I was on a trip in Seoul when I found these Dior Summer Mix nail polishes in the Lotte Department Store (the biggest department store in Seoul). I just had to get them, since I have no idea when and if they will be available in Hong Kong, plus after tax refund, it’s a lot cheaper than getting them in Hong Kong.

Unlike the usual Dior cremes, these 4 polishes are glossy jellies, and Dior chose to call them sorbets. I was a bit worried that these  won’t perform as well as the other signature Dior creme ones, but there was no need for doubts. These perform just as well, if not better. : )

So I’m really excited to show you this picture heavy post!

198 Lagoon is a pretty blue with a bit of teal. With just two coats, you get a perfect opaque finish.

I have a lot of blue polishes in my own collection, but I decided to include some recent releases such as the Thakoon for NARS’ Koliary (reviewed here), Deborah Lippmann’s On the Beach (reviewed here). The other two for comparisons include OPI’s Suzi says Feng Shui, and Butter London’s Blagger.

NARS’ Koliary and DL’s On the Beach are definitely on the much lighter side, so if you own any of these two, and are wondering whether to try Dior’s Lagoon, I would say it’s safe to add Lagoon to your collection if you fancy the color. OPI’s Suzi says Feng Shui looks the most similar to Dior’s Lagoon, Suzi says Feng Shui is just a bit dustier in color. And Butter London’s Blagger is a cobalt blue.

118 Acapulco is lemon yellow, and being the lightest color in the collection (and also yellow), I wasn’t surprised when I needed three coats for opacity. But for a yellow polish, this performs really well. There was no streakiness, and the third coat is just to hide the nail lines.

I only own three yellows in my polish collection, and they’re Thakoon for NARS’ Amchoor (reviewed here) and Deborah Lippmann’s It Girl from the Run the World Girls Collection.

They look very close to each other. (DL’s It Girl has a matte finish, hence the lack of glossiness in the swatch). NARS’ Amchoor is a bit more sunshine-y, making it darker and richer compared to Dior’s Acapulco. DL’s It Girl is pretty identical with Acapulco, so it may be a better choice if you’d the choice to a modern touch in your yellow polish. You can always add back the glossiness with a topcoat. However, I think Dior’s formula is better in texture, and a full-sized brush from Dior makes it easier for application as DL’s It Girl is a mini-size. You will also have to purchase 4 other mini polishes as It Girl only comes in a set of 5 neon polishes (which are actually very pretty. : P)

158 Calypso is a warm-toned red, described by Dior as a pomegranate red. This is probably my favorite out of the four. Two coats are enough for an opaque finish.

Once again, I have included recent releases in my comparison swatches, such as Chanel’s Holiday (Summer 2012), Laura Mercier’s Sizzle (Tres Chic Collection, reviewed here) and Dior’s Lucky (reviewed here). Also included is Essie’s Too Too Hot.

Chanel’s Holiday is the most orange-y of the five. Laura Mercier’s Sizzle is a warm hot coral red, very similar to Essie’s Too Too Hot. Dior’s Lucky is more pink. And from the swatches above, Dior’s Calypso actually has a slight hint of pink, but definitely more of a red.

Lastly, 178 Cosmo is a hot watermelon pink. Two coats give a decent finish, if you’re going for the true jelly finish, a third coat would be needed to hide the nail lines.

From my collection I found YSL’s Rose Renaissance (new formula, package and color), Dior’s Plaza (reviewed here), Deborah Lippmann’s Party Girl (Run the World Girls Collection), and Deborah Lippmann’s Girls Just Want to have Fun.

YSL’s Rose Renaissance is a darkened version of Dior’s Plaza, and it goes gradually lighter towards Deborah Lippmann’s Party Girl from right to left. DL’s Party Girl is bright enough to be called a neon. (It has a matte finish just like It Girl from the same collection.) DL’s Girl Just Want to Have Fun is definitely leaning towards orange in the swatch wheel.

And here are all the swatches…

As mentioned before, I got these from Seoul, and I still have no information as to whether and when these would be released in Hong Kong. Hopefully they will soon… If you’re looking for these in the States, they should be available already. I really love these polishes, their quality is amazing, and the colors are beautiful.