Q & A
Ok everyone, it’s time to help out a fellow fanatic. I got this email recently and I’m hoping that our collective wisdom can help this reader out.
Leah writes:
I am looking for a deep red/wine polish color. In the mid 90′s I had my nails done with an OPI color that was named something like “Parisian Cafe.” I LOVED it and tried to find it at the time but it must have been an older color. Since then I have been looking with no success for a similar color. I recently started wearing polish again and I have tried OPI’s “Got the Blues for Red” and “Edinburgandy” which are more “Bingo Cherry-ish” than the deep blood/wine red that I want. I also don’t like “Not a Waitress Anymore” or any of the other fun-but not sophisticated colors (I feel). I have access to OPI, Essie, Creative Nail Design and Zoya as well as drugstore brands but I am also open to purchasing online if you have a strong suggestion.
After consulting with the oh so knowledgeable OPI Queen, Webwoman, and checking Suze’s OPI database, I couldn’t find a color called “Parisian Cafe.”
In following up with Leah, she gave me a bit more info on what she’s looking for:
Essie Wicked comes close to what I want and at some point I will go try Chanel’s Vamp. I’m not crazy about the application of the Essie polish. They are both a bit “blackish” and a little less red than I want but they both have that deep wine red that I was looking for.
So let’s throw some suggestions out for Leah. What deep wine red cremes do you think she’d love?
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
Hi,
I would suggest that Leah look at OPI’s Red-y to Help. (Special color for the Red Cross) She also should access the Community Nail Polish Gallery site and look at the reds and burgandies featured there. Revlon’s Blackberry is also nice.
Mary
OOPs, sorry didn’t notice that she wanted cremes, both of my suggestions are shimmers. Bit they are very nice colors.
Mary
I love Essie Bordeaux. It’s a great red, not too deep, but it is a cream.
What about Lippmann Walk Away Renee or Orly Naughty? They are both blackened reds in the Vamp category in my opinion.
Thank you for those who have answered so far! I looked at the Community Nail Gallery and came up with these colors:
China Glaze Ravishing, Dahling
OPI Oh to be 25 Again
Urban Decay Brick House
OPI Mrs. O’Leary’s BBQ
Avon Cherry Jubilee
Elizabeth Arden Garden City
Nars Chinatown
MAC Vintage Vamp
Some of these have probably been discontinued but I will start to look for them. Any thoughts on these colors?
Leah
I was going to say Nars’ Chinatown – I think that if you are looking for a wine/black-red, it’s gonna be your gal…
It was almost my wedding nails color!
I bought URban Decay Brick House which I had to order online (all Urban Decay polishes are $5.00 on their website but the shipping is $$$). I also bought Essie Bordeaux. I will also look for Nars Chinatown and Lippmann Walk Away Renee – these might be harder to find around here. Thanks for all of your help!!!
Leah
opi my kind of brown is a fantastic red
IsaDora Midnight Red is available at Walgreen’s and is a gorgeous deep red creme. It applies better than UD Brick House, too.
My favorite OPI red cremes are Prune Danish (similar to the new Kangarooby) and Malaga Wine.
Also, I don’t believe there ever was a red with Paris in the name.
Milani’s Bella Berry.
It is a great merlot colour.
Just Walk Away Renee would be PERFECT for her. Also, Revlon Valentine would be worth a shot. I also saw over the weekend some good Elizabeth Arden colors, one of them was called Darien Wine and it sounds like it would fit the bill as well!
I adore Nars Chinatown. You can find it on the Nordstrom’s website if you have a problem finding it locally. At $15.00 a bottle it can be a hard purchase to decide to make but I can tell you that it wears better than OPI! I’m stopping by my Local Nordy’s to pick myself up a bottle today.
How about Estee Lauder’s Black wine color? It’s a darker than cherry shade of red, quite unlike what they feature on their site.
It really depends whether you want a deep red that has a COOL undertone or a WARM one…huge dif! NARS “ChinaTown” is very cool in tone, almost purple… Revlon “Valentine” is cool in tone as well. In fact most of the deep reds out there are cool… it’s difficult to find a warm toned deep red, but in my opinion it is worth the hunt because the warmer deep reds look very sophisticated as opposed to trampy or “goth.” For a warm deep red, go for Lippmanns “Just Walk Away Renee” or Zoya’s “Sasha.”