Marc Jacobs Petra #140 Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer ($18 for 13 ml/0.43 fl oz, Sephora.com) is a rich complex sparkly plum-taupe-silver. It’s one of those shades loaded with multi-colored shimmers giving a foiled metallic look (think along the lines of Chanel Graphite and Delight). Petra has a thick formula that requires a slow and steady application. You need to let the first coat dry entirely before you apply the second. I had to redo several nails as I tried to smooth out the first coat (which didn’t work too well). The finish is smooth and streak-free. It has a smooth texture and feels like one of those shades that will adhere well to the nail and last a long time.
Here it is swatched with two coats, although one coat covered the nail entirely. It’s mostly a purply-taupe on me, but looks silvery depending on how the light captures the silver flecks.
In sunlight with flash:
In sunlight, no flash:
I couldn’t find anything quite like Petra. In the store it looked like it could match a few OPI shades but when I pulled comparisons, I couldn’t find any dupes. Here it is compared to Rococo Metal Jacket, OPI Holiday Glow, OPI The World is Not Enough and Dior Aztec Chocolate (now called New World Purple). All of these shades are rather complicated shimmers. Here are 2 sets of the same shades so you can see the shimmers:
I love the color. I wish I had this in an eyeshadow and eyeliner form. I wish I had this color in my closet as well. It’s perfect for this time of year and I found it unique. It’s a beautiful complex metallic without being too glitzy. I love that Petra has a lot of purple, taupe and brown mixed into the color with a tiny bit of silver. I’m currently testing and swatching half a dozen nail polishes or else I’d have this color on my nails the rest of the month – tips and toes. Marc Jacobs Beauty is currently exclusive to Sephora.