This is the first time that I’ve ever worn 
Orly Royal Navy, and all I can say now is…what the heck was I waiting for?
It has quickly landed a prime spot in my list of top 10 blue nail polishes of all time.
If you like blue nail polish and don’t already have this shade, you need it…like yesterday! 😉
And, geez, it’s been a long while since I put the spotlight on an Orly polish, hasn’t it? Crazzzzzy town! Orly has some of the best formulas around, and you’ve gotta love the rubberized handle.
Orly Royal Navy Pictures
Natural Light
Flash
Natural Light
Flash
Orly Royal Navy Ingredients
Orly Royal Navy Swatches
All swatches have:
- OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
- 2 coats of Orly Royal Navy
- Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
Note: Rats! I scuffed my middle nail and there’s a little fiber there, too.
Natural Light Photos
Flash Photos
Claim: TRUSTED
√ Blue
Key Notes
- Name: Orly Royal Navy
- Amount: 18 mL (0.6 fl. oz.)
- What I Paid: $3.75 USD
- Where to Buy: Sally Beauty Supply stores
Orly Royal Navy Review
Colour
Royal Navy by Orly is like no other blue polish I’ve ever worn, and it took me by surprise. I was expecting it to be a saturated, bold blue (which it is), but I wasn’t prepared for it being a jelly polish!
When I wore this, I kept admiring my nails – the colour is very flattering and dramatic, just the way I like it.
And there’s tiny green glitter to boot! 🙂 I haven’t seen many polishes like this one. It’s a must-have in my book, but more importantly, a must-wear! 😉
Finish
Orly Royal Navy is a jelly polish, so the finish is shiny. But, slick on a top coat over it, and you can take it to the next level. On your nails, it looks so smooth and luxurious!
Glitter
The glitter is sparse on my nails. I thought that’s just the way the polish is, but after I read Scrangie’s blog post, apparently you can get way more glitter to show up if you shake the bottle first. (I didn’t shake mine.) The glitter particles tend to settle at the bottom. (The next time I wear this, I’ll remember to ‘shake it like a Polaroid picture’.)
Little factoid: I was actually wearing Orly Royal Navy when I read Scrangie’s blog post, and I literally squealed when I saw that my favourite beauty blogger wrote about it! 🙂 Good timing.
Application & Formula
The formula is perfection! Okay, it’s a little watery, but as long as you know that, you can easily control the polish without flooding your cuticles.
The coverage is amazing. Even though jelly polishes tend to be sheer, this one was very pigmented with just 2 coats! (In my photos, for some reason, the camera showed the nail line, but trust me, in person, you can’t see the nail line at all!)
Royal Navy by Orly is so smooth and self-leveling that even if you’re not the best at painting your nails, this formula is very forgiving and makes the end result look like you put in more effort than you actually did. Two thumbs up and two big toes up for this polish!
Rubberized Handle & Value
Orly polishes are great because they have a rubberized handle, which makes it easier to control each brushstroke. Also, Orly polishes contain 18 mL (0.6 fl. oz.) of product, which is more than the typical polish that has 15 mL (0.5 fl. oz.).
Pros
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Cons
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Final Verdict: 10/10
My favourite blue polish, China Glaze Blue Sparrow, now has some hefty competition. Orly Royal Navy is tied for first place in my makeup book, and I recommend you grab it if you’re lucky enough to find it. 🙂
Do you know of other blue jelly polishes? Do you like pure jelly polishes or ones with glitter, too?
I love this polish! I found it at my local Sally’s in January so maybe some other Canadians will be able to find it!
Stephanie recently posted: Essence A Lovely Secret and Claire’s Mystical
Hey Stephanie!
Oh, that’s great! I rarely go to Sally Beauty Supply only because it’s a bit of a trek for me. It’s good to know that you were able to find it. I’ll edit this post and include that store in the Where to Buy section in case it helps someone. Thanks! 🙂
Orly makes such pretty polishes, but thier glitters do tend to settle. I have Androgenie and what I usually do is turn the bottle upside down and let the glitter come go to the brush end while I prep my nails. After that, all it takes is a good shake to get the glitters throughout the polish.
Hey karen!
Good to know! I’m not sure if I have any other Orly polishes with glitter, but I’ll have to remember to do this the next time.
My Sally’s has it too (in Edmonton), so it’s still around some places. I own and while I don’t love it as much as you do, it’s definitely a nice polish.
Hey Valerie!
Okay, so maybe it’s not as difficult to find now as I thought! And that’s a good thing since this is a polish that more people need to get their hands on. (I’ll update my post to include Sally Beauty Supply – thanks!)
I love Orly’s rubber caps. I thought you first posted this because of Autism Awareness Day, but maybe it’s just coincidence! I didnt have time to post a blue polish 🙁
Frosso recently posted: Just a Simple Dot Mani
Hey Frosso!
Oh, I didn’t even realize that today was Autism Awareness Day, so yeah, good timing!
Oh wow!!! I need this baby in my life!
MariJo recently posted: Fierce Frankens – Dream A Little Dream of Me…
Hey MariJo!
Yes, and it needs you, too! Symbiotic relationship! 😉
I love blues and this is one of the best I’ve ever seen! I love the jelly finish, the glitter, and how this isn’t a super dark navy. I also love the price–I’ve gotten so used to OPI’s prices that it’s always refreshing to find a brand that is more budget-friendly.
