Lacquer Slacker Liz

Sunday, June 10, 2018

Girly Bits Slushie Lips & Tips

Slushie Lips & Tips was released in May this year by Canadian indie polish maker Girly Bits as one-half of the brand's serial Color of the Month Duo. Creator Pam describes it as a bright popsicle pink with an intense pink shimmer and a very reflective, almost chrome-like finish.

The base color is a brilliant, cool, medium-dark pink with a rosy aspect that's a good match for Mexican pink. Superabundant finely-milled metallic shimmers in magenta sharpen the color to more of a shocking pink appearance, giving it a glowing, semi-metallic quality on the nail with a bold, purplish-pink flash and loads of scintillating sparkle in the sun.

Application was wonderful. The consistency of Slushie Lips & Tips is fluid, light and smooth with a medium viscosity and an easy, fluent, self-leveling slip over the nail. Pigmentation is excellent -- evenly opaque in one medium coat although I used two for this manicure. Cleanup is straightforward. Slushie Lips & Tips dries naturally in amazingly fast time to a smooth shiny finish.

Photos show two coats of Slushie Lips & Tips over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Girly Bits Slushie Lips & Tips

Such a gorgeous, showy color, a power pink! Reminds me mostly of spring and petunias, but of course is awesome for summer and I think it has the oomph to hold its own amongst winter jewel-tones as well. The flashy, semi-metallic aspect gives it an almost ecstatic quality on the nail, but the native rosiness keeps it from being too shrill or flighty and imbues it with a certain affectionate, vivacious sensibility. Sweetness with substance!

love,
Liz

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Tonic Polish The Best is Yet to Come

The Best is Yet to Come was created by Lindsey of Iowa-based indie polish maker Tonic Polish for limited release by Hella Handmade Creations in March this year, with a later, unlimited pre-order in May. It's described as "a denim blue with glowing copper shimmer, iridescent particles of different sizes that shift yellow and green, and scattered holo."

This polish is one of what I've come to think of as Lindsey's "deliciously ambiguous wonders." The base color is indeed a medium-dark blue along the lines of liberty from the ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Color Names, a denimy, lapis-like shade that's quite translucent -- the better to show off the components, which combine with it to give the color a complex, dusky appearance on the nail. Numerous variously-sized, color-shifting flakies ranging from tiny to medium-large gleam in shades of flame, gold, green and even magenta from within the base as light travels over them, while finely-milled copper shimmers create a prominent coppery-pink glow along the axis of light. Abundant holographic pigment adds depth, luminosity and a delicately-grained visual texture in ambient light. As you turn your nails toward your light source, the polish glows golden-green, and in the sun there's a sparkling scattered prismatic display that frames a bold, shimmering lick of copper.

Application was great! The consistency of The Best is Yet to Come is fluid and light with a medium viscosity and a fluent glide over the nail. There's an occasional bit of flakie jostling, but by and large they settle into place without issue. Pigmentation is very good. I was happy with two medium coats on my shorties, but longer nails or thinner coats may need three. Those flakies like to stick to the nail during cleanup, but it's pretty straightforward otherwise. The Best is Yet to Come dries naturally in good time to a slightly flat finish with a bit of mostly visual texture from surface-lying flakies. Topcoat adds a becoming gloss and accentuates the presence and effects of the components.

Photos show two coats of The Best is Yet to Come over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Tonic Polish The Best is Yet to Come

This is a complex, moody puzzle of a polish full of magical components that offer surprise and delight with every flex of the fingers. My favorite part is the bold copper shimmer. It's positively luminous on the nail, tying in to the flame-colored flakies and contrasting beautifully with the stormy blue ambiguity of base. Outstanding visual texture and light play!

love,
Liz

Friday, June 8, 2018

Grace-full Nail Polish Angry Pixie

Angry Pixie was released towards the end of last month by Australian indie polish maker Grace-full Nail Polish as part of the Faraway collection, seven lacquers inspired by The Faraway Tree, a series of popular novels for children by British author Enid Blyton (1897-1968).

Officially described as a red jelly with red metallic microflakes, the base color is a brilliant, saturated, medium-dark crimson that's warmed by the red microflake shimmers to more of a glowy fire engine red appearance. Those microflakes also give it a bit of that reflective, semi-metallic quality in ambient light, and create a twinkling, raspberry-colored sparkle along the axis of light in the sun.

Application was wonderful. The consistency of Angry Pixie is fluid, light and smooth with a medium consistency and a fluent, silky, self-leveling slip over the nail, a gorgeous, user-friendly formula that is just what I've learned to expect from the brand. Pigmentation is very good to excellent for a jelly and delivers completely even, opaque coverage in two coats. Cleanup is fairly straightforward with a bit of pigment travel as you might expect from a well-saturated red, and the microflakes do like to stick to the nail. Angry Pixie dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, slightly satiny sort of finish. Topcoat adds a becoming gloss.

Photos show two coats of Angry Pixie over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Grace-full Nail Polish Angry Pixie

Nothing seems to elicit my exaggerated covet response more powerfully than bright red nail polish. Honestly, I'm like Pavlov's dog for it. The MOMENT I came across the first swatches of this polish on Facebook, I went right to Grace-full's international site and ordered. It just arrived yesterday and I couldn't wait to get it on my nails. I'm delighted to say that it is every bit as beautiful and intense as I hoped it would be, a fabulous, showy, bright red shimmer for all seasons and occasions (and perfect for the holidays -- never too early!). Love!

xo,
Liz