Essie • Lapiz Of Luxury • Nails

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katieeholliday on 5/19/2013 7:02:00 PM more reviews by katieeholliday

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I thought I'd try essie nail polishes because at £7.99 a bottle, i thought i'd be getting what I paid for. WRONG. The colour is beautiful but the consistency is just awful. It starts to dry almost as soon as it goes on so it makes it hard to apply, but then after that it takes absolutely ages for it to be completely dry. Chips super easily and it's far too thin so doesnt go evenly onto my nail. I've used it multiple times, with base coat, without base coat, with top coat, everything. Each time I've been really disappointed... I wanted to love it but I just can't!

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famouscigarillo on 5/19/2013 3:31:00 PM more reviews by famouscigarillo

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Grey    

This is my favourite Essie nail polish by far! It's such a beautiful, unique colour. It's a medium blue with a tinge of lilac - simply lovely. It is incredibly long-lasting - better than any other polish in my collection!

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*TOP REVIEWER* CordulaM on 12/2/2012 3:05:00 AM more reviews by CordulaM

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Love this. A bit runny, but opaque in 2. I feel most Essie's are like this, however this was a bit more thin. I did not need 3 or 4 coats though. 2 pretty much cuts it if you put on a good first (as someone said). Dry time is normal. Nice periwinkle/cornflower blue. It's hard to find dupes as good as the Essie's originals, so for me, it's a must. These flat muted jewel tones are all I want right now (no sparkles or shimmer) so I had to have it. The only issue is that this and many other Essies (and some others) look different in photos and that really bugs me. Still pretty, wish it was a tad lighter.

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facetious on 11/10/2012 12:13:00 PM more reviews by facetious

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Periwinkle blue is good description. A bit confusing to me because an image search of this color could lead you to believe that it would be bluer and brighter than it actually is. Unless there's a difference between Lapis and Lapiz but I digress. Lapiz is a good color and I can't imagine a skintone that wouldn't look good with it. When I first bought this, the formula was watery and it was difficult to apply evenly. After a year, it thickened so it doesn't streak as much. It still takes a good 5 coats for the color to be opaque. The color faded a bit and the formula separates too easily, I have to shake it every few minutes whenever I'm painting with this color.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

JanisM2011 on 7/10/2012 4:14:00 PM more reviews by JanisM2011

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Really pretty blue, takes a while to dry though

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veganbonnie on 7/2/2012 7:12:00 PM more reviews by veganbonnie

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I haven't been this excited about a nail polish in quite some time. It's a light periwinkle blue that just sparkles in the sun. It's light and ladylike, kind of reminds me of the water in a pool. I really love it. Here's some hints: make sure you don't move your hands for half an hour after you put it on, as it chips easily before it dries. I also use a top coat to encourage the shine.

I not only would buy this colour again, I already have!!!

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YolandaChiang on 6/23/2012 2:44:00 PM more reviews by YolandaChiang

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Jelly-creme based polish. I love the wear of essie polishes but the formula is tricky to work with. This polish is sheer like most of essie's polish. The key to use to a VERY thick first coat. Let it dry out and then put on a thin/ medium coat.
The colour is to die for and I used 2 coats for full opacity.

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*TOP REVIEWER* sexylovie84 on 6/13/2012 9:06:00 PM more reviews by sexylovie84

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This is a good quality shade from essie. It took 3 coats for opacity, but they dry fast. I just don't know often I will wear it. I'm more of a reds and pale pink person. I do love the color though :)

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orangetwigletss on 6/1/2012 3:02:00 PM more reviews by orangetwigletss

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

i think essie is extremely overrated. the colors all look the same to me, and some of them you have to have the right skin tone or it just won't look good. i also think application is terrible- it's always super streaky and so light that it requires 3-4 coats. however, this color is GORGEOUS. i truly believe that anyone can pull off this color. the application wasn't as bad as i expected; it was a little streaky at first but it settled as it dried. i only needed two coats, which lasted me four days. i was pleasantly surprised that it lasted so long without getting chipped. overall, this formula is pretty good even though i'm not a huge fan of essie. i just wish the brush was a little bigger!

