Deborah Lippmann Spring 2014 – Spring Reveries Swatches & Review
Deborah Lippmann Spring Reveries
I can’t help it, whenever I see floral-inspired shades in spring, I think of Meryl Streep’s deadpan delivery of, “Florals for spring, ground breaking,” from The Devil Wears Prada. Of course, there’s a reason florals come back in vogue so often. Spring is a time of renewal, growth and Deborah Lippmann certainly brought that energy and vision to her Spring Reveries collection.
Formula & Application
Deborah Lippmann nail polish is 5-Free (DBP, Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor) and cruelty-free. Her signature glass bottle is one of the most recognizable shapes in the industry and she maintains that look in the mini version. The curved cap was designed with professional manicurists in mind as it is shaped to rest comfortably between your fingers. The Lippmann brush is short, round and average in width with flexible bristles that easily fan out over the nail plate.
With the exception of La Vie en Rose, all of the shades in this collection have a somewhat thick, creamy texture thanks to the high level of pigmentation. They aren’t necessarily chalky but they take a bit of work to get an even, smooth finish. I found that three thin coats worked better than two thicker ones, as the polish doesn’t level as well as I would like.
La Vie en Rose on the other hand is thin and malleable but relatively sheer with no streaking. Even after three coats I could see my nail through it.
FYI, I had a spray tan the night before shooting these swatches, so excuse the splotchy color of my skin.
Deborah Lippmann Blue Orchid is a bold baby blue creme. It has a Caribbean feel to it, though that could be because I’m headed there this week.
Deborah Lippmann Blue Orchid
Deborah Lippmann Build Me Up Buttercup is a soft, creamy yellow. As we’ve come to expect, most yellows are a bother. Three coats is a given. One thing that gives it a leg up, it doesn’t have the streakiness that plagues most yellows.
Deborah Lippmann Build Me Up Buttercup
Deborah Lippmann Flowers In Her Hair is a minty/aqua confection. It’s not quite green, not quite turquoise. Like a melt-away mint candy.
Deborah Lippmann Flowers In Her Hair
Deborah Lippmann La Vie en Rose is a milky, almost white pink filled with pale rose and golden shimmer. Something about it makes me think of Essie and her signature milky sheers.
Deborah Lippmann La Vie en Rose
Deborah Lippmann Tip Toe Through The Tulips is a sweet peach creme. Like a scoop of peach ice cream.
Deborah Lippmann Tip Toe Through The Tulips
Deborah Lippmann Spring Buds is a chartreuse green creme. It’s much more yellow based than I was expecting and while I normally avoid shades like this, I’m oddly drawn to this refreshing yellow-green.
Deborah Lippmann Spring Buds
Since my dotting tools were laying out, just asking to be played with, I decided to jazz up Spring Buds with dots of Blue Orchid and Flowers In Her Hair. The only problem, they don’t stand out as much individually when dotted next to each other. Throwing in some dots of Tip Toe would have made this look much better.
Polka Dot nail art with Flowers In Her Hair and Blue Orchid
Bottom Line: The colors are all pretty and, when applied with care, they look great on the nail. However, even though they are well made, for the price point, I don’t know if there’s one shade that is so special it justifies the cost. It’s one of those things where they look beautiful as a set, all lined up together but on their own, there isn’t enough of a wow factor.
Deborah Lippmann Spring Reveries is available now at DeborahLippmann.com and coming soon to Barneys.com, Bloomingdales.com, NeimanMarcus.com, Nordstrom.com and Sephora.com. Deborah Lippmann nail polish retails for $18/ea.
Thoughts on Spring Reveries? Are any of the colors calling your name? Are you feeling florals and pastels for spring?
Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for Deborah Lippmann. Affiliate links appear in this post. When you purchase through an affiliate link, you help support this site. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
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I agree with you that the collection as a whole is the epitome of Spring, and the exciting feeling of seeing the first of each kind of flowering bulb and tree spring into bloom! However, the price of one Deborah Lippmann polish is such that it would have to offer more than just a piece of the puzzle–it has to give a real impact on its own at that price point to be of interest to me.
