Lacquer Slacker Liz: September 2013

Monday, September 30, 2013

China Glaze It's Alive

It's Alive was originally released as part of it's Halloween collection for 2011 and is now part of their core line. It's a gorgeous green glitter polish with a deep foresty green jelly base that is packed with olivine hex glitters and darker olivine microglitters. This is a fabulous polish loaded with sparkle in a color that is elegant and eye-catching. Honestly, it looks like crushed olivine Swarovski crystals on your nails.

It applies easily considering the superabundance of glitter. It does dry quickly and becomes thick and clumpy if overworked. Swift even application of medium to thick coats is best to avoid this. I used two coats over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite. This is a hungry glitter that eats topcoat, so multiple topcoats are necessary for a glossy finish. I rather liked the slightly textured finish of one layer of topcoat.

China Glaze It's Alive

China Glaze It's Alive -- blurred to show sparkle...

Isn't it a beauty? I've had it on for a day and don't want to take it off, so how about MOAR It's Alive photos for tomorrow's post?

Just pickin', chicken. ;->

love,
Aunt Liz

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Orly Miss Conduct

For today I have a polish that was the first Orly polish on my wish list and has been there since the first time I read about it over six months ago, Miss Conduct by Orly. That's right, I didn't even have to see it to know I wanted it. Of course, seeing it only made me want it more! The slaying of this lemming was obliged by the lovely Thithi of ::pretty::tough::nails:: -- it was the raison d'être (hey, French!) of our swap not too long ago.

Miss Conduct is a deep cerise pink jelly packed with tiny holographic particles. It was the holographic particles that did it for me, I just had to have those little rainbow sparks. These particles give the polish a lovely speckled look in the shade and they light up with the whole spectrum of rainbow colors in direct lighting.

Miss Conduct is a scattered holographic polish. The particles are too sparse to produce a defined linear flair, it's more like the ghost of a linear flair. In the meantime, there is enough pigment relative to the particles to retain rich vivid coloring. And Miss Conduct is a wonderful deep saturated rosy pink, very flirty and very feminine.

This polish has a consistency that is very liquid. I was surprised that it was as problem free to apply as it is, but it's one of those that stays where you put it and doesn't run or pool. Miss Conduct dries naturally in average time to a smooth shiny finish and pigmentation is excellent. One coat coverage, but two coats provides richer color. Photos show two coats over treatment and basecoat plus a topcoat of Seche Vite to hasten the drying process.

Orly Miss Conduct

So pretty, no? My fingertips feel like rose buds. Miss Conduct is the kind of polish that will have you staring at your finger nails all day, especially if you're out in the sun. Then every holo particle lights up, yellow, purple, blue, green, orange and red. You can't not look!

love,
Aunt Liz

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Picture Polish Denim

Denim is part of Picture Polish's Mesh line of lacquers that have a complex dimensionality created without the use of glitter. No foil removal here! It's a nicely pigmented medium blue polish with blue metallic shimmer and white opalescent shardy flakes. In some lights Denim is true to it's name, a blue/purple indigo color, but is much lighter in others, to almost a cornflower blue. This is a comfort shade for me, lovely and buoyant and easy to live with.

Application was wonderful. Denim has a creamy, almost loamy, consistency that is a little thick but still very easy to work with. Picture Polish's round soft brush almost feels a little too soft for this polish but disperses the polish across the contours of the nail bed smoothly and without fuss.

I initially used two coats of Denim over treatment and basecoat for this manicure, but was visited by dent goblins in the wee hours so before taking any pics I added another coat plus a topcoat of Seche Vite. Denim dries naturally in good time to a silky smooth finish.

Picture Polish Denim... not sure what's up with the greyed appearance of my bottle but the polish inside is A-OK...

Picture Polish Denim

Another fab lacquer from Picture Polish! I've loved every single polish of theirs that I've tried, and would love nothing more than a big time Picture Polish acquisition spree. Not in the cards, but as Fuzzy says, a cat can look at a queen....

love,
Aunt Liz