Orly Purple Poodle

Purple Poodle is part of Orly's Surreal collection, new for fall 2013. It's vivid fuchsia jelly filled with bright electric blue shimmer and small and medium shardy purple flakies, an interesting and cool combination. This one I think is right up Orly's alley in terms of avant garde offerings from a mainstream polish maker. 

For me, Purple Poodle had a very viscous jelly formula that tended to get sticky and pull patches. At the same time, it seemed determined to run into my edges and pool at the cuticles. It was like, the minute I got that brush close to any skin, that was all she wrote. Now I know what the phrase "thick but runny" means! 

But from the online reviews I've read, I think I may be the only polish enthusiast anywhere who had any problems applying Purple Poodle. Figures.

I was enamoured enough with this polish that I tried several times to get a good-looking manicure with it and although I don't think I've quite achieved it this time I'm not giving up. Purple Poodle, you're on notice! I'll have you painted nicely on my nails yet! 

Being a jelly, this polish is quite sheer. For the manicure I ended up photographing, I did one thin and one thick coat, but I believe it would be best at three thin coats. Thin coats are not my forte, so I'll probably have to grow into my polish enthusiasm a bit more before I'll be able to wrangle Purple Poodle properly. This polish dries naturally in good time to a glossy shine and is lighter and brighter than the bottle color on the nail.

Photos show two coats of Purple Poodle over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite. I had bubbling on several fingers of my right hand, which I attribute to the thickness of the second coat of Purple Poodle. Love this name, btw. Purple Poodle. But as you've probably noticed I'm fond of alliteration, maybe a little too fond.

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

Orly Purple Poodle

The intensity of color here is wicked impressive. The color itself reminds me a little bit of Miss Conduct, but here it is ratcheted up by Purple Poodle's light collecting and refracting translucence. The electric blue shimmer is more lively in person than my photos show, and is a fantastic counterpoint to the glowing fuchsia jelly. The effect of the purple shards speckling the polish is a bit more subtle compared to the other elements but does add additional interest and dimensionality to the look.

If I were more of a girly girl I would love this polish, heart and soul. As it is, I still love it! The composition is spot on for Orly. I wish they would make more polishes like this.

love,
Aunt Liz