Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Muted and Hazy

Nails Inc. Porchester Square was high up on my London wishlist during my holiday last September, despite a surprisingly hefty price tag of £11 or just under $20. At that point, I wasn't aware David Jones in Australia stocks Nails Inc. for $19.95 per bottle — more or less the same price as the UK. At least the department store I purchased it from was having a 3 for 2 sale, so I split the cost with my friend who fell in love with the vibrant green Queen Victoria Street. After a century deliberating what second polish to buy along with Porchester Square, in the end I picked Queen Victoria Street as well. Despite taking home two Nails Inc. polishes, really all my excitement was reserved for Porchester Square, a greige polish favoured by blogger heavyweights like Essie Button and Vivanna Does Makeup.




Nails Inc. Porchester Square

I've already featured Porchester Square in my October Monthly Favourites of 2013, but I thought to dedicate an entire post to it anyway. This is one nude polish that's modern, timeless and elegant. It's an understated, sophisticated crème that's easy to turn to when you can't decide exactly what polish to wear, or you simply want a break from glitters, brights or metallics. It's not too busy or loud or garish, but it's not completely dull and boring either. You'll never hate it when it's on your nails.

One of the most fascinating aspects of these greige colours is how they subtly transform depending on the light. At times, it's more of a beige or putty shade like Barry M Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Lychee, other times more mushroom/taupe or concrete grey with a dash of brown, and I love it best when there's hints of lilac and blue coming through. It's a light-to-medium shade which I prefer — any darker and it would lose much of its distinctiveness and be too similar to Essie Chinchilly or Sally Hansen Commander in Chic.

The formula of Porchester Square is close to perfection. It's absolutely buttery and smooth, with complete opacity in one coat (though I painted two for good measure). I can't comment too authoritatively on longevity or chip resistance since I rarely wear my polish longer than a few days, but I remember my friend and I painted a few Nails Inc. colours from testers on our nails in the first week of our holiday. A whole week to two weeks later, the polishes showed minor signs of wear but overall were still going strong. We were impressed to say the least.

45 comments:

  1. That's a gorgeous colour, reminds me of coffee milkshake (clearly that's what they should have called it). Really like how it changes colour slightly in different lights as well.

    Rosie x | www.eatreadglam.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your nails always look perfect!
    Porchester Square is one of my favourite nails polishes, the gel version makes it even more special x

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's so YOU! I love how understated and elegant it is, even if it is the colour of putty. I too love the way it looks lilac in some lighting! Did you see or try the gel formula? I'll have a look at the bigger DJs but I don't think I've seen Nails Inc locally.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did see the gel formula, the sales girl was trying to plug it hard but we couldn't bring ourselves to pay the 3 extra pounds :p Haha ... I don't know, gel polishes seemed gimmicky to me at the time, but I've read pretty good reviews of the gel version so maybe it is something :)

      Delete
  4. i love muted shades like these!! i've heard so many others rave about this shade and i think it looks really pretty on you :)

    rachel x
    blush&brunch

    ReplyDelete
  5. oh my god this is gorgeous!! I've been wearing different shades of grey a lot on the nails lately, it is my latest obsession. lol
    Nails inc have good quality, and they're available online here through ASOS. I am not sure though if they have this particular shade. But I am heading to asos.com now in 5 seconds... :p

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is a SUPER Lovely shade.. I don't think grey-ish tones suit me though :((
    OPI Samoan Sands is my favourite nude nail polish.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is an absolutely lovely shade. I need to get my hands on it
    Casualllyawkward

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love this shade. I think it looks so sophisticated & pretty. Its my go to nude shade
    http://www.letstalkbeauty.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  9. I didn't know that David Jones stocked Nails Inc, I am going to have to track down that shade!

    Laura | Breton & Blush

    ReplyDelete
  10. That's such a pretty colour on you! I've been looking for a greige kind of colour and was going to go with Essie but now I may have to have a look at this one :)

    x
    Phoebe
    Eat. Live. Love. Repeat.

    ReplyDelete
  11. So gorgeous! I used to have this but it went all gloopy, this makes me want to repurchase it, uh-oh!

    Molly x
    Lyon Notes

    ReplyDelete
  12. I never tried NailsInc, but this looks like a really pretty colour!
    I have a soft spot for nudes. We can use them any time of the year, teachers can complain with us since it's not bold or a statement colour and looks quite classic and chic.And this is a colour I need to look forward in the future!
    Take care, have a nice day!*

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is such a raved about polish (even I have raved about it on my blog and am in fact wearing it as I type this). Gorgeous shade ! Glad you found it !

