Shop Your Stash - Navy

One of my friends gave me this idea some time ago and for some reason, this season I got really inspired by it. Maybe because I feel that this season's hot colors are not only accessible but...done. They're pretty, but they are hardly original. I do love the edgy two tones that are going on, the Ruffians and the Frenches, but the trend colors this fall are some we've seen before and not that long ago. So...why re-buy? You probably have stuff in your stash that will work for some. So today I have navies. It's the first of these I would like to do, and I really hope it's informative and helps you save some money and stay in the trends.

Some of these are more royal, some dustier, but the whole idea of fashion is to make it your own so if some of these work better with your outfit or just flat look better on your skin tone, then I think you do it. You're just making the trend work better for you.

Clearly this is going to be pretty picture heavy. These are all just swatches, there is no prep - no base coat or anything. These are all two coats, good or bad, because I think that is what most of us usually do. Three gives a better saturation of color but two will usually get you out the door satisfactorily. I'm not going to really talk a lot about these except to overview and let you make up your own minds about what you like. If there is something notable I will...note it. Otherwise, I am hoping the pictures pretty well show you.

My intro to Deborah Lippmann's was this color. I fell in love with it. I'm sorry the bottom picture is being a wanker. Deborah Lippmann Lady Sings the Blues. A blue jelly with the famous Lippmann chunky glitter. Definitely navy and definitely good if you want some bling in your trend.

BB Couture for Men Night Ops. I love this polish. It's darker than the trends but it has some shimmer and a smoky feel to it.

BB Couture for Men Vise. The front of the bottle picture didn't come out but this is pretty true. It's a dustier, lighter navy, but I think it will work. OK, it's more a straight up Crayola blue, but it's very pretty and it's dark enough to say you are watching the trends but you're not enslaved by them.

BB Couture for Men Military Blues. Very royal but also has a darkened quality to it, it has some shimmer, it's gorgeous and would be a more interesting complement to an already navy heavy outfit, I think, than throwing more navy on it.

Orly Mysterious Curse. This has a twink with a different name. This particular one was the companion polishes to Dark Shadows the movie about the vampire. I didn't see that, but I did see this and it was interesting in the bottle. This was the first I had tried it on and...oh yes. What a great purchase. This is a fascinating duochrome of navy and amethyst and is. It. Gorge. I think this is a brilliant way to rock the trend while still holding onto that kind of...flipping the trend off feel. It takes navy up a notch. I love this. Pick this up. Now. Why are you still here???

Expect to see a full post on this in time. No, I haven't worn it yet, but My Raptor...or whatever else you choose to believe in. Don't you think it needs it's own post? It needs a monument.

A-England Tristam. You needed three pics of this one because it has so many dimensions. A soft navy holo. It's not a true navy...it's not the color of my peacoat or anything, but it's dark enough and the holo is so special. Yum.

Illamasqua Phallic. It doesn't have this much of a purple feel in actuality, it's a very dark shimmery navy. Super vampy and oh so sexy. Very rich, this one.

BB Couture for Men Enraged. This is a little dustier, a little more subdued, and it needed another coat or 4, but it's very pretty and will work, again as a complementary color. Or the tip on a two tone French. Interesting idea.

Cult Nails Time Traveler. This one really embodies the trend for me. It's a touch cobalt rather than straight up navy, but I like that. It went on gorgeously and is very rich. You could easily follow the trend in this. But beware! This is so highly pigmented it stained badly, as you will see in future swatches. I couldn't get it off my skin and I use acetone.

China Glaze Man Hunt. Yes yes, not a navy at all, really. But again..make the trend your own. Put this with a classic navy trouser or pencil skirt and  crisp white blouse and you have a gorgeous complement rather than following the herd. Branch off! It's not always the stray gazelle who gets eaten. ;)

butterLONDON Big Smoke. This is an older color but still part of the standard collection. (see the blue on my ring finger, middle finger...on the skin, I mean? Time Traveler refusing to be ignored, Dan!) It's a very lovely, surprisingly lady like silvery dusty darker blue. Definitely workable as a trend color this season.

Lastly, the one I have had forever that is absolutely the trend?

butterLONDON Royal Navy. I mean, it has NAVY in the title. Doesn't get any closer. But I think you know as well as I, that the term "navy" can mean about eleventy billion different shades of blue. I've shown a few here. I think the name here is definitely a pun/play on words. But this is the shade of navy I'm seeing in the mags. It's a royal dark navy but it's not a blackened navy.
I meant to do a comparison of this and Time Traveler but I didn't get it done. You know, in case you love one of these but have the other. This was a lot of swatches, my cuticles and nails were not thanking me and I think I just kind of wanted to be done so I could rub some shea butter into my abused fingers. You can see I was getting a little sloppy. Flood the cuticle much? **facepalm**

So here those two are again, side by side, to allow you to compare and contrast all day. Not as good as a comparison post, but still gives you an idea.

Time Traveler is a little dark, has a little more red in it, making it more purple, but they both are dead on for the fall.

I hope this was helpful for you! Don't go out and buy new if you can't afford it. Shop your Stash, lads!

There were a few others, but holding to my "If you can't actively buy it from a legitimate seller you won't see it at the time of posting" doctrine, I didn't post them. I know the point is to shop your stash, but that doesn't mean you won't see something you love. If you do, I want you to be able to get it.

I hope you like this new idea. If you do, please let me know, leave a comment. If you don't, please let me know and leave a comment! 

Happy Talons!