RBL Poppy

Hi folks! Sorry it took so long for me to write a post! I didn't have access to Blogger (or Google in general, for that matter) for a little while >_< But I'm back, and that's what counts, right? 

Anyways, today, I have for you the lovely Poppy from RBL's newest collection. I pre-ordered it way back when it was called a slightly different name (check out Ji's blog to find out why it changed) and got it a few days ago. I fell in love with this color the moment I took it out of its box. Pink microshimmer and larger gold shimmery flecks? Yes please! 

It's a beauty in the bottle, but the shimmery goodness unfortunately does not translate onto the nail. I can see the tiniest bit of shimmer if I bring my nails close to my face under bright sunlight, but most of the time, Poppy looks like a bright orange red creme. I do like polishes with hidden shimmer (Piu Mosso, Aqua Lily), but the shimmer in this polish is practically non existent when applied, which is a little disappointing.

 I used two coats for the pictures, though a careful application of one coat (wow I say that a lot) would probably work as well. Poppy is a glossy color, though I still used Poshe's topcoat to make it shinier. The formula for this polish was wonderful. There was no drag,  it dried very quickly, and there was no bubbling. RBL polishes are known for their great application, and this one is not an exception.

 I was surprised by how unique this shade of orange red was. My other orange reds (OPI Guy Meets Gal-veston, Red My Fortune Cookie, Big Hair... Big Nails, Give Me A Coral Sometime, Essie E-nuf is E-nuf, Dior Merveille) all looked either faded or pinkish next to Poppy.

 Red is my favorite color to put on my nails, so I really like this polish even though the shimmer is hard to discern. The fact that I don't have this shade of red in my collection makes me like it even more. Poppy has a great formula and is a lovely color, but the shimmer from the bottle isn't present on the nail. It costs $20 and is available here.

Left to right: Chanel Rouge Carat, Dior Merveille, RBL Poppy, Zoya Sooki

I'll end this post with a comparison of how different Poppy is from other reds. Rouge Carat is a cool red with pink shimmer (it's a darker color IRL),  Merveille is a warm orange red with gold shimmer, and Sooki is a neutral bright red creme. Poppy clearly has more orange in its tone than the other three colors. See what I mean, when I said that an orange red (Merveille) looks pink next to Poppy?

Triple Post

Is this finally an update?
To make up for the fact that I didn't post for a while, I give you the first ever Triple Post. Created for your convenience, the Triple Post will feature not one, not two, but three (3!!!) different nail polish reviews from three (3!!!) different brands. I might make this a regular theme in the blog if I don't update in a while. What do you guys think?

First up is Revlon Midnight Affair. It's a gorgeous dark blue shimmer that is opaque with two layers. The color itself is not unique, but it is a good staple color to own. Though the polish takes time to dry, it's consistency is excellent; not too thick and not too thin. It's glossy without a topcoat, and though the shimmer isn't very apparent in the shade, it glows in the sunlight. You can get this for $4.99 in drugstores and online.

Look at that shimmer!

Closeup of the bottle

While I'm reviewing a Revlon polish, here's a few bottle pics of another Revlon beauty, known as Runway Pearl. It's a recent release, and is a sheer coppery pink shimmer that I will review soon.

The second polish I'm reviewing is one that I now consider my favorite polish of 2012. It's RBL Aqua Lily, the prettiest turquoise with pink shimmer interlaced in the polish. It is one of a kind, and has a perfect application. There's not much else to say about it, since praise is the only thing this polish deserves. It was released as part of RBL Fan Collection, and is now sold out. I used two layers for the swatches below. Prepare for spam pics:

*swoon*

Lastly, I have OPI Guy Meets Gal-veston, a coral 'sorbet' (jelly) released in the Texas Collection. It's extremely glossy and has a self leveling formula. On the other hand, it takes sheer to a whole new level. Pictured below are four swatches, and I still have VNL. It's a pretty color, but I'm not a fan of how corals look with my skintone. You can get it for $8.50 in salons, drugstores, online, etc.

It's a bright color, but it isn't as pink as it look IRL

That's the end of the Triple Post. Hope you enjoyed this picture spamfest!

IKB 2012

 IKB 2012 is a bright blurple jelly that dries quickly. That summarizes the good points of the polish. The consistency of it is unlike that of any RBL I've tried in the past. The application was hard to maneuver, partly due to the fact that the rim of the bottle was halfway sealed with said thick polish. Instead of the smooth 2 coat finish I expected from it, this one takes three thick (think goopy) coats. The first coat went on streaky, but the second coat smoothed things out a little. Only with a third coat could I achieve a smooth surface that was opaque. I expected a better formula for a nail polish that costs $20, but I don't regret the purchase. I don't own anything like this, as the color is completely different from anything I've seen. I like the color, but I don't love the polish.
Edit: IKB chipped on me less than a day later... Kinda bummed about that.

The most color accurate

Double Wow...

Just a short update...
Today, Ji Baek released the Fan Collection to the public. In less than nine hours, IKB 2012 and Aqua Lily sold out. Makes me glad I pre-ordered them...
I'm not sure about the status of the other two polishes, but I would strongly recommend anyone who wants to snag one of them (or more) to act ASAP. You can't predict how things would turn out if you don't act right away. Remember, these colors are limited edition; once they're gone, they're gone for good.
Edit: As of 9:36PM EST, IKB is back in stock
Edit 2: IKB is sold out now

RBL Fan Collection (!!!)

!!!!!!!
Words cannot describe my excitement when I found this in my package:

Whoever did the wrapping did a great job. It was almost too pretty to unwrap (almost).

I only got these two.

I'll try and get pics of these in natural light ASAP.

Isn't the sticker adorable?

You can see a faint gleam of Aqua Lily's shimmer...

Warning: IKB 2012 is a true blurple (more purple IRL), not blue. Also, it's obnoxiously bright :D

Blurry, in order to capture the shimmer. Drool...

Once more! Look at that awesome shimmer!

Comparison with similar shades! I am happy to say that Aqua Lilly is 100% unique, even if you don't take the shimmer into account.

Dior Saint-Tropez is lighter, Orly Viridian Vinyl is darker and matte.

OPI Fly has more blue in it, China Glaze For Audrey is lighter and more minty.

Essie Aruba Blue is metallic and more blue, Cult Nails Time Traveler is much darker

Swatched! You can see Aqua Lily's shimmer indoors. Again, IKB 2012 is more purple than it appears in these pics (opaque jelly!).

Last pic... All were taken with flash, indoors

These colors are amazing and unique. They are $20 each, and will be available at Rescue Beauty this coming Monday. 
Formula wise, IKB 2012 gave me some trouble as it is a little bit on the thick side. On the other hand, it's thickness allowed for it to be opaque in two coats. Personally, the finish of a nail polish trumps its application. If you are bothered by it, you can probably use some thinner to make the formula more fluid. I don't have Revlon Royal to compare it with, but they seem similar enough if you want to get this color without breaking the bank (Royal is 4.99, 1/5th the price of IKB).
Aqua Lily was great, I didn't experience any issues with it. It's not as glossy as IKB though, so a top coat is needed. Dupe wise, if you don't mind not having the shimmer, the comparison bottles above are pretty close to it (other than being slightly darker or light).