Christy, the owner and creative force behind KBShimmer, calls this linear holographic lacquer a deep charcoal, but I think she's done better than that by getting holographic pigments into a polish that is a true rich black without compromising the color. These are finely milled, small particle size holo pigments that you can see and that produce a linear flair in direct light, but you also see that the base is black. It's so black it almost swallows the prismatic display, but observe carefully and you will see it produce a beautiful silvery/golden sheen in indirect light that floats over the black like a fairy mist.
Application was fantastic. The consistency of Stark Raven Mad is fluid, creamy and dense with a smoothness that allows it to just glide over the nail. No pooling, no running, just a perfect viscosity for painting! Pigmentation is very good, with deep rich color and full opacity in two medium coats. It's an excellent self-leveler also, and managed to completely camouflage my furrowed nails. Cleanup is easy and non-staining. Stark Raven Mad dries naturally in good time to a rich glossy finish.
Photos show two coats of Stark Raven Mad over Seche Rebuild treatment and Pretty Serious All Your Base basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite. I managed to get only one bubble in my topcoat with this manicure, see if you can spot it in the photos....
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
See what I mean about the sheen? It gives Stark Raven Mad such a magical feel, because you can clearly see that the base itself is a deep rich black. The holo pigments seem almost to project their tiny points of light over the polish, creating a shimmery veil that changes from silver to gold depending upon the light. Sometimes you can see the prismatic colors in it too, as in the macro shot, but they don't affect the appearance of the base the way they do in most linear holos. This polish just has a preternatural air to it.
I did manage to take a few direct sun photos that turned out well enough to include. Mostly the prismatic display in this polish is a bright tracing of rainbow particles, but if you have the polish angled just right you get this:
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
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| KBShimmer Stark Raven Mad |
Look at how bright and distinct the colors are! Fabulousness. I've wanted a black holo for a long time and I'm so glad I chose to get this one. Christy really did a brilliant job with the formulation of this one, the way it conjures up light from the blackness is polish sorcery! I don't often wear black polishes, but I love this one!
I really need to get out of this Negative Nancy box I've pigeonholed myself into when it comes to black polishes, especially glitters. If it has a black base, I shy away. If a polish like Stark Raven Mad, which is so unquestionably black, can make me feel like I've got dark fairy nails, then there must be glitters that produce a corresponding magical sense as well, no? Christy has a few black based glitters in the shop, maybe I should start with one of them. Or if you have a favorite black based glitter that you think I should try, let me know, ok? My aesthetic needs expanding!
love,
Liz
This is the perfect black holo! I'm so glad to see that KBShimmer perfected this elusive holo color. I'm like you when if comes to black based polishes. Kbshimmer makes one of my favorites which is band geek. Love that one to pieces!!
ReplyDeleteI've been looking at Band Geek! It's got those beautiful metallic colors in the glitter! I will get this one the next time I'm shopping KBShimmer, which should be soon because I want to try out their topcoat. Thanks, Thithi!
DeleteI don't have a black holo in my stash but this one seems like a great one! It's gorgeous and I like how it looks in the shade too. As for holos, lately I've been having such a hard time capturing just how amazing they are on camera. I usually have to take a ton of photos until I get a few that turn out decent.
ReplyDeleteIn my humble opinion, some the best photos of a holo in full diplay mode are those taken by Debbie for The Crumpet. I don't know how she does it, but her holo photos are phenomenal. I have a hard time capturing holos too! The flair seems to be most dramatic when the light source is at a low angle to the nail. Some of my holo pics that have turned out best were ones I took outside with the sun low on the horizon, late afternoon/early evening.
DeleteMy favorite face of a holo display generally is in indirect light, when you can see the colors but they're not blazing. Of course, the blaze is what we buy them for, but I love to see how the prismatic colors interact with the color of the polish, you know? Of course, with a black holo, it makes sense that you DON'T see the colors in indirect light. Like you noticed in the post photos, the holo pigments show only as that fine golden/silvery veil over the black. Delicious!