Reader Request: I Vant To Be A-Lone Star vs. Pelican Gray

Recently, a reader asked me to compare OPI’s ‘I Vant To Be A-Lone Star’ against China Glaze’s ‘Pelican Gray’, and which one I prefer. To be totally honest, even though you might think these two shades are close enough, viewed in person it’s another story and so I have decided to explain the differences. As to which one I prefer, guess you’ll have to read on to find out….and no cheating by scrolling to the bottom! The following swatches are index & ring fingers – ‘I Vant To Be A-Lone Star’ and middle & pinkie fingers – ‘Pelican Gray’ and were prepared with Sèche Natural base coat and three coats of lacquer, no top coat.

Seen in natural light, at first glance you might think that the two shades look enough alike to not merit owning both. Upon closer look, however, the first think you notice is that the OPI has more of a dusty, faded blue tone to it against the pale concrete of the China Glaze. While they both have shimmer throughout, in my opinion the particles in ‘Pelican Gray’ seem slightly larger and certainly more sparse compared to the finer & denser pearly shimmer of ‘I Vant To Be A-Lone Star’ (that name…..cute but way too long, no?!) In darker lighting, the differences between them seem more pronounced; note how the tone on my pinkie seems deeper and obviously grey against the blue hue of my ring finger.

With full sun hitting these shades, the differences are not as easily discernible, but still definitely there. The formula and application on both was exceptional, giving decent coverage even with two coats, although I personally prefer three thinner coats for perfect smoothness and opacity. The other major difference is one relating more to personal preferences: the OPI sports their Pro Wide brush which makes for a quick application but can be challenging for those with smaller nail beds, versus the thinner and slightly more flexible brush of the China Glaze which makes it easier to get to the sides of your nails, but means that it requires more brush strokes. They both dried relatively fast, and while neither one has a high gloss finish, they each have enough natural shine and shimmer.

Final thoughts: I will go on record as stating that I absolutely LOVE both shades. I have a personal thing for grey tones, be they dark or light, creme, glittery, matte, suede, metallic, jelly or pearly. I love dusty, washed-out looking hues as well and I find that delicate shimmer is just so flattering on every skin tone. The faded periwinkle undertone of ‘I Vant To Be A-Lone Star’ is a different slant on this colour range and that makes it just a touch more unique in my eyes to merit it a “must have” in your nail polish arsenal. But if you’re like me, then you know that you absolutely MUST have ‘Pelican Gray’ as well, because the formula is so totally superb and the pearly shimmer really sweetens what would otherwise be a drab shade.