My Picks from Revlon Electric Chrome

The Spiderman franchise seems to inspire a lot of polish, doesn't it?  This time it's Revlon's turn.  Their tie-in with this summer's new The Amazing Spiderman 2 is a collection called Electric Chrome.  It's got three lipglosses and six polishes with "glowing glass pearls" in them and golden web patterns on the caps.  I passed on the glosses and went straight for the polishes.  Superficially, they remind me a little of SpaRitual's Illuminate holiday collection from last year, especially with the mention of glass.  They're not even close to being dupes though.  The Revlons are full-coverage, but the SpaRituals were quite sheer.  The glass particles and color selection are different too.  I wound up with four of the Revlons, but like the Sparituals I may find myself going back for more.  Electrified Web and Spidey Sense aren't colors I'd wear on their own, but knowing the stamping potential of this collection, I may need them after all!  As for the four I did get...


1000 Volts is a bright gold foil with a green shift.

over black on ring (for all swatches in this post)

The black layering makes a massive difference, doesn't it?  It boosts all of the shades I've tried from this collection, but it does more for 1000 Volts than for the rest.  It's different from the others in a few ways.  It has a more even, foilier finish and the whole thing shifts as it moves, not just the larger glass particles.  This is two coats.  It looks sheer in the bottle, but it builds very well.  Its only drawback is it has that application feeling that Nichole calls "foamy" and drags a tiny bit.  Still, it's pretty on its own and gorgeous over black.

The transformation over black reminds me a little of L'Oréal The Temptress' Power, though they're nothing like dupes.  It's a bit more like SpaRitual Invention, but not a dupe for that either.  If you missed that one or find it too expensive, 1000 Volts might be an ok substitute, but I don't feel bad at all owning both.  I could never feel bad about owning a polish that does this...

Mattifying usually intensifies the shift of duochromes, but not this time.  What it does do for 1000 Volts is bring out a pinkish glow at the extremes that is only hinted at when it's glossy.  The result is soft and fascinating.  This is when it reminds me of SpaRitual Invention the most.

Gwen's Crush is a bright fuchsia shimmer with larger particles that shift to blue.

over black on ring (for all swatches in this post)

Waaaaay too pink for me on its own, but I like it more over black.  You can see that the shift isn't anywhere near as strong as it is in 1000 Volts, but it is there.  Aside from the purpley-blue sparkle, the whole thing shifts warmer and redder at the extremes.  This is two coats and it's thick but easier to apply than 1000 Volts.

I haven't done actual stamping with Gwen's Crush yet, but it tested well.  I took a lot of photos, trying to catch the whole range of its subtle-ish shift.  This next photo is the closest I got.

The blue shift is more obvious than the red, but they both show up at least a little bit on the nail.  The blue is stronger in lower light and pops out nicely over black.

Mattifying Gwen's Crush has results a lot like when it's done to 1000 Volts, with a similar diffusion and glow.

The redder extreme comes out more this way too, just like the pinkish effect with 1000 Volts.

I'm Electro is a slightly grayed medium blue shimmer with purple-shifting particles.

over black on ring (for all swatches in this post)

This one's a little odd.  It's just as thick as Gwen's Crush, but takes three coats instead of two.  Kinda draggy too.  It wanted to get brushstrokey, and I wound up with an odd dent on the ring.  The thickness of these means they're good for stamping, and I'm Electro tested well too, but if I wear it as-is again, I'll thin it a bit for better application.  The shift is subtle, but it does come out when you look for it.  Layering over black doesn't make anywhere near as much of a difference for the blues as it did for the other two.

The sun wasn't that cooperative yesterday, but I did get a chance to show off the almost metallic glow.  All four of these remind me of auto shows, if you know what I mean.

Of these four, I'm Electro is the only one I prefer mattified.  I love its softness and the purple stands out more.

There's something familiar about it, but I can't pin down what it reminds me of!

it's time for a serious filing...these things are getting away from me

Super-Powered has blue-to-fuchsia particles in a royal blue shimmer.

over black on ring (for all swatches in this post)

Not much of a shift here at all.  I can't call it a complete dud, since there's a hint of green at the extremes and a purple twinkle when the light hits it just right.  It's just much more subtle and you have to seek it out.  It barely even shows up in photos.  This is two coats, with the same thick formula as the previous two.  It only gets a very slight boost from the black base.  Still, I'm not disappointed.  It is pretty!  It reminds me of Sally Hansen Freeze! and its twin, OPI Swimsuit...Nailed It!, but with the hint of shift and without the exclamation point.

The soft green at the edges comes out best...I think you know what I'm going to say here...when it's mattified.

Bottom line: If you stamp, run out and get these as soon as you can!  I seriously might be buying the other two this weekend.  For as-is wear, they're ok but thick.  The duochrome payoff isn't as strong as the bottles make it look, but they all glow beautifully.  I'd recommend them, but with the warning that you shouldn't get your hopes up too high based on the bottles.


I mentioned above that I've only done "actual" stamping with 1000 Volts, but the other three will have their chances to show off soon too!