I haven't tried this yet, because I didn't realize it was a gel polish and I needed a special appliance to cure the polish. I did, however, paint the color on my nails, just to see what it looked like against my skin and it was gorgeous. I bought this because it was recommended by someone I follow on IG. Every time I see the color on her, I loved it. Striking Red is a beautiful red; not too dark, or too blue or orange undertones, and not too dark.