L'Oreal Limited Edition Color of Hope Collection

Before I get into this post, I want to make sure you all know about a wonderful Revlon rebate opportunity at Walgreens that the lovely Drugstore Divas posted about recently. Pair it with the printable Revlon nail color coupon I mentioned a little while ago (Drugstore Divas also have a link to that in their post if you missed it) and you've got yourself a great deal on some new Revlon goodies!

Last week when I was at CVS, I spotted the limited edition L'Oreal The Color of Hope display (5% of the proceeds from this collection go to ovarian cancer research). Unlike L'Oreal's last limited edition collection, Passport to Paradise (I was only drawn to the nail polishes in that collection), the colors in this collection really appeal to me, so I'm excited to show them to you. But a warning: they're pretty conservative, so if that's not your thing, I don't want to get your hopes up!

First let's start with the polish I purchased, which I found completely irresistible:

L'Oreal Delicate Dusk (retail: $4.99)

[EDIT: for a comparison of Delicate Dusk and other similar shades from my collection, please click here]

This one jumped right out at me and I had to have it. I might have something similar already in my stash (I'll have to check and see) but it's just so darned pretty, isn't it? I love how it straddles the worlds of greige and lilac, though it's not quite one or the other. So let's just call it lilac-greige, shall we?

Also, I had some L'Oreal coupons in my purse (which I thought I was never going to be able to use before they expired!) so I was able to get this polish for just $1.99. CVS sent me a $2 L'Oreal cosmetic coupon in the mail a while back, and I was able to stack that with a $1 L'Oreal manufacturer's coupon that was in a Red Plum mailer a few weeks ago.

Oh! And before I forget! Some of you loyal readers may be saying to yourselves, "I cannot believe she bought another L'Oreal nail polish after that last disaster" and all I can say is, "I know, right?" Well, I loved Delicate Dusk so much that I was willing to take a chance and I am so glad I did, because the formula of Delicate Dusk is 100 times better than the formula of Water's Edge and High Tide. L'Oreal must have been listening to our complaints because this formula is smoother, thinner, and so much easier to work! It was actually a dream to apply and the brush was perfect as well.

So let's take a look at the display:

Aside from the polishes, this eyeshadow quad immediately caught my eye for one very important reason:

L'Oreal Wear Infinite Pressed Eye Shadow Quad in Sophisticated Strength

It's difficult to tell in the above photo (you can view a way better photo on the L'Oreal website), but the shade in the lower left corner is the same type of charcoal-teal shade as the Maybelline Fashion Week trio, Charming Cobalt, which I showed you here, and the NARS duo that a few of my readers said looks like a dupe of Charming Cobalt! I'm beginning to realize that this charcoal-teal shade must be a trending color for fall, and I for one am VERY happy about that. I think it's such a lovely crease shade, and also perfect for a smoky eye look as well.

And finally, here is a closer shot of the four nail colors:

Sovereign Silver looks pretty frosty in person, so I really didn't gravitate toward it, but Color of Hope is really pretty in real life (sort of a dusty rose/mauve creme) and Imperial Plum is a gorgeous, deep vampy plummy-burgundy-brown that looks like it MIGHT be a jelly (but don't quote me on that).

Now that L'Oreal owns Essie, I'm wondering if any of these shades are dupes for Essie shades. Do any of you know? I'm not terribly familiar with Essie colors so I'm counting on one of you to school me. :)

Thanks for reading and, as always, I'd love to hear from you if you own anything from this collection. I'd also love to hear from you if you don't--what do you think of this assortment of mauves, raisins, plums, silvers and blues? Is anything catching your eye?