Orly Cosmic FX Fall 2010 Collection Swatches & Review
2010 is turning out to be the year of texture. Satin, glitter, sequins, crystals, etc. have all been making a splash in the nail world. Orly has certainly stepped up their game with the Cosmic FX collection.
Combining natural rock minerals, crystals, and glass they have taken duo-chrome polishes to a new level. We’re talking the multi-dimensional love child of foil and duo-chrome. Each polish flashes multiple colors depending on the angle and how the light hits it. These are certainly not shades for the color shy. |
Application and Formula: The Orly Cosmix FX formula is 4-Free (which includes Formaldehyde Resin) and comes in the regular Orly bottle with the fan fave rubberized cap. The brush is long and thin with flexible bristles. I personally would like if there were more bristles to get more coverage in each stroke.
There is a drawback to this formula, opacity. To suspend the multi-sized particles, the base is pretty sheer. Due to that, each polish requires at least three coats. Also, there’s something about this formulation that makes the polish take longer to dry. Twice while swatching these I had to start over because I would bump something at least 30 minutes after applying and get a huge dent. That’s with a top coat applied. Granted I was using CND Super Shiney which is not a quick dry top coat but still it shouldn’t be denting that easily after that much time.
Removal: The particles do make removal a bit more cumbersome than a regular creme or shimmer polish but not as bad as a traditional glitter. Watch for staining with Halley’s Comet. You should consider an extra layer of base coat with that one.
FYI: You guys have no idea how hard these polishes are to photograph. Seriously, I’ve had them for over a month and I didn’t swatch them earlier, in part due to the original September launch date but, because they are a bitch to capture. The duo-chrome effect only shows up at an angle so I’m showing all of these with a close-up from the side. I thought about doing photos in sunlight but it just blew out the color and looked really inaccurate. That’s the main reason I rarely take photos in the sun. I don’t think it tells the real color story.
Lunar Eclipse is a vibrant electric blue packed with purple and pink particles. This probably the most opaque of the polishes. This one and the purple, Out of This World. The finish on all these is like the foils we love but on steroids.
Rocket Science makes me think of Swamp Thing, that early 80s flick with Adrienne Barbeau. It’s this mossy, browned green base with gold and ivy green sparkle. It’s more flattering in person than it looks here but it’s still one of those ugly pretty shades that will probably only appeal to small group.
Halley’s Comet is the only real let down in this group for one very big reason. It’s a dead-on dupe for OPI Catch Me In Your Net and its doppelganger Zoya Charla. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a gorgeous color. A stunning turquoise base with gold, green and blue pieces. I’ve spotted the OPI & Zoya versions on people all summer long but I can’t help but wonder what the difference is between the formulas because on the nail they look identical.
Out of this World has an inky blackened plum base filled with purple and pink glimmer. The official description from Orly says there is silver FX in this polish but it flashes golden to me. This color looks like a glitterized grape popsicle on the nails. The golden flash is pretty minimal. This is probably the least duo-chrome of the bunch. What I find interesting is that in the bottle OotW looks a lot like Zoya Julieanne from the Wicked collection. Are we seeing a pattern here?
Galaxy Girl looks like a bruise to me with its mix of berry, blue and green. The base color is reminiscent of dried blood which sounds gross but it’s not. On the nail, the blue FX is the prominent color and the green takes a backseat. I’m not a huge fan of how this looks on me. I feel it brings out the ruddiness I try to mask in my skin tone.
Space Cadet is my absolute favorite polish in this collection and I know that will surprise you but believe me, it’s killer. Photos do it a serious disservice. It’s the most multi-faceted polish in this collection and changes color like a chameleon as you move your hand. One second it’s rosy, then you move and see a coppery flash. At certain angles it looks mauve and others it’s pink. What’s funny is the base is teal so you see this glow of blue-green coming through. In the bottle I was not loving this color AT ALL. On the nail, I couldn’t stop staring at it.
Bottom Line: I don’t know that these polishes necessarily justify the higher price tag. I can only assume that there are some costly ingredients that aren’t normally in Orly polishes. I think I was more excited when I saw them in the bottle because they looked so magical. On the nail, some of them fall flat. The only one I’m dubbing a must-have is Space Cadet. Lunar Eclipse is beautiful and definitely gets the runner-up prize. I love Out of this World but the jury is out until I compare it to Zoya Julieanne.
