Fiery copper shimmer!
The Quick Take
Brand/Name: Spa Ritual Running with Wolves
Color: Copper
Finish: Shimmer
Price: $10-13 CDN for 15mL
Seen at: Nail Polish Canada, Spa Boutique, and various spa/salons.
Note(s): Spa Ritual is a vegan and cruelty free brand. Sephora also carries the Spa Ritual brand but the color availability might vary per store. I got my bottle as a surprise birthday gift from the ever so awesome Mary of Swatch and Learn (thanks again, Mary!).
The Fun Facts
Token bottle shot.
Back of the bottle.
Label at the base.
Skinny Spa Ritual brush.
Shimmery, glow-y copper goodness!
Will you look at that pretty brown based copper? It definitely has that lit from within look and just glows, especially in bright light. The shimmer is made even better by the not-so visible brushstrokes that give the finish an almost metallic look to it. Now, I honestly thought it was a little strange that this was called Running with Wolves when the animal that the color brings to mind are foxes. Owing to my insatiable curiosity, I did a bit of digging around the interwebs and found out that there are, in fact, red wolves! There are actually two different species of wolves in North America: the grey wolf (Canis lupus), which I'm more familiar with, can be found in the northeastern US, Canada (no wonder!) and Europe. They're the bigger of the two and have thicker fur that may be grey or golden. The red wolf (Canis rufus) has shorter, redder hair and can be found in the Southeastern US. The arctic wolves that are all white are subspecies of the grey wolf that live in Alaska and Northern Canada (no, they're not albino and researchers think albinism doesn't exist in wolves). Huh. You learn something new everyday! Oh, and here's another fun fact: wolves are born with deep blue eyes that gradually darken and change color to either grey, brown, gold or green as they age. If you see a blue-eyed adult wolf, it'll most likely be a cross breed.
***All nail swatches were done with Nail Tek II Foundation Base Coat and two coats of Spa Ritual Running with Wolves unless stated.
Still nice and shimmery even in low light.
Notice how it glows when the light hits it just right?
You even see individual flecks in the sunlight.
The Spa Ritual brush is a bit on the skinny side. It reminds me a lot of the Orly brush so it's not exactly Essie skinny. It fans out nicely so you do still cover a good amount of nail with each stroke. The formula applied like butter and using both in tandem made application a dream. I even got into the tight spots close to the cuticle without quite touching it. That's major points for me as I'm not very patient when it comes to clean up and I didn't even need any for this polish. What you see in the swatches is exactly how I applied it. I'd also like to point out that the formula was quite pigmented so you can probably get away with a single thick coat for full coverage (though I won't recommend it). Dry time was average.
Definitely shinier, yeah?
Hammie says: It's not quite as sparkly as I'd like but it looks fantastic!
Hammie says: Wow. Like glowing embers!
Clearly, top coat helps Running with Wolves reach its full shine potential.
The Lowdown
I wanted to be able to provide you with options, but I searched high and low, and I've come up with nothing. This, apparently, looks to be quite the unique copper shimmer! I thought for certain it was a match to Nubar Gold Leaf (or at least to the duochrome color it shifts to) but even that was more red tinged compared to Running with Wolves' more orange/brown leaning base. Even China Glaze Harvest Moon pales in comparison to the intense lit from within aspect that Running with Wolves boasts of. The finish between the two are also strikingly different, with Harvest Moon being a foil and not a shimmer. Not to worry! It doesn't appear to be a limited release so you should still be able to find this color with no problem, especially if you don't mind shelling out more than $10 for a bottle. Luckily, I didn't have to, but I will say this: for any copper fanatic out there, this one is worth every single penny. I adore how it glows in bright light and how absolutely perfect for fall the shade is. Bonus points for a fantastic application!
Hammie understands that a great application experience can easily up the score despite other issues like the lack of availability or easily duplicated color. Thankfully, that isn't the case with Running with Wolves. Even the higher-than-our-cap price tag can be overlooked for a unique nail polish that practically applies itself. This is truly nitpicking on his part when he says the only thing he can fault Running with Wolves for is the need for top coat to raise its shine level to his strict standards. I couldn't very well allow him to dock a point for something like that! So it should come as no surprise that the final score is a whopping:
Happy Monday! I've had a great start to what's looking like a crazy busy week (what with helping out at another pop up shop happening during Fan Expo this coming weekend) so I can't really complain. Yesterday, I even got to meet the stunning Marta from Chit Chat Nails. I am so amazed by what a beautiful person she is, inside and out. And I'm still tickled pink that I can finally call her a real life friend! We had such a blast just talking and laughing! I didn't even realize how fast time flew by! *grins* Then the mailman finally came through for me earlier today and I am now a proud owner of a set of Star Trinkets earrings that I won from the lovely Susan (also of The Subtle Shimmer fame). I am so blessed to have such awesome nail buddies! *even bigger grin* But getting back to today's polish: Have you ever tried any Spa Ritual polishes? What colors speak fall to you? Do you have your eye on any of the new fall releases?
I love Spa Ritual. I have three. Rusted Lux was a dream polish that I finally got my hands on!
ReplyDeleteLove the glow! I love the brand but it's relatively pricey. It is owned by the daughter-in-law of Orly's boss, and he mentored her, so it's not surprising to find similarities between the two, even of some shades. And thanks for the shoutout!
ReplyDeleteI'm a new fan so I'm grateful for the feedback. Thanks, Shannon! This is one of the first Spa Ritual polishes I've tried and so far, so good! :) I looked up Rusted Lux, it *is* mighty pretty! Yay you!! :D
ReplyDeleteSo happy that you're enjoying this polish! You wear it so well, and it looks better on your nails than it does in the bottle. Fabulous swatches, Carmela!
ReplyDeleteHmm...that's really interesting that albinism doesn't exist in wolves. I didn't know that before, either!
I can't thank you enough for this beauty, Mary!! :D I'm wearing the heck out of it once more of those leaves start changing. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou learn something new everyday! I was pretty surprised to find that out, too. How strange when practically every other species exhibits it!