Contrary Polish Purple Smoke + Comparison

Happy Friday!! I am especially stoked today. I just finished my last final (Spanish), and I feel great about it. Today I've got for you a Contrary Polish that isn't necessarily as exciting as the others I've posted so far, but is still quite awesome.

Contrary Polish Purple Smoke is one of the original six colors. When I first saw it, I thought, eh, it's close enough to Paradoxal, Perplex, etc. and if you're not a fan of those greyish/taupe-y/purple colors, it probably is! However, I love them, and am quite pleased with Purple Smoke. It's opaque in 3 thin coats. In the shade:

Like the other Contraries, Purple Smoke is a subtle shimmer, but not at all hidden. Purple Smoke dries pretty matte, so you'll definitely need top coat. In the sun:

The shimmer in Purple Smoke isn't nearly as contrasting as some of the other colors, but I think it's lovely nonetheless. I've also compared it to Revlon Perplex and Barry M Dusky Mauve (an exact dupe for Chanel Paradoxal). I know, Perplex and Dusky Mauve are pretty close, but I chose to compare it with both because to me, Perplex is definitely more purple, and Dusky Mauve is more brown.

So, first up, Purple Smoke vs. Perplex. 2 coats of Perplex on the index and ring fingernails, with top coat.

As you can see, Perplex is darker, warmer, and more purple.

And Purple Smoke vs. Dusky Mauve. 2 coats of Dusky Mauve on the index and ring fingernails, plus top coat.

Like Perplex, Dusky Mauve is warmer and more purple than Purple Smoke, but Dusky Mauve is also a lot more taupe or brown-leaning. Purple Smoke looks blueish in comparison.

All three of these polishes have great formulas, so I'd recommend any of them. Out of these, Perplex will definitely be the easiest to obtain. It has been renamed Naughty, and is now core. Full-sized Contrary Polishes are available on Llarowe, Femme Fatale, and Shoppe Eclectico, but on Fridays, you can also buy minis straight from the Contrary Polish blog. For those of you in the US, Dusky Mauve will be the most troublesome to obtain- I bought mine on Ebay. Harlow and Co. sold Barry M at one point, but I don't see them on the site anymore. You can order directly from Barry M, but I know of someone who had quite a bit of trouble with them, and wouldn't recommend it.

Have you tried any of these? What did you think? Are you as much of a sucker for greyish purples as I seem to be?

Thanks for looking and commenting, and have a great weekend!

Barry M Dusky Mauve + Revlon Perplex

Today I've got for you two alternatives to the lovely, but rather expensive Chanel Paradoxal.

According to Lacquerized, Barry M Dusky Mauve is pretty much an exact dupe for Paradoxal. The formula and application are both great, and Dusky Mauve is fully opaque in 2 coats.

And here is Revlon Perplex. Same thing, 2 coats for opacity, great application.

As similar as they do look, they're not completely the same. They are very close though, and unless you want a backup or just really like these sorts of colors, you probably don't need both.

As you can see, Perplex's shimmer is more prominent, and it also has more purple in its base. Dusky Mauve is more brownish. I know I'm a little late to the Paradoxal bandwagon/party but this type of color is one of my favorites when I need something that's less bright or in-your-face.

 Barry M is a UK drugstore brand, and I bought my bottle of Dusky Mauve on Ebay. If you'd rather not take your chances with Ebay, the etailer Harlow & Co. carries some Barry M, although I'm not entirely sure whether they've got Dusky Mauve. Revlon Perplex has been renamed Naughty, and is part of the new core line that includes Chic and Whimsical, so that one should be easily found at drugstores and such.

Thanks for looking and commenting!