The Orly Cosmic FX collection was supposed to launch in September 2010 but I’ve already seen it online so I would start checking your local Sally Beauty Supply, ULTA, etc. if you want to scoop these up. The Cosmic FX polishes will retail for $10/ea for a .6oz bottle.
Are you feeling the effects of the Cosmic FX? Do you think the finish justifies the price tag? Will you be running out to get these? Which colors are speaking to you most?
Disclosure: Product samples were furnished to me by Orly. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
hmm i thought these dried EXTREMELY fast when i swatched them, that’s crazy they seemed not to on you. i also love the super smooth finish of this collection. although most of them are dupeable, i still like Orly’s formula so these might be winners over their look-a-likes.
I love them all, but I’m only getting OoTW and Galaxy Girl.
Thanks for posting these! I’ve been waiting to see more swatches (there have been some, but not many) before deciding which ones I want, and I really only want Space Cadet (MUST!) and Galaxy Girl.
The green seems very similar to the Halloween China Glaze colour, and also to some other one a lot of people have been comparing that one to, and the deep blue (Lunar Eclipse?) is very similar to one of the newer HDs, so there really are only two that don’t have dupes or very similar shades out there, as far as I could tell from swatches. I’d be very interested to see a comparison of the greens and of the purple with Zoya Julieanne at some point.
I thought Rocket Science looked like China Glaze’s Zombie Zest myself. I’d be curious to see how those compare!
Space Cadet is stunning!! It’s got a copper rainbow thing going. I have to say that I kindof like the bruisey Galaxy Girl as it looks a bit different. They’re not at the Sally’s I normally frequent, but I’m hoping they make an early release.
I’ll have to see them in person and I’m wary of the formula but Rocket Science & Galaxy Girl are my top two
Thanks for the great swatches! I think I want Galaxy Girl and Space Cadet. The higher price does not seem justified to me given the fact that the formula sounds harder to work with; a longer drying time and difficult removal. The idea that a company would raise the price just because of a new/different formula is kind of a turn off. I’d be more likely to try one bottle instead of two or more.
Welp, I really have to have Space Cadet. The $10 price tag is sort of annoying to me just because it’s one of those situations where I have to have it, and the price doesn’t really matter.. I wish I were paying less, but I’ll pay the $10… ya know?
I love Out of This World, but I don’t think I really need any of the others. Lunar Eclipse is also nice.
Definitely won’t be running to get these, I generally think over-shimmery polishes as being appropriate only for tweens and cheerleaders! LOL. No matter how enraptured I am with a foil or extra shimmer polish, after about 3 days I’m looking at my hands in disgust, so I definitely won’t be shelling out any extra cash for these. excellent review!
Since they’re so pricey, I’ll probably only end up getting one: Space Cadet. And *maybe* Galaxy Girl. I already have Zoya’s Charla, so that one’s out. OoTW kinda reminds me of Zoya’s Mimi.
I kind of think these have been hyped up a bit. I do give props to Orly though for innovation, but I’m not sure these are as awesome as I had thought. I mean, after all the promo and everything, I’m expecting stars to be shooting out from my nails, haha. I’m definitely getting Space Cadet though; the color is super unique. Great swatches, thanks so much for this review
The only one I am in love with is Out of this world, which is horrible for me since I am a collector os limited editions. But seeing both Out of this world and Galaxy Girl give my some nice ideas for a universe Mani, they would make an amazing background color for space.
Thank you very much for this great post!
Bad for my wallet, I want them all!!! Hope you could do the comparison between Out Of This World and the Zoya.
I intend to. I would have showed it in the post but I didn’t notice the comparison until I was almost done writing.
I love Galaxy Girl and Space Cadet, but am a bit disappointed on the rest of them. I was expecting more duochrome action.
I actually really like Rocket Science. I think it would be such a great contrast to some of the fall colours coming out in clothing. Imagine black pants with a great chunky bordeaux or pumpkin or forest sweater and Rocket Science nail polish!! Soo edgy and fashion forward!
I’m sorry if this has been asked before, but how do you keep your cuticles so perfect and flawless? Wow!
Really love Lunar Eclipse, Out of this World and Space Cadet. I know you said your photos don’t do the colors justice, but my god you did an amazing job capturing the multiple colors in each shade! I’d love to see OotW compares to CG Mummy May I? from the Halloween collection. OotW clearly has a lot more shimmer, but I’d still be interested to see them side by side. Thanks!
