CND Night Factory Duo – Urban Oasis & Teal Sparkle Swatches & Review
Like your favorite pair of jeans, the CND Night Factory Duo of Urban Oasis and Teal Sparkle can take you from day to night based on how you wear it. The blue-green denim creme can be worn alone with a high gloss finish for a chic day look, electrified with Teal Sparkle for a night on the town, or sandblasted with a satin finish matte for a casual weekend look.
As I shared with you in previewing “The Look” for Fall/Winter 2010, CND was heavily influenced by the heathery blues, hunter greens and taupe greys as seen on the Marc Jacobs and Rag & Bone Spring 2010 runways. Those colors came together to form Urban Oasis. To pair with it, CND chose the largest of their Effects micas to create the illuminating Teal Sparkle. |
Formula and Application: CND polishes are 3-Free with a thin, flat brush. The triangular brush bristles soak up polish like a squeegee mop which means you should allow the brush to hang out in the polish for a couple seconds between strokes.
My experience with the majority of the CND Colours is that they are extremely pigmented and smooth. Urban Oasis is no exception. It glides on the nail with ease in three simple strokes, requires only two coats and dries to a perfect, even finish. Unlike the old CND formula, the Colours all dry very fast with none of those denting issues of the past.
Urban Oasis is a dark teal creme. During Fashion Week, CND Co-Founder Jan Arnold kept referring to it as spruce and I can’t think of a better descriptor. To me it’s a throwback to the heavy denim influence of the late 80s. I remember walking through the mall as a teen and seeing the walls of my favorite clothing stores covered in sweaters and shirts that all incorporated this shade. In fact there was a v-neck sweater this color from J Riggins that I swear popped up in at least ten school photos one year, including mine!
Comparisons: As far as dupes go, I want to hear your suggestions of course but I think the closest I’ll find in my stash is the blue-green from StrangeBeautiful Volume 3 and Rescue Beauty Lounge Teal. Though Teal is definitely darker.
Teal Sparkle has a clear base packed with teal colored micro-glitter that looks like tiny flakes in the polish. It’s a particle that dries smooth and reflects varying shades of blue and green depending on the way the light hits it. Layering it over Urban Oasis amplifies the base color like lighting up a Christmas Tree.
Here’s a closeup where you can see how irregularly shaped flakes lay on the nail. Doesn’t it look a bit like fish food flakes floating on the surface of an aquarium?
Sunlight
Wear Test: I’ve been meaning to test drive the new 3-Free formulations of CND’s base and top coats for a while now but just kept forgetting. A few weekends ago I finally got around to it. I was curious to see how the whole CND product team would work together. I paired Stickey and Super Shiney with Urban Oasis and was amazed with how fast the polish dried.
I tend to stick with quick dry top coats due to time constraints even though I know they don’t wear as well. Well color me impressed when I was able to function in less than 20 minutes. I put the polish on right before bed and was pleased to wake up the next morning with perfect, dent-free nails. I kept Urban Oasis on for six days and with the exception of some tip wear, it lasted pretty well. The shine dulled a bit but nothing drastic. If it wasn’t for how fast my nails grow I could have left it on another day or so. I just hated how extreme my gap was getting.
Bottom Line: Green lovers will appreciate Urban Oasis and as I’ve been saying I think teal will be one of the hot colors come fall. Considering the high quality of CND’s Colours, you won’t be disappointed if you add Urban Oasis to your stable of colors. Teal Sparkle is a great companion but not as essential as the color itself.
The CND Night Factory Duo of Urban Oasis and Teal Sparkle is limited edition and will go on sale in August 2010. CND Colours retail for $9/ea for a .33 fl oz bottle and CND Effects retail for $11/ea for a .33 fl oz bottle. CND products are sold in salons nationwide and online at BeautyBrands.com, BeBeautiful.com and GoIndulge.com. Locate a salon near you at CND.com.
Are you loving teal for fall as much as I am? What do you think of CND’s newest addition to the Colour & Effects line? Has anyone tried the new version of Stickey or Super Shiney? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Don’t forget to post your comparison requests!!
Disclosure: Product samples were furnished by CND. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
Urban Oasis is beautiful!
I saw a picture of this somewhere and have been waiting for it ever since! I am super looking forward to Urban Oasis!
