Sephora Formula X Love Chemistry dupe

I'm not normally one to get excited over nail polishes, but even I get giddy when I come across a dupe for one of my favourite polishes in the drugstore aisles. The Sephora Formula X Sparklers polish in Love Chemistry is a gorgeous polish composed of fine gold glitter mixed with hexagon pink glitter suspended in a clear formula. I always thought that this was a very unique combination of colours, and it's one of those polishes that is not noticeable when chipped, which is always a plus for me as I absolutely hate the look of chipped polish. However, it is considered more of a high-end polish and comes at a price of $15. The Maybelline Color Show polish in Gilded Rose was originally released as part of the Brocades collection but is now the newest addition to their permanent line. At my local drug store, the Maybelline polish came at $5, so it was considerably cheaper than the Formula X.

Left: Maybelline Color Show in Gilded Rose. Right: Sephora Formula X Sparklers in Love Chemistry

On the nails, the two polishes  look identical. If I hadn't written down which polish was on which hand, I would not be able to tell the two polishes apart. The formula of the polishes is very similar too. The first coat comes out quite sheer, although some may prefer that "glitter on nude" look. I used two coats for both polishes, but actually had to go in for a third coat of the Formula X on some spots that weren't opaque enough for my liking. It looks quite opaque in dim light applied like this, but in very bright light, you can tell that neither polish is completely opaque since they are more of a glitter top coat type polish. However, I think that the subtle pink of the skin underneath looks quite nice with this colour combination, and I personally quite enjoy the look. The brushes are very similar as well, a sort of soft brush that fans out easily to get the corners of the nail. Because this look is so multi-dimensional, it's very easy to apply, with no frustration of missed spots or accidental dents (two things that seriously drive me up the wall). Those who have been interested in Formula X Love Chemistry should definitely check out the Maybelline Color Show Gilded Rose as a cheaper alternative.