Thakoon for NARS Limited Edition Nail Collection for Summer 2012 Swatches and Review

The Thakoon for NARS nail collection is absolutely perfect for summer. It's a selection of six bright, vivid shades designed by Thakoon Panichgul, inspired by the colors found in Indian spice markets. The colors are:

Thakoon for NARS Anardana

NARS Anardana. This is such an intense color that my camera couldn't process it. It's extremely saturated and very rich. It appears more warm and orange-toned in my pictures, but it's actually a deep, blue-toned fuchsia. It dries darker than bottle color but maintains its vivid color.

Thakoon for NARS Amchoor

NARS Amchoor. This is a bright, cheerful yellow creme. It has just the slightest hint of green to it so it's not pure lemon yellow. Like all the colors in this collection, it's extra rich and saturated. One of the most colorful yellows I've worn. Love it.

Thakoon for NARS Koliary

NARS Koliary. This is a cyan creme. It's like a sky blue that's just starting to lean towards a green-toned turquoise/aqua blue.

Thakoon for NARS Kutki

NARS Kutki. Kutki is a lighter, paler powder blue compared to the brighter, darker Koliary. It's white-based, so it's softer than the rest of the shades, but it is still intense.

Thakoon for NARS Lal Mirchi (NARS Bleecker Street Boutique exclusive)

NARS Lal Mirchi. This one is my favorite. It's bright red-orange. Compared to the other shades, it has a softer finish, but it is still extremely pigmented and bold. This was actually so pigmented that it was opaque in one coat on me (I'm wearing three coats here to match the rest of the shades). Lal Mirchi is a ground red pepper, but I can't help but think of this Lal when I see the name:

(image source)

Thakoon for NARS Ratin Jot

NARS Ratin Jot. NARS describes this as orchid purple, and that's the best way I can think to describe it as well. It's in between pink and purple, leaning more toward the purple side. Not quite fuchsia, not quite berry, either. The color is somewhere in between Color Club Sweet Pea and OCC Pansy; it's quite unique.

The formula on these was flawless. Perfection. I've not been a huge fan of NARS polish formula in the past, but these feel completely different than what I remember. They're the smoothest, creamiest NARS polishes I've ever used. They flowed easily onto the nail without dragging or thickening, but they didn't run, pool or drip. They went exactly where I wanted them and applied perfectly with zero effort on my part. They dried quickly and didn't bubble. The shades are all very pigmented and most were completely opaque in two coats. Kutki and Amchoor had a little bit of streaking visible at two, so I did three coats of all.

Overall, I really like this collection. It's what OPI's India collection should have been- bold, bright, vivid, intense. Every shade looks so beautifully vibrant and they have a perfect, smooth, pigmented formula. No shade seems out of place and the color selection fits the Indian market theme exactly. The only complaints I have are that the colors aren't really unique (you probably already own similar colors) and that my favorite color in the collection is a NARS Boutique exclusive (makes it hard to get if you don't live in New York) UPDATE: I've just gotten word from NARS that Lal Mirchi will be available to purchase online with the rest of the shades on 5/1. Lal Mirchi and Amchoor are my favorites from this set, but I like all of them, even the pink ones.

This collection will be available starting May 1st on www.narscosmetics.com.

(This was sent for review. Post contains an affiliate link.)