Last month I went on a girls' day trip to downtown Seattle; as a group of four fashion/beauty-loving women, there was no way we were just going to skip by Nordstrom Rack. I may or may not have seriously freaked out when I saw that they had Urban Decay polishes for $5, marked down from the original price of $15. I coveted these polishes when they came out with their shiny, gunmetal caps and perfectly UD-like shades but resisted... until now. You can't deny a deal like that!
Chaos is a gorgeous cobalt blue packed with very fine shimmer and (I think) glass fleck, as well as a super subtle pearl finish. Under bright light, this is the kind of polish that you just can't stop staring at because of the way all that microshimmer comes to life.
The application was so, so smooth. The formula was the perfect consistency--not too thin, not too thick--and leveled itself out well. The brush is on the narrower side (along the lines of Essie, which I personally prefer) and perfectly flexible. I'm wearing two coats topped with Seche Vite. I loved this polish so much that I wore it for 4-5 days, which is much longer than most polishes last before I get bored!
I love the skull at the top of the cap. It's so Urban Decay and I can spot it immediately in my drawer of polishes because it stands out in a sea of plain black/white caps.
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| Middle finger: Essie Aruba Blue for comparison |
I always try to avoid picking up dupes of shades I already have, but certain colours always catch my eye. My heart sank slightly when it started reminding me of Essie Aruba Blue. After a quick swatch to compare (middle finger), I'm happy to report that while similar, they're not dupes at all. Essie Aruba Blue is slightly deeper and darker. The pearly finish in Aruba Blue is also much more prominent, and the shimmer less apparent. The application is much better in Chaos, whereas even with Seche Vite on top, you can see the brush strokes (the pearl-ier finish is partly to blame, I think.) For both application and colour, I prefer Chaos.
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After seeing what an amazing formula Urban Decay had, I was incredibly tempted to pick up more polishes on my recent Portland trip, but ended up resisting. Bang, Sin, Addiction, and Zodiac all super closely resemble polishes I already have (although if they had had a turquoise or teal, I probably would have snatched it up no matter how dead-on of a dupe I already had!) In addition to Nordstrom Rack, I've also seen the Urban Decay polishes for $5 on the UD website as well as those cosmetics outlet stores at outlet centres. If you want them, move fast because I think the brand is discontinuing them.
What kind of awesome beauty/fashion deals have you found lately? :D