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*TOP REVIEWER* shyred05 on 5/25/2012 2:12:00 PM more reviews by shyred05

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

Yuck! Probably the worst Essie NP I own (next to Ballet Slippers). Streaky, takes several coats for the bottle colour to appear. Save your money and skip this shade. Will not repurchase!

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baronchow on 5/18/2012 3:35:00 PM more reviews by baronchow

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Beautiful cool blue shade. Streaky application -- like many essie polishes, I find the application (re streaky) hit and miss,

Needed 3 coats for the opaque look I wanted.

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amycarter on 5/14/2012 9:00:00 PM more reviews by amycarter

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Although I do love Essie polishes, the quality of this one kind of bombed. I found it thin and streaky and needed 2 coats to get it opaque. It also took a white to dry and I found it worked better without a base coat and just a top coat. The colour however is absolutely gorgeous and I bought this for the summer. Because I generally love the brand and the colour, I would buy again. The quality is not as good as OPI in my opinion, so is it work the price tag? I would say yes, but only when it is on sale!!!! I would NOT buy it regular price.

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*TOP REVIEWER* TimeAndBlame on 5/9/2012 8:48:00 PM more reviews by TimeAndBlame

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I was quite disappointed with this polish.. As a blue lover, as soon as I spotted this I had to have it! In the bottle it's a lovely light periwinkle sort of blue. The application overall went poorly; at four, yep FOUR coats I still had issues with streaking/balding patches despite my best efforts. I used a base and top coat, but after two days unfortunately had noticeable signs of wear at the tip. The color is similar to China Glazes Secret Peri-winkle which is a far better option in all aspects. SP, is everything this pretty color should be as a polish: opaque, thick and longer lasting! Would not repurchase or recommend Lapiz Of Luxury :(

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*TOP REVIEWER* FiestyFemme on 5/1/2012 9:53:00 PM more reviews by FiestyFemme

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I don't know what prompted me to buy this color. It's just not a 'me' shade. After wearing this a couple of times (once when it first came out, and then again this week), I still feel indifference towards it. It's a lovely color, a sort of chameleon in the sense that I can see blue, purple, and even a hint of grey in some lights. It's not the most flattering color with my skintone though; it doesn't pop, and I kind of feel like it gives me lobster hands. My real problem is not with the color, but with the formula which is why I rated this particular color a three. I usually love Essie's formula, but I found this shade to be a pain. After 3 coats, I still had some minor streaking, and in sunlight you could see where I had some dragging as I applied my additional coats. I hate that! It could just be this particular formula, as I found it to be more of a jelly than creme. It seems like I'm in the minority as far as not loving this color, but it's just not for me!

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fabulousSHEL on 3/4/2012 10:54:00 PM more reviews by fabulousSHEL

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

PERFECT FOR SPRING!! Love this color. It's a cross between a light blue and periwinkle. I gave it four lippies because I find this formula to this a bit thin to work with. I'm not sure if all Essie nail polishes are like this, but this was my first time buying an Essie product. I will probably buy this brand polish again, but in a different color just because I like having a variety. I understand Essie polishes are a touch pricey, as I've seen them run typically between $8.50-$10.00. However, I found this at a local beauty store FOR MUCH cheaper. I paid $5.00 which is a steal for this brand.

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scarymonster742 on 3/4/2012 10:20:00 PM more reviews by scarymonster742

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

My favorite polish of all time! Gorgeous blue with a slight periwinkle leaning. Essie polishes wear like iron on me, 5-7 days with no chipping at all. Formula self levels and 2 coats are all that is needed to have a perfect, creamy, smooth, glossy mani!

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*TOP REVIEWER* ashleyanders on 1/30/2012 12:29:00 AM more reviews by ashleyanders

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

* This nail polish is actually called "Lapiz of Luxury," not "Lapis."


What it Claims:
"A dreamy ocean blue. DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde free. For best results first apply a base coat to clean, bare nails. Then apply 2-3 coats of colored polish (depending on its consistency and thickness). For long lasting wear finish with a top coat."