I’m wondering how your wear was with these. The Foil FX polishes last me a full week with no chipping (they’re amazing), but Space Cadet started chipping in 3 days.
i like them all and the dupe factor is a bonus because the opi & zoya are a bit pricier and the etailers have these for 5 bucks–not to mention orlys bottle is 6oz! bonus for me and my wallet plus i really have been wanting julieanne and now its a dupe out there
I bought Space Cadet yesterday and wore it today. I also couldn’t stop staring. It’s like Mardi Gras on the nail, seriously. I think I ended up doing 4 very thin coats, and it all dried rather quickly. I am so glad I picked this one!
Thanks so much Michelle! I’ve been looking forward to these swatches forever. To be honest, now that I see them, I’m a little disappointed that there are so many “dupes”. I don’t own Julianne but i’ve been waiting to buy the whole wicked/wonderful sets so maybe i’ll pass on ootw. I wonder how so many dupes happen in one given period of time. Totally off topic but just an FYI for the readers…JCPenny has the OPI Swiss collection and it’s on sale for buy one get one 50% off plus a $10 coupon in their flier. Not a bad deal.
That’s to bad…I was really looking forward to this collection. I wonder how Galaxy Girl compares to the oldie Mabelline Vanishing Venus or (Urban Decay/Hard Candy?) Bruise? Ill probably only pick up galaxy girl and space cadet. Thanks for the great review!
I’ve had Space Cadet and Out of This World for about a month now (somehow my local salon supply sold me their sample bottles, along with one bottle from the upcoming holiday collection, whoops!) and I’ve worn Space Cadet twice already, that’s how amazing it is.
I agree, the bottle does not do it justice. I was so thrilled when I put it on, I couldn’t stop ogling my nails for *days*. And, as if it wasn’t ridiculous enough on its own, it looks AMAZING with something like SH Hidden Treasure, Nubar 2010, or Gosh Rainbow over the top – big warm opal flakies of goodness.
With the dupes and close dupes out there, I might pass at this collection for that price. I can’t justify spending $10 on a bottle for it, especially when I already have something close to it already.
Haha, Swamp Thing! That is definitely one of those ugly pretty shades that I seem to love. And I must say I am going CRAZY over Galaxy Girl. Based on pics that’s my fave.
Oh I can’t wait to get hold of these. Please please please swatch ‘Tis The Season collection as well, they are already on sale but there are no swatches at all.
I think it’s a testament to how gorgeous Charla/Halley’s Comet/CMIYN is that every time I see it in a brand I don’t own (I’ve got the OPI version) I still want to buy it. Its prettiness makes my heart flutter and it tries to suck me into buying it anyway.
I’m loving all of these, and will likely buy all of them except (Gods willing!) Halley’s Comet. Since the effects are somewhat similar to those from Summer’s Sally Hansen HD release I wonder how great they’d be for layering. It looks like they’re more pigmented (yay!), but I’ve been having a great time layering the SHs over odd polishes all summer long.
I’m in LOVE!
yay Orly for finally putting out some colors that excite me!
Waaayyy beautiful! Must check if they’re available in Malaysia!
Rocket Science was the one that caught my eye in all the reviews. Now that I see a swatch I not so sure it would suit my skintone. It might be too gold. But if I make an order I will propably still get it. Space Cadet is lovely too.
My biggest concern (apart from the price tag) is the long dry time. I’ve had that problem with Orly’s Gogo and it is so annoying! Though, I didn’t expect to see that with foils. I’m glad to see that kelliegonzo from the first comment had the opposite experience. Maybe there’s some variety among the bottles.
About the 10 dollar price, that’s bit too much if the formula has some issues. Although if this collection ever makes it to Finland, I bet the price will be more like 20 bucks. That’s what they charge for the regular Orlys and OPIs.
I don’t normally like shimmer/glitter on my fingernails but I really want Space Cadet and Galaxy Girl.
I’m also interested in Rocket Science compared to CH Zombie Zest. I love that kind of ugly color!
I’m definitely getting Space Cadet for now.
Thanks for the review. Ran out and scored Space Cadet at my local Ulta this morning! Love your blog!!
Ah, Michelle, I agree with you again! I was in Ulta yesterday and these were just being put out – not even on the shelf yet but behind the counter. I was definitely intrigued and in a split second decision I decided to go with Space Cadet!!! That was the only one I went with in the bunch because I couldn’t resist all the flashes of different colors. Thanks for such a fantastic review as usual!
