Blue Comparison

Sally Hansen Pacific Blue Comparison

Monday, June 15, 2015nail a college drop out


Nothing to Disclose
Oh Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue, oh the original Sally Hansen  Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue. Awhile back the folks over at Sally Hansen decided to take a beautiful cornflower blue créme and change it to something akin to a royal blue shimmer--and no, they didn't even change the name! *le sigh*


I like this polish about as much as I like any opaque lacquer with a créme finish, but this lacquer has quite the fandom. (Can one specific polish even have a fandom?) Lacqueristas were pretty hard core about this and have been hunting drugstores and eBay auctions alike to find the original formula.

So today, I'm doing a small comparison post to try and find some dupes.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue (original formula) | Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Royal Hue | Illamasqua Cameo



From left to right: SH Pacific Blue, SH Royal Hue, and Illamasqua Cameo. All are shown in two coats.

No dupes here! But, I would say that Illamasqua Cameo is the closest. Unfortunately it's almost as impossible to get as the OG Pacific Blue.

So if you really want something similar, you can get you hands on the SH Royal Hue. It's pretty new and currently on the latest SH Xtreme Wear display along with some other lil beauties.

 1/4/2016 Update:
After getting tons of feedback on IG and in the comments section of this post, I finally pulled more colors to compare to the infamous Pacific Blue.

They are nails inc. Baker Street, essie Butler Please, and bonita First Things First.

 L-R nails inc. Baker Street, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue, essie Butler Please, bonita First Things First.

Again, none are exact dupes for the beloved OG Pacific Blue. The difference between Pacific Blue are small but more noticeable in real life, but let's be real for a moment. Just buy any of the lacquers listed here to fill the void. 

5/11/2016 Update:
Four season later, Rite Aids near me are finally stocking Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear's collection from Fall 2015. What did I do? Snatch up Boho Blue thinking I'd found a dupe for--you guessed it--the OG Pacific Blue. To make a short story shorter, it was a bust.


Are you a hardcore Pacific Blue fan? Know of any dupes? Tell me about it in the comments.
Tune in. Drop out. Love polish.


Nothing to Disclose

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59 comments

  1. MelissaJune 15, 2015 at 10:42 AM

    I have the original Pacific Blue (like any good polish addict) and have been gifted three bottles of the new from people who don't understand that there is a difference. I love the original. It watermables like a dream!

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  2. Nichole CJune 15, 2015 at 12:05 PM

    I picked up Royal Hue the other day and thought it looked like a likely dupe for PB. Thanks for confirming my suspicions!

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  3. Naked Without PolishJune 15, 2015 at 12:51 PM

    I'm not a hardcore PB fan, but I do prefer the original formula to the new formula. It's a shame when mainstream companies change good polishes for no reason. They did it to SinfulColors Green Ocean. The original was easy to work with and a lot of fun. Now, it's thick and gloopy and they took out some flakies and replaced it with regular hex glitter. Frustrating!

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  4. Tiffany ~ PolishandPawsJune 15, 2015 at 12:56 PM

    Good comparisons! I have heard Essie's Butler Please is near identical.

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  5. Jen Sky WalkerJune 15, 2015 at 1:57 PM

    Ugh, Y U No change the name?!? That's so infuriating to me, but thankfully the new logo is distinct enough I can easily tell the difference. I wasn't particularly fond of Pacific Blue, but I was annoyed when they changed Mellow Yellow.

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  6. acidiciceJune 15, 2015 at 2:33 PM

    Not really. I don't love blue in general, so I never got swept up in the hype. I'm sure many will love finding something similar though!

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  7. TraceyJune 15, 2015 at 4:49 PM

    Blue is my all time favourite colour. Great post x

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  8. Bethany"BNailedToPerfection"June 15, 2015 at 5:15 PM

    Great post and they do look very similar !I don't own this polish but I remember seeing all the posts about people not being able to get a hold of it anymore. I can't say if I've even noticed it in the UK!

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  9. Adventures in PolishlandJune 15, 2015 at 7:19 PM

    Great comparison!

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  10. Shipra TanejaJune 15, 2015 at 9:21 PM

    I love blues! These are all simply terrific! Must have all of them. <3

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  11. Danielle WeitzmanJune 15, 2015 at 9:23 PM

    Excellent selections for the comparison!

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  12. Glamorousnails23June 16, 2015 at 1:31 AM

    I've been on the hunt for the OG Pacific Blue for gosh knows how long. The one I have is this deep blue and has a strong smell.

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  13. Roselynn787June 16, 2015 at 1:50 AM

    I love the original Pacific Blue, I ended up stocking up before the change. I just cannot find an exact dupe for it, but that just makes the original that much more beautiful to me.

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  14. Manna's ManisJune 16, 2015 at 5:50 AM

    Loooove pacific blue. I have 2 bottles and I'm afraid to use them!

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  15. BlingfingerJune 16, 2015 at 8:06 AM

    These are great shades of blue! Thank for comparing them.

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  16. Style Those NailsJune 16, 2015 at 2:55 PM

    I love all blue polishes, nice post

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  17. Amy LJune 16, 2015 at 4:16 PM

    I've heard Cirque's Santorini (it's a Nordstrom LE) is close, but I don't have the original SH to compare.

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  18. Karen Pish.posh.polishJune 16, 2015 at 6:05 PM

    I love love love love SH Pacific Blue. Die hard fan.