    Madeline | Its a Mads Mads World | Check out my MAC lipstick giveaway

    ReplyDelete
  14. Adore the nails. I was wondering could you do a post on online shopping? Living in Australia as well prices are rediculously high for cosmetics and for international shipping. It would be really helpful if you could make some suggestions. Fabulous post by the way! Xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not a huge expert on online shopping as I mainly try to avoid it where I can. Despite outrageous local markup, I'm loath to purchase online unless desperate because I hate waiting for stuff and the potential complications with delivery (not to mention occasional shipping charges). I just go with the beauty e-tailer giants like Beauty Bay, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, HQ Hair (though I've had a poor experience with them) - mainly because those sites offer free international delivery. ASOS is great sometimes too, also free delivery, but their beauty offerings aren't as diverse. Lots of places now have heaps of restrictions like no aerosols, no nail polish, no perfumes, so it does limit things. StrawberryNET is excellent too (though I've had a few minor mishaps with their stock) - especially for fragrances. They give loyalty bonuses with subsequent purchases which is an extra discount you can look forward to each time you shop with them. Their shipping is much faster than the aforementioned sites - I usually get my goods in 5 business days. Hope that helped!

      Delete
  15. Gorgeous color! Really love it!

    Ray | Obey Ray

    ReplyDelete
  16. How long do you find these stay on your nails without chipping?
    Essie polishes chip within 2-3 days for me.. I am disappointed with their line :(
    E | Beauty/Skincare | Cocoamourr

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm on my third day and not a single chip in sight, it looks brand new still :)

      I don't think I've had too many issues with Essie polishes - though Butter London glitter polishes chip like, on the same day I apply them :\

      Delete
  17. I love this color! I've been eyeing it for a while. If you get the chance to shop in America it only costs $11. You could try the Sephora website?

    Emily | PENNY RUGBURN 

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the suggestion but sadly Sephora don't ship to Australia. I wish they did! :p I did visit NYC in September 2012, I now regret not buying a few Nails Inc. polishes back then!

      Delete
  18. Gorgeous shade! Reminds me a little bit of L'Oreals Eiffel for You, but I'm not sure how they compare in real life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just Googled that one, how pretty! From swatches it looks like it might be darker though, mainly since there's this one picture which shows it to be very similar to Essie Chinchilly.

      Delete
  19. that shade is absolutely gorgeous! so different and unique.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your nail polish application is perfect! I love this shade, I was actually planning on putting it on tonight :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. UGH I have so many wants and feels for this nail polish… one day I will make it mine. I'm especially keen on getting this shade in the gel formula. Thanks for reminding me of my burning inner needs for this polish ;)

    ♥Cassie
    thriftthick.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. This is such a beautiful colour, it looks so pretty on your nails (: definitely adding it to my wishlist!

    www.madeleineslittleblog.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  23. I've never tried this brand before, but I am loving this colour! I do go through phases of wearing much more muted polishes, this would be my dream colour :)

    Caitlin | Oceanic Stars

    ReplyDelete
  24. This is such a beautiful colour, I've always wanted to try this!

    Kate xo / www.beautybabbles.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. oh jeez, i need this shade now don't i... it's perfect!

    from helen at thelovecatsinc.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. You had to tell me this just before I leave for work - I work right next to DJ's :x I had no idea they stocked Nails Inc, going to check it out today...beautiful colour! :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Pretty price for a neutral shade but if it's a must have then I don't mind the price. I do like the color well enough, and would be a go to if I don't want to do something crazy for my nails but still wanted a well manicured polished look.

    ReplyDelete
  28. This is such a nice shade! I didn't have much luck with Baker Street in terms of staying power so I haven't purchased Nails Inc products since, but I think I might try the gel formula of these to see how it goes.
    xx
    Celina | The Celution | Bloglovin’

    ReplyDelete
  29. Heard so many people rave about this!! Such a pretty colour. I really want to try more Nails Inc!

    ReplyDelete
  30. its a beautiful shade and looks lovely on u .. Unfortunately these kind of colours dont look good on my skintone ..

    ReplyDelete
  31. Absolutely love the color! The perfect mix of grey and beige!

    http://pettyair.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  32. There is something so chic and pretty about these kinds of nail shades, especially coming into Spring. I adore the Nails Inc formula, I have a few of them all of which have been free with magazines! They really last so well. I must actually invest in some of their famous shades, I always admire them when I see them on other people.

    Emma x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. These kinds of colours are definitely some of my absolute fav - though I kind of wish it was a touch more purple. Just a bit :p Wow, I wish magazines here gave away free Nails Inc. polishes!

      Delete
  33. I didn't know DJs stocked Nails Inc!! I'm making a dash for this, I've been trying to hunt this one down ever since Essiebutton mentioned it! :)

    ReplyDelete
  34. Aaaah, this is my go-to nail polish!
    I love Porchester Square, it's such a pretty shade!

    Becca
    Becca's Fashion and Life

    ReplyDelete
  35. I love Porchester Square, it's so perfect in every way :) x

    Evelyn @ We Were Raised By Wolves

    ReplyDelete
  36. If you get the Gel Effect, make sure it's the new formulation in the (sexy) new chunky bottle. They're £15 for a generous 15ml, so much more cost effective! xXx

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...