The slogan of my blog might as well be “…I don’t even *like* blue nail varnish!” If you’ve seen my huge nail varnish sort and destash video you will have witnessed my utter confusion at how I’ve managed to accumulate such a large amount of blue nail varnishes when I (claim that I) don’t even like blue nail varnish on me. So this cobalt nail varnish comparison post is a bit of a shock to me too!
Nails Inc ‘Baker Street’ is a cult polish. (Did you know there were cult polishes? Well, you do now…) It’s a bright cobalt blue and it’s pretty special… or is it? I appear to have found 6 other polishes in my stash that look as though they might be pretty good dupes. And because I love you guys (and because I was pretty intrigued myself) I have swatched them below so you can see how they compare.
From left to right we have: Topshop ‘AWOL’, Kiko ‘336′, Barry M Gelly ‘Blue Grape’, Collection ‘Sonic Blue’, Sephora X ‘Oceanic, essie ‘butler please’, and Nails Inc ‘Baker Street’.
As you can see they are all similar, but once swatched next to each other some clear differences are noticeable:
Topshop ‘AWOL’ (£5) – This is the lightest of the bunch so if you prefer a creamier blue then this is the shade for you. It only needed two coats for full opacity.
Kiko ‘336′ (£3.90) – The next two polishes are all so similar in person it’s hard to tell them apart. The only differences are the formulas and price points. The Kiko polish is a darker variant on the blue theme, leaning towards indigo. This was only one of two that needed three coats for full coverage.
Barry M Gelly ‘Blue Grape’ (£3.99)- Almost identical in colour to the Kiko shade, but this only needed two coats and was the easiest to apply out of all of the polishes – no dragging, no bald spots, just glides on! It’s also the shiniest without top coat.
Collection ‘Sonic Blue’ (£1.99) – Very similar colour to Kiko and Barry M, but this only needed two coats and has a lovely fat brush. If I’m being picky, this was my least favourite to apply as it was a big draggy on the second coat but nothing too serious.
Sephora X ‘Oceanic’ $10.50 (~£7) – Another dark and inky polish, this one has more of a true blue lean to it rather than purple. It had a really odd smell which I haven’t noticed with other Sephora X polishes so I’m hoping it’s not a dodgy bottle. The formula was fine, only two coats needed.
essie ‘butler please’ (£7)- This is probably the iconic blue that everyone references. It had the old essie brush which was super thin and hard to work with (thank goodness for the new brushes!) but the formula was still perfect in two coats.
Nails Inc ‘Baker Street’ (the website is showing the gel version of this polish which is £15)- Slightly creamier and lighter than I remembered it to be. This only needed two coats to reach full opacity and was a thin formula so dries quickly.
There’s quite a range of prices and finishes so you’re bound to find one that suits you. Which is your favourite?
Lex