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  19. AlpsNailartJune 16, 2015 at 11:23 PM

    I may not be Die hard Fan of SH pacific blue but i liked all the 3 shades shown here.

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  20. loveforlacquerJune 17, 2015 at 7:46 AM

    I am kicking myself for not having a backup bottle of Pacific Blue - Its everything

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  21. PhD in Nail PolishJune 17, 2015 at 10:29 AM

    Ooh, thanks for the comparison! I love that hue of blue, but the only close colors I know have holos and shimmers in them.

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  22. The Polished MommyJune 17, 2015 at 5:59 PM

    Luckily I bought BUs of PB, it's just so pretty.

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  23. Amanda LovesPolishJune 17, 2015 at 10:10 PM

    I have 1 unsued BP! I am so glad I was able to snag it!!!

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  24. lacquerexpressionJune 18, 2015 at 12:41 AM

    I am lucky I found a Walgreens with 4-5 original Pacific Blue! I gave most away!

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  25. Michelle ChouinardJune 18, 2015 at 8:28 PM

    Not cool to change the color and not the name. :( Good to know there are dupes! :)

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  26. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:45 PM

    I think I might have a few others in my stash I want to compare it to. but I couldn't find the rest of my swatch sticks.

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  27. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:47 PM

    You certainly are lucky. People started clamoring for the original formula when word got out about the change.

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  28. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:49 PM

    I remember one of my first summer jobs as a kid was gardening. I absolutely hated it. My nails always looked terrible, I was so glad when summer was over! LOL

    But if you ever decide you do wanna wear polish and need some tips, you know where to find me! =)

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  29. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:50 PM

    I thought about buying a back up, but I figured if I hadn't even gotten half thru one bottle in 3 years, I probably wouldn't need another one.

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  30. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:51 PM

    Nice, did you score them all in one location, or a bunch of different ones?

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  31. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:52 PM

    Oooooh! What is the holo you have? That sounds pretty!

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  32. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:53 PM

    I feel the same way when a color I really adore gets discontinued.

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  33. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:53 PM

    I like the color, but I never got why people are so crazy about it.

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  34. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:54 PM

    How many back ups did you get?

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  35. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:54 PM

    I thought the same thing when I saw swatches of Santorini.

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  36. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:56 PM

    thanks! glad you enjoy it!

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  37. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:56 PM

    you're welcome. thanks for reading!

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  38. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:57 PM

    I've been on the same bottle for about 3 years, maybe four. Clearly I don't use it too often. LOL

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  39. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:58 PM

    I don't think there are any exact dupes. From other blogs I've read there some that come close, but nothing that is exact.

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  40. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:59 PM

    you might find it on ebay one day. but you might also have to pay an arm and a leg for it.

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  41. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 20, 2015 at 11:59 PM

    ThanQ

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  42. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 21, 2015 at 12:00 AM

    #BuyThemAll LOL

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  43. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 21, 2015 at 12:00 AM

    Thanks! =)

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  44. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM

    If it hadn't been for all the uproar in the polish community I probably wouldn't have noticed it myself.

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  45. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM

    Thank you! I hope you were able to get back ups if you went looking for them.

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  46. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 21, 2015 at 12:02 AM

    I think it's a nice color but I don't think I'll ever get the hype. I just wish they changed the name since they changed the formula.

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  47. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 21, 2015 at 12:05 AM

    Hmm, I didn't notice SH made changes to the logo. I'm gonna look thru my stash and look at the old and new xtreme wears.

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  48. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 21, 2015 at 12:06 AM

    I have that one. When I find the rest of my swatch sticks, I'll try to update this post.

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  49. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 21, 2015 at 12:07 AM

    Agreed! Have you seen what Sinful did with the new Dream On? I've been trying to find a dead on dupe for over a year now.

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  50. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 21, 2015 at 12:08 AM

    No problem. I thought the same thing when I saw it in Walgreens and that's why I bought it.

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  51. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 21, 2015 at 12:08 AM

    You know, I don't think I've ever tried to marble with it.

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  52. Jen Sky WalkerJune 21, 2015 at 12:11 AM

    Yep! Just look at the "X". In the old bottles, the two lines of the X are the same length, whereas in the newer ones, one bar is significantly longer than the other and extends down the bottle next to the w of "wear".

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  53. PhD in Nail PolishJune 21, 2015 at 12:11 AM

    Pahlish "Sailing the Hispaniola" and Girly Bits "Bachelor Button" might both be soft holo options in the same hue!

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  54. Glamorousnails23June 21, 2015 at 1:01 AM

    :(

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  55. acidiciceJune 21, 2015 at 2:24 AM

    Essence does this too and it drives me batty. They don't just change the colour, but the finish too so it is a whole different polish. How hard is it to just give it a new name??

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  56. Briana NailACollegeDropOutJune 21, 2015 at 11:06 AM

    You're right! I just noticed it after I replied to your comment.

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  57. Karen Pish.posh.polishJune 21, 2015 at 12:28 PM

    Only 2! Not nearly enough!

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  58. Nadia MamaheartspolishJune 21, 2015 at 4:11 PM

    I've yet to find a good dupe. Thanks for the comparison.

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  59. RuthJuly 10, 2015 at 8:38 PM

    How can you tell if it's an original Pacific Blue?

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