I was all excited that I could now get a cheaper dupe for Charla, until I saw the $10. Aw man. Anyway, they’re all beautiful.
Hi there! You said you’ve seen them online, where?!
Good Day M’Lady.
I’ve looked everywhere and I can’t find them and MUST HAVE THEM! A thousand pardons, it is of utmost importance that a purchase these polishes with all urgency.
Hi Jules! TransDesign.com has them on sale already
Where are you seeing these online? I’d love to get my hands on them.
I saw them on TransDesign.com I didn’t want to link to them in the post in case they aren’t supposed to have it on sale yet
The blue Lunar Eclipse is VERY close to Sally Hansen Ultra HD “Laser”
Lunar Eclipse looks a lot like Sally Hansen’s Ultra HD in Laser.
I LOVE this collection – especially ROCKET SCIENCE! I never but collections and I always wait until polishes are on sale and out of season before I buy but for this collection I will make an exception. LOVES IT – thanks for the review!
Oh MY!!!!!!!!! This is the best polish collection I have seen so far! I cannot wait to buy them all!!
Wow! I don’t know what it is but there’s something about Galaxy Girl that makes me keep going back to it, it really draws me in! I’ll definitely be picking this up.
LOVE Galaxy Girl…I’ll be stalking Sally Beauty and Ulta until I can get my grubby little mitts on it!
hey i think im getting halyes comment its a dupe for cath me in ur net so i can tell a little black lie and say its an opi brand but i think thats the only one im getting from this collection or maybe find some other opi dupes thanks girl u help me make all my disisions on what nail polishes to get
Oh gawd… drools…!
I MUST have Space Cadet for sure! Probably a few of the others too.. like Galaxy Girl. Soooo pretty!
Wow! They are gorgeous I’ll definitely be picking up Space Cadet, Lunar Eclipse, Rocket Scienceand Galaxy Girl (even if it’s a Zoya dupe, zoya is more expensive than Orly)
Though I’m concerned with the drying time, will using a rapid top coat (such as Poshe or OPI Rapid Dry) make it shorter? I’m not very patient
Thank you for the swatches!
I just recently decided I wanted OPI Catch Me In your Net, but I couldn’t find it at any local stores. Since Charla and Halley’s Comet are dupes I looked for each of them online and in stores- Halley’s Comet is no longer available on Transdesign and between OPI and Zoya it ended up being cheaper to order Charla online. I appreciate that Orly wants these to launch in September, but when there are dupes available why should customers wait for for an official release date?
I had zero problems with drying time. I thought these dried fairly quickly. They also are all on sale at most Ulta stores, if people are looking for them. I do agree that they are hard to photograph correctly. Galaxy Girl is the winner out of the collection for me. I find the blue and pink shimmer to be very prominent in that one.
Picked up Space Cadet at ULTA this afternoon — they had the whole collection.
I want to repeat the thanks for the swatches — I would never have graduated toward that color in the bottle without seeing your swatches first!
*gravitated ::shakes head::
wow, your photos are absolutely amazing.
Oh, I really liked Out of this world and Lunar Eclipse
In case you don’t get Daily Candy, they wrote about five nail salons in NYC yesterday where you can get gel manis. Here’s a link: http://www.dailycandy.com/new-york/article/85886/The-5-Best-Places-to-Get-the-Newest-Gel-Manicures
I like Galaxy Girl but that Halley’s comet looks pretty too.
Galaxy Girl and Space Cadet are the most interesting to me. GG reminds of Urban Decays Bruise which I never got, but if its true the green flecks take a back seat here, I might be even more interested.
Rocket Science is really pretty when its flashing mossy/golden hues, not so much enjoying the green elements.
I was going to purchase some new Orly polishes on payday but I dont know that these are worth the extra 4 bucks.
Orly Cosmic FX Fall 2010 Collection Swatches-amazing web blog today. The close-ups of the nail polishes really show all the details, the comparisons I really love, what a great time saver over buying the wrong polishes. Your nails always look gorgoeus.
Nameste.
I need them all!!!
I cannot find these anywhere. Has anyone had any luck finding them? I want Space Cadet soooo bad.
Rocket Science, PLEASE! I love this shade. I seriously need to start using nail polish again. AT least I have an excuse that it’s “packed” right now for the move.
