Hot on the successful heels of their recently released (but brooding) ‘Rock Your Nails’ Collection, Dior sends us in another (and brighter) direction with their latest launch for Summer 2011: ‘Electric Tropics’. Available in only two shades as well as sold with an accompanying top coat, the one that caught (and held!) my eye was #638 Aloha. I passed on the other duo (#558 Paradise Pink) as I heard it has a satiny finish which I tend to avoid, as well as the fact that I don’t usually wear hot pinks…but if it performs half as amazing as Aloha has, then I may come to regret that decision! All swatches are with Sèche Clear Base Coat, two coats of lacquer and Dior Top Coat.
Dior describes ‘Aloha’ as a “fluorescent nail polish” which initially put me off, but I soon realized that the appellation is a bit of a misnomer. While it might be exceptionally vivid, it certainly is not fluorescent by any stretch of the imagination — thank God, as I didn’t particularly wish to sport glow-in-the-dark nails! ‘Aloha’ is a rather brilliant tangerine hue, and the fact that it comes in a plump jelly-like formula, only adds to its lusciousness. As with other Dior formulas, this did not disappoint at all; I was surprised to note that there was enough saturation of colour even with the first coat, although I applied two for swatching purposes. Exceptionally shiny on its own, the addition of the accompanying top coat adds a superior glossy shine and maintains a hard to describe mirror-like look.
Going through my stash, I quickly realized that the only polish I had that came close, was YSL’s ‘Ultra Orange’ (from their Summer 2010 collection). Looking at them side by side, you an see that ‘Aloha’ still bears a slightly deeper hue, but once applied, the differences were negligible. Slightly more sheer on application, ‘Ultra Orange’ still has a similar jelly feel to it and to make it a fair comparison, I applied two coats of lacquer as well as the Dior top coat over it. Note how in full sun (top photo), you can just barely see ‘Aloha’s’ deeper tone, while shaded light (bottom photo) tends to even the differences out. Index & ring: ‘Aloha’, middle & pinkie: ‘Ultra Orange’
Final thoughts: I have yet to be disappointed with any of the Dior polishes I have tried to date and even though the company switched from a thin, flexible brush to a larger domed paddle shape (which takes a little getting used to), I find it quite easy to manipulate just the same. The formula is sublime and even though you’re paying more for this set (CAD $29.00 vs. CAD $24.00 for a single polish), I still find that it’s worth it for the inclusion of this awesome top coat, which is the closest contender I have come across to date for my usual favourite, Sèche Vite. As this is a limited edition set, snatch it up while you can, before it fades off into the Hawaiian sunset…aloha!
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