Christian Louboutin Edgypopi nail polish review

I probably have over 100 nail polish reviews on my blog – but you might have noticed one colour that’s conspicuous by its absence. And that colour is red.

Red nail polish comes next to a standard French manicure in the boring stakes for me. Why opt for boring, conformist, crowd-pleasing red when there are glittery turquoises or colour-shifting metallics to play with instead? So if I’m going to do a red, I’m going to do it right… which can only mean Christian Louboutin.

After all, the man did become famous for painting the soles of his shoes with scarlet nail lacquer – so much so that when Louboutin Beauté debuted their eponymous nail polish collection in 2014, the starring role was of course played by Rouge Louboutin, the very colour inspired by those signature soles. In further proof that the brand knows a thing or two about a good vermillon, three new shades of red have now been added to the red-or-dead party: EdgyPopi (“a punchy orange-red”), Jazzy Doll (“a subtly-sparkly peony red”) and Lady Peep (“a sophisticated deep raspberry red”), all designed as complimentary extensions to that iconic Rouge Louboutin.

First on my to-try pile was Edgypopi – and a more perfect red for summer you could not find. It’s a hot, bright, orange-leaning tomato red; not quite a coral but close enough to satisfy my never-ending coral cravings. It’s sunny, it’s saturated, it’s sizzling… Suck on that, grey skies!

It’s been a while since I’ve used a Louboutin Beauté nail lacquer brush; to avoid repetition, you can read my thoughts on how to master those seductively dangerous stiletto caps in my original Lova nail polish review (it’s actually the brush shape itself, which is quite wide and square, that I find more difficult to use). I thought Edgypopi’s formula was a little on the thin side but be sure not to overload your brush with polish or else you’ll leave yourself prone to air bubbles; although it is opaque and highly glossy in one coat, I felt it was better with two for more depth and richness of colour.

Overall, whilst it’s not the most unique shade out there, Edgypopi is still pretty damn gorgeous. It’s drenched in colour, style and sass… Now all you need is the sun!

Looks good with: brightly-coloured ice lollies, brightly-coloured cocktails, brightly-coloured pool floats
Drying time: 5 mins
Coats: 1-2
Chips: 2-4 days

Christian Louboutin Edgypopi nail polish, Summer 2016 Red Nail Extensions Collection, $450; see all Christian Louboutin locations in Hong Kong here

Note: this product was received for my consideration