Friday, February 17, 2012

Models Own Beetlejuice Collection Fall 2011 Swatches and Review

The Models Own Beetlejuice collection was, in my opinion, one of the most exciting collections of last year. When that first promo picture made its way onto the internet, I freaked out. OMGDUOCHROMES. I mean, look at it, it looks amazing:

I ordered the entire collection the minute it was available on the Models Own website. I eagerly awaited their arrival, opening my mailbox each day, hoping there'd be a box of Beetlejuice in there waiting for me. When they finally arrived, I was a little surprised at how different they looked from that promo picture, but despite my initial disappointment, I still ended up liking them. This is what they look like in real life:


Aqua Violet - Golden Green - Emerald Black - Pinky Brown - Purple Blue

Not too far off, but definitely lacking that bright, vibrant color seen in the promotional image. Pinky Brown was the one that surprised me the most, as it really doesn't look anything like I thought it would. Here's how they look on the nail:


Models Own Aqua Violet. This one is just as the name implies: aqua and violet. It starts with an aqua blue shimmer base, but as the angles and lighting change, the polish flashes two bold shades purple, a bright pure blue and a deeper green-blue and at an extreme angle, gold.



Models Own Emerald Black. The color shift in this one is a little hard to see because, one, it's a really dark color, and two, it doesn't actually shift very much. The only real color shift in this one is between a cool, blue-toned green and a warmer yellow-toned green, but both upon an inky black base.


Models Own Golden Green. I used flash on a couple of these because it brings out the metallic gold color in this polish, whereas the dim indoor light doesn't show the gold, but it does bring out the gorgeous blue and teal duochrome side of the polish. This one really is a beauty. The shimmer in it is so complex when you look at it closely. And it's not a duplicate of Chanel Peridot, but it's definitely in the same family.



Models Own Pinky Brown. I've posted this one before, but here it is again. It's a glass fleck finish, not a fine shimmer like the others. It has a sheer brown-ish tinted base and lots of glittering multichrome glass fleck particles. The main color I see is a deep pinkish-purple, which then shifts to copper and gold with a touch of golden green at extreme angles. I was hoping this one would be brighter and more pink!


Models Own Purple Blue. This one is also a glass fleck finish. It's a little bit Orly Space Cadet-ish, but not exactly the same. It's a murky, brownish-purple tinted base with glass fleck particles that shift between red and blue toned purple, blue, burgundy and gold. Was also hoping this one would be a little brighter and less murky/dirty looking. Still nice, but not what I expected!

The formula on these is workable, but not the best. Some of the polishes have that thick/runny texture, where it feels thick and gooey going on, but still runs and pools off the brush and on the nail. Applying thin coats of these is a must. The brushes aren't the most precise, which didn't help things in the application department. Once I got used to the runny texture, application was fine, but the dry time is long. Even with Seche Vite, I found myself denting these an hour after application. My trick for these is to apply very thin coats, wait for each coat to set (2-3 minutes) before applying the next one, and then a thin coat of quick dry topcoat 2-3 minutes after the final coat. I did three coats of each of these and all needed the third coat.

While I am disappointed that the colors weren't the same bright, lively gems seen in the promo pictures, I am still very happy that a company did an entire set of duochromes. It's no secret that I'm obsessed with multichrome/duochrome polishes and I really wish some American polish companies would start making them again. There have been a few here or there, and there are a bunch of good ones from imported brands, but it's been a long time since we've seen a whole full-on collection of dramatic duochromes like the Sally Hansen Nail Prisms.

I ordered mine directly from Models Own's website. You can get these individually for £5 (around $8 USD), or in a set of all five plus a bottle of topcoat for £20 (around $31 USD).

33 comments:

  1. That's so funny, I was just thinking about this collection. I was swatching another polish that reminded me of Pinky Brown...Hard Candy "Beetle"

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    1. Yes! I have HC Beetle and Orly Space Cadet. I hate to admit it, but I think I like Beetle better! I passed on Pinky Brown for the same reason. Just ordered a few other Beetlejuice colors. Hope I like them. . . .

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  2. Nops! Didn't work for me! Especially not after getting my Ludurana multichromes which are far more impressive.

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    1. I agree, the Ludurana ones are MUCH more impressive. Maybe even better looking than the Sally Hansen Nail Prisms. But such tiny bottles :(

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  3. Me encantan los holográficos. De esta colección el que más me gusta es el segundo, el verde oscuro.

