Not a spring release but definitely has a spring-y feel!
The Quick Take
Brand/Name: Color Club Shabby Drab
Color: Dusty periwinkle
Finish: High gloss creme
Price: $3.00 USD - $8.00 CDN for 15mL
Seen at: Trade Secrets, Winners, Nail Polish Canada, various beauty retailers.
Note(s): First seen in a Truckload Tuesday post, I got this in a set of 6+1 for $12.99, bringing the per bottle price to just about $2. Shabby Drab is part of the Back to Boho Collection from Fall 2011.
The Fun Facts
Notice how the brush handle isn't rubberized and is missing the logo at the top.
Small, thin brush that makes it so easy to apply.
***Yes, some photos are missing but this particular bottle didn't come with a label or with the standard rubberized brush handle. My theory is that these bottles are sold for much cheaper in sets because of the lack of those particular steps in the manufacturing process.
Shabby Drab is easily one of those colors that most people misjudge and call "simple". Sure, it's a creme finish and that usually means that it's a fairly straightforward color. Not so much is the case with Shabby Drab. It's usually described as a muted or dusty periwinkle creme. The beauty of this particular shade is that it toes the line between purple and blue so well that in some lights and angles it looks more blue, and in others it leans more purple. It's not a duochrome kind of color shift, but you do see that it can look noticeably different in various lighting conditions. Apart from this, the finish on this creme is phenomenal. It's definitely one of the shinier cremes I've ever encountered! I usually associate this kind of shine with jelly polishes but this one isn't sheer at all to be called a jelly. Maybe a jelly creme hybrid?
***All nail swatches were done with Nail Tek II Foundation Base Coat and two coats of Color Club Shabby Drab unless stated.
How ridiculously shiny is this? You can practically use this as a mirror!
See how it looks more purple here?
The dusty quality keeps it from looking like your run of the mill pastels.
Before we go into application and all that, can we first talk about how amazingly shiny this particular creme is? Very much like its sister that came out in the same collection, New Bohemian, Shabby Drab showcases an amazing finish that makes top coat practically negligible. It's astounding, really, how shiny this is. Heck, you can even see me holding my camera in that first swatch photo in natural light! As for application, this applies like a dream. It's a self-leveling formula that eliminates any sign of brushstrokes after drying. The thin brush actually makes it ideal to apply this formula as you can easily fan out the bristles to cover more nail area if needed, as well as get into the tight spots and close to the cuticle otherwise. The shorter handle makes for easier control all around. I would've preferred the standard rubberized handle for a better grip but I guess the polishes that come in sets are sold for so much cheaper that they lose out on the rubberized grip front. It's not really a bit deal, just a nice to have. Dry time was surprisingly quick for this one. It's practically dry to the touch after finishing application with one hand, about a couple minutes or so.
As reflective as the finish is, I doubt it would be deemed acceptable to retouch your lipstick using your nails.
Natural light/Top coat/Flash
Hammie says: Shiny, just the way I like it!
Hammie says: Oh, goodness! Are you trying to blind me??
I know what you're thinking. You're wondering if I re-used photos from the ones without top coat. I swear, there's top coat but seeing as how insanely glossy Shabby Drab is by itself, top coat really doesn't add much value to an already phenomenal finish.
The Lowdown
If you're either a big periwinkle fan or collect loads of Zoya polish, you're no doubt thinking that Shabby Drab looks eerily familiar. It does. Zoya Caitlin is the closest color duplicate to this dusty periwinkle. From photos I've seen, Caitlin looks very, very slightly darker than Shabby Drab. But other than that, these two could virtually be twins! It would take a very keen eye to really spot the difference. So unless you have an unexplainable compulsion to own all the shades of the rainbow and then some, I doubt you really need both in your collection. If you're out of luck and don't (yet) own Caitlin, Shabby Drab will definitely satiate the lemmings (not the rodent kind but the needy I-want-it-now kind). It should also be easy to spot as it's a relatively new release and unless stocks are low, you should be able to get your hands on this. As for value for price, I paid a lot less than what this polish usually retails for so I'd say I got a pretty good deal.
Hammie was mesmerized with how shiny Shabby Drab turned out to be. He initially scoffed at it, too, saying it was 'just another' periwinkle. He's since eaten his words. Finding nothing to be cranky about, he scores Shabby Drab a perfect:
10 Hammie Points!
Are you still wishing for more snow or are you ready to move on to spring? What's the shiniest creme polish you own? What polish finishes do you prefer?