Just picked all of these up today (except for Halley’s Commet since I have Charla) at my local Ulta. Absolutely love them! Gorgeous!!!
I think I need all of these!
I bought Space Cadet at Ulta yesterday. I got an Ulta catalog in the mail with a coupon for $3.50 off any purchase of $10 or more, so I only ended up paying $7.04.
How would these be with a black or white basecoat. do you think they’d look any different in a positive way? totally want space cadet and maybe lunar eclipse
Any chance of a comparison between Lunar Eclipse and Sally Hansen HD Laser?
Thanks!
From the swatch on here, I’d say it looks VERY similar. I’ve got Lazer on my nails right now and it looks just like the swatch of Lunar Eclipse.
AND at CVS it was less than $6 for Lazer.
They’re dupes for the most part. Scrangie has a comparison photo up.:D
these colors are fab! come follow me xoxo
How does China Glaze Zombie Zest compare to Rocket Science?
Oh my, these are lovely! I so need to have It’s not Rocket Science and Space Cadet!
And the prices… It’s kinda a shocker. I live in Belgium and I have to buy almost all my nailpolishes online – I’m used to pay to pay about 9 $
(Lucky me, I found a Dutch webshop that sells Orly cosmic fx for 6.95
I just bought Space Cadet at Sally’s. They’re retailing for $8.99, but I got $1 off with my Sally Card. I wanted to also buy Galaxy Girl and Out Of This World, but couldn’t justify spending that much on polish right before payday. Maybe later this week I’ll pick up another! My Sally’s didn’t have them out yet, but I asked the nice saleswoman and she went in the backroom and found the display waiting to be put out on the floor and let me buy them!
Is Out of this World similar to the China Glaze purple from the Wizard of Oz collection? I am getting over run with polish and dont wear purple that much. But if its a good duochrome I would get it. Thanks
I could tell right away space cadet was for me! I’ve been looking for a similar shade and sincerely hope the sally beauty supply near me has it
I agree with you, I only want Space Cadet and Lunar Eclipse.
I picked up Space Cadet yesterday and I have noticed it bubbles horribly! The first attempt last night was a disaster, so I decided to wait longer between coats. Last night I applied a base coat, and this morning I applied a thin first coat. I waited an hour to apply a thin second coat, and it’s bubbles all over. Anyone else think this is polish-specific? I have read tips before to prevent bubbling, and I always roll the bottle in my hand to mix rather than shake it, and wait between coats. Am I missing something else, or is it this formula?
I bought it yesterday and applied it right after I got back from the mall, maybe it’s your bottle mine applied nicely.
hola
hoy recib
sallys has them right now for 7.99! i got haileys comet because i missed out on the summer flutter collection
I saw these in my local CVS for 6.99 today and grabbed GG. Might go back for SC now that I’ve seen the swatch here again.
Wow, I’m really glad I saw this! I got space cadet on a whim when I passed it by in CVS this weekend. I was going to go back and pick up a bunch because of how amazing this color is, and how long it lasts. Now I think I might only go get HC simply because its not a color I really have. I love the look of OoTw but I think I have an old Opi purple that is quite similar.Thanks so much for your detailed post!!
I’m so dissapointed. One day and I have chipping everywhere!!! I use the ESSIE Base and Topcoat. What am I doing wrong?!
Just found this post as per my question about Rocket Science – I need every single one of these colors now. Thanks!
Wow these are beautiful shades,i love the blue one.Women love to keep their nails clear and with the best nail designs.I like the content and i have bookmarked the site for reference.
Is Out Of This World still available anywhere?
I love the fact that you have dead on the same exact skin tone as me so when I look at these photos I pretty much already know how it will look at me!!
I just bought space cadet and had a manicure with it today. I’s AWESOME and yes very hard to photograph! I tried to do that for facebook.
I bought Space Cadet and Lunar Eclipse. I love both. But, I did notice bubbles in the LE, Kris. And you are right, Michelle, very hard to photograph.
love these definitely worth it only have three from this collection space cadet,( which i love), galaxy girl, and rocket science. they are all lovely!
i just found your post , its really great..Thanks for this post ..
I just bought Space Cadet recently and I LOVE it! Colors I get are purple, green and gold. It’s my new fav. I got a week of wear out of it too. I do agree that it is very sheer. I did not have an issue with drying time.