Viper — the very name bears a certain seductively sinister sex appeal, and while I don’t indulge in many Estée Lauder products, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was a shade I had to acquire. Easier said than done, however, as this shade was not only sold out at all US counters I went to this past summer, but upon arriving back home, all sales agents I asked here looked at me like I was speaking gibberish when I inquired. I was even assured by one pseudo-genius that this shade was a US exclusive ONLY and that I would NEVER find it here. Until I walked into Holt’s 2 minutes later … and picked it up. Whatever … the end result is that I did managed to get it, right?
Viper (label)
Viper (CAD $25.00 limited edition) – is sumptuous, luxurious, malevolent, decadent, and totally oozes a brooding sensuality. Yes, a bottle of nail polish can do all that – trust me on this. The first coat applied somewhat sheer(ish), showing a charcoal-esque pine green base, with the second coat bringing forth this beauty’s true colour: a blackened forest/viridian green hue filled with ultra-fine emerald shimmer, although it does tend to look more ebony indoors. The formula is in that jelly/crème hybrid format that I’m really coming to love – the flow of a crème but with the high gloss and elasticity of a jelly, as it applies in a completely self-levelling way and ends with a ridiculously glassy finish. The square-shaped heavy glass bottle might look a little chunky, but actually serves to line up amazingly well for storage purposes, although it’s visually so beautiful that you will definitely want this to be out & admired. Bonus: absolutely no staining upon removal. Coats applied: 3 (thin)
Viper (sunlight)
Viper (sunlight)
Viper (shaded light)
Viper (flash)
Even though I have a few deep green shades in my collection that I could have compared ‘Viper’ to, something about its application and deep green tone completely reminded me of another legendary shade: the unicorn-elusive and limited edition ‘Zulu’ from NARS, which I was very happy to have picked up when it was re-released in the fall of 2010. Here’s how ‘Zulu’ compared to ‘Viper’ (both fabulous names, by the way):
- required 3 coats to reach the same opacity
- a thinner and sheerer formula
- first coat shows a much brighter green tone
- no shimmer
- slight translucency and more jelly-like qualities
- exceptionally glossy (a glass like finish) – makes application of top coat almost redundant
- non-staining as well
Overall, I’d say the two while bearing an almost identical base tone, are also quite different from each other due to ‘Viper’s’ shimmer, and worth owning both.
Viper vs Zulu (sunlight)
Viper vs Zulu (indirect light)
Viper vs Zulu (flash)
Final thoughts: When attempting to track down cosmetic products, perseverance pays off, as well as having some basic knowledge of the item you’re trying to find. Case in point, not always taking a sales agent’s word on something – very happy I didn’t. With the amount of nail varnish choices one faces today, it might be hard to make a case for one shade over another, so it comes down to personal preferences; I love how sophisticated yet totally “dark” and edgy ‘Viper’ is and its deep green tone helps it stand out from other trendy colours. That, and a formula that’s to die for. And the name … makes me feel so dangerous …
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