MDJ Creations Phantom of the Opera REMIX Collection Swatch & Review: Part II

If you have not read Part I, do your homework kids! Go read it! I have the second half of the Phantom of the Opera REMIX collection by MDJ Creations to show you today. All the products in this post were sent to me for review for my pictures and honest opinion. We are going to be covering the last two song-based polishes in the collection as well as the polishes based on the two leads. Just as a reminder, this collection is launching this Friday, October 19th at 5pm CST. Let’s get right to the polishes so you can keep building your wish list!

All of my swatches are over Deborah Lippmann All About that Base and are topped with MDJ Creations Smooth Finish Fast Dry top coat where noted.

MDJ Creations Masquerade over Think of Me

MDJ Creations Masquerade over Think of Me in direct lighting

The first polish I have to show you today, Masquerade, is a topper. Can we just appreciate Melissa’s genius here? A polish called Masquerade… is a transforming topper… yeah, I know you get it, but this is the kind of stuff I live for. It is packed with holo and iridescent flakies. To my eyes, these iridescent flakies tend to lean towards the warmer colors, but it is highly possible that there is a mix or that they are all full spectrum. As you can see, I am using a different format to show this one off. I swatched Masquerade over four different colors in the collection (with just one coat) so you can see what it does over different tones. Over Think of Me, the iridescent flakes almost lean golden and add a spectacular extra sparkle.

MDJ Creations Masquerade over All I Ask of You

MDJ Creations Masquerade over All I Ask of You in direct lighting

This is so delicate and pretty, Masquerade over All I Ask of You might be my favorite combination out of all. Except I REALLY like the last one, too.  Masquerade almost melts into the polish but really adds another dimension to this already complex color. Definitely going to be wearing this again in the future.

MDJ Creations Masquerade over Music of the Night

MDJ Creations Masquerade over Music of the Night in direct lighting

I think we can all agree that Masquerade just somehow makes these already beautiful polishes even better. Over Music of the Night, it does not “melt” as much into the base color as it does with All I Ask of You, but it adds such a magical touch that only the coldest of hearts would not appreciate all those rainbows and prisms.

MDJ Creations Masquerade over The Phantom

MDJ Creations Masquerade over The Phantom in direct lighting

You have not seen The Phantom yet, but it looks so dang good topped with Masquerade.  The contrast between the flakies and base is just pure gorgeousness. It’s art, really.

MDJ Creations Past the Point of No Return, 2 coats plus top coat

Past the Point of No Return is the last polish named after a song in the collection and, if you’ve seen the musical, you will appreciate how perfect it is that this is a red holo. Just wait until you see the direct lighting photo, the flames of holo will make you feel something.

MDJ Creations Past the Point of No Return, 1 coat

The coverage of Past the Point of No Return is super even with one coat. I think that the color is a little lighter than it should be here, so it will need a second coat. The formula is exactly what you want: goes on easy and stays where you put it.

MDJ Creations Past the Point of No Return, 2 coats

A second coat of Past the Point of No Return intensifies the color. This shade of red is perfecto for this time of year, it is slightly darker than a cherry red but has a pop to it that I love.

MDJ Creations Past the Point of No Return, 2 coats plus top coat in direct lighting

I am not the hugest fan of reds, but dang, this is something else. The rainbows are insane and beautiful. This polish really makes me appreciate those sunny fall days.

MDJ Creations Christine, 2 coats plus top coat

Christine is named after one of the leads in the musical and is a fittingly beautiful and strong color. This is a warmer toned purple holo with a flash of what I think is light blue. There might also be some shifting purple pigment too.

MDJ Creations Christine, 1 coat

Just like Past the Point of No Return, the coverage of Christine is super even in one coat. The color just looks a little lighter than it does in the bottle. I can see a hint of shimmer, which I suspect gets stronger with additional coats.

MDJ Creations Christine, 2 coats

A second coat of Christine darkens and almost cools down the color. That might be due to the shimmer. I hope you can see what I am talking about, there is a blueish cast that is most noticeable in the center of my middle and ring nails here.

MDJ Creations Christine, 2 coats plus top coat in direct lighting

These polishes were made to be worn in the sunshine. You miss half the fun if you don’t go outside, or at least invest in a lamp and sit under it watching your nails 😛

MDJ Creations The Phantom, 2 coats plus top coat

Last is the polish based on one of my most favorite fictional characters of all time, The Phantom. This is a black holo with a red shimmer. It is giving me Past the Point of No Return vibes with the red and black. Loooove. Fans of the musical, hasn’t Melissa been so on point with these colors and names? I could cry tears of joy.

MDJ Creations The Phantom, 1 coat

As is typical with darker polishes that have lots of stuff going on, The Phantom is a bit sheer on the first coat. I can already see that red shimmer, it is very prominent in person.

MDJ Creations The Phantom, 2 coats

The Phantom is completely opaque in two coats! It looks much more black here, yet that red shimmer still shines through. It is not duochrome-like, but you would be hard-pressed to miss it.

MDJ Creations The Phantom, 2 coats plus top coat in direct lighting

This is what I’m talking about. Contrasting shimmers always steal my heart.

MDJ Creations Cuticle Oil

I have a couple more things to show you that this post could not have been made without! Melissa stocks cuticle oil in her store and this stuff is excellent (I’m saying this as someone who makes their own cuticle oil. I need to take some notes here.) I have been using it every night and before every mani. I do not find that bottles with brushes like this are the most convenient to keep in my purse, but are great for the desk/vanity/nail painting station/whatever. I find that this oil feels a little heavy at first, but is totally absorbed after, at most, five minutes. I would definitely purchase this in the future!

MDJ Creations Clean-up Brush

I was also sent this clean-up brush that you can sometimes find in the MDJ Creations shop. It is a little bit different than the one I normally use: the bristles are softer and the tip is squared. It is not great for huge screw-ups, but for that finishing touch it is actually a lot better than my current brush. You can really use a delicate, slight touch and get that one little weird imperfection at your cuticle area cleared away. I really like having this in my clean-up arsenal, I guess I’m going to need two different brushes from now on because I cannot go back now.

MDJ Creations Thinner

A new addition to the MDJ Creations shop is an original nail polish thinner. I have only used this one once since it was sent to me (I do not have a rabid need for thinner) but it worked just as I expected. I am not sure about the packaging, it is a little weird to use a brush to drip the thinner into polish bottles. Other than that, it is always good to have a thinner on hand, so a big thanks to Melissa!

Once again, THANK YOU to Melissa for giving me this opportunity. I know she probably sees it as me helping her out, but as a Phantom of the Opera fanatic this was really the greatest gift she could have given me. I truly hope you will consider stopping by the MDJ Creations shop on Friday when this collection launches because Melissa put some great work into these beauties. They are very seasonally appropriate on top of being gorgeous interpretations of the best musical ever :]

xx, Ashley

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