Lacquer Slacker Liz: February 2016

Monday, February 29, 2016

Illyrian Polish My Sun and Stars

Like A Dragon Is Not A Slave, My Sun and Stars was released by Texas-based indie polish maker Illyrian Polish as part of the Game of Thrones-inspired Winter Is Coming collection. This is a dazzling glitterbomb befitting its appellation. It has a clear suspension base swimming with infinitesimal sparkly, reflective bits: copper and pale violet holographic hex glitters, silver ultraholo glitters, bronze/red color-shifting ultrachrome flakies, and silver holographic microflakes. It can be worn as a topper in a single coat over a base color or layered over itself in multiple coats for the ultimate glitterbomb experience, which is how I chose to apply it. The glitters and flakies catch the slightest ambient light and present as a cloud of sparkle on the nail in almost every circumstance, and the effect in direct sun is utter pandemonium, with every reflective surface sending out pinpoint sparks of prismatic colors in an astonishingly brilliant display. I like it best in low light, where the beautiful mix of coppery and violet glitter colors are distinctly visible.

Application was surprisingly trouble-free. The consistency of My Sun and Stars is fluid and dense with components, with the medium-to-thick viscosity required to suspend so many elements, and I added a bit of polish thinner to my bottle to avoid taxing my application skills. The polish goes on fairly smoothly and spreads nicely over the nail, with a bit of tumbling from the components as you might expect but no stickups or protrusions over the free edge. Coverage is provided completely by the components so multiple coats are necessary to achieve whatever degree of opacity you prefer. The reflectivity of the glitters and flakies does a good job of giving a generally opaque appearance in two coats on shorter nails. My nails are fairly long at the moment so I used three. Cleanup is largely a matter of chasing down random glitters and flakies. My Sun and Stars dries naturally in good time to a slightly sandy textured finish. I finished with one generous layer of topcoat, which was mostly consumed and left me with a skosh of gentle texture, so a truly glassy finish will required two.

Photos show three coats of My Sun and Stars over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Illyrian Polish My Sun and Stars

The fierce sparkle of this full-coverage glitter polish is delivered by a surprisingly delicate mix of colors. I especially love the blend of pale violet with copper over the unifying underlay of silver, speckled by random deeper flecks of red and purple. As with yesterday's A Dragon Is Not A Slave, the combination of elements in My Sun and Stars has a carefully composed, intuitive sense to it, imbued with a profoundly empathetic understanding of its inspiration. Beautifully done!

love,
Liz

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Illyrian Polish A Dragon Is Not A Slave

A Dragon Is Not A Slave was released by Texas-based indie polish maker Illyrian Polish as part of the Winter Is Coming collection, a series of polishes inspired by the American fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones. Creator Vanessa describes this polish as having "a murky green base with scattered holo, gold flakes and purple iridescent flakes," but it's much more than the sum of its parts. The base color is a translucent medium-toned green silvered by holographic pigment and dappled with superabundant golden and iridescent purple flakes to create a sleek, complex and slightly ominous reptilian shade. It has a spectacular jewel-encrusted appearance that shimmers with color and sparkles like crazy in the sun. In indirect light, there's a rich silvery sheen to the finish, glistening with tiny flashes of light from the flakes that are interspersed with colorful pinpoint sparks from the holographic pigment.

Application was impressive. The consistency of A Dragon Is Not A Slave is fluid with a bit of bulk to it, not surprising considering the abundance of components it carries. It has a medium-to-thick viscosity that is dense with flakes but not sticky or gummy. This is one of those polishes where application is as much a matter of gently spreading the polish over the nail as it is simply painting it on. It is easy to control, however, and goes on smoothly with a minimum of unruliness on the part of the flakes -- no tumbling or stacking but some attempts to protrude at the free edge. I added a bit of polish thinner to my bottle and gave it a good shake between coats to ensure a fluent consistency.

Pigmentation is sheer -- the green base color is translucent and the reflectivity of the components provides a large part of the coverage. I needed three coats for an opacity that I was happy with, but those with shorter nails will probably require only two. Cleanup was much easier than I expected, with only a tiny bit of stickiness on the part of the flakes. A Dragon Is Not A Slave dries naturally in very good time to a silky smooth finish. Topcoat does not appear to affect the holographic properties at all and intensifies the presence and effects of the flakes.

