Julep describes Toni as grey with a hint of purple. I see brown in it too. Its kind of chocolatey-mushroom-grey-purple hybrid. AND I LOVE IT! Its funny. I don't wear salon brand polishes in general but Essie Merino Cool was one that made me stop and pick it up, and they are certainly very close!!! I think though Illamasqua Stagnate is slightly more brown/mushroom leaning, Essie is more grey leaning, and the Julep one is more purple leaning. Toni might also be a teeny tiny bit darker. But by a shade. And in this comparison, Julep is the clear winner. (Can you BELIEVE i chose something over an Illamasqua shade??!!) Now don't get me wrong. Application on Julep and Illamasqua are both SUPERB. But I personally prefer the little extra purple in the Julep shade myself. Both are opaque in one thick or two thin coats, both wear flawlessly. The Essie one is certainly not as great a formula, but for under 10.00, its certainly a comparable colour at a cheaper price!!
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| Stagnate, Toni, Merino Cool |
