Indigo Bananas Electric Unicorns

Like Twice as Bright, Electric Unicorns was released by indie polish maker Indigo Bananas as part of the Blade Runner-inspired Fiery the Angels Fell collection in August 2013. This polish has a vivid medium-light blue-leaning lavender creme/jelly hybrid base loaded with green/blue color shifting glass flecks and pink shimmers, as well as some holographic silver shimmer. The glass flecks give Electric Unicorns an interesting dappled look in indirect light, with their glowing greenish coloring providing a beautiful contrast to the pink shimmer and bright lavender crelly base. In the sun, all of the shimmers give the polish a healthy dose of scintillating sparkle, with the holo particles misting the whole in a random field of rainbow colored sparks. 

Perhaps the most singular characteristic of this very distinctive polish is the base color. If there were ever such a thing as electric lavender, this would be it. How Andrea, the owner and creative force behind Indigo Bananas, attained such a preternaturally rich, bright color with what is essential a tint (addition of white to base color) of blue violet is a mystery in this world. It's much livelier and more brilliant in person than a photo can show and is indeed, as Andrea describes it, "a vibrant in between shade" that is difficult to capture in a still image.

Application was a delight. I love the consistency of Electric Unicorns, it's just perfectly paintable: thin but not watery with a steady even slip over the nail. No pooling, no running. Self levels nicely after the first coat. Pigmentation is buildable. There's a noticeable translucence to the crelly formula (which perhaps, with it's light holding abilities, helps to explain the brightness of the color) that shows sheerness on the first coat and even on the second, if you're painting in thin coats. I used three coats for this manicure for evenly opaque coverage and richest color, and for the photos I think my nails needed all three. Luckily this lacquer is so easy going and pleasurable to apply that three coats was not in the least bit taxing. Cleanup is mostly a case of attempting to brush aways the green glass flecks, which adhere tenaciously to swiped cuticles and skin. Electric Unicorns dries naturally in average time to a smooth but rather flat finish that loves a good topcoat for shine and to pop the color of the shimmers. 

Photos show three coats of Electric Unicorns over treatment and basecoat with a slightly bubbly topcoat of Seche Vite, not that you'd notice with all of what's going in this puppy. Of the pics I included, the one that most truly approximates what this polish looks like in person is the macro close up (sixth one down). I'm not unhappy with how the others turned out, but they don't have quite the hutzpah or body this polish does when you've got it in front of you in real life.
 

Indigo Bananas Electric Unicorns

Indigo Bananas Electric Unicorns

Indigo Bananas Electric Unicorns

Indigo Bananas Electric Unicorns

Indigo Bananas Electric Unicorns

Indigo Bananas Electric Unicorns

Indigo Bananas Electric Unicorns

Indigo Bananas Electric Unicorns

Indigo Bananas Electric Unicorns

Indigo Bananas Electric Unicorns

Indigo Bananas Electric Unicorns

This is one polish where you'll want to click on the edge of one of the photos and bring up the largest viewable versions to see the carefully built-in intricacies of its construction. All those shimmers, glass fleck and otherwise, provide a huge amount of visual interest that is almost overshadowed by the moxie of it's electric lavender base. But when you go looking for it, it doesn't take long to become enthralled by its delicacy and how the combination of pink and green produces something so magical and rare.

love,
Liz