NARS • Midnight Express • Polishes

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*TOP REVIEWER* redeyelinerjunkie on 11/3/2011 5:25:00 PM more reviews by redeyelinerjunkie

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Of all the dark jelly nail polishes I own, this is by far the most translucent. If you swatch this on clear tape and put the tape on a window or a clear glass jar, it gives it a "stained glass" appearance. That's how translucent it is -- and that's what makes the color so striking.



However, it seems like all of the dark blue jellies out on the market (nfu-oh 119, color club blue-topia, illlamasqua propaganda) are turquoise-leaning blues. Midnight Express is the most turquoise-toned of all.



Due to this, and due to its translucence, this color worn over warm-toned skin looks rather underwhelming. Warm-toned skin makes it appear even warmer and less true of a blue -- but cool-toned girls may have far better luck with it. Just keep that in mind: any nail polish that is VERY translucent (whether dark or light) varies quite a bit in color depending on who's wearing it.

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Meleana on 10/1/2011 5:35:00 PM more reviews by Meleana

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Red, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Beautiful stuff. One coat is a sapphire blue, two coats a beautiful, glassy blue-black. I'm not quite sure why jellies ever fell out of popularity, as I think they're the most beautiful polishes. The shine is so beautiful with a topcoat of Seche Vite or Poshe. Totally worth the price.

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RealDealBeauty on 7/12/2011 4:10:00 PM more reviews by RealDealBeauty

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Great color.
Bright blue (w/slight turquoise undertones) in one streaky coat.
Even, rich shiny navy with two coats.
Shiny, even, near black navy with three coats.

***A near DUPE IS Rescue Beauty Lounge: Dead Calm*** (so cold, that I sold the RBL & was disappointed that I got both)

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whiterose20 on 1/30/2011 11:12:00 AM more reviews by whiterose20

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I LOVE this navy color. It's very unique, and I was wanting something that was dark like a black polish but that didn't scream "emo". This navy can be sophisticated and punk at the same time, which I love, it's very versatile and can be worn with many different outfits. I love the smoothness of the application. The only thing that I did not like about this is that it takes FOREVER to dry. I let this dry for a good half hour and laid down to take a nap and my nails got scuffed while I was sleeping. And especially for the money that I spent on this, which was even more because I had to order it online, I would expect this to have better drying power. Not sure if I would buy this particular nail polish again, am going to look for a similar navy color in a nail polish that dries faster.

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*TOP REVIEWER* mwebba1 on 12/13/2010 1:10:00 PM more reviews by mwebba1

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Dark, Warm   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

OMG!!!! I have wanted this product for about 2 or 3 years now. Since the vintage polishes came back on Sephora's website and I had the gift card, well uh... There was no reason not to , right? And I am so glad I did! My power colour is navy blue and I have been looking for a nail polish in that color. While I wanted a creme I'm glad I got a jelly because this is simply to die for on my toes (I work in a corporate environment). I will buy this over and over as long as NARS makes it. Hasn't chipped on my feet but let's be honest. It's cold as hell and my feet stay covered. I love looking down at my little piggies and seeing this color in the shower though :)

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*TOP REVIEWER* abfabjeanius on 11/8/2010 5:57:00 PM more reviews by abfabjeanius

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I'm so glad that NARS decided to bring this "vintage" color back! I remember in the 90's, when this was popular, and my allowance pittance wasn't enough to splurge for these kinds of polishes.

Anyway, Midnight Express is a gorgeous (I mean, gorgeous!) dark, navy blue. It almost makes me think of what the blue ink must look like that paints china. As with all dark colors, it's better to apply 2 coats to make sure the finish is opaque and even, although I have to note that Midnight Express seemed to apply very evenly and smoothly atop my Sephora for OPI basecoat.

In some lights, this color almost looks black, but when it catches the light just right, you see the blue. I think it would work well for all skintones, and would look good on the toes and on the fingers.

I was previously a Chanel polish girl, but now I am hooked on NARS! Better lasting power (wore almost a week with no chips!), pretty colors, and cheaper than Chanel. Also, the large rectangular top makes it easy to hold onto and apply.

On a sidebar, I purchased the Blue Lagoon color with this, and 1 coat of Midnight Express + 1 coat of Blue Lagoon is also very pretty, if you are looking for a lighter blue.

