Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!

Note: The official name of this polish includes the exclamation mark as in the title of this post. For ease of typing and reading I am omitting the exclamation mark in the body of this post except for the captions, although I have to admit that for this particular polish I was sorely tempted to leave it in. 

Peek A Boo from indie polish maker Bear Pawlish is a fabulous medium hot pink linear holo. On the website, Tennessee, the owner and creative force behind Bear Pawlish, describes this pink as "shockingly bright," and that it is, although it steers clear of neonesque territory by have an utterly beautiful rosy quality to it that I just adore! Despite the considerable intensity of its color, it possesses an exquisitely delicate floral air that transcends the fierceness that often characterizes hot pinks and creates a shade that is eminently feminine. It steps right up to the magenta line, but doesn't cross it. Suffice to say that I am enthralled. The holographic display is dynamic and beautifully delineated in direct sun, and provides all kinds of rich delicious nuancing to the base color in indirect light.

Application was heavenly. If Peek A Boo is any indication, I dare say that Tennessee has perfected the delivery of rich, creamy linear holographic polishes. The consistency was fluid, creamy and smooth with a beautiful paintable balance of fluidity and viscosity and a velvety, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is also excellent. The pigments in this polish are so well-incorporated that coverage at one coat, albeit slightly sheer, is completely even and wearable. Two coats produces complete opacity and full rich bottle color. For the sake of camouflaging my nail bed imperfections, I used three coats. Well that's what I tell myself but the truth is that I just felt like lingering over this manicure, it was that fine. Cleanup was easy and straightforward, with the minor, easily removed tendrils of color (that any well-pigmented polish will deposit) left in spots that required particularly heavy duty cleanup. Peek A Boo dries naturally in good time to a smooth shiny finish that loves a good topcoat to gloss it up. I found that while topcoat did not diminish the strength of the prismatic display, it did diffuse it just a tad. The extra gloss makes up for that, in my humble opinion, and I prefer the look of this polish with topcoat to without.

Photos show three coats of Peek A Boo over Seche Rebuild treatment and Pretty Serious All Your Base basecoat with a very nearly but not quite bubble-free topcoat of Seche Vite. What did I do differently today from yesterday? I have no clue.


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!

Peek A Boo's linear prismatic display glows intensely in the sun. Here are some pics....


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!


Bear Pawlish Peek A Boo!

What else can I tell you about this polish that the pictures do not show? The only reason not to love Peek A Boo would be if you disliked pinks generally, and there are a self-acknowledged contingent of pink nay-sayers out there. But I am not one of them, and I love this polish! I wish I'd tried it earlier in the summer. Now, with fall upon us calendrically if not in fact, Peek A Boo feels like the last rose of summer -- but only a little. It's too spry and vivacious to be the subject of a mournful melody! Slip it into the traditionally autumnal new found energies and gatherings of momentum for things to come and it fits quite nicely in spirit. Add the intensity, depth and dimensional quality of its holographic hue and it fits in character also. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I saw on Bear Pawlish's facebook page that Tennessee is in the process of changing over to a new bottle style. While I love the squared, plump, convexly tapered barrel shape of the current bottle with Bear Pawlish's logo centered so satisfyingly at its widest girth, I think that maybe part of the reason for the change was an issue with the inversely tapered top not fitting tightly enough on the neck. In my order for three polishes earlier this summer, all three showed signs of seepage from under the cap to the threads of the neck and, in one case, down to the stepped shoulder of the bottle. All three were easily cleaned up and I didn't make note of it to Tennessee though probably I should have. I hope that the brush that comes with the new bottles is as lovely and flexible as the current one. I really like that brush! But expect to see a different look for this brand as she changes over to the new bottle style.

love,
Liz

4 comments:

  1. Just say no to pink!

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    1. I think I'll paint your nails pink while you sleep, Fuzzy....

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  2. I've been in loves with pinks lately and this one is gorgeous! I just love anything that is holo. This really would have been a great summer color but since I don't always follow the seasons when it comes to color choices, I would still totally wear this. After all, here in Southern California, we don't get much of a true fall or winter anyway. It still feels like summer.

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    1. This is a delicious pink holo, Melissa -- you would love it! I was listening to NPR this morning and they were talking about triple digit temps in CA!! I don't know how in the world you can take that kind of heat. I would be out of commission after one day.

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