Marc Jacobs in #230 Pearl Jam, #232 Party Pearl, #234 Pearly Whirly, #236 Hey Purrrl!, #238 Pearl Gates, #240 Ms. Pearl, and #242 Pearl Necklace Swatches + Comparisons | Spring 2017 Collection

For the second year, Marc Jacobs has done pastels for spring. Groundbreaking, I know. But this is a different mix than last year's, with some cool dustier colors and a softness from the pearly shimmer that is this year's theme. These polishes are limited-edition and only available on the Marc Jacobs Beauty site. I'll reiterate that I think the $18 price tag on these is very reasonable for a luxury brand, which is how his other cosmetics are priced. How many years ago was it that Chanel Le Vernis was $18? I think 2006 when Black Satin was released! The formula for all of these polishes is thin so that the shimmer doesn't get covered up. It's not a bad formula, it just needs at least 3 thin coats to cover up any streakiness and bring it to full opacity.

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Indirect natural light

#230 Pearl Jam is cool-leaning pink with white shimmer running through it. I needed 3 thin coats for this one to even it out. This polish is also available in special packaging (just the box) through all Marc Jacobs Beauty retailers for his collaboration with fashion illustrator Julie Verhoeven. This polish went quite cool on my nails, probably in contrast to the warmth in my skin tone. On others it might be a neutral pink, which you can better see in my comparison.

Revlon in Grapefruit Fizz (jelly) is quite sheer and a bit warmer with flakies running through it. Chanel in #210 Lilac Sky (shimmer) is actually the polish that came to mind when I first applied Pearl Jam, but you can see it is much more cool and purple. Chanel in #615 Lilac Sky (subtle shimmer) is darker and a bit cooler. I think you can see the slight dustiness of Pearl Jam in comparison to these other polishes. Rescue Beauty Lounge in Poco a Poco (subtle shimmer) is darker with more brown in it and shifting red-pink-copper-gold shimmer. Marc Jacobs in #142 Fluorescent Beige and Essie in #721 Demure Vixen (subtle shimmer) are very close to each other. They are both darker and more neutral than Pearl Jam; Demure Vixen has a cool violet shimmer and Fluorescent Beige has a warmer purple shimmer.

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#232 Party Pearl is one of two quite similar polishes in this collection. It's also in the vein of other Marc Jacobs polishes: #102 Daisy and #162 Blanche. Party Pearl is a peach pink with white and gold shimmer. This one needed 4 thin coats because it was sheer.

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Indirect natural light

And, this is Party Pearl's sister, #234 Pearly Whirly. Apologies, I had to color-edit the sunlight pictures because they kept making the polish appear more white. Pearly Whirly is a pale peach with white shimmer. This one also needed 4 thin coats. Of the two, I would pick Party Pearl simply because it is more different from the other Marc Jacobs polishes I already own, but you definitely don't need both. I do love these types of polishes for the soft, delicate vibe they give.

Rescue Beauty Lounge in Thank You (subtle shimmer) is really a pale nude but in comparison it is much darker to all the other shades. It has more brown and has a subtle pink-violet shimmer. Chanel in #507 Tendresse (sheer jelly) is a buildable peach jelly with no shimmer. It is darker than Party Pearl. Marc Jacobs in #206 Resurrection (creme) is lighter than both Party Pearl and Pearly Whirly and has no shimmer. Chanel in #625 Secret (creme) is darker than Pearly Whirly but quite close to Party Pearl but without the shimmer. Party Pearl and Pearly Whirly are both peach with white shimmer, but Party Pearl is darker and has a bit more pink. Marc Jacobs in #102 Daisy is a more peach version of the two. Marc Jacobs in #162 Blanche is an ivory version. All four Marc Jacobs polishes have similar formulas.

L-R: #232 Party Pearl and #234 Pearly Whirly

Indoors- shade

Direct sunlight

#236 Hey Purrrl! is a dusty lavender with a lot of blue in it; it has white shimmer and purple and green subtle shimmer. I needed 3 thin coats for full opacity.

Illamasqua in Wink (creme) is warmer, brighter, and lighter. SpaRitual in Lucid (creme) is slightly dusty but not as much as Hey Purrrl!. It is more blue and has no shimmer. Sinful Colors in Kurtsey (shimmer) is very similar in base color to Hey Purrrl! but without any grey in it; it also has gold and red-copper shimmer instead of white. American Apparel in L'Esprit (creme) is more blue and has no shimmer. Sinful Colors in Magik Touch [with top coat] (matte with shimmer) is lighter, less dusty, and has larger particle white shimmer that's more visible on the nail.

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Indoors - shade

#238 Pearl Gates is warm light grey with white shimmer and green and purple subtle shimmer. I pull a lot of green out of this shade because of my skin tone. This one has kind of grungy feel. Like all the other polishes in this collection the formula is thin. I needed 3 thin coats.

Chanel in #522 Monochrome (creme) lighter and warmer and has no shimmer. MAC in On the Prowl (creme) is a tiny bit darker and has like a drop less yellow; also, no shimmer. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in #37 Wet Cement (creme) is cooler, with no shimmer. Carolyn Nw York in Handball Courts (shimmer) is lighter and cooler, with the same white shimmer. Deborah Lippmann in Waking Up in Vegas (creme) is darker and has more brown, with no shimmer. Zoya in Harley (shimmer) is lighter and cooler; it has white shimmer and larger particle copper shimmer.

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Indirect natural light

#240 Ms. Pearl is a light warm grey-taupe with white, purple, and green shimmer that gives it a purple edge. This is another cool kind of dusty, grungy color, and I think it's the most unique of the collection. I needed 3 thin coats.

I didn't have anything that was really close to Ms. Pearl. My greys were way more grey and my taupes were way more brown; it most closely fell in with my light purples. Misa in #275 Sweet Thing (creme) is also dusty, but it's darker and way more purple, with no shimmer. Rescue Beauty Lounge in Pizzicato (glass-fleck) is a light, warm pink-purple with white glass fleck shimmer. Revlon in Gum Drop (creme) is a sheerer pale lilac with no shimmer.

L-R: #236 Hey Purrrl!, #240 Ms. Pearl, and #238 Pearl Gates

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Indirect natural light

Indoors - shade

I had to color-correct this polish because it was way too green in my pictures. #242 Pearl Necklace is a slightly cooler, green-leaning pale lemon yellow with white, gold, green, and copper shimmer. This wasn't bad for a yellow, but I did need 4 thin coats.

China Glaze in Lemon Fizz (creme) is warmer and much darker, with no shimmer. Illamasqua in Blow (creme) is also warmer and darker, with no shimmer. Rescue Beauty Lounge in Square Pants (sheer jelly) is warmer and a bit darker, with no shimmer. Sinful Colors in Butterkup [with top coat] (matte with shimmer) is lighter and a bit cooler; it has white glass-fleck type shimmer. OPI in A Little Less Conversation (shimmer) is cooler and has gold shimmer. OPI in Sit Under the Apple Tree (shimmer) is a lighter, even more green-leaning version of A Little Less Conversation.

So, what do you think of this collection? I really love almost all the colors (Pearl Jam isn't quite my style). I just wish MJ could figure out how to get this finish with a more opaque formula. But, on the other hand, the sheerness makes them look so dainty and clean on the nails when they're built up. I hope you found something you'd like to pick up.