Cirque Colors Whitney
Like Rhapsody in Blue and Key to Gramercy, Whitney was released at the beginning of last month by NYC-based indie polish maker Cirque Colors as part of a seasonal addition to Cirque's ongoing Metropolis collection, a series of creme-finished lacquers dedicated to New York City. Creator Annie describes Whitney as a "dusty pink-lilac." It has the appearance of a very pale white-based tint of orchid pink with an added smidge of lilac, just enough to give it a soft dusky ambiguity. The influence of one side of the spectrum over the other has mostly to do with lighting, but it's a tricksy little thing. In some of my photos, it looks pink. In some, lilac. In person, same thing. In any case, this delicate shade is gentle and luminous on the nail, with a very clean, Jordan almond kind of look that is quite flattering to the fingers and hands.
Application would have been more delicious had it not been Invasion of the Tiny Fibers Day here (it's a thing, really!). The consistency of Whitney is fluid, creamy and dense with a medium viscosity and a plush, self-leveling glide over the nail. The formula, as with Key to Gramercy, is outstanding for a white-based polish. Pigmentation is also outstanding. With a well-loaded brush and a light touch, even opacity can be had in one coat. One coat! I do not have a light hand, alas, so I needed a second to cover a streak or two and that's when a slew of tiny fibers appeared. After doing several extractions from the second coat, I finally decided that I needed to add a third. But I can tell you that this is definitely not a preference -- two coats max is best. Clean up is easy with a skosh of pigment travel. Whitney dries naturally in very good time to a smooth glossy finish.
Photos show three coats of Whitney over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.
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| Cirque Colors Whitney |
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| Cirque Colors Whitney |
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| Cirque Colors Whitney |
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| Cirque Colors Whitney |
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| Cirque Colors Whitney |
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| Cirque Colors Whitney |
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| Cirque Colors Whitney |
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| Cirque Colors Whitney |
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| Cirque Colors Whitney |
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| Cirque Colors Whitney |
Pink, lilac, pink-lilac -- it's all good! I did not anticipate admiring this polish as much as I do. Despite it's opacity, it has a dimensional quality that gives the illusion of depth and luminosity. Not what I expected from a pastel, but there you go. I don't think you'll hear any more whining from me about how my skintone doesn't get along with pastels!
Very, very nice!
xo,
Liz
That looks so fairy-like, ethereal - but, with its opacity, substantial. You are so right - it brings to mind Jordan almonds. And looks good on! What's not to like! It is wonderful you have found pastels that you are happy with! Think of how you can broaden your polish repertoire!
ReplyDeleteRegarding fibers, I could polish in a White Room and still have them! At first, I was wondering how they just appeared, then I realized. I do an acrylic dip on half of my nails for strength. After a few weeks, where the acrylic dip ends on my nail halfway up, it is very thin and becomes brittle and breaks off in tiny amounts (usually). The wipe I use over my nails to remove oils prior to polishing is leaving some fibers that have caught in that thin edge. I do check but they are usually impossible to see - until after polishing. I've learned to get out tweezers prior to polishing. And then hope Seche Vite does its magical smoothing out powers!
*lol* I ALWAYS have a pair of slant tips right next to my cleanup brush and a little dap cup of acetone on a folded-up paper towel. I set this up at the outset. I should probably get another slant tip tweezer and dedicate the one I'm using to nails only, since I like it better than the pointed tip for my brows and I'm using the one I have for both at the moment.
DeleteIn this dusty, pet-filled, bearded man house there is no telling what kind of flotsam will appear next in my wet polish. Actually, John's beard hairs are notorious for finding their way onto my fingers before photo shoots. I never see them until I get to editing the pics, and then there they are. Argh! He actually didn't believe me until I began showing him the enlarged photos.
I loved wearing this polish! My aesthetic is evolving, I can feel it!