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sexycereal on 10/16/2010 8:52:00 AM more reviews by sexycereal

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Wow. Just wow. Midnight Express is a breathtaking shade of dark blue. It is just pure blue, nothing else. No hint of black or green or anything. I think that's the reason why this colour seems so special. I can't think of a dupe because all the other brands release colours that aren't quite pure midnight blue.
I only needed 2 thin coats for the colour to look good. If you want a lighter blue then I'd suggest 1 coat. The finish isn't quite creme nor is it completely jelly-ish. Sort of an in-between, another reason why this colour is unique.
I didn't have any problems with application. The formula was thin but pigmented so it was easier to apply than some of the OPIs in my opinion. Drying time was normal, maybe on the quicker side.
I wasn't going to buy this shade at first actually, because I heard that the formula was sheer and three coats were needed for the colour to look solid...but I learnt a lesson. Never trust online reviews till you see the real thing!
I really wish this colour wasn't limited edition...because if it were permanent, I'd definitely repurchase! It's the best blue ever created!

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zulufanatic on 10/6/2010 7:57:00 PM more reviews by zulufanatic

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I have an obsession with the color blue, and I have an obsession with nail polish. I periodically buy different blue laquers looking for that perfect bottle. I think I found my blue nail polish holy grail. The color is extraordinary. No shimmer or sparkle, just pure unadulterated blue. It looks like patent leather on you hand. I have OPI Dating A Royal, and I love it, but it is not nearly as impressive now that I have Midnight Express. The formula glides on, and with three coats, it is perfectly opaque and glossy. This color is my second favorite, after Zulu.

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*TOP REVIEWER* kattymat on 10/12/2008 4:21:00 AM more reviews by kattymat

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I have gone through a bit of a blue phase and found Midnight Express to be the most unique, blue blue rather than blue-black, out there. It is a cream, it is a peacock blue and is really striking but not such a light blue that it's in your face. I found the first coat to be hideously streaky but the second sorted that out and the finish was glossy and it had great staying power. I wore this to work (after having a crap week and needing a pick me up), received complements and wore it for almost a week before I got minor chipping on the edge of the nail. Really fantastic formulation - I'm getting hooked on NARS polishes.

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gymnastgirly on 9/15/2008 3:43:00 PM more reviews by gymnastgirly

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Other   Eyes: Green    

Though I unfortunately keep having Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Starlight Express" song running through my head while painting my nails with Midnight Express, it's overall a fabulous polish.


Midnight Express is a dark blue jelly polish. The first coat goes on quite bright, and a bit streaky. The second coat makes it a gorgeous deep blue. In indoor or low lighting, it looks near-black. In sunlight or bright lighting, it's a gorgeous midnight blue


Quality and formula, as with all other NARS polishes I've tried, were great.

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*TOP REVIEWER* ParisXIII on 2/1/2008 2:26:00 PM more reviews by ParisXIII

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I love this color. It is a dark blue creme. With 2 or 3 coats it really does look like a midnight blue, but the 1st coat is actually really bright and....not that navy.

Because my bottle of Chanel Night Sky is running low, when I want to duplicate the look...I put on 2 coats of Midnight Express topped with 2 coats of Chanel Diamond (or similar silver glitter topcoat) and voila.

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*TOP REVIEWER* jiney17 on 10/2/2007 8:44:00 PM more reviews by jiney17

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

With one coat, this is a dark peacock that is quite pretty in its own right. But with two, this becomes a deep, midnight blue--not black, but black with a blue glow. There's still definitely a touch of green in here somewhere too. Smooth texture makes this quite easy to work with and it dries to a nicely shiny finish. Really good wear too--I've had this on my toes for about a week so far and have been running at the gym, etc. and it looks perfect. I wish this weren't discontinued!

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*TOP REVIEWER* shanghaisweetie on 3/21/2007 7:45:00 PM more reviews by shanghaisweetie

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other, Cool   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Ahhhh! Midnight Express is the deep navy creme I've been looking all over for! Deep, dark but distinctly blue, glossy...looks like my new J.Crew navy blue vinyl tote I just got! And I found it for half the price of regular NARS polishes because it's a "vintage" product. It's a love!!

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*TOP REVIEWER* haloinrverse on 2/27/2003 2:58:00 PM more reviews by haloinrverse

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

fabulous! this is my first n/p from nars, and its everything i expected. wonderful packaging. the brush was perfect- appropriate length for the bottle, good brush shape, decent bristles.
the color is *gorgeous* its a very dark cobalt blue, almost black. the consistency is great, but you couldnt get away with only one coat of this color.
i wll repurchase this one as long as they keep making it. its absolutely worth the price.

review challenge 02/23-03/01

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