Darling Diva Polish, Take 2
Hello again all! Tonight I have the second part of my Darling Diva polish review- and it’s my very favorite! I have Dangerous Driver and Ringer to show off!
These two are both GORGEOUS. For those unfamiliar with Ringer- it’s a dupe of Max Factor Fantasy Fire, which is dupe (ish) of Clarins 230, better known as ‘Unicorn Pee’. Dangerous Driver is a holographic version of Ringer- which just makes it more fabulous in my opinion!
Enough talking- on to the pictures!
This is 3 coats of Dangerous Driver, outside on a sunny day.
The color shift of Ringer isn’t quite as visible in Dangerous Driver because of the spectacular holographic effect. But this polish is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. I think these photos look pretty good, but they still do no justice to this polish.
A comparison shot- I took both inside my bedroom; one was in front of the opened window, and the other was under a lamp.
Next up: Darling Diva Polish Ringer!
Ringer is a beautiful polish. It is almost a dead-on duplicate to Max Factor’s Fantasy Fire, but just a tad more sheer and lighter if you’re not layering it. This photo was taken with 4 coats, and you can still see a bit of VNL. But none of these colors are really at their best without a polish underneath!
Sadly, I had already traded away my Fantasy Fire before I took these photos. I did a swatch comparison, so I can say that they are almost identical (but now can’t find that swatch wheel!). However, the reason I traded off Fantasy Fire… was because I finally got my hands on a bottle of Clarins 230 itself!
Ready for some comparison photos?? Here we go!
The first comparison shot is both colors with no underwear. This is the biggest area that Clarins will differ from it’s competitors. Clarins 230 is a completely different base color, and it honestly just seems a bit more ‘deep’ than the others. But that is really something that almost no one will notice. Swatched over black, however…
Over black there’s almost no serious visible difference between Clarins 230, Ringer, or Fantasy Fire. Clarins is a bit more ‘vibrant’, but its a subtle difference. Over black, Dangerous Driver’s beautiful color shift is clearly on display along with the beautiful holo effect.
*Sigh* So many sparkles in one photo! These 2 above photos were taken indoors next to an open window to still get the sparkle, but allow the color shift to shine through more (the full sun makes Dangerous Driver sparkle like crazy- as you can see below!)
And to round off the comparisons, I took photos of Dangerous Driver and Ringer outside in the full sunlight.
You can find Darling Diva Polish on Facebook, and you can buy her beautiful colors at her Etsy shop. All of her colors are $8.00 with the exception of holo colors, like Dangerous Driver, which are $12.00. And she ships internationally for a reasonable rate!
Be sure to check her out! I really feel like Dangerous Driver is a must have- and Ringer is for sure if you haven’t found Fantasy Fire (though you’ll want it if you’re like me and just love having similar colors!).
*Some of the products shown in this post were provided to me without cost for an honest review*
Flakie Friday: Cult Nails Seduction over Max Factor Fantasy Fire
It’s been a busy week! Even though some posts were late, I think this is the first time I’ve done something every day. I don’t plan for that to be the norm 😉
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway! It will be closed down at midnight tomorrow night- Saturday July 7.
I have a BEAUTIFUL combo for you today! I can’t remember where (I’m so sorry!), but I’ve seen a few people combine Cult Nails Seduction with Fantasy Fire from Max Factor- WHAT a gorgeous pairing!
For those that aren’t familiar with either polish, Cult Nails Seduction is a limited edition flakie that can be found on Cult Nails site for $10. If you want it, I highly encourage you to get it while you can! I can’t being to talk about how much I regret not getting Toxic Seaweed before it was discontinued… and of course I would give my right arm for Clarivoyant.
Max Factor Fantasy Fire is sadly only available in the U.K., and only in mini size. So if you’re anywhere else, you’ll have to find a swap buddy or head to Ebay. I used a U.S. seller on Ebay with a high rating, and for a reasonable price (well, sort of reasonable). Fantasy Fire is highly sought after due to its similarity to the illusive and no-longer-available Clarins 230. It’s a STUNNING multichrome in a bright purple base.
*Drool*
This was actually my first time using Fantasy Fire for a full mani, and I made the mistake of NOT layering it over something. Ladies, don’t repeat my mistake! While gorgeous, Fantasy Fire is fairly sheer. In the picture below I have on 3 coats- and you can still see my nail staining (it makes the multichrome effect show up differently).
Notice the little ovals of a different color at the tips? That’d be my staining- it’s almost grown out.
I hated to cover up such a pretty color, but I did. While Seduction covers up a lot of the beauty of Fantasy Fire, layering them together gives a gorgeous shimmering depth to the polish.
Cult Nails really does flakies well. Clarivoyant is absolutely STUNNING, and so is Seduction. The flakes are thick, dense, and very colorful. Seduction has a strong orange to blue-purple color shift in a sheer purple base.
Just look at that beautiful bottle shot!
Overall I liked this combo, but next time I may try more of a flakie-sandwich with Fantasy Fire, because I think FF got a bit too lost in the flakes.
For what it’s worth, even with Seduction on top, I CAN STILL SEE my staining. It just shows up as black shadows on the tops of my nails. I just can’t win!
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Polish Monster 