A nail polish formulated with.. oil? Nonsense! Or is it? L'Oréal Paris is releasing this novelty this month and are the very first to do so - at least I haven't found another brand that advertises around it. It took the company 10 years of research to come up with a formula that combines intense colour pigmentation as well as nourishing properties, while also adding a delicate rose scent. And aside from the novelty formula, the bottle is really pretty too. This is one of those nail polish launches I get really excited about! Enter L'Oréal Paris Color Riche A L'Huile.


Key words for this launch are pigmentation, nourishing properties & usability. The pigmentation should be top notch for all colours - although in reality I do find that not all of these shades can be used with just one coat, some even need three - with a super glossy finish. The wide brush is super easy to use and distributes the colour quickly and evenly. I also found the drying time to be very reasonable, even when applying several coats.

  
There are fifteen shades available in Belgium, although you'll find more in other (bigger) countries. Don't feel too bad for us though, we're used to getting a slightly smaller lineup. There's a good variety between all fifteen shades to make sure everyone finds something they love - from pale whites to various pinks and several darker shades. With Spring nearing closer I've been eyeing those soft pale pink shades, but as you know I am a huge fan of blackened colours as well. As usual I can't really comment on longevity as some cult favourites don't even last a day on me because of the sometimes pretty dire state of my nails. This one (shade 222 to be exact) lasted two days without chipping, went a day with tip wear and then started to peel off on day four. In my book & with my nails that's a pretty standard wearing time.




Please don't mind the lighting difference in the swatch pictures - these were taken on a day when the weather just kept changing by the minute! 114 Nude Demoiselle is a beautiful pale pink shade. I am wearing no less than three coats here - you really can't wear this one with just one single coat. You might be able to pull off two, but I found that the best effect came with three coats. In its defence though: it dried really fast, even with all those coats! 550 Rouge Sauvage is a true cool toned red shade, perfect for anyone who loves a classic and iconic look. This one pulls it off in just one coat. 222 Jardin Des Roses is a pretty soft pink shade with a super glossy finish and needs two coats to be opaque. 556 Grenat Irrevere is a blackened burgundy shade that is truly beautiful - but as you can see on my middle finger it stains pretty badly.. You'll need a steady hand to make sure your cuticles stay neat & take into account that you'll have some red staining after removing the colour. I also got the orange/red shade 444 Orange Triomphe, but somehow I managed to close the bottle way too tight and I can't for the life of me open it anymore..

The verdict? The bottles are more luxurious and eye-catching than most of the bottles high end beauty houses do and the wide variety of shades will certainly lure you in. I'm not sure whether the oil infused formula really makes a difference for your nail health - but I like the innovation and I'm definitely curious to see whether other brands will pick up on this as well.