BUT, because it is so small and hard to get in the US (hi international readers! If you want to work out a swap in place of some outrageous prices this goes for, talk to me!) I have been looking for dupes/similar polishes. There is one more that I want to nab (I just can't tell you yet because pay day is far off and I NEED this bad boy! Once I have a bottle I'll let you know and then you can buy all you want!). I do have a couple of polishes to show you now, though, that might satisfy a craving for this beauty!
Warning: there are a lot of pictures in this one. I personally recommend that you keep going, but I'm putting in a page break in case you are tired of hearing about Fantasy Fire (but I can't image that's possible). These are a bit messy because I was way too excited for clean up before my pictures in the little bit of sun coming through my window, but you really should click on the pictures for a bigger look at these lovelies!
Here's what I've got for you. Can you guess which polishes these are?
I wanted to use a good base for all of the polishes, to make them even in a sense. This really lets each color show its nuances. So, I began with 2 coats of Maybelline Color Show in Plum Paradise. I thought I was just using a dark purple base, but when I looked at the photos, it actually has a bit of a pink and purple shimmer to itself, which is even better for these polishes!
My next polish was Cult Nails' new beauty, Flushed. This is from the amazing Behind Closed Doors collection, and I am kind of deeply regretting not preordering this whole collection.
It's it pretty!? This color is cooler than the others. The purple base has strong blue undertones, like a periwinkle tint. This is 2 coats over Plum Paradise. As with my other Cult Nails polishes, this is easy to apply. It is a bit thin and does well over a base, but it could easily build on its own. The shimmer in this is very fine, a glowing pink micro shimmer throughout. It is pretty dense but not overpowering.
As with all of these, this just comes alive in the sun--you've got to see it for yourself. This one is more subtle than the others in the shade/indoors, but still gorgeous. As soon as I saw the first swatches of this, I knew I had to grab it!
Next, the one and only (dupe of Clarins 230):
MaxFactor Fantasy Fire! This is such a pretty polish in the bottle. Like the others, I used 2 coats of this. It applies like the beautiful dream it is. The pink shimmer in this is larger than Flushed, and dense. In the bottle, you can see a green shift in the bottom corner. No matter how I light or move my nail, I haven't been able to bring it out. Maybe I'm using the wrong base to see it.
There's a reason that this is called fire--it has such a warm blaze to it. I would say that the shimmer glows, but it doesn't really--it's stronger than that. It ignites in the sun.
It's easy to see why this is one of, if not the, most sought-after polishes this year. A-mazing! You can see why I love it, why I have wanted to conserve it, and why I have hunted for ways to recreate it. Here's a VERY strong contender:
This is 2 coats of Nail Pattern Boldness Boop-Oop-A-Dupe over Plum Paradise. On its own, this is not a clear dupe of Fantasy Fire, but when you put them over a dark base together, it's pretty amazing. This is a clear base packed with a pink shimmer that shifts to green at angles. This one really doesn't show much green in the bottle, but I actually did see it on the nail.
It that one you can see the color shift much more than I can ever find in Fantasy Fire. This is my first Nail Pattern Boldness polish and it was amazing! The application was so easy. I ordered this from Llarowe, and it was my first order here. It came really quickly and was almost too-well packaged (I had to work hard to tear this beauty out without scissors on me!). I am super-pleased with both!
The shimmer here is pretty close in size to Fantasy Fire, larger than Flushed. It is actually more dense, though, and gives a pinker glow to the purple base. It makes the overall effect warmer than with Fantasy Fire, a little less purple.
Here are some more comparison shots of the two:
Side by side, you can see the difference in overall color between these two. You can also see how similar the look is, too. Yes, there are some differences, but this really is a good option with much more polish at a much lower price that you typically find for Fantasy Fire.
And, because I just don't think that was enough, here are just a couple more of all 4:
That one was a little out of focus but really shows off the shimmer color and size for each polish.
I didn't add any top coat to these, in part to compare them as clearly as possible and in part because my Seche Vite is getting low and, therefore, really goopy. I need a new bottle of topcoat when the next pay check comes in!
So, do you own any of these? Have you been using them, or keeping them locked up tight? Do you have any good colors to layer them over to show them off? I'd love to know what you're up to!
I think I need to do my own comparison for you. :)
ReplyDeleteYes please! Show me what you've found--this shimmer is so mesmorizing that it's not hard to understand why everyone is after it!
DeleteI have just finished taking some pictures. I only got one usable one of the swatch itself. I will need to do more later. I think you will like the results. :)
DeleteI posted my results. :)
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