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My boyfriend and I are pretty active people – traveling a lot and constantly doing things (more like he’s very active and keeps me continually leaving the apartment, which I appreciate). With that and all of our previous planning, we ended up being busy/traveling 3 weekends in a row – with a Taylor Swift concert, a bachelorette party and then a visit to Washington D.C. Now. I do love being busy and I love all of these things. BUT I was also so excited when we had a free weekend finally. And I had big plans of being cozy on the couch and finally catching up on blog posts, as that was the thing to fall by the wayside over the busy month.
Then I fell asleep and watched YouTube videos and TikToks all day. Listen, sometimes the productivity is just doing absolute nothing.
But now I’m here, I’m rested, and it’s time I finally get all these summer collection reviews posted on up. (They’re always swatched on Instagram first, so be sure to follow me there, but I know it’s easier to reference and search later on the blog). This review is just the first of lots of catch-up posts on the way so if y’all subscribe you’ll get all of those updates sent right to you. Or just keep coming on back to see what’s new.
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Now for this next summer collection! This is ‘Great Escape’ and it’s Orly’s summer release. Just like Essie’s release, we get a “non-traditional” summer color palette with this one, and I’m always here to encourage that. We’ve got some oranges and some blues, and one lovely little chartreuse. This set features 2 cream shades, and then 4 more frosty shimmer shades.
Just like any other release, they’re available on the Orly website individually or in nice little bundles. You could also receive this currently when signing up for the Orly Color Pass – which I had for years before I was so lucky to receive PR from the brand. I absolutely loved the Color Pass when I had it – it’s where you pay upfront and then receive the 4 seasonal collections throughout the year, along with other goodies in every single box. Super nice if you’re planning on buying all the sets anyways. You can also just buy each collection box individually as well. We love the options!
Alright, enough with the purchasing options, I know you want to see what the shades look like before even deciding. Onto the swatches!
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First up, we have this bright red-orange to start us out! This is ‘Embrace Danger’ and it’s a tomato-red base filled with delicate silver shimmer. It’s a little red, it’s a little orange, it’s right in between.
This one had a nice formula, and was practically opaque in just 2 coats. If you have smoother nails, you’ll be set there with 2 – however on my ridged nails I did add a 3rd coat to cover any last patches. That’s normal and I do often have to add another coat that others won’t. Because of that shimmer there are some brushstrokes, but most level out as it’s drying.
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This next one is also red, but it’s on the much more cool toned end of the spectrum than the shade above. This is ‘Follow the Map’, and it’s an almost muted coral pinky-red shade.
This has a very similar formula to the shade above, being pretty well opaque in just 2 coats. There was some nail line peeking through after the 1st coat, but a 2nd easily covers and makes it smooth. I did add a 3rd for my ridged nails, but again if you have smoother nails you’ll be set with just 2. And of course, with the shimmer, you’ll have some brushstrokes, but most level out well as it dries.
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Next up we get to our first of 2 cream shades, annnnd it also comes with a broken middle nail right in the middle of a swatching session. So we’re going to through the rest of these shades with a little shortie. I’m sure you didn’t even notice until I pointed it out.
ANYWAYS. This is ‘On a Whim’. And I love it so much, it’s my favorite. This is a bright chartreuse, yellow-green shade. It’s right in between colors, and I always love weird little guys like this. There’s the tiniest bit of shimmer to this one, but it’s only noticeable when incredibly zoomed in.
This has a touch of a squishier formula, with just a drop or two of jelly-ness to it (very technical here), so it’s a touch more sheer. I was able to get it pretty well opaque with just 2 coats, though I did end up adding a 3rd on a couple nails to cover up any ridges. You know the drill, if you have smoother nails you’ll be set with just 2 coats. It’s such an interesting color all around, but I know it won’t be for everyone. (But it’s fully for me).
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‘Close Call’ is a bright turquoise shade with a delicate silver shimmer all throughout giving it a pearly look. It’s so perfect for summer, and it glows and I just really loved the look.
Like the other shimmers in this set, I was able to get it opaque in 2 coats and it’s very easy to paint on. With that shimmer we again get a few brushstrokes, but this one levels out the most for the smoothest finish.
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The 2nd of the 2 creams in this set is ‘Off the Grid’. This is a bright, saturated cobalt blue cream shade. It’s like other cobalt blues we’ve seen released this season (there’s one in Essie’s summer collection), but it’s brighter and lighter on the nails compared to those.
Like the other cream, it’s a touch squishier, with just a little jelly to it. Not quite full crelly – we’re on a spectrum of creams here, and it just gives it such a shine when it dries. Even with that squish, it had an incredible formula. This one is so pigmented and practically opaque in just 1 coat. I went in and covered any last barely noticeable streaks with the 2nd coat and it further brightened up the color. I’m sure this will be a crowd favorite.
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And last up for this set, we end on a final shimmer. This is ‘Lost Treasure’, and it’s a frosty medium blue shade. This one feels the most pearly of the shimmers, filled with the most of that delicate silver shimmer.
I had some unevenness after the 1st coat on this one, but the 2nd coat easily covered and made it fully opaque. Since it’s the most pearly it does have the most visible brushstrokes so I recommend painting as straight as possible to help that out.
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And that’s the set! Like I mentioned at the beginning, I loved that with this collection we got another unique color palette of nontraditional summer shades. They were super interesting, and not just the same neons over and over again! (I mean I also never get tired of neons either, but I’m always here for something different). I know the frosty shimmers might not be for everyone, but I do love their pearly look on the nails. Both creams have smooth and easy formulas so I can truly recommend any of these shades if the colors strike your fancy!
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Upcoming Posts
Glam Polish Eras collection • China Glaze What’s the Scoop? Summer 2023 • KB Shimmer Plant One on Me collection • Essie Summer 2023 • Mooncat Pretty Prehistoric collection • ILNP Fairy Forest collection
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PR Disclosure: Though the shades in this post were sent to me, I was under no obligation to post from the brand. I never guarantee positive reviews, and all thoughts and opinions are my own. I review these shades thoroughly and in the same manner as I would with any polishes purchased with my own money.
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