OPI, Essie and China Glaze Polish Swatches

Okay, first, the haul. I got these for free. Well, sort of. These were from a nice lady who sells nail polish on eBay, and I got these fresh, never been used, brand-new polishes from a swap with her. I was giddy with excitement when I saw the polishes. The shades are beautiful. They are just the perfect fall shades - dark and vampy and festive, but there is a midtone mauve thrown in the mix. I also got a pretty light milk chocolate color from OPI called Chocolate Moose - it's a cousin of Los Angeles Latte, except that the former has no shimmer (cream formula) and is lighter. It just looks like chocolate milk on the nails.


I love Chocolate Moose! It really looks clean on the nails.


The swatch suggests that Ruby Pumps has a lot of warm undertones, but in real life, it is a lot cooler. Since it is bright and flashy, I don't think I could ever wear these on my tips but this would look beautiful on the toes especially for the holidays.


This is a gorgeous vampy, dark berry color that reminds me of my MAC cremesheen lipstick in Hang Up. I'd love to pair both one time. This color would be beautiful on both tips and toes.


I've had this color for about a year and I tried it for the first time last night. OMG it was beautiful! I love the peachy-coral undertones and it is just pretty on my tips. I normally stay away from peach-orange-copper shades because they make my nails look dirty, but this one didn't.


Another beautiful shade. I would totally use this on my fingers. I love mauves and this is no exception.


Last but not the least, here is a new shade from Essie and is a Beauty Brands exclusive shade. It is much more beautiful in person, a deep wine color that is the perfect fall shade. The girl I swapped with said that this particular Essie shade is selling like hotcakes as this is quite rare and is very new (and a limited release)

I received a question from a reader regarding the shelf life of nail polishes, and this was her query:

How long do nail polishes last in the bottle before they start drying out (such as it becomes thicker and gooey)? does it change from brand to brand - and is it true that good brands like china glaze or OPI last longer?

Let me answer this question with an anecdote. My hairdresser is also the owner of the salon I go to, and her husband and mine are friends from work. On my birthday dinner in 2004, her birthday present was a dozen China Glaze polishes! I was so drunk with excitement because the colors were not the outrageous, I-would-never-wear-those colors you see languishing on beauty supply store shelves, but I got the prettiest neutrals, pinks, mauves, reds, browns and beiges that I could want. I gave some away, but the ones that are still with me are still as fresh as the day I'd received them. They have not thickened at all, and still don't streak. In short, they are perfect, even after 4 years! So my answer would be, OPI and China Glaze polishes hardly dry out on me, they are truly two of the best I've tried. Essie does, actually. I bought another bottle of my favorite Essie shade because it thickened after only a year of use. I still love some Essie shades, but compared to OPI and China Glaze, Essie is inferior as to staying power on the nails and shelf life. I also noticed that Essie streaks more and is thinner in consistency compared to China Glaze and OPI. I can't say much about other brands because I've only used these three consistently through the years. This is just my opinion based on these brands that I have personally tried. Others are free to chime in with regard to other brands.