Since any kind of mushroomy taupe color is my go-to color when traveling because it doesn't clash with anything, naturally I'm drawn to them and have more than I should. I started wondering how many are dupes. So I pulled most of them out (most that were similar in the bottle anyway. I have more that are clearly lighter and clearly darker I didn't use here) to do a comparison.
Here's what I used:
1. Chanel
Particuliere
2. Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro
Steel Grey
3. NYC In a Minute
Park Avenue
4. Orchid
Ain't No Sunshine
5. Hard Candy
Mushroom
6. OPI
You Don't Know Jacques
7. China Glaze
Below Deck
8. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure
Commander in Chic
These are all cremes - no shimmers or sparkles in any of them.
 |
| Mushroom/Taupe Comparison |
 |
| Mushroom/Taupe Comparison |
As you will see in the photos, there are two of these that really aren't dupes for any of the rest. Chanel Particuliere doesn't have the grey/purple undertones the rest of them have and China Glaze Below Deck has much more of a purple undertone than any of the others.
The definite true dupe for me out of all of these is Hard Candy Mushroom for OPI You Don't Know Jacques. You really can't tell the difference in appearance! The difference I did note in the application was that the Hard Candy one is a little more pigmented, allowing you to get away with 2 light coats as opposed to the OPI, which needs three light coats or two heavier coats. Since I was doing a quick comparison before I did my actual manicure, I haven't done clean up for the photos.
 |
| Hard Candy Mushroom and OPI You Don't Know Jacques |
That leaves four. These four are, for all intents and purposes, dupes. Maybe not as perfect as the Hard Candy/OPI comparison, but for anyone without OCD, dupes, nevertheless.
These are Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro Steel Grey, NYC In a Minute Park Avenue, Orchid Ain't No Sunshine and Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Commander in Chic. Of all of these, I'd say the Orchid was ever so slightly darker and needed one less coat than the others, AND was actually the easiest to apply. The problem with this, however, may be availability. While they are available for between $4.99 and $6.99 at my local H.E.B. Plus grocery store, I'm not sure they're available elsewhere. And I don't know how far outside Texas H.E.B. goes, if at all. I hope that changes soon because they have a WIDE range of colors and finishes and very nice application. Their brush is a mid-sized, semi-flat brush. It's not the skinny, round brush of the NYC brand, but it's not as wide as the Sally Hansen or the Rimmel. It fits my nails perfectly. I think it might have just usurped my number one go-to polish, which was Rimmel Steel Grey. And it's 3-Free!
 |
| Mushroom/Taupe Comparison |
And just for kicks, here are China Glaze Below Deck and Chanel Particuliere comparisons, too.
 |
| China Glaze Below Deck |
Not sure how well you can tell in the photos, but the China Glaze Below Deck has more purple undertones than the others and the Chanel Particuliere has less of a purple or grey undertone than the others and is just a soft, less grey, less purple, very rich brown.
 |
| Chanel Particuliere |
I've decided to wear Orchid's
Ain't No Sunshine this week to test the wearability, chipping, tip wear, etc. I'll let you know how it fares!
 |
| Final color choice: Orchid Ain't No Sunshine |
Update: The Orchid polish wore pretty well. I had the normal tip wear because I type all day, but this mani lasted 6 days and was still going strong when I took it off. No chipping. My nails grow really fast and I get tired of the same color day after day, though, so 6 days for me with the same polish has to be some kind of record!