I like teal for fall and summer. I think dark nail colors look good all year long actually. I think CND have great nail ideas; I’ve never really tried them. I have been on their website and seen videos on youtube where all you need is like one nail polish color for the base coat and you can use the effects as a top coat and get like five different colors out of one nail polish bottle. Genius. How would this color compair to OPI’s Suzi Skies in the Pyreness and OPI’s here today Aragon Tomorrow? Love the swatch.
Another must-have for me! I love everything green and this is such a unique color! I’m in love!
All of the CND colors I’ve tried so far are nothing short of wonderful so I’m definitely going to snatch this duo up.
Thanks for the wonderful swatches.
I love teals!
Gorgeous! I need more effects!
I had just been wondering what happened to those two — I remember when you mentioned them before. They are SO PRETTY I can’t wait until they come out!
I’ve been waiting for this set to be discussed in more detail. It seems to be more green than I remember, though, so I’m not sure if I’ll end up getting it.
For comp purposes, I’d like to see it next to MAC’s Blue India. I’m sure they’re quite different, but that’ll help me judge the color better.
I want! <3
LOVE these colors!
I really like the color plus the effects make it look so pretty. As far as using the new stickey and the super shiny top coat, I love it! Its awesome. I constantly wash my hands and wash dishes and I am not joking my manicure last for days. With very little tip wear. I definitely think it’s a must have.
Wow, the sunlight just makes it pop! Beautiful. I’d like to see this compared to OPI Jade is the New Black–I don’t think they’re that similar, but I’d like to see them side by side.
Hey ALU,
My first comment !!
I suggest you check up on Diamond Shine top coat by Sally Hansen. Since I use it, I have minimal tip wear and the shine stays longer than usual. This is my favorite top coat so far. I can keep my nails a whole week and my job requiere MUCH typing!! I’m surprised I did’nt find a review of it on your site yet !
I Love Love Love your site, it’s so fantastic now I can share my passion with, well, you
Sorry for some typos, my first language is french
Long time reader from Canada, titeju.
hmm these i like! i especially appreciate the sunlight pic, they’re helpful and i hope you continue to do more photos in the sun. they seem to be more color accurate than your lightbox photos.
This is such a beautiful combination! Love the effect created by Teal Sparkle. But, Michelle I wish that you would also review some more drugstore brands, for example, Colorbar. They have a gr8 range of shades here in India at least. Also, try out some polishes from Korean brands like Miss Claire and Honey Sweet; they have an awesome range of beautiful shades in several finishes. Right now, I have applied a beautiful light blue holo from Miss Claire on my nails.Looks gr8!
I feel like I’ve seen Urban Oasis before, but I can’t think of what brand had such a similar polish. Anyway, to me it’s just okay. Nothing fab.
How does this one compare with Illamasqua Muse? I’d like to see them side by side- this one looks like it would be close, but perhaps darker? Oh, who am I kidding- I’m gonna get it anyway!!!
Looks fab. I am so in love with the Color&Effects from CND. For the first time have I succeeded in wearing my polish for five days before the wear was too visible – and for the first time am I able to wake up and NOT have my sheets shown on the polish. It dries SOOO fast. LOVE IT.
My experience is that you definately needs to use the top coat, as the Effects tends to get very scratcy if you don’t.
I was wondering if either Emerald Shimmer or Jade Sparkle, will give the same effect as Teal Sparkle…
Finally just a combo you might like… One coat of Desert Suede and one coat of Frosting Cream. This gives a very discreet nude color – fab.
One last question – is Urban Oasis a cold or neutral color?
Any idea when these two shades are coming out? It’s September already, and I can’t find them anywhere I’ve looked…
I’ve been wondering the same damn thing! I saw it in InStyle makeover and have been looking for it since then. I don’t even see it on CND’s website
I’ve seen them online at BeBeautiful.com and TransDesign.com
What?? No no, I just checked Transdesign like 2 hours ago, they weren’t on there.
I must be losing my mind. Or they sold out already. I swear I saw them on TD on Friday. Try emailing David and see if he knows when they’re coming back in stock.
Yeah but they usually still have a picture of it on the site, that’s marked N/A, but there’s nothing.
Whatever, I’ll ask if they will be selling it
Just got these from TransDesign yesterday, and they are awesome! Urban Oasis is exactly the color of a cardigan I wore in high school nonstop! Haven’t tried the sparkle yet, the color is too good on its own.
I just reviewed the super shiney too and I love it. It really imparts huge shine.