MUG SHOT: I’m in love with Dior Electric Tropics Catwalk Duo Aloha

When I first saw photos of the nail polish shades from Dior’s Electric Tropics Collection for Summer 2011, I thought, “Holy crap, they are pretty!”

And I love the name Electric Tropics – it just fills your head with thoughts of a hot and rocking summer.

I was especially drawn to Aloha (#638) because I had long been looking for a wearable orange.

But I made no move to track them down… yet.

So I consider it pure luck that I came across Aloha at one of those tiny duty free shops in NAIA while Jill and I were waiting for our flight to the US.

I normally don’t even bother to check those shops because they’re so small. I didn’t think they’d have anything I want.

But I saw a tester of Aloha and swooned over how pretty it was. And then Jill swatched it on her pinkie and it looked even prettier. And the duty free girl told me it was a set, it came with a top coat and it was only $28. Twenty-eight. Twenty-eight dollars for both the gorgeous Aloha and the Dior Top Coat Sol had been raving about. And because regular Dior bottles are $21 each, I thought it was a great deal. Jill thought so too. So I bought it.

And I’m glad I did because it was their one and only set.

I thought the packaging was gorgeous.

I love that sexy silver box.

I love that there are two bottles in it.

Two bottles of pure goodness.

At the boarding gate, I just stared and stared at the bottles while waiting for our flight.

So pretty.

Aloha gave me such a high – I was so happy about finding it.

I’ve had Aloha for a few weeks now and I’m still seriously in love with it.

I’m in love with the top coat too – it’s as good as Sol says it is.

The box came with a little manual.

The most important bit is that the set should be stored away from light.

And that’s what I’ve been doing. Because why would you want to screw up this awesomeness?

Aloha is a bright red-tinged orange jelly.

I love everything about this color. I love that it’s completely wearable, I love that it’s so bright and happy.

I love its formula – it’s super smooth and nicely pigmented.

This was two coats.

And I love that the top coat makes it super glossy. I’m sorry, Seche Vite, but I think I love Dior Top Coat more than I love you.

This is Aloha with Top Coat, shot with flash.

You know how much I love Aloha? I’ve worn it twice in the past couple of weeks. And that almost never happens.

I love it so much that it has made me revise my top ten list.

And I love it so much that it convinced me that I need its pink twin – Paradise.

I played with Aloha and layered China Glaze Fault Line over it – the brand’s purple crackle.

It looked awesome.

The perfect summer manicure.

It made me love Aloha even more.

And clearly, I’m not the only one in love with it. In fact, the duos are no longer easy to find – they are sold out online, they were no longer at duty free when I checked and I didn’t see them in the US either. If you want to get your hands on Aloha or Paradise, your best bet would be to have friends check department stores or duty free stores abroad. I got Aloha and the top coat for $28 but they’re just $26 in the US.

I will tell you about Dior Paradise, who found it for me and where very soon.