Photos show three coats of A Dragon Is Not A Slave over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Illyrian Polish A Dragon Is Not A Slave

The dynamic light play of this polish is not something a still image can capture and my photos don't do it proper justice, so you're going to have to trust me when I tell you that this is an amazing composition and a terrific embodiment of its name -- zaldrīzes buzdari iksos daor, a dragon is not a slave -- a perfect Game of Thrones polish with all the visual richness and brilliant detail of the series. I especially love the iridescent purple flakes!

ttfn,
Liz

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Native War Paints Cable Knit Sweater

Like yesterday's Cashmere Sweater, Cable Knit Sweateer was released in September 2015 by Illinois-based indie polish maker Native War Paints as part of the Cozy Sweaters collection. Creator Amanda describes it as a dark grey and I agree. As with Cashmere Sweater, this one looks substantially different on the nail than it does in the bottle, where it appears to be a medium grey-blue color with a hint of lavender. Once you get it on the nail, though, it's a deep creamy Davy's grey that leans to charcoal in low light and shade. It's brimming with warm golden particulate shimmers, creating an interesting contrast with the coolness of the base.

Application was fabulous. The consistency of Cable Knit Sweater is fluid, creamy and dense with a medium viscosity and a lush, velvety glide over the nail -- a spectacular, eminently paintable formula! Self-leveling properties are excellent as is pigmentation. One coat provides wearably opaque coverage. I added a second to see if it would make a difference but it really didn't. Cleanup is easy and straightforward. Even though this polish is obviously very well-pigmented, I had no issues with pigment travel and not a trace of residual staining. Huzzah! Cable Knit Sweater dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, slightly flat finish that wants a good topcoat to look its best. Topcoat also enhances the presence of the shimmers.

Photos show two coats of Cable Knit Sweater over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Native War Paints Cable Knit Sweater

As you can see, in the sun the color lightens to a dense nickel grey and the shimmers are more distinct. But overall the shimmers are far less overt than I was expecting, and the color much darker. Still, it's a handsome, distinguished-looking shade with a subtle bronzey glow.

love,
Liz

Friday, February 26, 2016

Native War Paints Cashmere Sweater

Cashmere Sweater was released by Illionois-based indie polish maker Native War Paints (NWP) as part of the Cozy Sweaters collection in September 2015. This collection comprises six shimmer polishes inspired by NWP's number one best-seller My Favorite Sweater, a gold-shimmered teal shade originally released as part of the Autumn Romance collection for fall 2014.

Like the other Cozy Sweaters polishes, Cashmere Sweater is heavily laden with ultrafine golden particulate shimmers. Creator Amanda describes the base color as a berry pink. It's a slightly muted medium-toned strawberry shade along the lines of thulian pink, dense and creamy with a rosy aspect. The superabundant golden shimmers completely transform this pink on the nail to a much warmer flame color -- at least, on me. From what I've seen, Cashmere Sweater pulls more pinkish red on richer skin tones than mine. On me, it's definitely a glowing autumnal bittersweet shade that reminds me a little of terra cotta. The density of the shimmers is such that they give a dimensionalizing lit-from-with radiance to the look of the polish on the nail and impart a silky opulence to the finish.

Application was great! The consistency of Cashmere Sweater is fluid, creamy and dense with a medium viscosity and a velvety glide over the nail that has a little bit of pull to it. It went on best for me in thin to medium coats -- thinner coats will head off any proclivity to brushstrokiness -- and self-levels like a dream. NWP's brush flattened brush is somewhat bushy and holds a lot of polish, and I overloaded a nail or two before I got the hang of using it but after that it was smooth sailing. Pigmentation is very good with evenly opaque coverage in two coats, and cleanup is easy and straightforward. Cashmere Sweater dries naturally in good time to a smooth, slightly flat finish that wants a good topcoat to look its best.

Photos show two coats of Cashmere Sweater over Pretty Serious Rock On treatment and Pretty Serious All Your Base basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Native War Paints Cashmere Sweater

This is not one of those banal frosty shimmers from back in the day! This is a modern, glowing, artisinal shimmer in a rich color that drapes luxuriously over the nail like satin. I purchased the whole Cozy Sweaters collection and I'm really glad I did -- get ready to see more of them soon!

love,
Liz