Darling Diva Dark Ritual

(source)

Dark Ritual was released by indie polish maker Darling Diva Polish as part of the Salem collection in October. This was the second of two fabulous holo polish sets Carrie brought to us this fall, the first one being the WitchEE collection. Like WitchEE, Salem is full of linear holographic goodness and Dark Ritual is a prime example. When Polished Pathology, whose swatches and photos I adore, featured the Salem collection, her swatch of Dark Ritual hit me like a ton of sparkling prismatic bricks! I had to have it! 

Carrie, the owner and creative force behind Darling Diva, describes Dark Ritual as a deep blackened evergreen linear holo and so it is. This is a very dark mossy bottle green, a color I've always associated with intrigue and subterfuge so the name fits it to a tee. It's filled with superfine holo pigment that packs a wallop in the sun. The prismatic display is so bright and the definition so precisely linear that it completely eclipses the base color. In indirect light, the polish shimmers with green and blue sparks and flashes of olive green, and the holo's marvelous subtle shading effects on the dark green base are just gorgeous.

Application was divine. The consistency of Dark Ritual is fluid and full-bodied with some pull to it -- thick in a good way -- with a smooth, self-leveling flow over the nail. Pigmentation is outstanding. This polish is easily a one coater, but I used two coats to finesse some lines left wanting after the first coat. Cleanup is easy and straightforward. For such a dark, well-pigmented color it removes quite cleanly, with little to no pigment pull across the skin and no trace of staining. Dark Ritual dries naturally in very good time to a silky smooth, shiny finish. 

Photos show two coats of Dark Ritual over Seche Rebuild treatment and Pretty Serious All Your Base basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite, which glossed it up considerably and produced some hellish reflections when it came time for the pics. I've tried to include photos where you can see the true color of the polish as well as some with the holo in play. 

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Darling Diva Dark Ritual

Love this carefully balanced green -- blackened but not murky. It's so beautiful on its own it almost makes me wish the holo was more of the gentler, scattered variety... hey, I said almost! Actually the other polishes in the Salem collection look just as amazing as this one, and now Carrie has come out with her Girlfriends collection of flakie toppers. Sensory overload! I've had to quit visiting the shop because once I start putting stuff in my cart I just can't stop.

Carrie, you're killing me!

love,
Liz