Smitten Polish Antiquing

Antiquing was released not too long ago by indie polish maker Smitten Polish as part of the Fall 2014 collection. Noelie, the owner and creative force behind Smitten, describes this as a "pewter metallic linear holographic polish," which is entirely accurate but doesn't quite convey the sense of depth and dimension possessed by this lustrous beauty. Although reflective, it has a softer reflectivity than a straight metallic, with a flecked foily finish. It's a delicately charcoaled silver with hints of bronze, gold and chestnut and looks to me to include a silver particle shimmer component in addition to holo, metallic and colored pigments. In shade, this polish has a burnished bronzy grey look with tiny silver sparkles. In direct light, the silvery base develops a mirror-like flash with a mighty prismatic display exploding in delineated rainbow sparks above it. In indirect light, the holo effect develops a gentler but still linear flair and produces beautiful autumnally-colored nuances in the silvery base.

Application was lovely. The consistency of Antiquing is fluid, silky and dense with a creamy flow over the nail and a nice balance between fluidity and viscosity. Pigmentation is buildable -- very even but a touch sheer on the first coat with a wearable opacity in two coats. Antiquing shows its metallic nature by highlighting nail bed irregularities, so I decided to give it a third, thicker coat to see if its self-leveling properties could take the fore over the faceted appearance of my nail bed ridges, which they did. Hurray! Cleanup is easy and fairly straightforward, I did find the silvery shimmers a little clingy but not overly so. This polish has such a gentle, neutral overall color that I found it a little difficult to actually see where it needed cleaning up and where it didn't, but it applied so nicely that I ended up needing less than I thought. Topcoat does not diminish the holographic effects in any way. I don't think anything short of the absence of light could diminish the holo in this polish, it's amazing!

Photos show three coats of Antiquing over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Smitten Polish Antiquing

Smitten Polish Antiquing

Smitten Polish Antiquing

Smitten Polish Antiquing

Smitten Polish Antiquing

Smitten Polish Antiquing

Smitten Polish Antiquing

Smitten Polish Antiquing

Smitten Polish Antiquing

Smitten Polish Antiquing

Smitten Polish Antiquing

Smitten Polish Antiquing

Smitten Polish Antiquing

Smitten Polish Antiquing

The contrast between the neutral, sort of brushed silvery luster of the base and the fierce rainbow burst of the holographic display is what I notice most about this polish. The prismatic flair is on fire at the slightest touch of light, direct or not. It's profoundly dynamic and totally in your face. Those of you who love that sort of holo would enjoy this aspect, it's like a not-so-secret weapon. The actual holo particles in Antiquing seem to of a coarser mill than the superfine pigments of most strongly linear holos, but this polish is packed with them. I actually prefer a softer display that allows the prismatic colors to infuse and nuance the base, which is available in Antiquing only at certain moments in oblique indirect lighting. It's at its prettiest then, I think, with washed shades of golden brown, charcoal grey, olive green and pale sky blue showing up in the pewter base. 

At those few and far between moments when the holo is not rocking this polish's world, it's actually a sweetly muted pewtery silver, with a soft presence that has the glowing burnished appearance of brushed metal and a finely speckled finish. 

Very Interesting Polish!

love,
Liz