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Filed In: Nailtini
Sephora + Pantone Universe – ‘Reflecting Pond’ Jewel Lacquer (swatches, comparisons & review)
I have a confession to make: I don’t really know all that much about Sephora’s 2nd collaboration with Pantone, and I only picked up one item from the previous collection (which I STILL haven’t reviewed), but as soon as my eyes landed on ‘Reflecting Pond’, I was captivated. Something about murky, aquatically-themed hues just get to me every single time. Probably has something to do with the fact that I’m a water sign … or it could be the storm-tossed allure of this lacquer …
Sephora + Pantone Universe ‘Reflecting Pond’
Sephora + Pantone Universe ‘Reflecting Pond’
the beautiful opalescent box
‘Reflecting Pond’ is a jewel, and just as luxurious colour-wise. Starting with the opalescent box it comes in – which is pretty enough in its own right, the densely pigmented, medium-thick formula makes application almost effortless. The charcoal infused teal of the base colour is filled to the brim with ultra fine brilliant teal shimmer “dust”, along with some deep blue, scattered green & lavender/pink specks throughout, which lend some elusive indigo flashes to this shade (seen clearer in direct sunlight) and a complex depth of tone. Indoors turns ‘Reflecting Pond’ into a murky & blackened teal, leaving behind an almost metallic after-image (really weird and cool effect, actually), but I love how the sides of the nail look like a frame for the gorgeous center teal colour. Brush stroke-free and self-levelling, the final finish is somewhat dull; addition of top coat is an absolute must, as it literally brings this beauty to life.
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The square bottle shape is a nice touch as well, made with heavy, sturdy glass and while the wand may seem a little long, I found the brush to be well formed, with just the right amount of length & flexibility to allow for a fuss-free application. Bonus: absolutely no staining upon removal. Coats applied: 2
Unique touch: on the back label of the box you’ll find a box with a colour swatch and a corresponding number, in case you want to paint your walls the same shade! According to Sephora:
What it is:
A thrilling collection of nail lacquers inspired by exotic gems, precious jewels, and vivid natural beauty.
What it does:
Fall under the spell of the Alchemy of Color Collection, an enchanting collaboration between Pantone Universe and Sephora that marries the hottest shades of the season with exclusive formulation and finish. The collection includes a kaleidoscope of colors and each of the multi-dimensional lacquers feature an innovative texture and futuristic finish, from metallic, to sparkle, iridescent, and never-seen-before metallic matte. The formulas are long-wearing, chip-resistant, and promise full-color payoff. Bring the brilliant hues to life as you mix and match to create your own magic.
What else you need to know:
This collection takes inspiration from Pantone’s View Colour Planner Autumn/ Winter 12-13 Book, predicting a radiant color breakthrough in fall 2012 and a leap into bright reds, energizing oranges, and sumptuous purples. Each formula is formaldehyde-free and dibutyl phthalate (DBP)-free.
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*All swatches are with Seche Clear Base Coat and Seche Vite Top Coat, but I did notice some shrinking away from the nail edges after this step – an obvious sign of incompatibility.
in sunlight
alternate angle
indoors
in shade
with flash
Going through my collection of polishes, I came across several that are in the same colour family as ‘Reflecting Pond’, but I narrowed things down to Deborah Lippmann’s ‘Don’t Tell Mama’ – for being the closest in base tone, and Nailtini’s ‘Stinger’ (previous reviewed here) – for having a similar duo coloured effect. All swatches are with 2 coats of lacquer, as well as base & top coats. How they compared:
- index finger: Deborah Lippmann ‘Don’t Tell Mama’ – the thinnest flowing formula, almost identical blackened teal base with a pine green ultra fine shimmer – no other colour flashes, the darkest in overall tone, very glossy natural finish
- middle & pinkie fingers: Sephora + Pantone Universe™ ‘Reflecting Pond’
- ring finger: Nailtini ‘Stinger’ – formula, flow & opacity similar to ‘Reflecting Pond’, underlying base shows more of a prune hue (1st coat), visible purple overtones (naked eye), much more prominent cobalt flash with shimmer leaning more towards emerald, superb glossy finish
in sunlight
alternate angle
indoors
in shade
with flash
Final thoughts: I am a total sucker for these types of shades; apart from its obvious brooding qualities, I love all the complexities of colour and tone that go into ‘Reflecting Pond’. The formula was unexpectedly thick, but very easy to work with nonetheless and even though you can almost get away with one coat, I highly recommend a second as it enhances the vivid colour of this beauty. I passed on the other 4 shades released – pretty hues, but nowhere near as eye-catching; I’m not sure at this point if they’re limited edition, but the collection is definitely a Sephora exclusive. The price seems to be quite fair as well, coming at CDN $11.00 for 11 ml/.37 fl oz, slightly more than an OPI but definitely less than a CHANEL. Definitely worth seeing with your own eyes – but be forewarned of its mesmerizing effect!