Packaging:
Very aesthetically pleasing. Simple design consisting of a clear glass container, an embossed logo on the sides, and a sticker with the name of the polish on the top of the brush cap. There is no real information about the polish or brand, which can be seen as a downside to buyers; there is no sticker disclosing ingredients. The cap is easy to twist on and off, although the shape and size of the bottle makes cap removal a bit awkward for me. The brush is longer, thin and rounded, and does not spread/separate that much on the nail - this can be a bit annoying on wider nails.


Formula:
Lapiz is a light-medium cream polish, and its name is a good description of the colour. Looking up lapis lazuli on Wikipedia, the colour strip used to identify the colour looks identical to that of this polish, a somewhat greyish, purplish light-medium blue. I feel like the polish has a great masculinity to it which offsets the clear femininity of nail polish. The formula of the polish is a standard Essie formula, on the thinner side but not very runny. I found that application was a bit uneven with the initial coat, with the 2nd smoothing out most of the uneven coverage. I needed three coats though to get a truly opaque coverage on my nails with my first trial of this polish. Once I've tested it out more, I will update as to whether I am able to get opaque coverage in just 2 coats. It took a while to dry and harden. Overall it applied really well and the finished result is a completely smooth, glossy nail colour without any signs of streaking or nail ridges. While it was a bit uneven with application, I had no trouble controlling where the application went on the nail, but did have to go slower and sometimes add a bit extra to some spots to get the coverage I wanted. I will update once I've used more often to determine whether this is a formula issue or whether I just need to get used to the polish.


Wear time:
I am still testing this out, but after about 2-3 days of wear there doesn't seem to be any wear, but as the polish did take a while to completely harden there are a few nails where the colour was pushed back a bit at the tip due to scratching at my skin. Otherwise, it looks quite nice. No chips and no real wear around the edges.


Bang for your Buck:
I got this 13.5ml or 0.46 oz polish for about $10.00CAD at London Drugs ($11.00CAD at Shoppers Drug Mart). Definitely pricey, especially for such a small amount of polish, but it's not a shade that I've really seen in other brands that are easily accessible in drug stores or in stores near my residence, so I don't mind the price too much.


Final Consensus:
I'm quite impressed with Lapis/Lapiz. I was very hesitant about the polish because I was unsure how I'd like the colour, but with only a few days of wear it's already becoming a colour that I absolutely adore and may very well become a favourite of mine. I love how simple, classy, and somewhat masculine the polish looks on the nails, and it's a nice alternative to the other shades I own. If I can find a cheaper and equal-quality dupe, I'll not repurchase, but the polish itself is definitely worth a buy and I would buy again.
- Pros: nice packaging, beautiful colour and finish, no visible streaking, appears to have good wear time,
- Cons: Pricey for a drug-store brand, brush can be a bit small, takes 3 coats for opacity, somewhat longer dry-time, doesn't go on completely even at first.


Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Price: 2/5
Packaging Quality: 4/5
Would you buy this product again: Yes.

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*TOP REVIEWER* RachaelSpiffy on 10/4/2011 11:28:00 PM more reviews by RachaelSpiffy

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

Two coats and this deep periwinkle color is opaque. The formula is great. Once I saw this color I had to have it. Too pretty!

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*TOP REVIEWER* niclyf on 9/12/2011 3:53:00 AM more reviews by niclyf

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Almost swapped this one since i tend to be fairly particular on what shades I'll brave on tips, and this was for me, definitely not something i would feel comfortable wearing on my nails. Then ... a lightbulb went off and I tried this on toes and was S-O-L-D. This is a fantastic summer pedi shade when you want something brighter/unconventional that isn't gaudy or SO far out there. It's a light to medium soft blue creme with almost a slight periwinkle undertone. Application is smooth, pigmentation is fabulous, and it looks fantastic topped with a few rhinestones for bling or a pretty silver glitter topcoat. SO happy I decided to hang onto this. Definitely surprisingly unique in my massive stash. Another winner from Essie!

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superpony123 on 8/5/2011 8:05:00 PM more reviews by superpony123

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

I. love. this. color! It's gorgeous. I was expecting the typical essie streakiness, but surprisingly it wasn't streaky at all for me! It went on nice and even, opaque in 2 coats. Woo! Beautiful color and great formula? I'd definitely buy it again.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No