunny skies and flip-flop weather has finally graced us where the grass is really greener! This is the perfect pop of color to complete any fun Spring look. Fine, fresh, fierce, Katy has it on lock. Bright enough for anyone to do a double-take, this color is perfect for laying under the palm trees or pairing with daisy dukes and… I’ll stop now.

Black shimmer by LA Colors This unnamed black shimmer came in a...

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 15:43:43 -0700

Black shimmer by LA Colors

This unnamed black shimmer came in a set of four, and it’s by far the most interesting of the bunch. Though the packaging describes them as metallics, the actual finishes vary from shimmers to glass-flecked jellies. The dense silver microglitter complements the black base well, lightening it to a gunmetal gray rather than jet black. It applies very smoothly and is opaque in two coats. The entire pack costs $3, which wouldn’t be an unreasonable price to pay for this shade alone.

Roxy by Zoya At this point, half of our previous 10 posts have...

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:46:51 -0700

Roxy by Zoya

At this point, half of our previous 10 posts have featured Zoya polishes. I wish Zoya were somehow compensating us for our reviews, but the truth is that their frequent promos make it too easy to acquire their polishes, and Zoya is steadily occupying a greater and greater proportion of our collections. When you see beauties like Roxy, it’s not hard to understand why. The magnificence of this magenta glitter polish has to be witnessed in person. It’s so glittery that it gave my camera trouble with focusing, hence this blurry picture. This is two coats, but perhaps three would have been better since the glitter is not packed too densely into the jelly base. If I had to name the perfect color to wear to a club, this would be it. Just be warned: it dries semi-matte, so top coat is absolutely necessary.

Persiphony by Zoya Seeing as Zoya is doing another generous...

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:55:00 -0700

Persiphony by Zoya

Seeing as Zoya is doing another generous promo (details here), I figured it was time to feature them on the blog again. The oddly-spelled Persiphony is a warm, coral-rose frost that is safe rather than unique, but I mean that in the best possible way. Persiphony is a great choice when you want a bright splash of color, and the frosty finish makes it reflect a lot of light. Unfortunately, it may not be the best polish for people who are not big fans of frost (myself included), but on the upside, brushstrokes are very hard to see.

Make an Entrance by China Glaze What better way to kick off...

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 22:46:30 -0700

Make an Entrance by China Glaze

What better way to kick off spring break at En Couleur than with a post about a hot pink polish called “Make an Entrance”? And that’s certainly what you’d do if you walked into any room wearing this eye-catching creme. Probably more summery than spring-like, Make an Entrance is nevertheless an awesome choice for all seasons, because it’s one of those colors that evoke happiness through association with vacation, sunshine, and beaches. And that’s precisely the kind of pick-me-up all of us need at some point or other, especially when the weather is being so foul during spring break.

Sea Spray by China Glaze Reflective of the dreary weather, Sea...

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:57:57 -0700

Sea Spray by China Glaze

Reflective of the dreary weather, Sea Spray is a gorgeous piece from China Glaze’s Anchors Away collection. It’s a creme with barely-there shimmer. It’s pale blue and almost dove gray. But what it really is is absolutely lovely. Given my well established delight in delicate pale colors, perhaps my take isn’t such a surprise. Although I would hesitate to wear Sea Spray at a conservative office, it is subtle enough to be paired with virtually any outfit.

Plummy by Revlon Like Frankly Scarlet, time has treated this old...

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 16:49:43 -0800

Plummy by Revlon

Like Frankly Scarlet, time has treated this old bottle of Plummy well. It went on without any problems and just look at that high gloss finish, sans topcoat! I find the name misleading, as this is more of a red-violet than a true plum. Vibrant though it is, I could imagine wearing this creme to work. Plummy is versatile enough to go with most outfits, but I bet it really pops against a darker backdrop; I’d definitely pair it with an LBD.

Frankly Scarlet by Revlon Frankly Scarlet is one of the few...

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 23:04:43 -0800

Frankly Scarlet by Revlon

Frankly Scarlet is one of the few Revlon colors worth giving a damn about. This brilliant tomato red reminds me of a lot of Zoya’s duochromes because it’s got the same smattering of gold glitter. Unlike many Revlons, Frankly Scarlet applied beautifully—I suspect because I got an older bottle, and time has allowed the normally watery Revlon formula to thicken to the consistency I prefer. I never thought I’d compare nail polish to wine, but age has definitely allowed Frankly Scarlet to come into its own, like a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Interestingly enough, this means that Revlons have a different life cycle than most other polishes, which tend to get less usable over time. Lest readers think this phenomenon is an anomaly, I got my hands on another older Revlon which also applied very well, review coming soon!

Purple Gala by Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear The intense sparkle of...

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:41:00 -0800

Purple Gala by Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear

The intense sparkle of Purple Gala, even in the shade, speaks for itself. This purple-gold glitter reflected so much light that it was hard for my camera to capture it accurately. Before I saw it in person, I’d heard of it described as a dupe for Hard Candy’s Mr. Wrong, one of my favorite colors, and I knew I would love it then. It’s hard to say which gets the edge. I’d probably give it to Purple Gala simply because at under $3, it retails for less than the $5 Hard Candy line. Whichever you decide to go with, both are beautiful and deserving of a spot in any nail polish collection.

Demi by Zoya Despite being a pigeonholed as a fall color, this...

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:56:33 -0800

Demi by Zoya

Despite being a pigeonholed as a fall color, this red-hued purple color has a timeless quality to it. It isn’t so dark that it appears black in low-light environments, but it definitely looks like a true purple in natural light. Flawlessly glossy (evidenced by the reflections on my nails) and opaque on the first coat, there is little fault to be found with Demi. What is interesting about this color is that it brushes the line of work-appropriateness; I wouldn’t recommend it for an interview, but you could probably get away with wearing it in a business casual office.

Erika by Zoya I always feel like I’m raving about the...

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:46:30 -0800

Erika by Zoya

I always feel like I’m raving about the perfect pink, so I won’t use that appellation with Erika, lest I strip all meaning away from the concept of perfection. But there is something about Erika which makes it come wonderfully close. The delicate cotton-candy hue and brilliant gold shimmer flatter most skin types, adding a dash of feminine class while remaining unobtrusive at the same time. Though it’s a sheer color, three coats is sufficient—four wouldn’t hurt if you want absolutely zero VPL.