Spoiled By Wet N Wild Cougar Attack

So you may know by now that some of the Spoiled by Wet N Wild polishes are re-releases of past limited edition Wet N Wild polishes. Cougar Attack is one such polish and originally came out in the near-impossible to find On The Prowl Collection last year. So if you missed out on it then, you've got a chance to scoop it up at CVS now! Cougar Attack is a copper glitter in a brown jelly base. It's also an extremely close--albeit not 100% spot-on--dupe for Deborah Lippmann Superstar. I don't own Superstar but Vampy Varnish has a great comparison HERE if you'd like to see for yourself. The differences between the two are pretty negligible.

I used three coats here...and let me tell you, it was not a fun time. My biggest problem with application is not so much the formula itself as it is the brush; it's simply too wide and picks up way too much polish. Even wiping off the brush didn't seem to do much; the brush absorbs polish almost like a sponge and more polish would always come dribbling down. I had similar problems with another Spoiled polish, Shuffle The Deck. This is one of, if not the, worst brush I've ever worked with. The excess polish would run off the brush in globs and made neat application very difficult.


However, despite some major application issues, I really like the look of Cougar Attack. It looks much more expensive than the $2 it costs and although it's not an exact match to Deborah Lippmann Superstar, I think the fact that Cougar Attack is a tenth of the price makes up for the small differences. I commend Wet N Wild for bringing back some past limited edition polishes in the Spoiled line so now more people have a chance to try them, but I wish they hadn't changed the brush. It makes an otherwise great polish into kind of a pain. I'm not too let down though because this polish was so inexpensive and still knocked Superstar off my lemming list. If the brush was better I would recommend this polish without any reservations. If you do decide to check it out though, just be sure to approach with patience.

Twinsie Tuesday: Revlon Perplex

It's time for another installment of Twinsie Tuesday! On Twinsie Tuesday, myself and several other wonderful bloggers post a mani that fits within a particular theme. This week's theme is "famous dupe." I thought this would be a great chance to show you a dupe that's not only well-known but also was recently re-released: Revlon Perplex! The new name this goes by is Naughty but back when it was limited edition it went by Perplex and that's the name my bottle has since I originally picked this baby up on ebay--for retail price, luckily! Perplex is a greyish purple polish with a shot of rich purple shimmer and it's a dupe for Chanel Paradoxal.

The formula on Perplex is great and covers in two coats. I love the purple shimmer in this polish. The base color is nice on its own but the shimmer gives it that extra kick. The overall look is very chic; perfect for fall and winter months.


If you like this beauty and don't have it in your collection yet, you can spot it under the name Naughty in stores, as I mentioned above. It's part of Revlon's new core selection which features some new polishes as well as re-launches of past limited edition polishes, including some great Deborah Lippmann and Chanel dupes!


Be sure to check out some more duping action today on the other Twinsie Tuesday blogs below!

Amanda: http://amandalandish.blogspot.com/
Anne: http://grapefizz.blogspot.com/
Ashley: http://artevolve.blogspot.com/
Jenn: http://allthatisgorgeous.blogspot.com/
Katherine: http://hauloffame.blogspot.com/
Marisa: http://marijonails.blogspot.com/
Meredith: http://polishandcharms.blogspot.com/
Nory: http://fiercemakeupandnails.blogspot.com/
Rachel: http://topcoatit.wordpress.com/
Sarah: http://seesarahswatch.blogspot.com/
Jenna: http://www.jennafroggy.com/

a-england Princess Sabra (Tristam Eyes)

Hey everyone! Hope your week is off to a good start. I had a tough exam this morning but I got a little boost afterwards by finding out I got a new part-time job up at college! Yay! :)

Anyways, it's time to show off yet another beauty from a-england's new The Legend Collection! Today I've got Princess Sabra for you, a gold linear holo. As you can see by the label, this polish technically has two names. The official name, Princess Sabra and then a little note from Adina that the polish was inspired by the eyes of her cat, Tristam. What a cute personal touch!

And with flash...

This is another entrancingly gorgeous polish from The Legend. So far every one I've tried has been a complete homerun! The formula on Princess Sabra is excellent and covers completely in two coats, which is what I used here. Like the other polishes in the collection, I didn't notice any difference in the holographic effect after I put my Seche Vite topcoat on. I love how smooth and sleek these a-england holos look and feel--and of course how much they sparkle! The irridescence on Princess Sabra is really stunning. It's so hard to rank this compared to Dragon and Princess Tears; they each bring something special to the table. I love them all! You honestly can't go wrong with any of these beauties!

