Mentality Stunning

Today I have another polish from indie polish maker Mentality to show you. It's from Mentality's Red Mattes collection and it's called Stunning. Stunning is the middle child of five in this collection, a medium-dark red polish that has a shimmering carmine/magenta/plum sensibility to it. In its natural matte state, it has a beautiful velvety plummy red appearance and when topcoated it is an absolutely perfect red delicious apple color.

Application was snap-tastic. The consistency is slightly thick but fluid, and flows smoothly onto the nail. This polish stays where you put it and surface dries quickly, like the other Mentality mattes that I've tried, so quick and accurate application makes for the best experience. I generally don't possess the finesse and steady hand required for accuracy, but Mentality's formula makes up for this by being easy to amend after the surface has dried with a bead of polish on the brush to straighten a line or patch a bare spot or a nick. Pigmentation is fabulous with complete opacity in one coat. Stunning shows almost no brushstrokes, hooray! It surface dries naturally in excellent time to a satiny matte finish, and dries completely in about 5-10 minutes depending on coat thickness. 

Photos show one coat of Stunning over treatment and basecoat, no topcoat.

Mentality Stunning

Mentality Stunning

Mentality Stunning

Mentality Stunning

Mentality Stunning

Mentality Stunning

Mentality Stunning

And here is Stunning with a topcoat of Seche Vite....

Mentality Stunning with glossy topcoat

Mentality Stunning with glossy topcoat

Mentality Stunning with glossy topcoat

Mentality Stunning with glossy topcoat

Mentality Stunning with glossy topcoat

Mentality Stunning with glossy topcoat

Mentality Stunning with glossy topcoat

Mentality Stunning with glossy topcoat

Mentality Stunning with glossy topcoat

Mentality Stunning with glossy topcoat

Mentality Stunning with glossy topcoat

I love the versatility of Mentality's matte polishes. Stunning has two completely different looks. I showed the matte look to Fuzzy, who adored the plumminess of it. When I showed her the glossy look, she was like, oh you changed it! It's red now! *lol* 

The composition of these polishes is amazing. Props to formulator Danny for some really awesome work! Stunning isn't a simple red, it's loaded with variously colored pigments that work together to create the color, which gives it incredible depth. Some of them must be reflective to some degree because this polish has a beautiful understated shimmer running through it. This seems to me a particularly painterly and organic way to create nail color, and I appreciate that. 

love,
Liz