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Nailtini ‘Stinger’ (swatches, review & comparisons)
In the Fall of 2010, the cocktail themed brand Nailtini (Tini Beauty) teamed up with Janie Bryant, costume director for the hit show Mad Men, and created a set of four limited edition nail polishes, including ‘Stinger’ which I have for you here. I was so happy to come across this brand, as I was quite curious to try their line and this shade drew me like a moth to a flame. If you’ve ever come across a gasoline spill on pavement and seen the prismatic effect produced by the colours, then you begin to get an idea of what this complex shade looks like. All ‘Stinger’ swatches are with Sèche Clear base coat, two coats of lacquer and a-england ‘The Shield’ top coat (reviewed here).
I was curious to know if ‘Stinger’ the nail polish looked anything like the drink for which it was named, but as you can clearly see in the photo above, the name is the only similarity. The cocktail is made by combining brandy with white crème de menthe, producing this gorgeous caramel tone, while the lacquer has this intricate almost poly-chromatic look, with blue, teal, and purple colours running through it. No matter what, this shade is very va-va-voom!
Interestingly enough, I expected that sunlight would bring out the myriad shades of this polish in great detail, but I found that the teal tones are what stood out the most, with vague hints of purple glimmering around the edges.
By adjusting the position of my hand slightly, the full prismatic effect of this varnish comes out to play, showing off all the hues that give it such depth and visual interest.
Seen in shaded light, ‘Stinger’ seems to morph into a mysteriously deep teal lacquer, although the bottle tells a different story.
For some reason, I was convinced that ‘Stinger’ had a duplicate in MAC’s ‘Formidable’ from the Venomous Villains collection of last Fall, but when I went looking through my polishes, I also came across Deborah Lippmann’s ‘Don’t Tell Mama’, looking suspiciously close as well, so I swatched the three lacquers to compare. In the following photos (all with 2 coats of polish): index and pinkie fingers – ‘Stinger’, middle finger – ‘Formidable’ with the ring finger wearing ‘Don’t Tell Mama’.
Once more, sunlight seems to deepen the tone of all three, although it’s clear that ‘Formidable’ not only has the darkest hue, but the one with a vaguely reddish tint to it, while ‘Stinger’ and ‘Don’t Tell Mama’ not only seem to share a similar type of shimmer, but have the same teal base.
Seen up close, ‘Formidable’ definitely stands apart from the other two, which look almost identical to each other, although ‘Stinger’ has a slightly more purple leaning which can just be seen on the upper part of the nail (index finger).
In this angle, all three polishes look the same, although ‘Formidable’ once again is somewhat deeper.
Shaded light only seems to emphasize how close ‘Stinger’ and ‘Don’t Tell Mama’ truly are, but I still detect the barest hint of purple along the edges of the ‘Stinger’ swatch.
Final thoughts: As both ‘Stinger’ and ‘Formidable’ were both limited edition lacquers from their respective brands, it’s nice to know that there are other options out there, especially if you fall in total love with a shade as unique as this. I’ve heard that Essie’s ‘Dive Bar’ is another one that looks similar, but having only recently picked it up, I haven’t swatched it yet to be sure. The formula on ‘Stinger’ was fabulous, easy to apply and practically self-levelling, bearing an excellent brush on a slightly long-ish wand. Dry time was pretty good too, and even the finish was fairly glossy, although I recommend applying a top coat to truly bring out its rainbow glory. There’s nothing I love more than a truly unique lacquer shade, and I could happily get drunk on this ‘Stinger’!