Orly has a lot of intriguing polishes, and Orly Fantasea is one of them!
My first impression of this when I put it on was that it reminded me of Clarins 230. But…hold the polish! It’s not a dupe.
It was the purple, gold, and pink shimmer that reminded me of Clarins 230. However, Fantasea isn’t a rainbow-in-a-bottle, and it certainly doesn’t have any green like Unicorn Pee does. Still, it’s incredibly beautiful in its own right.
Orly Fantasea is a nail-polish fantasy. There’s something magical and playful about this color. And it’s a hue that’s easy-to-wear, so I think a lot of people will like it.
The more Orly nail polishes I try, the more I’m impressed with the formula and application. Just wish that more places near me sold the brand. (Well, then my wallet would probably run away from home.)
Orly Fantasea Pictures
Orly Fantasea Swatches
All swatches have:
- 1 coat of OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
- 3 coats of Orly Fantasea
- No top coat!
Natural Light
Flash
Flash
Flash
Flash
Flash
Natural Light
Natural Light
Natural Light
Natural Light
Natural Light
Flash
Natural Light
Claims: TRUSTED
√ Fast-drying
√ High-gloss finish
√ Superior chip resistance
Key Notes
- Name: Orly Fantasea
- Amount: 18 mL (0.6 fl. oz.)
- What I Paid: $5.49 CAD on sale
- Where to Buy: Sally Beauty Supply website, Sally Beauty Supply stores, Trans Design, Head2Toe & select beauty-supply stores
Orly Fantasea Review
Color
Fantasea by Orly is purple, pink, and gold. Maybe some mauve in there, too. I love how the gold especially catches the light and adds that ‘something extra’.
As far as I know, this color is part of the core line. I’ve had no problem finding it in stores that carry Orly nail polish, so you shouldn’t have to worry about this one selling out.
I also thought it was odd how they named it Fantasea (note “sea”). With a name like that, I think about blues and greens since mermaids spring to mind.
Application & Formula
Applying this was a breeze! Yes, the formula was very liquidy, but it didn’t flood my cuticles – it was easy to control and smoothed out over the nail well.
Fantasea is sheer, which I suppose is another reason why it reminded me of Clarins 230. This makes me curious about layering experiments using Fantasea over other colors.
By the second coat, you get much more coverage. And when I used a third coat, my nail lines were no longer visible. So despite it being sheer, the opacity is easily buildable.
Finish
Without a top coat, Orly Fantasea still dries shiny, and it dries fast.
It shows very minor brushstrokes, but the shimmer throughout does a great job at minimizing this further, so I don’t mind it.
Rubberized Handle
In addition to their perfect formulas, I also love Orly nail polish because of the rubberized handle. It really makes opening up the bottle so simple. Even if there’s some dried polish around the neck, you can crack the bottle open easily without having to resort to using an elastic band and some muscle (which is what I sometimes do).
Pros
|
Cons
|
Final Verdict: 9.5/10
Fantasea by Orly is a pretty and sophisticated color that isn’t loud or obnoxious. It’s easy-to-find, reasonably-priced, and has a perfect formula. I only took off half a point because of the minor brushstrokes, but I’m being extra picky.
Does Orly Fantasea remind you a bit of Clarins 230, too? What are some of your most beloved Orly polishes? When a cap is tough to get off, do you use an elastic band like me or do you have another trick?
That really is a beautiful shade! I love the gold in it, it really brings it up from average to awesome.
Krista/ Hebridean Sprite recently posted: Is your True Blood tasting a little Tarte?
Hey Krista!
Definitely agree with you. Without the gold, it would just be another pink polish.
Do you have a favorite Orly polish? I’m in love with their formula so I want to get more.
Gotta love that wallet. Treat it like it’s your favorite pet,feed it, make sure it has plenty of toys to play with and give it lots of hugs. After all “wallets” are people too. :- D
Hey Thalie!
Hehehe…I like the way you think! 😉
Sounds like they improved the opacity since I bought my bottle years ago. It was at least a four-coater in the old formula. And we’re on the same wavelength- I immediately thought of 230 when I first wore it.
By the way, your nails look lovely. The color and your oval nail shape make your hands look so elegant!
Scrangie recently posted: Essie 2011 Bridal Collection Swatches
Hey Scrangie!
Hmm…I don’t have the original formula to compare it with, but definitely by 3 coats, it was opaque for me. I tend to use medium coats, though. So may if someone used thin coats, it would have to be 4 or more.
And thank you! 😀 I’ve tried shaping my nails like yours (because I actually prefer the look of yours), but I can never get them to look right or be even! An oval nail shape seems to be what my nails naturally want to be, so I’m going with it. Heh, I can fight with my hair, but my nails don’t want to budge! 😛
(Right now, I’ve cut them super short. I’m weird like that – going from medium-length and then itching to have super-short nails. Don’t think I have a length preference yet.)
Oh, this is lovely! I think I sold or swapped this one before I actually got to wear it, and now I’ll have to snag it again from Sally’s. I think it was in their core display, thankfully. I see what you mean about it reminding you of 230 – it’s got a bit of the multiple personality thing going on!
Nicole recently posted: Thank you!
Hey Nicole!
Yes, you definitely should get this baby back – it’s one of the more unique shades from Orly and shouldn’t be too difficult to find. Love that brand – especially their Cosmic FX Collection!
Do you have a favorite Orly polish?
Such a lovely color.
Thanks, Kate! Do you think you’ll be getting this? Orly has so many amazing colors. One of my all-time favorite colors from them is It’s Not Rocket Science from the Cosmic FX Collection. Such a special green!