The dupe

3/10/2010 11:19:00 AM Ashley 5 Comments

Don't forget about the giveaway! Yes I am going to pimp it out as much as I can. I want everyone to have a chance to win!


So there is this nail color that is making its way around the beauty blogosphere. If you keep up with beauty blogs, then you may already know this color is Commander-in-chic from Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure.

I've already done reviews on two different colors from the Complete Salon Manicure line (you can find them here and here). I'm still not fully on board with this nail line simply because of the price point. Though after many reviews of this color, I decided to take the plunge and buy it. Like I said yesterday, it had been a color that always ended up in my basket yet never seemed to make it all the way home with me.

The other color that made it home with me is Rimmel's nail polish in "Steel Grey" (boo-yah they spell grey with an "e" so I'm not crazy!). I grabbed this color, because really it looks like a dead on dupe to Commander-in-chic and I wanted to test it for myself. Lets just say that the $2 price tag on Rimmel's color is nice on the wallet (I got it on sale, but it usually runs around $4).

I think part of me stays away from colors like this, because it's similar to the color my mom always wore on her nails. So the color pulls on my emotional heartstrings. Commander-in-chic is a darker shade then she normally wore, so I didn't have any over the top crazy freak outs while trying out the color. I only painted one nail so check back with me and my mental state when I paint all of may nails.

Okay...lets move on to the side by side comparison.

IMG_1549
Rimmel "Steel Grey" on the left and Sally Hansen "Commander-in-chic" on the right.

In the bottles they look pretty much identical. I put them in every different light I could find in the house (yes it's always entertaining to watch me do this kind of stuff), but still I saw no difference. So onto the nails they went.

IMG_1554
Same nail polish or different? You decide.

Can you tell a difference, because if you can you are a far far better person than I.

IMG_1557
Rimmel is on the left (ring finger) and C-I-C is on the right (middle finger). This was taken is natural light.

IMG_1584
With flash.

So I stared and stared and stared at my fingers. Every once in awhile I would notice that the C-I-C was slightly darker, but only in certain light. Now when I say "darker" I mean I could see a tiny bit more purple to it.

I did three coats for both colors, because the C-I-C needed it. I could have probably gotten away with only two coats with the Steel Grey. I actually really liked the Rimmel formula a lot more than the Sally Hansen. The first coat of the Rimmel went on smoothly where as the Sally Hansen went on a little streaky.

What does this mean? Well if you have been looking for the C-I-C and can't find it, get the Steel Grey. This also holds true for the cost. Even if you pay full price for the Rimmel ($4), it's still half the price of the Sally Hansen ($7.50-8). Both colors use the same exact brush.

Honestly part of me wonders if this is the same color made for two companies. If only there wasn't that slight extra hint of purple in C-I-C.

Honestly, I would recommend Rimmel's "Steel Grey".

What do you think? Can you see a difference? Will you be trying Rimmel's color?

5 comments :

  1. WOW, those are dead ringers!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Totally the same colour.
    I love Rimmel polishes -- good consistency, cheap, and great brushes. Although here in the UK, they come in round bottles?!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Andi: I still can't tell the difference!

    Kate: I was really impressed with the Rimmel polish. I have seen the round bottles here too. I think in the US they are a different formula then the one I tried (I tried Lasting Finish PRO and the round bottles are Lycra Wear and 60 Seconds).

    ReplyDelete
  4. I can definitely see that CIC is slightly darker, but I don't think it really makes much of a difference. I am not much of a nail polish girl, but I would love to start doing my nails again one day.

    ReplyDelete
  5. -fashion Thomas Sabo Necklace
    What do you think? Can you see a difference? Will you be trying Rimmel's color?





    You might also like:

    ReplyDelete