Yes, oh yes, I begin with the title "Paint in My Eye" because you guessed it I got paint in my eye. Only me. So why might you ask did I have paint in my eye? Or even better, how did I manage to get paint in my eye? Well part of my most recent duties as a BzzAgent was review the Aura paint by Benjamin Moore. This review couldn't have come in a better time because we are in the process of re-painting our home. Our living room was this weird chocolate pink color that just didn't flow with the feel we wanted for the house. In addition, it made the room appear darker especially since it already gets limited lighting. So when the opportunity came forward for me to get some free paint and make something happen in there I jumped on it. I will say that we had already purchased the lower level paint (HGTV) from Sherwin Williams but knew this would be an instant upgrade since the Aura paint is paint and primer all in one.
Before: Choco-pinkalicious
So we got the kit in the mail and I was excited because it came with a small can in the eggshell finish I originally selected. The kit also came with a ton of reading material on the brand and what the paint can do. I must say I was really impressed. What caught my attention more than anything was that you can use this paint to paint over wallpaper. 75% of my home is covered in old wallpaper. The last thing I want to do is to take everything down but I'm afraid of painting over it because the weight of the paint could bring the wallpaper down. But so far Aura was giving me hope of getting that accomplished.
The next thing I did was drove over to Hikes Point Paint & Wallpaper to pick out my paint. I already selected a paint color using the Sherwin Williams color that worked best on my wall. I really didn't want to lose that color since the entire family agreed on it. What was great was that at Benjamin Moore, they were able to match the color to one of their own. I will admit that the Benjamin Moore color was much richer and closer to the look I initially wanted so I was thrilled when the store clerk said he could match it. The color I ended up with is Ally's Earring. It's the perfect blend of beige and grey that I wanted for that room.
Ally's Earring Color Sample taken from the Benjamin Moore Flickr page
The only thing that shocked me with this paint was the price. I got two gallon cans: one was free and the other I received $5 off discount. However, the original price of the paint was $67. For my household $67 or even $62 is a bit expensive for our pockets. We would really have to think twice before we purchased it again. I can't verify if the pricing was competitive with Sherwin Williams since I purchased the lower grade of paint from them.
So I gathered my paint and it was off to home I went. I did forget to ask the clerk about painting over wallpaper so I made sure to call the Monday following to be sure. The lady I spoke with suggested an oil primer first before the Aura but once that was done Aura would not have a problem going over the wallpaper.
So back on the home front and it did take us a while to get that paint on the wall. However, once we did I have to admit that I was sold. The coverage is awesomesauce!!! You can't even see the chocopink dungeon that was previously there! The only thing that surprised me (and this is probably because I'm a novice at painting) but one wall did use about a 1/2 gallon of paint. And because I am a novice, I somehow dripped paint into my right eye. I mean who does that?! The good thing is that even though it was slightly irritated, the paint washed out with out difficulty and I was able to finish the wall.
After it dried, I decided that it needed one more coat because you could still see some chocopink coming through. Other than that, this has been a very awesome experience. My recommendation is that if you can afford it, go for Aura paint. You won't be disappointed with the finished product. If it's not in your budget, maybe save of for it or send me a message for a $5 off coupon before they expire.
After: Photo take prior to second coat
Disclaimer: I received one gallon of Benjamin Moore Aura paint for free from BzzAgent for the purposes of conducting this review. I also purchased the second gallon with a $5 discount coupon again from BzzAgent in order to conduct this review. #imabzzagent
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