Who’s ready for Spring??? Mmeeee, please! This is the new Spring 2016 collection from Gelish called Botanical Awakenings, which consists of six floral-inspired shades. There are two neutrals, three pinks, and a red in the set.
Let’s take a look at them from lightest to darkest…
Prim-rose and Proper is a light off-white neutral with a cream finish. It has an ever so slight pink-ish tone to it. The coverage was decent with two coats, but I felt that three coats were needed for a perfect, even finish.
I had a hard time comparing this color with my other Gelish neutrals because most of my swatches have faded over time with a yellow-ish tint. Eww. In my initial fade testing of Prim-rose and Proper I didn’t find any issues, so hopefully this color won’t turn over time as well. The three other nudes in the Gelish line that are similar to this one are Tan My Hide, Need a Tan and Do I Look Buff (this one is probably the closest). Prim-rose is a touch pinker than the others and is almost an exact match for LeChat Just Breathe, which I just posted a couple of days ago.
I Or-chid You Not is a taupe cream with slight lavender undertones. I also applied three coats of this color for even coverage since it goes on a bit thin. The closest colors in the Gelish line to this one are My Nightly Craving and Rodeo to Rodeo Drive, but again I had a hard time doing comparisons because my swatches of those colors faded. The good news is that Or-Chid also passed my initial fade test and held up well in the sunlight.
Rose-y Cheeks is a soft shade of pink with a slight peachy tone and an iridescent pearl shimmer. It’s very similar to Can-can We Dance, but is more pink in tone. I also applied three coats of this color for best coverage.
Don’t Pansy Around is a dark, yet vibrant shade of pink with a cream finish. At first I thought it was going to be very similar to A Petal For Your Thoughts or Gossip Girl, but this shade is more pink in tone than most others in the Gelish line. The others lean more toward the orange/red end of the spectrum. I really love this color, but wasn’t crazy about the consistency of the polish… it was thick and applied streaky. This swatch is also three coats.
Warm Up the Car-nation is a frosty red-leaning pink with an irridescent shimmer. This color had a great formula and applied evenly with good coverage in just two coats. I didn’t find any other colors that were very close in shade or finish.
What’s Your Poinsettia? is a medium red with a frosty finish. The finish and formula were very much like the previous color, and only two coats were required. I understand that red was probably needed to finish off a floral collection, but blah… it’s another shade of red, and the name makes me think of Christmas. Personally I’m over red, unless it’s something spectacular. This color is very similar to Gelish Queen of Hearts, but the finish isn’t as pretty.
So what are your thoughts on this latest collection? Any must-haves?