Tuesday, December 13, 2011

NARS Jungle Red nail polish review


         'Tis the season to wear red and NARS Jungle Red nail polish is perfect for occasion. (Actually, it's perfect for any occasion, really). I've found myself particularly attracted to NARS Jungle Red because it's holiday season. However, it's also a really great workhorse type of red that can be worn year round. I hope you enjoy my photos and review!



          Jungle red comes in the typical NARS squared polish shape. For those who are not familiar with NARS nail polishes, the whole square rubberized cap is attached to the applicator, unlike Chanel and Dior where the cap is just for show and comes off to reveal a nubbin sized applicator underneath. Application can be tricky with such a large handle, but I find it to be a big problem. In fact, I might prefer it to the tiny applicator handles.


          NARS Jungle Red has a creme finish. I like to wear it with topcoat to keep it shiny. I find that it is more prone to scuffing and less shiny than the more recently released colors NARS Matto Grosso and NARS Vestale. I suspect there may have been a recent improvement in the NARS formula. In terms of opacity, one coat is almost opaque however I like to use two for good measure. The formula is pretty standard for a red creme and I have no complaints.

           Here are some comparison swatches with NARS Jungle Red nail polish. Red is a color that begs for comparison swatches, since the nuances and undertones may not be as apparent in a stand-alone photograph.

Swatches photographed in bright sunlight
          I would describe NARS Jungle Red nail polish as a very standard red. It's not too dark, light, or candy colored. It had fairly neutral undertones which do not lean orange or blue. The other red polishes I've swatched help illustrate this. I've photographed my nails in sunlight (above) and indoors (below). I think the indoors swatches are better suited for discerning undertone. In shadowed situations, Jungle Red can appear to be a bit darker.  Essie Really Red is considerably brighter and more primary colored. It's similar to stop sign red. Revlon Vixen is darker and more burgundy. Essie Bordeaux seems similar in sunlight, however indoors you can appreciate that it has more berry and wine tones. When compared to these three nail polishes, NARS Jungle Red appears to be a very standard red. Because of this, it can easily be worn across seasons and situations.

Swatches photographed indoors with flash
         I asked Mr. Lovey which swatch he liked best of the four (it was a blinded experiment), and he picked out NARS Jungle Red nail polish. If anything, that's an encouraging result! I haven't built up a large collection of red nail polish because I don't wear it that often. I'm glad to have NARS Jungle Red in my collection, since it can work in a variety of situations, unlike more niche reds. It's worth noting that NARS has a small series of Jungle Red makeup. It's not as large as the NARS O collection, but in addition to Jungle Red nail polish, there is also a Jungle Red lip liner and lipstick.

          Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed today's post. What are your favorite holiday reds or year round reds?

Love, Dovey. 

13 comments:

  1. I can see why the Mr. liked it. It's the sexiest of all the swatches. Great color. Perfect for Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very seductive! Thanks for the post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great post! I was going to do a "my favorite year-round red lippie" post but this saves me the trouble... I love Wet n Wild 909D Coral-ine. It looks a lot like Essie Really Red but in matte lipstick form :) I was thinking Jungle red was a yellow-red from the sunlight photos but the comparisons you did show that it is more of a true-red creme. I agree it seems the best fit for the holidays!

    ReplyDelete
  4. A very lovely red, indeed!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Although NARS Jungle Red was initially my favorite, once I got to the last photo...Essie's Really Red stole the show for me. All the colors are beautiful in their own way. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. very pretty. i havent dabbled in nars polishes...yet! this color reminds me of revlon's polish in "revlon red".

    ReplyDelete
  7. GB - thank you :) Your comment made me smile

    Jamilla - Hehe, thanks for your comment!

    Sarah- I'd still love to see a red lippie post on Coral-ine. I wonder if the name is purposefully like the movie?

    Lexi - thanks!

    Danielle - Hm, maybe I should give that one a spin. Really Red is very festive in its own way!

    Kelly - revlon red sounds like it should be a very classic red. I'll have to research that one as well!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love it! I need a nice basic red cream in my collection again - the only one I have is a Sally Hansen and it chips like crazy!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like the Revlon vixen the best

    samram1214.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am ALWAYS in the market for a nice robust red polish and this one is absolutely magnificent. There's something very bold and classic about this one that I love. For some reason the name makes me think of Josephine Baker and some of her acts in the 20s which is always a good sign. She was the epitome of 20s glamuor.

    ♥ Jessica

    ReplyDelete
  11. It's difficult to believe that a little over a year ago, I didn't own a single red polish. Then for a while I thought if you had one, you were set for life. I WAS WRONG! I love all your reds. :D

    ReplyDelete
  12. Very pretty! What a classic and sophisticated shade :) Thanks for the great photos and comparisons :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I've also jumped onto the red trend - lips and nails, enjoying the shades found in NARS, Guerlin, BITE Beauty, Revlon and looking fwd to checking out shades in YSL and Chanel for the upcoming holidays!!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment! I truly enjoy hearing your thoughts!

Comments are moderated to prevent spam. Please note that links, promotions, and offensive / irrelevant / questionable comments will be deleted at my discretion.