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Well hello there! Listen, if you’ve been reading any of my other posts that are finally popping up recently, you’ll have seen that my posting schedule was knocked a touch out of orbit after my fiancé and I adopted a dog. His name is Huey and we already love him lots, but of course, we had to adjust a routine a touch. He has been settling in and truly relaxing, so now I’m getting back into posting again, and ACTUALLY catching up on my post backlog. Okay yes, you’ve already heard me say I’m catching up far too many times, so let’s ACTUALLY continue doing that.
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Even though the weather is failing to catch up, we’re fully surrounded by spring collections over here in the nail world. In fact, we’re BEHIND on the spring posting (see the Huey mention above). Sure, to me it feels like a new season isn’t truly kicked off until I swatch the latest OPI release, but right behind that is the arrival of Orly’s newest pink box. So let’s officially kick off the spring season.
So yes, duh, we’re looking at Orly’s newest collection for Spring 2024. It’s called ‘Aqua Aura’ and it’s got a soft, almost whimsical color palette that Orly says is “inspired by gentle waters”. There are soft shimmery blues and pinks, like softly flowing water, as well as coppers and whites, to cover the warmth of the sun on the waves. We have 1 creme finish, and then 5 shimmers, all here to evoke the soothing elements of flowing water.
These are of course available from the Orly website – both individually, as well as in a little bundle option in a Color Pass box. Now it’s time for the swatches!
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We’re starting right out with the shade that truly captured all of my attention when I first saw it. This is ‘Morning Dew’ and it’s a bight, almost aqua blue base. It definitely pulls more green, and it also has a bright blue shimmer running throughout it, giving it a gorgeous little glow, just like the above-mentioned shimmering waters.
For these more shimmery shades, I did find they weren’t quite full cream or shimmer formulas – they had some jelly to them, making them feel squishy on the nails. I wonder if Orly chose that to give a softer look on the nails, and to really let that shimmer layer up and almost “glow from within”. But because of that these are more sheer and will need some building up.
Now, I do have application tips for these. I’ll get it all out here so I don’t have to repeat myself with each swatch. Don’t be afraid of the novel you see before you, these are still easy to work with, just with a tiny bit of a learning curve. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll get a gorgeous finish and be happier with the polish. It’s really not too hard, and it’s so worth it in my humble opinion. I’m just always here to give you my personal experience and thoughts.
Alright, firstly, I preferred the look after using thinner coats. Too thick of coats can lead to them being more uneven and almost goopy on the nails, especially pooling at the end of the nail. I built this particular shade up with 3 coats, and yes you can see some patches still peeking through – this was the very first shade I applied, and I was still figuring it out, so do as I say, not as I do (and don’t give up on formulas immediately). My nails are also very ridged, so that can cause more issues, and I often have to add an additional coat for a lot of polishes. Those with smoother nails won’t have this, so that’s more specific to my own nails. However, for everyone I do recommend floating the polish on as well. Which means lay the brush more flat as you apply, and use as few swipes as possible, so you’ll be putting less pressure onto the polish and won’t risk pulling it off the nail. This can be helpful for any more finicky and more sheer shades, and will help you get the smoothest coverage. I was going in too hard with final coats, and created more patches for myself – you’ll see I figure it out with later swatches.
So okay yes, that’s it. Thinner coats, float it on, bada bing, you’ll be set. See, I promise it’s not as long and involved when it’s summed up in one sentence, but I just love being long winded and giving you every single detail.
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Next up we have ‘Ripple Effect’. Of course in a water-themed collection, we need some sort of blue, but this one isn’t quite the typical “water” blue. It’s more cool toned blue, with almost purple tones to it. It also has the most subtle of pink shimmer to it but I do wish this was more apparent as it does get lost on the nails.
Now this one is much more pigmented than others, and it was easily opaque in just 2 coats. (Yes after my novel above, I didn’t need it for this one, it’s fine). It’s smooth to paint on, and I had no issues even with the ridges in my nails.
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Now for the one full creme of the set. This is ‘Sea Blossom’ and it’s a brighter, almost orchid pink shade. It’s pink, yes, but it also has some purplely lilac tones to it, keeping it more cool toned. I love pinks like this, they’re just so flattering on so many people.
This had another pretty easy formula. (I swear the application tips come in handy for the one after this, okay). I did have some streaks on the 1st coat, but a 2nd comes in and covers well. I did add a 3rd coat for this one because of my ridged nails, but most will be good with just 2 coats.
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Alright, back to those shimmers. We’re onto ‘Wistful Water Lily’ now and it’s a light, almost ballet pink base filled with a bright blue shimmer.
This one has the same sheerer shimmer formula as ‘Morning Dew’, so scroll on back up to that novel if you need a reminder. Go with 2-3 thinner coats and float the polish on. You can see how I figured that out fully with this shade, and even with a lighter base color, I was able to get it fully smooth even on my ridged nails. And you can see why I feel these shades are so worth that tiny bit of extra work, just look at that finish.
Wistful Water Lily – Live Swatch
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‘Golden Waves’ is a softer, more subtle coppery base filled with a bright coral orange shimmer. (I’m not sure about golden here, maybe it should have been named Copper Waves).
Just like the other shades, it’s that same more sheer shimmer formula and I was able to build it up to full opacity with 3 thinner coats. That 3rd coat just really brings the color and glow alive on this shade, and it really feels the sun reflecting off the waves.
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And now we get to our final shade. This is ‘Sea Spray’ and it’s a white filled with a bright copper shimmer. That slightly off-white base makes it feel less stark on the nails than a true white, and the shimmer just gives it a cozy warmth. See, just that “softer” feel all around, and of course we cover crashing waves and foamy surf.
This one did have a more uneven formula – which I always expect with white shades. I did get it pretty well opaque with 2 thicker coats, but as I went against my own advice above and didn’t use thinner coats, I didn’t love how goopy it felt, pooling at the end of my nails. Once again, do as I say, not as I do. And if you don’t want to use as many coats, you could also put this shade over a full white cream base.
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And that’s the collection! I loved the color palette and overall inspiration for this one – all of the shades paired so well together, and those softer shimmers really nailed that “gentle waters” feeling. It feels thought out and just seamless.
Now with formulas, I will admit they were more sheer than I was expecting. As I mentioned above, it could be to let that shimmer peek through and give that squishier finish overall, but that could just be me looking for an explanation. The formulas did take a little bit of learning, but I did find a way to get a smooth and even finish each time – maybe it might seem like too much for one polish, but I promise the finished look is so worth it.
Are you interested in these shades?
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Upcoming Posts
Glam Polish Wish collection • Essie Blushin’ & Crushin’ Spring 2024 • Holo Taco I Need Space collection • China Glaze Love & Kisses Valentine’s Day 2024
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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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These are all quite pretty!
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They’re all so fun! They feel so springy.
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