Hare Polish The Knockouts of the Double R

The Knockouts of the Double R was released by indie polish maker Hare Polish as part of the Welcome to Twin Peaks collection for winter 2013. Nikole, owner and creative force behind Hare Polish, describes The Knockouts of the Double R as "an aqua blue jelly with white flakies and white squares in 2 different sizes, topped off with aqua blue shimmer!" This polish is a medium toned aqua creme/jelly hybrid swimming with small and medium white components that give it a chilly air, with sparkly tone on tone shimmers. It's a fresh, vibrant retro shade and really really pretty. It was made to match the uniforms of the waitresses in the Double R Diner of Twin Peaks....

Shelly Johnson and Norma Jennings (played by Mädchen Amick and Peggy Lipton, respectively) in the Double R Diner, damn fine coffee and homemade pie available 24/7 (source)

Application was great! The consistency of The Knockouts of the Double R is fluid and dense with components. Nevertheless, it has a nice, even, self-leveling flow over the nail and goes on smoothly without excessive glitter tumbling or protrusions over the free edge. This glitter polish does not require fishing or dabbing. Glitter payoff is excellent, with copious amounts of components randomly dispersed over the nail with each brushful. Being a creme/jelly hybrid, the base is translucent and coverage must be built over multiple layers. I used three for completely opaque coverage (excepting some sheerness on the tips), but if you tolerate or even enjoy a bit of sheerness, two will serve you well. Cleanup was surprisingly easy for a component-laden polish, with shimmers, flakies and glitters all dislodging amiably where I'd swiped skin or cuticle. The Knockouts of the Double R dries naturally in very good time to a smooth shiny finish with slight texture from the components.

Photos show three coats of The Knockouts of the Double R over Seche Rebuild treatment and Pretty Serious All Your Base basecoat. I used a layer of Essie First Base to smooth the natural finish followed by a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Hare Polish The Knockouts of the Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts of the Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts of the Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts of the Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts of the Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts of the Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts of the Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts of the Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts of the Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts of the Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts of the Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts of the Double R

I love everything about this polish, the color of the base (such a clean aqua!) the white squares and flakies and especially those sparkling aqua shimmers. It creates a beautiful pastiche of blue on each nail, kind of like tiny dazzling swimming pools with ice cubes in them. Plus there's a strong retro air about it that recalls formica tables in the bowling alley, Howard Johnson's and... waitress uniforms! And it goes on so nicely and dries quickly, making multiple coats easy to do. The Knockouts of the Double R has plenty of body and stands up to wear at any time of the year -- it's more substantial on the nail than you'd think!

It's taken me a while to pick up some of the Welcome to Twin Peaks polishes, but I'm really loving them and am glad I did. They are characteristically creative, complex, beautiful and loads of fun to wear. Nikole, you rock!

love,
Liz