*Just a heads up, the polishes featured in today’s post and next week’s post were sent to me as PR.* It feels like we’re farther into the year than we actually are. I think after Valentine’s Day, my brain thinks it must be spring now. It doesn’t help that yesterday was pretty much sunny all day. Of course, actually stepping outside and feeling how cold it is brings me back to reality, but for some reason I am struggling with the fact that it is still indeed winter and will be for a little less than a month. On the blog front, that’s good news for me because I have a winter collection to share! Duri sent me their newest Below Zero collection, which features a fun mix of polishes that I think I could wear across multiple seasons. Today we are going to look at the warmer shades in the collection and next week we’ll take a look at the cooler shades. I’m either an old lady now or a little kid, because sitting and swatching more than three polishes at a time makes me stir-crazy. Dividing up collections like this helps me keep my mental sanity.
All of the swatches today are over Zoya Naked Base and my top coat, used where noted, is Holo Taco Super Glossy Taco.
First up is my least favorite polish in the whole collection, though I will give it some credit: I have nothing else like it and it seems like the type of polish that is good to have on hand for those situations where wearing a neon green glitter just isn’t appropriate. Cuddle Buddy is described as a “semi-sheer beige.” I REALLY do not like to wear sheer polishes, I’m terrible at applying them and I have really uneven nail beds so they just aren’t flattering on me at all. I wear nail polish to HIDE the fact that I used to bite my nails and now they’re all sorts of messed up, not really looking to show off anything.
Cuddle Buddy applies sheer (shocker) and a teeny bit streaky. It actually looks okay here, it reminds me of what the first coat of 90% of ridge-filling base coats looks like when you apply them.
I put on a second coat and it got a little streaky and more patchy looking, but that is probably because I NEVER wear or buy anything like this. I’m sure it would look fine if I knew any tricks to painting with sheers. I decided to not do a third coat because it is clearly supposed to be a sheer polish and I really don’t think a third coat would cover my nail line. That’s really the only reason to do a third coat with any polish.
Bunny Slope is up next and it is also described as a semi-sheer – an “off-white semi-sheer” to be exact! However, I just ended up wearing it like a normal creme polish because it didn’t give me the same sheer vibes during application that Cuddle Buddy clearly has (literally… clearly!!!). This is basically a super pale yellow and it’s my favorite kind of yellow. I’m sure some of you will take issue with me calling this a yellow but hey, I am trying to like yellow so I am allowed to pretend this is one.
The formula on this one feels thinner than Cuddle Buddy. I tried to just gently float it on with minimal pressure on the brush. It did still apply streaky, but this honestly could be the first coat of every pastel ever, it just doesn’t have that sheer jelly feel.
After a second coat, this one is way more close to opaque than Cuddle Buddy was at this point. There are definitely still some streaks and lighter spots, so I decided to go in for a third because I just don’t see anyone wanting to wear two streaky coats of polish, it’s not sheer enough for that.
A third coat of Bunny Slope brings it pretty darn near opaque! You can see my nail line a little if you squint, but it has pretty even coverage and someone who is better at nails than me might have it looking EVEN BETTER after three coats. I am going to wear it like this in the future, I’m not sure how else you would want to wear it.
Staycation is described as a “murky peach” and is the other color from the collection that I am just not that into. I don’t tend to like anything peach or coral, especially if it leans pink! Looking at this picture, I have to admit it looks pretty good with my skin tone, but you’ll never catch me wearing this, except maybe if I get some nail art inspiration that requires a peach shade. Because, you know, I do nail art all the time.
Duri really has a great creme formula, I really have to give them a ton of credit for that. This one applied like a dream and has great opacity in one coat. I did get a couple streaks, but nothing to complain about.
Like pretty much every Duri creme I’ve ever used, this one is completely opaque in two coats. The second coat glides on easily and self-levels super well, look how shiny it is even without top coat!
I only have comparisons for Bunny Slope today, because I don’t love sheers or peaches I don’t really have anything to compare them to that might be of any use. It is fairly close to Palate Polish Cauliflower, but Cauliflower looks like it has a little more white in it and Bunny Slope is a softer shade. Olive Ave Lemon Blossom is much more saturated than the first two.
There’s a reason I chose to swatch these shades first… I wasn’t as excited about them! Next week’s post is going to feature a grey, blue-green, and blue, it will be a total drool-fest on my part. Big thanks to Duri for expanding my polish collection into territories I would not have taken it myself and for giving me the chance to play with such beautiful creme formulas, wowza they are good!!!
xx, Ashley
short nail swatcher 
These are quite sheer, but they are okay 🙂
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I agree, the ones next week are much better!
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[…] is the only polish in the collection I had a decent comparison for. Next to Duri Staycation, reviewed earlier in the year, Hottie Tottie looks much more pink/salmon […]
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