Nail Polish Swatches Blues

My nail polish collection is large. Polishes kept in good condition (away from heat or light) can last a long time, longer than the two years many people quote. A good thinner (I use Seche Vite) can also revive them. I have tossed polishes when thinner cannot save them or they have obviously gone bad, but it is rare. When I started collecting polishes again, I tossed all polishes older than the summer of 2013. To avoid ordering duplicates, I created a spreadsheet. Swatching them with these spoons I purchased from Amazon will help me compare the colors, finishes, and overall quality. All polishes only have one coat, because I wanted to spot the difference between my sheer and opaque polishes. We’ve all seen polishes that look dark in the bottle only to need 3-4 coats for opaqueness. No polishes have base or top coats either, because that can change the way the polish looks.

This will cover blues. These polishes look blue in the bottle or have blue in the polish name. They are not necessarily labeled blue by the polish manufacturer and do not always look blue once they’re swatched. Every time I get a new blue polish, I will edit this to add the new one in. Of course, the polish will also be featured in the article reviewing the purchase. If you’d like to see any of my other nail polish colors, I also have articles for Corals & Oranges, Yellows & Golds, Browns & Blacks, Pinks, Greens, Beiges & Nudes, Coppers and Bronzes, Reds, Sheers & Whites, Salmon & Wines, Purples, Grays & Silvers, and Nail Treatments, Base Coats, & Top Coats.

I photographed the blues in order from lightest to darkest and used a flash. Of course, the second and third pictures start with the darker blues that did not fit in the first picture. The flash is wonderful at picking up detail and finish. The individual pictures below use natural daylight for a more exact color. When I add new polishes, I will not take group pictures again, but I will place the new individual picture in order of where it lies within the shade meaning every article will have the lightest shade first and the darkest last.

Julep Aretha is an aquamarine glitter top coat. I am not filing it with the top coats, because this looks great (albeit sheer) on its own. It is also a little rough, so another top coat would be needed to smooth it out. The finish is semi glossy.

Julep Ani is a periwinkle frenzy matte glitter top coat. I am filing it with blues instead of top coats, because it has a rough finish and would need a top coat or two of its own to smooth it out. The finish is semi matte.

Formula X Crash is a clear top coat with an electric, aqua blue confetti. I am not filing this with top coats, because this looks great on its own. It is also really rough, so it would need at least two top coats to smooth it out. The finish is semi matte.

Julep Rosa is an amethyst full-coverage multidimensional holographic glitter. The dark and light purple shades combine and can look blue from certain angles (which is why I did not file this with purples). The finish is semi glossy (thanks to the lighter glitter) and slightly rough. A top coat or two can smooth this out.

Nails Inc London Lane is a blue-purple. In the bottle (click link to the left for a picture inside the bottle), it looks purple. On the nails, it looks more blue. It really is a bit of both. The finish is semi matte and slightly rough. A top coat or two can smooth it out.

Julep Luna is a light blue duochrome with jagged cut glitter (which I call confetti). This polish reminds me of Frozen. The finish is semi glossy and a little rough. A top coat can smooth it out.

Julep Liza is an aquamarine iridescent shimmer. The finish is semi glossy and mostly smooth. A top coat will smooth it out.

China Glaze Isle See You Later is a marine blue jelly. It looks sheer with one coat (but the color builds). The finish is semi matte and smooth.

Julep Darcy is a baja sunrise sheer iridescent shimmer. This is a blue with purple glitter, but the glitter looks pink in certain light. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Julep Delaney is a blue atoll vivid sheer. The finish is semi matte and smooth.

elf Pale Blue is from the Holiday 2017 set. This is a creme polish, but it needs multiple coats to build up. The finish is semi matte and smooth.

Dior Porcelaine is a pale, light-blue. The finish is semi matte and smooth.

Julep Manda is a sky blue with golden shimmer. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Julep Shelly is a winter mint crème. She looks like a a sea-foam, which lies somewhere between green and blue. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Orly Art Walks is a cool creme blue. It looks like it has a light hint of green on the nails even though it looks all blue in the bottle. The finish is semi matte and smooth.

Zoya Rayne is a light blue with turquoise shimmer. The finish is semi glossy and mostly smooth. A top coat will smooth it out.

Sinful Colors Nail Junkie is a sheer teal jelly with iridescent glitter. It looks perfectly blue in the bottle, but there is a hint of green on the nails. The finish is semi glossy (thanks to the glitter) and a little rough. A top coat or two can smooth it out.

Julep Cora is a midnight blue jelly with blue glitter. This top coat has blue and green sequins. She stands on her own, so I am not listing her with top coats. The finish is slightly rough, so it would take a top coat or two to smooth it out. It is not pictured above, because it was added after the group shot.

Julep Aquarius is a multidimensional teal duo metallic. It almost looks gray in the dark, but the glitter makes it look blue in the light. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Deborah Lippmann On The Beach is a vivid blue. It starts somewhat sheer, but the color builds. The finish is semi matte and smooth.

