En Couleur @ Cal

More than just blue and gold.


Roommates at Berkeley going nuts. Nail polish and all sorts of shenanigans.

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~ Sunday, April 17 ~
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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. 

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. 

Tags: nail polish creme lavender zoya
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~ Friday, August 6 ~
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Grape Juice by China Glaze Grape Juice is from the same collection as Watermelon Rind, and much like it’s companion I can’t say that I’ve ever encountered this shade in the product that gives it its name.  Grape Juice is a wonderful lavender with moderate opacity after two coats (as seen in photo).  A third coat makes it a darker, and in my opinion a nicer, shade of purple.  Given how long it takes for a third coat of this formula to dry, however, it is not worth risking dents and smears.  It’s a fun color for summer, and I’ll definitely be wearing it again.

Grape Juice by China Glaze

Grape Juice is from the same collection as Watermelon Rind, and much like it’s companion I can’t say that I’ve ever encountered this shade in the product that gives it its name.  Grape Juice is a wonderful lavender with moderate opacity after two coats (as seen in photo).  A third coat makes it a darker, and in my opinion a nicer, shade of purple.  Given how long it takes for a third coat of this formula to dry, however, it is not worth risking dents and smears.  It’s a fun color for summer, and I’ll definitely be wearing it again.

Tags: china glaze glitter lavender purple nail polish
~ Monday, May 24 ~
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L’Esprit by American ApparelPurple isn’t a color I’m usually attracted to but I quickly warmed up to this neutral but cooler shade. The polish appears more blue under artificial light and is a slightly warmer lavender under sunlight. It matches so many of my outfits and the muted flowery feel makes me much more inclined to welcome the warmer and wetter summer weather. Even though application was streaky and somewhat difficult (requiring two coats and a bit of patience), I’ll definitely be wearing L’Esprit over and over again!

L’Esprit by American Apparel

Purple isn’t a color I’m usually attracted to but I quickly warmed up to this neutral but cooler shade. The polish appears more blue under artificial light and is a slightly warmer lavender under sunlight. It matches so many of my outfits and the muted flowery feel makes me much more inclined to welcome the warmer and wetter summer weather. Even though application was streaky and somewhat difficult (requiring two coats and a bit of patience), I’ll definitely be wearing L’Esprit over and over again!

Tags: lavender purple american apparel nails nail polish cream
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~ Saturday, May 22 ~
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Rumple’s Wiggin’ by OPI

Part of the OPI Shrek Forever After Collection, this faint lavender cream is an almost exact match for Revlon’s Gum Drop. Although both may appear nearly alpine in direct sunlight, they are a blushing lavender hue elsewhere. OPI lives up to its history of fantastic application; I only needed two thin coats to achieve bottle color, although the first coat was a tad streaky. Looking forward to a 9-to-5 this summer, I was delighted to find that despite its unconventional name, Rumple’s Wiggin’ is work appropriate while still being cute and summery. It’s inoffensive enough to go with nearly any outfit and effortlessly exhibit understated femininity. 

Tags: nail polish nail nails opi purple lavender cream
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~ Monday, May 17 ~
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Gum Drop by Revlon

God knows I get excited enough whenever I find out about an upcoming collection or some special new color, but Revlon has upped the ante with its Scent of Summer collection, which features (as promised) scented nail polish. Apparently they did this last year as well with their Fruitful Temptation line.

I’m not sure what a gum drop smells like, but as my nails dried, they began to emit a fairly strong sugary fragrance. But after applying topcoat, you have to sniff pretty hard to discern anything. Despite my initial excitement over discovering scented nail polish, the final verdict is that a nice smell doesn’t really add anything, as I wear nail polish for its visual (not olfactory) impact. Application is also important, and I needed three coats with Gum Drop’s watery and streaky formula.

Luckily, Gum Drop passes muster on the visuals. Indeed, this pale lavender creme is rather beautiful. The gray undertones bring to mind clouds at sunset, and mountains shrouded in mist. Nail polish doesn’t need to smell good to entice me—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Tags: nail polish lavender Revlon