Hey, y’all! It has been a minute and a half since I was able to come in and play in the nail blog. You already know the chorus to my song: Life, Life, Life, and more LIFE! I just realized it is almost the end of November. Thanksgiving is literally peeking at me from around the corner. And I never posted ANY November birthstone polishes! Note to Self: This is probably why we don’t do long series on this blog. And, also, why we can’t have nice things. *ahem*
For November, I decided to stick with the more traditional birthstone of Topaz. Topaz comes in many different colors and shades, but I decided to stick with my favorites: the blues. When I think “Topaz”, the stones and colors that immediately come to mind are London Blue Topaz and Swiss Blue Topaz. Out of the two, I admit I have a slight preference for London Blue. I like the strong, peacock-like color of these stones.
This is a London Blue Topaz. This is one of my rings. It was the first custom ring I had made, several years ago. The stone is probably not the greatest cut, and I will have to ask you to ignore the dusty dragon head in this photograph. But, I love the color of this stone, and I feel like it will give you an idea of the color you would generally find on this type of stone. I love this shade of blue for how strong and bold it is. It reminds me of a peacock blue or, maybe, the blue of deep ocean water.
And, a Swiss Blue Topaz. This is one of my rings I sometimes wear on my right hand. Again, this is not the greatest photo, and probably not the greatest cut on this gemstone. But hopefully it will give you an idea of the color which is a lighter, brighter blue that, to me, seems to have an airy sort of quality to it.
With that, let’s jump into the polishes! I have a total of 13 mainstream polishes to share in this post. I realize it may seem excessive. Heck, perhaps it is excessive! But I have a large collection, and I am particularly drawn to the blues. So … this gemstone, much like the “blue sapphire” posts that started off this series, is right up my alley in terms of polish! The cremes I will share struck me as being particularly close to either London Blue or Swiss Blue in color tone. And, of course, there are a few sparklers in here that give a bit more of a “gemstone” look, overall. With mainstream polishes, the “sparkle” can be a little harder to find, as it seems most mainstream brands stick mostly toward creme finishes.
China Glaze, DV8.
I feel like I am starting off this mainstream list with a visual bang, because this polish is so bright, bold, and lovely. I do find the holographic noticeable with this polish, although it is not as noticeable as what you would find with an indie holographic. Still, this shade of blue can’t be beat. I think of this one as somewhat between London Blue and Swiss Blue in color, but the brightness of it leans more toward Swiss Blue for me.
China Glaze, Sexy in the City.
This polish is more of a London Blue for me, although it would be a lighter London Blue. This polish has a very subtle shimmer that catches the light in a nice way, although it is really subtle until the light hits it just right.
China Glaze, Water You Waiting For?
When I looked at my swatch photo for this polish, I immediately thought: London Blue, baby! This one definitely has that depth of color that makes me think of peacocks and deep ocean water. And it has just a little bit of sparkle from all the glittery bits. Super pretty polish!
China Glaze, What I Like About Blue.
This is a Swiss Blue Topaz polish in my mind. It is so pretty and bright. I think it has the brightness of color and sort of “airy” quality you would see in this type of stone. It also has a lovely shimmer running throughout for just a hint of sparkle.
OPI, Do You Sea What I Sea?
This has some London Blue Topaz vibes for me. I love the gently subtle sparkly shimmer it has across each nail. It catches the light in a lovely way. I also love the mix of purple in the undertone of this color. It deepens the blue nicely.
OPI, Nessie Plays Hide and Sea-k.
This polish says “London Blue Topaz” to me due to the beautiful, lighter blue/turquoise looking shimmery glow that it has. This is something I have noticed in my own London Blues. When the light hits the stone just right, you will see sparks of brighter/lighter blue deep down inside the gemstone. It’s so pretty and mysterious — just like this polish!
OPI, OPI Grabs the Unicorn by the Horn.
This is a Swiss Blue Topaz polish for me. It is slightly dusty or muted in color tone. But, overall, I feel it still has the brightness and lightness I would like to see in this type of gemstone. This is such a wearable color to me. I love blues so much that one like this almost feels like a neutral. I feel like it goes with everything!
Zoya, Dory.
This is a Swiss Blue Topaz polish to me. It is light, bright, and beautifully airy. It reminds me of a lovely, cloudless Spring day.
Zoya, Muse.
I’m actually not sure if I would classify this one as a London Blue or a Swiss Blue. I feel like it falls somewhere in between the two in terms of depth of color and the type/tone of blue. It is so beautifully sparkly that it makes me think of gemstones every time I look at it.
Zoya, Rayne.
This one is Swiss Blue Topaz all the way for me, y’all! I love this polish, although I don’t wear it nearly as much as I should. Considering how big my stash has gotten, it is safe to say I don’t wear any of my polishes as much as I should — ha, ha! This polish is definitely light and bright and just a little bit sparkly.
Zoya, Rebel.
This is another Swiss Blue Topaz polish for me. It is a little more metallic looking than “gemstone” looking, but the color, to me, is perfectly on-point for Swiss Blue Topaz.
Zoya, Remy.
I am rounding out my mainstream Topazes with this moody, sort of vampy beauty. I freaking LOVE this polish. It tends to be a stainer on me. But you know what? I forgive it each and every time. Just look at this color. This one says London Blue Topaz to me all the way.
THE WRAP-UP:
That’s a “wrap” for the first installment of my November Topazes. I may post the indie one later this evening. Or, I may post it next week, as I have a few days off from work due to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. We shall see! Either way, I think I will be able to get this month’s birthstones done and dusted just under the wire. One day, y’all, I am going to post one of these at the beginning of the month. And we will all fall over dead from the shock of it. Seriously!
So. What do y’all think about the November Topazes I have chosen? If you are a November baby, what is your favorite color of topaz? I would love to hear all about it!
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