Today, I have four of Orly's Spring 2014 Blush collection polishes to share. The soft colors in this set really called to me!
First is Orly- Cheeky:
Cheeky is a peachy, orange-leaning, salmon color infused with yellowy-gold flake-type shimmer. The shimmer is never hidden, which is nice!
Artificial light, four coats:
The artificial light photos above are the most color-accurate. This wants to photograph more pink than it really is.
Window-filtered daylight:
Outside, shade:
Formula: It is sheer, and the first coat is streaky, but it doesn't cuticle drag. The second coat is a little better, but the coverage was still uneven. The third coat does a lot to improve the streakiness, but it's not perfect, and I needed four for swatches.
The good news is that it seems to dry down to the touch very quickly, so I didn't have to wait too long in between coats. Cheeky is very pretty, but damn I wish it were less sheer!
I also had severe bubbling on my index nail- from what I do not know. The other nails were fine, and I strive to make all coats the same thickness between nails, so it is a mystery. I would just be careful with your layer thicknesses; I had to take it off, and start completely from scratch for that nail.
TLDR: Too sheer, not the best!
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Next, the most "standard" hue here, Orly- First Blush:
First Blush seems to be the namesake of the collection. It's a rosy pink creme/crelly that maybe leans slightly coral. But I think most would call it a strawberry pink.
Artificial light, two coats:
Window-filtered daylight:
You can just make out the nail line in stronger lighting, but mostly two coats was a nice opacity.
I'm not sure what to think of this one; it's a nice color, but I feel like I've seen it 1,000 times before, and I might even own a couple dupish polishes- I haven't checked yet.
Outside, shade:
Formula: It is sheer, but buildable. It goes on very smoothly, and seems very forgiving, self-leveling decently. It dries quickly to a very glossy finish. It's a bit of a crelly! Two coats are not quite opaque, but this is squishy, so it was good enough for me!
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Next, here is Orly- Naked Canvas:
Naked Canvas is a warm-toned cream color that contains fine pink and red shimmer. When the light hits, the overall effect is sort of a purple flash, but in most cases the shimmer is fairly hidden, and really just lends the polish an understated glow. Not a bad thing!
Artificial light, four coats:
Window-filtered daylight:
Mixed artificial and natural light:
Above you can faintly see the glow I was talking about. This is a fairly unique polish- I can't think of anything else exactly like it...and I really enjoy it!
Formula: It is sheer, and the first coat is definitely streaky. It doesn't really cuticle drag, but it doesn't really self-level very much, either. The viscosity is medium- thick, and it does go on pretty smoothly, despite the streakiness. It also dries down surprisingly quickly.
My third coat was still faintly streaky, so I really needed four. This formula is not the greatest- four coats, really??- but it could have been a lot worse. I'm just grateful there were no pulling/ dragging issues.
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Last is Orly- Flawless Flush:
Flawless Flush is a purple-leaning, pastel pink (lilac?) infused with golden-bronze shimmer.
Artificial light, two coats:
Window-filtered daylight:
This is like the quintessential Springtime feminine shade, I think. Girly and pretty. This shimmer is more subtle than the shimmer in Cheeky, but it's still there and not invisible.
Mixed artificial and natural light:
Formula: It's a bit on the chalky side, and will cuticle drag if you overwork it. You really need to be able to do 3-5 quick strokes per coat to avoid issues. If you can do that, however, the formula works out quite well, and was fairly usable. I was able to achieve a good result, I think!
Happily, it was nearly opaque in two coats, unlike a couple of the other shades here.
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Overall, This seems like a fairly standard offering from Orly. For me, Flawless Flush is clearly the standout color, as it's a combination of the most unique polish with one of the least frustrating formulas. I wasn't pleased that Cheeky and Naked Canvas took four coats for decent coverage. I feel like, hey- it's 2014, we should have the technology to make usable, opaque nail colors. Maybe I'm wrong!
If you do have the patience for Cheeky, it's an uncommon color! The only other in my stash that comes remotely close is Rescue Beauty Lounge- NailsandNoms (but it's a totally different shade of orange with different shimmer), and I remember complaining about its formula too! First Blush is nice if you don't own a color like that, but it is very generic, and I think designed to please the non-polish-obsessed masses.
I feel the most conflicted about Naked Canvas. It's unique among the neutrals in my stash, but the four coat coverage really bummed me out. I love the glow that the shimmer gives it, but at the same time, I wish the shimmer were slightly more prominent (nitpicky, I know!) I want to see how it does layered over another cream or white, but it was a little streaky, so that might not even work.
What do you think?
I wore Flawless Flush this weekend and loved it, and already want to put it back on again! Cheeky is also super pretty, and now I think I may need to grab First Blush, too. Beautiful photos!
ReplyI have Flawless Flush and Cheeky. To be honest - I didn't care for either one on me. I really wanted to love FF but the color just isn't good with my skin tone. It looks pretty on you !
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