Deborah Lippmann Spring 2016 Afternoon Delight Swatches & Review

Writing about nails all these years has left me pretty jaded. I still get excited about seeing new colors and products, but it takes a lot to make me truly giddy, and Deborah Lippmann has done it. The Spring 2016 Afternoon Delight collection brings exciting new changes to the Deborah Lippmann line. We’re talking holo, new formula, and a new brush. Not to mention the amazing-ness that is the Gel Lab Pro system. I seriously haven’t been able to think about anything else since it arrived. I’m obsessed!

Formula & Application

Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro nail polish is 5-Free+ (Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP, Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor). What’s with the +? Well, DL’s packaging states that the formula is 7-Free; no xylene (a potential carcinogen/allergen) or parabens. The new formula also contains 10 treatment ingredients to promote nail health, shine and wear including, Evening Primrose, Biotin, Keratin, Nonychosine F, Green Tea Extract, Aucoumea, Epoxy Resin, Platinum Powder, Plexiglass, and Silk Powder.

While the signature Lippmann bottle remains the same, the brush is all new. The flat, curved brush contains 320 bristles that contour to the nail, creating the perfect C-curve at the cuticle. Due to my love of thin brushes, the paddle-like width gave me pause, but the application was flawless. Every swatch below is as-is, no clean-up!

In terms of consistency and pigmentation, the new formula feels thicker, but it has great flow and self-levels. The pigmentation is spot-on, even the peach. And you know how streaky peaches can be. Not this one! With the exception of Dirty Little Secret, which is billed as a sheer shimmer, I got excellent coverage in two coats. I used three coats with DLS because that’s the look I prefer.

About Gel Lab Pro

This new nail polish formula was built to pair with the Gel Lab Pro system, which I haven’t tried until now. OMG, love!! DL originally released a Gel Lab set that wasn’t light-sensitive, it was more like a thicker top coat that gave a gel-like appearance. This new formulation hardens and extends wear with natural light exposure (think VINYLUX, SH Miracle Gel, OPI Infinite Shine), but removes like regular nail polish.

The thing is, I’ve had the worst time with “gel” top coats until now. They either dull fast, wear poorly, or dry streaky. Not Gel Lab Pro! Yes, I sound like an infomercial, but I’m seriously amazed by this system. I’m ready to toss every other base and top coat and only use this. It’s that kind of party.

The system really does give a pillow-y, gel-like appearance to the polish, so it hides my nail flaws. It stays super glossy for days after application and there’s no Day 2 shrinkage or immediate tip wear. I’m giving the system a full-fledged test run and will give you a full breakdown on the wear, but in casual use it’s been impressive. Color me smitten. Standing O for Ms. Lippmann!

Note: Every swatch below is with the Gel Lab Pro system.

Deborah Lippmann Spring 2016 Swatches

Deborah Lippmann Dirty Little Secret is a neutral beige with subtle holographic shimmer. There’s a gold undertone to the holo, so it looks like the rainbow is being filtered through a “golden hour” sunset. As soon as I saw DLS, I was getting butter LONDON All Hail McQueen (the original) vibes, but as you can see, DLS is much lighter and not as browned. I compared it to Chanel Frenzy, simply to show that DLS’s base color is darker and cooler.

Deborah Lippmann Get Lucky is a dusty, weathered teal blue creme. Is it blue? Is it green? Good question. It reminds me of the kind of colored denim men wore in the 70s. Like Mr Green Jeans (totally dating myself) would rock this color. Nothing in my collection comes close to Get Lucky. Lippmann Hannah is more forest, essie Fall in Line is more hunter, and Morgan Taylor Holy Cow-Girl is more sage.

Deborah Lippmann The Pleasure Principle is a vibrant lilac creme. It has a lot of pink in it, true to most lilac hues, though it’s not quite as pink at Chanel Sweet Lilac or Maybelline Lust for Lilac. OPI Purple Palazzo Pants has a similar tone even though it is darker and more muted.

Deborah Lippmann Peaches & Cream is a pink-leaning peach. It’s totally wearable for cool-toned peeps, like me. And, as I mentioned above, it’s not a streaky or lumpy nightmare. Peaches can be a pain, this one is far from it. L’Oreal Macaroon Me Madly is the only peach I have that leans this pink and it’s discontinued. All the others in my collection are way too warm.

Bottom Line: If you don’t immediately fall in love with Dirty Little Secret, your heart is like the Grinch’s, an empty hole. Okay, that was harsh, but even this girl who rarely wears nudes can’t get enough. I’m wearing it now and it just makes me happy. Get Lucky is really special and I love the formula of Peaches & Cream. I don’t find warm purples that flattering, so The Pleasure Principle isn’t for me, but it’s well made. What most excites me about this collection are the brand innovations. The Gel Lab Pro formula and treatment system are stellar developments as is the new brush. You need to try one of these new colors just to experience that!

The Deborah Lippmann Spring 2016 Afternoon Delight collection is available now at DeborahLippmann.com, Beauty.com, Nordstrom.com, and Sephora.com. Nail polish retails for $20/ea.

Gel Lab Pro retails for $45 for a full-size set or $24 for a trial set at Sephora.com.

Thoughts on the Afternoon Delight color palette? Do we agree that Lippmann should give us more holo? Have you tried the Gel Lab Pro system?

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for Deborah Lippmann. Affiliate links may appear in this post. When you purchase through an affiliate link, you help support this site. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.