Hey Jessica!
For sure – and with Orly, you also get more nail polish in each bottle. I’m surprised that Orly doesn’t get more love. When they came out with the Cosmic FX Collection, I think that’s when more people started paying attention to them, but afterwards, they slipped a little under the radar, which is a shame. Their formulas, their price, and their quality are great!
I think it’s that they don’t release super exciting/innovative colors that often. Fowl Play and Androgynie are the only two polishes from them that got a lot of attention last year. It’s too bad because the cap, formula and price are all great on my Orlys!
Another Cristina recently posted: Think visual: comparison of Orly Stone Cold vs. China Glaze Blue Year’s Eve
Also, I think it’s because they don’t churn out as many collections as their competitors like OPI and China Glaze, who have so many seasonal collections and movie-tie-ins.
Wow! This shade is lovely enough that the Cheshire cat should be referring to your nails as “your royal digits” 😉
What a unique shade! I’m wearing blue to support Autism today also!
Great choice!
Marta recently posted: Drawn towards the Magnet
Hey Marta!
Hahaha, “Your Royal Digits” – LOVE THAT! You should coin that salutation.
Oh, I didn’t even know that it was Autism Awareness Day. (I was…unaware.) But…I guess it’s good timing with this post then.
yay! how I love thee, Royal Navy. found recently at my local Sallys as well. it may be on their web site? and yes, shake that baby like a Polaroid picture!
Hey suzanne!
Hmm…last time I checked, I didn’t see it on their website. But I’ll definitely update this blog post to mention Sally Beauty Stores in case someone wants to track this baby down.
That gorgeous blue makes me think of a pin-up girl in a nautical outfit. Such a great navy color!!
Hey KawaiiKagura!
YES – I can picture a pin-up girl in a nautical outfit wearing this polish. It would be hot!
The color was originally released in a collection called “In the Navy.” I don’t think the posters for the collection are all that great, though. Your idea is way better 🙂
Another Cristina recently posted: Think visual: comparison of Orly Stone Cold vs. China Glaze Blue Year’s Eve
What a beautiful blue. I am coming off a blue high from OPI Dating a Royal and Essie Mesmerize. Ah, how I love blue. This looks amazing on you.
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Hey lacquerloon!
Those are lovely blues! (I still need to try Mesmerize. That’s a great colour – it really was the blue that made people pay attention to Essie. They didn’t really do many non-traditional, bold shades like that until then. It was a moment in the nail-polish world!)
Didn’t know it was Autism Awareness Day and just happened to put on Nicole Party in the Penthouse last night! I must hunt Royal Navy down because blues are my favorite! I’ve never tried Orly, but after reading your post I remembered I have one of the Cosmic FX polishes and must find it and actually use it.
Hey Barbara!
Good timing! 🙂 Ooohh, I just saw Party in the Penthouse at Rexall the other day and thought it was so pretty.
Which Cosmic FX colour do you have? That set was a huge hit – one of my favourite collections of all time.
I am applying Royal Navy as I read this! It’s been a long time lemming but nail supply place didn’t carry Orlys before this month. It was the first one I grabbed after I stopped squealing in delight to see Orlys there. I’ll be posting a mani with it soon since I am doing 30 days of blue for Autism Awareness.
another Cristina recently posted: Think visual: comparison of Orly Stone Cold vs. China Glaze Blue Year’s Eve
Hey another Cristina!
Good timing, and good colour choice! 😉 So glad that you could find it – it’s a gem in any collection.
I love how you’re doing 30 days of blue for Autism Awareness!
Mary, I need some help…I just bought 2 shades from Orly and I love the colors, blue collar and hottie (I think). But when i put them on I had small bubbles form and it seemed like it took hours for the colors to dry completely. I didn’t use a top coat because I ran out, but I want to wear them so bad that I just went with out. I have used other brands without a top coat before and this hasn’t happened, so maybe its the Orly brand, these are my first ones to get from this brand. Due you have any ideas as to why the colors did what they did?
Hey KelsAnne!
I have several Orly polishes, and the majority haven’t bubbled on me. Hmm…it could’ve happened to you based on many factors. But, some of the most popular culprits are polish thickness, how long you wait between coats, and how much you apply per coat.
1) The thicker the polish it is initially, the more likely it will bubble. If the formula is like this, try using some nail-polish thinner (NOT nail-polish remover) to improve the consistency.
2) Sometimes when I apply a second coat too quickly after the first, polishes bubble on me. Try to wait at least 5 minutes between coats for the best results.
3) This ties into the first point. Try to apply thin-medium coats instead of thick coats. This allows the polish to dry faster, too.
Hope that helps!
Thank you for the tips. I have always worn polish on my toe nails but I am trying to wear it on my finger nails more often now. Mistakes are so much more obvious on my fingers lol.
Aww…don’t think about it as mistakes. 🙂 There’s a bit of learning curve, but you’ll do alright. The imperfections help you learn to become better.
I finally edited down the pictures and posted about this polish this weekend! I hope you don’t mind my commenting again so that link would show up. If you *do* mind, feel free to delete this comment.
Another Cristina recently posted: Unspeakable beauty-Sinful Colors Green Ocean over Orly Royal Navy
Hey Another Cristina!
Of course I don’t mind, silly!