Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

John William Waterhouse, A Mermaid 1901 (source)

Mermaid's Dream by Deborah Lippmann has been on my wish list since I began keeping a wish list. I mean, how could I not want a polish called Mermaid's Dream? I tried over and over again to score it at auction on ebay, where it appears regularly starting at two-thirds to three-quarters of it's retail price, but was never successful until recently. My time had come, nobody overbid me and I won my prize. 

Mermaid's Dream is a glitter/shimmer confection. It has a transparent base swimming with tiny shardy highly reflective metallic seafoam green shimmers and also contains quantities of pale blue and golden square microglitters and sparse small teal blue sequin glitters. The reflective shimmers have a duochrome shift from seafoam green to turquoise blue depending upon the angle of light. Mermaid's Dream is a thing of beauty in Deborah Lippmann's classic architectural square bottle, and has been sitting on my bathtub surround for a couple of weeks now, waiting.

This polish has an excellent formula. It is quite fluid and applies very easily considering it is so jam packed with shimmer and glitter. It is a bit sheer, but the components disperse evenly over the nail surface without any dragging, stacking or patching at all. Impressive, truly. The coverage builds with each coat, and I achieved an opacity on my nails that I was happy with after the third coat. Dry time is fast, so layering coats is easily done. Mermaid's Dream dries to a sandy textured finish and I've read that it is topcoat-thirsty and will take a good two coats to become glossy and smooth. Actually I quite like the textured finish and feel it complements the visual texture of the polish extremely well so I did not add topcoat.

Photos show three coats of Mermaid's Dream over treatment and basecoat. 

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream, bottle shot

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream, macro shot in the bottle

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

So Eleanor, I think this polish would be FABULOUS on you, at one coat it would be a little sheer but still seafoamy green and shimmery enough for a beautiful mermaidian look. What do you think? If you've ever dreamed of being a mermaid, you must try this polish!

I think Mermaid's Dreams with its textured finish was ahead of its time when it was released early last year. None of the textured polishes that are all the rage this year have a thing on it. It's a superb poolside polish, very tropical and beachy with it's speckled shimmering sandy finish and oceanic shifting colors, and a perfect encapsulation of the magical creature we've all been fascinated with at one time or another.

love,
Aunt Liz