After falling in love with my first ever Givenchy polish during the holidays, I was excited to see what Spring/Summer would bring. Inspired by vibrant Indian saris and Bollywood screen sirens, Givenchy’s artistic director Nicolas Degennes created a stunning palette of pinks and oranges that are truly covet worthy.

I mean seriously kids, can’t you just die over those blushes? The bindi adorned packaging. The luscious embossed powder. I can hear my wallet crying in the other room already. To add a little “polish” (pun totally intended), this collection includes two new shades of Vernis Please! lacquer. Unfortunately the incredible Maharani Tangerine, shown on the model above, is only available overseas. Lucky European readers, you get something we don’t! Considering how amazing Maharani Pink’s formula is, I may be begging for a custom purchase when the collection hits shelves.

For such a tiny bottle, Maharani Pink packs quite a wallop. I’m so, so in love with the formula. It’s got that kind of thick jelly consistency but it flows, oh how it flows. And the pigmentation is spot on. Two coats and you can put a fork in it. Will you just look at that shine? It feels wrong to add a top coat to a polish that looks like this.

Maharani Pink is a warm coral pink leaning towards carnation. I love that it’s vivid without being “bright.” You all know I’m not that much of a pink girl yet here I am, all giddy-like over this totally not me shade. It’s all in the finish, I’m telling you.

Of course I understand that shelling out $15 for bottle of lacquer isn’t in everyone’s budget so I looked to the ALU stash for alternatives. Now even though the Sally Hansen is a LE DC’d shade, it’s the only similarly hued jelly I could find. I only swatched it to show off the pigmentation in Maharani Pink. I’d say MP’s closest dupe is CND Flare though its finish is more creamy. A very different overall look.
The Givenchy Spring/Summer collection is scheduled to release in February. Vernis Please! lacquers retail for $15/ea and can be purchased online at Sephora.com or at Sephora locations throughout the US.

What do we think? Yay or Nay?

Kids, hold on to your wallets! I have discovered the most perfect sparkly deep purple polish. Ever since one of my favorite purples ever, China Glaze Grape Crush, was discontinued I have been hunting for something just as glitzy that is noticeably purple. Not just another “almost black.” Something beyond your basic shimmer. A shade filled with micro-glittery goodness. The new Vernis Please! Purple By Night nail lacquer from Givenchy fits the bill.

Part of the Nightlights holiday collection, Purple By Night is my first foray into Givenchy nail polish. I remember seeing pics of Dandy Moire, a gorgeous deep peacock blue, from fall but it was Purple By Night that got me to take the plunge.

Since this was my first time wearing Givenchy, I did my usual five day wear test to see how the formula holds up.

Application: The formula is Big 3 Free with a medium to thick consistency. It flows nicely on the nail with a long, flat brush that makes avoiding shaky hand errors easy. The lacquer is heavily pigmented, barely requiring two coats.

Wear: Using a base of Seche Ridgefilling Base with Seche Vite to finish, I’m happy to report that after five days there was only a slight bit of edge wear and one tiny chip on my index finger. Though what really impressed me is that while I was taking pics (prior to top coat) I bumped my index and middle fingers due to my own clumsiness. Yet the polish itself dries rock hard so quickly that it didn’t leave a single mark! Makes me wonder if a top coat was even necessary.
The only downer about this polish is its small size and price tag. $15 isn’t the worst thing in the world, I shell out that much or more for Lippmann, Chanel and Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes but, for a .18 oz bottle (typical size is .5 oz) that’s asking a lot. I love the color enough to justify the price but it’s definitely a splurge.

Purple By Night is available now on Sephora.com and with their Friends and Family 20% Off discount starting today (11/6) you can snag a bottle for just $12. Use code FF2008 at checkout!