ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye

Caveat: this post includes profanity. I mean, come on. ManGlaze!

If you've never heard of Chicago-based boutique polish maker ManGlaze, well, hold on to your ovaries because here comes the most irreverent, potty-mouthed crew of artisan lacquer crafters you could imagine! Spun from the spittle off of rock artist microphones, alcohol-fueled fantasies, cajones, attitude and sheer muscular genius, these guys launched their line of man-friendly (it's for cool chicks too, of course) matte polish in 2007. Two short years later their lacquers appeared in a Today show segment and the rest, as they say, is history. If I've sold them short with this brief intro, a visit to their website or facebook page should take care of that.

Today's polish is indeed from ManGlaze and it's called F*ck Off and Dye (officially without the asterisk). Released back in 2011,  F*ck Off and Dye (with zombie-wasting label art by Jason Goad, more photos here) is an absolutely gorgeous well-saturated medium raspberry pink matte polish with microfine iridescent shimmers that work synergistically with the matte finish to give it an airy effervescence on the nail. It's almost surreal how beautiful this polish is, truly. It's substantial and rich but also exquisitely delicate. So so so pretty!

Application was f*cking sweet. (Ok, that was gratuitous, but... ManGlaze!) The formula is fluid silky perfection and glides over the nail like satin. You can see the shimmer in it, it has a creme rinse look when wet, and I was worried that this would translate to brushstrokes in the finish but lo! Anything resembling a brushstroke magically melts away when the matte finish begins to develop as the polish dries. Pigmentation is excellent, with complete opacity and full rich color achieved in one or two coats, depending upon how you paint. I used two medium coats. F*ck Off and Dye film forms a matte surface in very good time but the polish beneath remains plastic for a good while longer so care should be taken to avoid smudging and dents. I'd had it on for over ten minutes and went to stuff some laundry in the hamper and got a smudge. The finish on this puppy is the silkiest matte texture I've ever felt, and looks it too. Like old fashioned soft polished slate. Did I mention this polish is amazing?

Photos show two coats of F*ck Off and Dye over treatment and a double coat of Butter London Nail Foundation to ensure a ridge-free base. No topcoat to show the natural matte finish.

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye, natural finish

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye, natural finish

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye, natural finish

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye, natural finish

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye, natural finish

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye, natural finish

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye, natural finish

Such a lovely color, a stunning Mexican pink. Although the shimmers have a blue/pink appearance in general, In direct sun they come alive as infinitesimal multicolored sparks. A layer of topcoat shows them off even better, and I applied a topcoat of HK Girl over the manicure above so that you could see what F*ck Off and Dye looks like glossy.

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye with glossy topcoat

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye with glossy topcoat

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye with glossy topcoat

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye with glossy topcoat

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye with glossy topcoat

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye with glossy topcoat

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye with glossy topcoat

ManGlaze F*ck Off and Dye with glossy topcoat

As you can see, F*ck Off and Dye takes a topcoat beautifully (understatement) but I actually prefer the sensuous natural matte finish, which is just as rich and dimensional just in a more subtle way and has a more intimate feel to it that I think dovetails nicely with the secret weapon aspect of wearing a polish called F*ck Off and Dye. I mean, what do you think I'm going to say if someone asks me what's that polish you're wearing? Did I mention I'm a tad anti-social? Not really -- but I could be if I wanted to with this polish on my tips!

Indecorously named as it is, this polish reminds me a little bit of perfume and how it can contain seemingly mutually exclusive elements, the foul and the sublime, the profane and the sacred... but of course there's more to it than that. Raw humor and popular culture have intersected with the beauty industry in a product that is as rarefied and cool as it is hilarious and jubilantly offensive. And it makes for one badass manicure, for sure!

love,
Liz