    Besos

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  4. These polishes are pretty but I'm still lusting after the magical ones from the promo pictures.

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  5. I love the purple blue it reminds me of an eye shadow I used to wear all of the time.

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    1. That sounds like an amazing looking eyeshadow :O

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  6. The last two kind of remind me of MAC Bad Fairy and MAC Formidable. Overall, they're not bad, but I was seriously disappointed that they weren't as bright as in the promo pictures.

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    1. I am too. I'm still holding out hope that duochromes like that will exist someday!

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  7. Purple Blue looks like it could be close to MAC Formidable! (from Venomous Villains). They're quite pretty, but man, it stinks that the dry time is so long! That's one thing I can't stand. I'm too clumsy for polish that doesn't dry quickly with a QD top coat. :(

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    1. Huh. I have MAC Formidable and I COMPLETELY forgot about it. XD I can't even remember what it looks like!

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    2. I remember being really surprised by it when I got it--it's kind of stuck in my head. It's one of those colors I never expected to like because it's very bruise-y, but that's why I loved it. Kind of like the old-school UD makeup colors (when they first came out & were anti-pink). :)

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    3. I remember being really surprised by it when I got it--it's kind of stuck in my head. It's one of those colors I never expected to like because it's very bruise-y, but that's why I loved it. Kind of like the old-school UD makeup colors (when they first came out & were anti-pink). :)

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  8. Purple Blue looks like it could be close to MAC Formidable! (from Venomous Villains). They're quite pretty, but man, it stinks that the dry time is so long! That's one thing I can't stand. I'm too clumsy for polish that doesn't dry quickly with a QD top coat. :(

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  9. Those promo pics looked so awesome, this kinda feels like a let down... I love your swatches though! How do you think the aqua violet compares to Sally Hansen Turquoise Opal? I still have a bottle that I'm holding onto dear life, since I have no back-ups, lol.

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    1. I agree. I still like them, but I think I would have liked them more if the promo pictures didn't look so amazing :(

      Sadly, Aqua Violet doesn't compare to the beauty of Turquoise Opal :(

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  10. I tried to buy these when they first came out. They were sold out. Now I think I'm glad I didn't get them. It's a real disappointment that they don't look like the pictures. I have some other polishes that look something like these.

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  11. The polishes are still very pretty, but that's really too bad that they aren't the freaking AMAZING magic that shows in the promo shots!

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  13. Golden Green is the standout for me - it's the one I really would like to get. I'm also really liking Aqua Violet but the other three I'm not that impressed, probably because I've got other polishes that are similar.

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  14. I ended up getting three of these and then swapping them out. I didn't even bother posting them on the blog, I was so disappointed on the looks of the polishes, especially in a dim wintery light. Maybe I should have waited till spring/summer before swapping them out but I don't really regret the decision at all.

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  15. I was almost going to buy these, but I'm glad I didn't as I found a cheaper brand called Stargazer which had many dupes/same shades of these colours.

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  16. I also ordered them as soon as they hit the site. They were actually available a few minutes early :) I tried 4 of them so far and they all are a pain in the application process. The formula is terrible. I have a problem with bubbles especially. I don't shake them, never did. I figure it was because of travel overseas but they still bubble up on me. It's really annoying and I have to make myself wear them, I won't reach for them. Oh and the dry time... :( But they are pretty unique in my collection anyway.

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  17. Yeah, I snapped these up right away too. The promos promised such amazing duochromes, but I found myself fairly disappointed. After Glitter Gal, Ozotics, etc. most of the Bettlejuice collection was just "meh". Once you see how fabulous a duochrome can be you just don't want to settle for "meh". The formula isn't great, either. And don't even get me started on the names! For a Bettlejuice collection?

    TieDye64

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  18. I wanted these, but after seeing them swatched, opted out, I really want the Mari Moon Hits collection, that looks really promising. Purple Blue reminds me more of Orly Galaxy Girl than Space Cadet though.

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  19. I liked the promo pics of these colors, but after seeing them opted out. I am planning on getting the Mari Moon Hits collection, those look promising. Plus Purple Blue makes me think more of Orly Galaxy Girl than Space Cadet. Lovely swatches as always.

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  20. I think that you meant that purple blue looks like galaxy girl, not space cadet. On that note, does space cadet look like pinky brown, because that's sort of what it looks like.

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  21. The duochromes IRL rarely look as good as they do in the pictures, no?

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    1. I'd say that the duochromes look better IRL than in my swatches, but never as good as the promo pictures make them look.

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