Dashing Diva

A reader suggested I check out Dashing Diva products and I have to say thank you for the suggestion. Not only am I impressed with their polish line but, after speaking with a Dashing Diva rep, I’m totally jealous of anyone that lives near one of their salons. I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend a Girls’ Night Out sipping cosmos while getting a pampering pedi? If any of you have been to a Dashing Diva salon, you must spill about the experience. Inquiring minds want to know.

Alrighty, so let’s dish about the polish. Dashing Diva carries over 150 shades ranging from cremes to sheers to shimmers and frosts, so there’s a finish and color for everyone. While I’m normally drawn to the “crazy colors,” I was quite pleased to test out some of the more standard nail shades in addition to their 3 new summer colors.

I received 4 of Dashing Diva’s most popular shades that are now part of the Extra Virgin collection. They’ve taken their 8 most popular shades and made them Big 3 Free.

First up, Convertible Red Connie (misspelled in the photo, oops). All I have to say is 3 words, listen up everyone, “ONE COAT COVERAGE!” I’m not kidding. A red creme that is true, glossy and streak free in one coat. I’m flabbergasted and wowed beyond belief. I’m telling you, pictures do not do it justice and you will not regret purchasing this one. In fact, I don’t blame you for leaving the site to go order it immediately. Just make sure you come back and read the rest later.

So on to Prima Donna Pink. A bold fuchsia creme, this would be a great summer pedi color for the cool toned. It didn’t have the same jaw-dropping wow factor as Convertible Red Connie but it applied smoothly and evenly and was true to the bottle color with 2 coats.

Pink Martini Marni is a dusty shell pink with a hint of pearl. It’s on the sheerer side but totally buildable. This is a very safe, everyday color. What I would call an “interview polish” An elegant, classic, clean pink regardless of the slight bubble-gummy appearance it has below.

Chelsea In The Buff has a grayish cast to it in the bottle. On the nail, it’s a creamy sheer. The Dashing Diva site describes it as a “sheer light dusty pink,” but I don’t see that at all. It just looked dirty on me and is not my type of color.

Next up, Dashing Diva’s summer collection. An Italian themed collection of sheers filled with glitz. As you can see from the nail swatch pic below, you can get them semi-opaque with enough coats. I used two coats and could still see my tips below. They all applied smoothly but I did have a bit of an issue with View From Anacapri. It pooled a bit at my tips.

View From Anacapri was not as blue as I was hoping. The bottle color never really came to life on my nails. Instead, it’s a silvery sheer shimmer with a hint of blue that shows up in direct light.

Fellini Bellini is my favorite due to it’s peachiness. You might call it a golden pink but it reminds me of the setting sun.

Paparazzi Pink is an iridescent metallic mid-tone pink. It looks a bit Barbie-ish in direct sunlight and more rosy indoors.

I’ll be honest, none of these 3 really won me over. They’re just not my cup of tea.