I love how the colors add beauty to each others, these must be awesome together for spring nail art.
Thank you for the swatches! The only one I am interested in is La Vie En Rose, which may still be too sheer for my taste. Lippmann suggests you can also layer this color over another lacquer for a “magical” effect. Did you try this? Thoughts?
I haven’t tried that yet. I know she layered it over Blue Orchid for a runway show. I’ll have to give it a go.
thanks for the swatches. I was looking forward to La Vie En Rose, but from your swatch and description I have to agree. Nothing special there. It looks like the Essies in my stash. I have a yearning for pinks this Spring, but I think I will investigate Bobbi Brown offerings instead.
I love your nail art pic! I’ve been waiting to see your swatches of La Vie en Rose. Is it similar to Cult Nails Angel Whispers but with a different finish?
They’re not at all similar IMO. LVeR is very sheer, thin and milky whereas Angel Whispers is more icy with much more sparkle
Yup, just as I suspected. Some not-so original pastel creams. The only one I can see being one that I would wear is La Vie en Rose, but even that isn’t enough for me to warrant a purchase at that price point. Bummer of a collection.
Pretty pastel shades!
I love all the colors expect La Vie en Rose. I’m not really a fan of sheer polishes. But that blue has actually have to be my favorite out of the bunch. I love blue nail polish. If I may ask, can you do a comparison of Blue Orchid to China Glaze’s Bahamian Escape? Thanks.
Blue Orchid is the only one I like – but I already have too many blue polishes (it’s a blasphemy, I know, but it’s true). I think I’ll stick with Essie Borrowed & Blue.
First swatches that I can find! I did a happy clap when I saw they were up
As common as Spring pastels are, they hold a special place in my heart. I’m tempted to buy the whole collection. Luckily for my wallet, I already have a couple milky pink Lippmann’s, and I think Butter London Fiver is a pretty close dupe for Flowers in Her Hair. The orange, yellow, and blue are already in my cart, just waiting…
They are all really pretty but I feel like I have a few of the colors from one of ORLY’s spring lines. ( I think 2012′s) I don’t own any DL but Blue Orchid is gorgeous!
Tip Toe Through The Tulips & Spring Buds are my favorites here! I’m starting to get ready to whip out all of my spring polishes!
How would you say Blue Orchid compares to Let’s Hear it For the Boy? Spring Buds to Almost Paradise? thanks
Hi Lorraine! Blue Orchid is very close to Let’s Hear It For The Boy and Spring Buds is just a hair lighter than Almost Paradise but not by much. They’re essentially dupes
Thanks for the compare. I can safely skip those 2, since I have the Footloose ones and I can also happily report that I did end up getting La Vie En Rose after seeing Lupita Nyong’o’s Oscar look! LVER is great as a layering polish, and does add something special- like a sparkly soft focus lens camera effect- to Let’s hear it For the Boy. I hope you try it over Blue Orchid. For a more opaque look on its own, I layered LVER over DL Marnie, a similar toned pale pink. ohh la la it was pure LOVE! I even tried to steal the runway look she did with the satin white tips(didn’t have Pseudo Silk Kimono but Orly Au Champagne subbed fine)- it was a fun twist on the traditional french that was girly but not too precious. I take back all the previous comments- LaVieEnRose is worth the splurge and really different from all in my stash.
I LOVE Flowers In Her Hair! Need all the mints! haha
Do you know how the Baby Blue one compares to Dior’s Spring 2014 Baby Blue Polish>
Sorry Nancy! I don’t have that one to compare it with. If I get it, I’ll let you know
Hi Nancy! I just received the Dior blue and they are nothing alike. Blue Orchid is darker and more blue/purple in comparison. I’d say Blue Orchid is more like DL Let’s Here It For The Boy while Dior Porcelaine is more or a true baby blue, along the lines of L’Oreal Royally Yours.
I love tip toe! What a pretty peach color.
These are perfect Spring shades, and I think your dots look cute
I can not wait for spring. I am totally digging that baby blue.