Maybelline LE Fashion Week 2012 Polishes |
I am on a Maybelline Fashion Week kick right now – I finally found the Color Show nail polish collection at a Rite Aide near me, and after agonizing for a few minutes, decided to buy all six nail polishes.
The colors are: 700 Avante Green, a full coverage chrome finish green; 705 Auburn Ablaze, a gorgeous blackened red with a subtle shimmer; 710 Metal Icon, a sort of chunky metallic/chrome – it looks to me to be sort of taupe with silver; 715 Boho Gold, a gold duochrome that shifts to green and pink; 720 Cosmo Pink, a pink duochrome that shifts to gold; and 725 Downtown Brown, and brown with strong green shimmer.
I just bought them a couple hours ago, so right now I just have nail wheel swatches for you. I have two swatches of each color – on the left, one coat over black, and on the right, two coats (with no base). I did not use top coat so you could see the finish of the polish. If you’re interested in seeing these swatched on my fingers, please leave a comment – I’d be happy to do that if enough people are interested!
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UPDATE: See all six swatched on my nails here!
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Although it’s harder to judge based on nail wheel swatches, overall the formula of the Maybelline polishes seemed very good to me – all six were thin and flowed evenly. Any smudges or bubbles you see are due to my painting the nail wheels outside in 90 degree heat and some dust getting on the nail wheels. Some of the shades do show brushstrokes, so you’ll have to decide if that bothers you.
On the left, the photo is in direct sunlight – on the right, the photo is in the shade, using flash. Enjoy!
Maybelline 700 Avante Green |
Maybelline 705 Auburn Ablaze |
Maybelline 710 Metal Icon |
Maybelline 715 Boho Gold |
Maybelline 720 Cosmo Pink |
Maybelline 725 Downtown Brown |
I also did comparisons. I’d heard that China Glaze Swanky Silk duped one of the shades – and in the bottle, It looks like China Glaze Swanky Silk is extremely similar, if not identical, to Maybelline Cosmo Pink.
China Glaze Swanky Silk / Maybelline Cosmo Pink |
However, on the nail wheel, they look very different: With two coats of each, Maybelline Cosmo Pink is very sheer still, while China Glaze Swanky Silk is almost opaque. Swanky Silk also has a stronger duochrome. I did try these out on my nails, and they look much more similar there (especially with three coats of the Maybelline), but I can see the difference, especially since even with three coats the Maybelline is not opaque.
Not dupes: Maybelline Cosmo Pink, China Glaze Swanky Silk |
I’d also heard that there was a Chanel Perido / OPI Just Spotted the Lizard dupe in the collection. I don’t own the Chanel, but I do have the OPI. Here’s the OPI compared to Maybelline Boho Gold. You can see that even in the bottle, the Maybelline looks more gold, and the OPI more green.
Maybelline Boho Gold / OPI Just Spotted the Lizard |
On the nail wheel (and on the nail), this is true as well – Boho Gold is gold with a green duochrome, while Just Spotted the Lizard is green with a gold duochrome. Note also that Just Spotted the Lizard has a stronger duochrome.
Not dupes: Maybelline Boho Gold / OPI Just Spotted the Lizard |
I also have a perhaps – surprising dupe for Maybelline Auburn Ablaze: Wet n Wild Megalast polish in Under Your Spell. These look identical on the nail and nail wheel – however, it takes three coats of the Wet n Wild to match two coats of the Maybelline in opacity.
Maybelline Auburn Ablaze / |
Dupes! Wet n Wild Under Your Spell, Maybelline Auburn Ablaze |
My favorite shades are the two duochromes: Boho Gold and Cosmo Pink, but I really like all six of these. It’s a great little collection, and too bad that it’s limited edition!
Again, let me know in the comments if you want to see these swatched on my own nails, and I’ll do that 🙂