Sephora X Devotin’ to Floatin’ is a shimmery pearlescent teal. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Nicole By OPI On What Grounds is turquoise with blue and gray specks. The finish is semi matte and pretty rough. Two top coats may smooth it out.

Julep Something Blue is a blue crème. She is the something blue for a wedding, although I think this would not suit a bride unless her theme includes blue. The finish is semi matte and smooth.

Julep Cassidy is a bondy blue crème. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

The medium blues are below.

Julep Calla is an aqua tropics iridescent glitter. She kind of looks like a shimmery shade to tropical water. The finish is semi glossy and slightly rough. A top coat or two can smooth it out.

Julep Acacia is a blue fjore chrome. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid’s Eyes is a metallic cyan with gold micro glitter and electric blue glitter. The finish is semi glossy and slightly rough. A top coat or two can smooth this out. Mermaid’s Dream is the green version of this polish.

Julep Celeste is a cosmic gray iridescent glitter. I almost filed this with the grays, but it has an almost duo-chrome effect and looks blue in the light thanks to the multi-color glitter. The finish is semi glossy and slightly rough. A top coat or two can smooth this out.

Ciate Sequin has multi-colored sequins that I almost could have filed with multiple colors. I leaned toward silver or blue, because those two colors stand out most to me. I ultimately went with blue, because this is a bit too bright for the silvers. The finish is glossy and very rough. No amount of top coats will smooth this out.

Nails Inc Sheraton Street is a dusky gray-blue crème. The finish is semi matte and smooth.

Julep Bergen a hazy blue-gray shimmer. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Julep Eliana is a soft denim crème. It is somewhat sheer, but the color builds. The finish is semi matte and smooth.

Julep Kiki is an oceanic silver shimmer with light-blue micro glitter. In the bottle, she looks perfectly blue. From different angles, there is green present.

Julep Paulina is a  peacock duochrome. It is blue with a teal green micro glitter. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Julep Savannah is a blue topaz multidimensional full-coverage glitter. It has a sheer blue background with light blue micro glitter and dark blue confetti. The finish is semi glossy (thanks to the glitter and confetti) and slightly rough. A top coat or two can smooth it out.

Julep Serena is a true-blue gem sapphire top coat with multidimensional glitter. It has large and small glitter that is a darker blue than the sheer blue background. I did not file this in top coats, because this polish stands well enough on its own. It is slightly rough, so it would need a top coat or two to smooth it out. The finish is semi matte.

Julep Jessica is a soft baby blue crème. The finish is semi matte and smooth.

Nails Inc Princess Palace is a periwinkle crème. The finish is semi matte and smooth.

Julep Skylar is a harbor blue chrome. This actually reminds me or a harbor, because it is a gray-blue. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Formula X Arctic is a silvery blue foil. This includes a foil base coat (which will go in the base coat article) to help the foil bond. It is not quite reflective but reminds me of a mirror. The finish is glossy and smooth.

Ruffian Blue Lagoon is a metallic blue, inspired by bioluminescent lagoons where tropical waters sparkle beneath the night sky. The finish is glossy and smooth.

Julep Danielle is a cerulean wave duo chrome with a teal micro glitter. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Julep Tali is a glacier breeze linear liquid holographic. I also get a frozen vibe from this polish. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Sinful Colors Sail La Vie is a dazzling cornflower blue bold. The finish is semi matte and smooth.

elf Dark Blue is from the Holiday 2017 set. It is a creme but needs multiple coats to build opacity. The finish is semi matte and smooth.

Sephora Myrtille is a bright blue crème. As bright as it looks with only one coat, the coverage easily builds. The finish is semi matte and smooth.

Julep Ally is an electric blueberry frost with a medium blue micro glitter. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

The dark blues are below.

Butter London Inky Six is a deep aqua with teal and chartreuse glitter. The finish is semi glossy (thanks to the glitter) and slightly rough. A top coat or two can smooth it out.

Julep Emily is a traditional blue topaz with a turquoise glitter. The finish is semi glossy and mostly smooth. A top coat can smooth it out.

Julep Danica is a blue violet iridescent chrome. Depending on the angle and lighting, this can look blue or purple. The finish is semi glossy ad smooth.

Julep Virgo is a deep cosmic blue with blue micro glitter. The finish is semi glossy and smooth. See this polish featured in a pedicure.

Julep Sanaa is a blue gem sapphire with a medium blue micro glitter. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Julep Kristen is a deep sea teal with silver micro shimmer. While teal can look green or blue, this looks more blue in the bottle and green on the nails. It really works as both thanks to the glitter. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Julep Shelby is a navy ink crème. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Strange Beautiful 4th of July Blue is USA blue. From certain angles, it almost achieves the color it is after. Other angles make this appear purple. If I am going for Fourth of July Blue, I would not select this polish, so I think Strange Beautiful failed creating this color. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

Julep Lola is a moonlit night blue satin. The finish is matte and smooth.

Julep Ilsa is an ink blue crème. This is one coat (of course), so while it does resemble a dark blue ink, it can get very dark. The finish is semi glossy and smooth.

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