China Glaze Gothic Lolita

China Glaze Gothic Lolita is a red-leaning purple shimmer from the new Electropop Collection. I must admit I got this one mainly for the name but I also like the polish itself quite a bit. I'm on a big purple kick lately.

Gothic Lolita's formula was on the runny side and I had to thoroughly wipe the brush each time I put it back in the bottle. It kept picking up way too much polish and I'd wind up placing little glops of it on my nail if I wasn't thorough enough with wiping the excess polish off. The formula isn't unworkable but it's something I had to be mindful of. Gothic Lolita covers very well though and I used two coats here. 


There's one or two more Electropop polishes I wouldn't mind having but I think I'll hold off for now and probably order them online later. For now, Gothic Lolita is the only one I have but I'm glad I got it!

Essie Orange, It's Obvious!

The name pretty much says it all. This is one of the brightest orange polishes you'll see. It's not quite neon but it still packs a considerable punch. I'm not typically a big fan of orange, (You may recall the only orange I've ever been completely nuts about is OPI On The Same Paige.) but I found Orange, It's Obvious! intriguing. I can't resist richly pigmented shades like this.

 

Pretty in your face, right? This says summer more than spring to me but that's okay. The formula on this is excellent; very smooth and doesn't have any of the little gripes I encountered with To Buy Or Not To Buy and A Crewed Interest. Orange, It's Obvious is virtually a one-coater but I used two just to cover up some patchiness. This polish also self-levels very well, which always earns a couple extra brownie points from me.

I'm surprised how much I like Orange, It's Obvious! I like my orange polishes more citrus-y than construction barrel orange and this is something nicely in between the two. It's bright but also has a richness to it. If you already have or are planning on getting OPI A Roll In The Hague from the Holland Collection, this is a touch darker than A Roll In The Hague, to the point where you probably don't NEED both. But hey, us polishaholics can rationalize even the slightest of differences haha. ("See? They're not 100% the same! I totally need to buy both!") I don't see myself becoming a full-on orange convert anytime soon but I'm willing to make the exception for a few shades here and there. I think it's safe to say this has joined the ranks of On The Same Paige in the "oranges I love" category.


Do you have a favorite orange? Have you picked up any of the Navigate Her polishes yet?

Essie Wedding Collection 2012 Preview

The Navigate Her Collection is just hitting shelves but we've already got a preview of Essie's annual Wedding Collection! Like past Wedding Collections, 2012's incarnation is centered around pastels but on top of the classic bridal pink and nude, Essie's also thrown in another polish for the increasingly popular "something blue" mani/pedi as well as a lovely pastel purple.

L to R: Instant Hot, Like To Be Bad, Who Is The Boss, Love & Acceptance

I'm not sure if this will come out before or after Essie's upcoming Resort Collection but I'd imagine it won't be terribly long until both collections begin popping up. I think these are a little more interesting than Essie's typical bridal fare. I can see myself giving Who Is The Boss and Love & Acceptance a try. I'm on a big purple kick lately and I always love a good blue! I'll pass on the other two though--not really my thing.

Which ones intrigue you? If you're a married lady, what polish did you wear on your wedding day?

a-england Princess Tears

I've got another a-england stunner for you today from The Legend Collection. Princess Tears is a pale purple linear holo with silver duochrome. Yes, holo AND duochrome in one polish! Obviously this is an amazing shade. If Deborah Lippmann Wicked Game and China Glaze OMG had a baby, it would probably look something like Princess Tears. This polish is beyond mesmerizing.

Pictures really don't do Princess Tears any justice at all. This is one of those polishes that really has to be seen in person to get the full effect of its beauty. The way it catches the light is just insane and the duochrome shows up more in person than in photos, where I couldn't quite manage to capture it. It was tough to get the duochrome and holo in the same shot, but trust me, they're both present and extremely lovely. The holo effect in this is quite strong, even in dim indoor lighting, and didn't seem to be dulled by topcoat. The base color shifts from light purple (almost a lavender-esque shade) to a more silvery shade depending on the angle. The duochrome shift, coupled with the holo, really makes this polish something special. I honestly cannot stop looking at it. The formula was excellent and I used two coats here.


This is another big winner for me from The Legend Collection. Dragon is insanely beautiful as well and I'm already branding this collection as one of my favorites of 2012--yes, I know it's only February but Adina really did something incredible here! Everything about this collection just screams luxe and I really can't gush about it enough. I can't wait to show you more of these stunning polishes!