Elevation Polish Kilauea

Kilauea was released by indie polish maker Elevation Polish as part of the Hawaiian Punch collection in November 2014. Described by Lulu as a bold magenta/pink creme, this color seems to adjust its temperature in accordance with lighting and the wearer's skintone. On me, it's mostly a medium-toned gloriously-saturated blue-red or red-leaning deep pink, although outdoors it reads more as a true red and under incandescent lighting as a coral red. It has just enough orange in it to give it the full-bodied, rich, organic flame sort of hue that I so love in saturated deep pinks and corals like this. It's a little more complex and changeable than my favorite Elevation red, Ave Secreten, which is darker and and more blue-based.

Application was wonderful. Perhaps I shouldn't be continually surprised by the high quality of Lulu's cremes, but I hope I never get to the point where I take a fantastic formula for granted. The consistency of Kilauea is fluid and creamy, with enough body to it to guarantee a buttery, easily-manipulated glide over the nail. Self-leveling properties are excellent as is the pigmentation. This could possibly be a one-coater in the right hands, but I used two for this manicure. Cleanup is easy and straightforward, with no trace of staining left behind. Kilauea dries naturally in good time to a glossy finish. 

Photos show two coats of Kilauea over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Elevation Polish Kilauea

Elevation Polish Kilauea

Elevation Polish Kilauea

Elevation Polish Kilauea

Elevation Polish Kilauea

Elevation Polish Kilauea

Elevation Polish Kilauea

Elevation Polish Kilauea

Elevation Polish Kilauea

So pretty to see on a chilly, damp January day! This kind of color is a superb morale brightener for my inner colorist, I just can't help but appreciate its opulent generosity of spirit and uninhibited liveliness. It's the kind of color that makes other, everyday sorts of colors around it appear in relief, sort of like the way neons do. If you would like to see it leaning to more of a deep coral pink, Jen from Musings of the Wife of a Jedi has the perfects pics to look at in her excellent review of the Hawaiian Punch collection, here. The only reason I can think of NOT to love this polish would be an utter distaste for red. It's wonderful.

Kilauea translates to "spewing" or "much spreading" in Hawaiian, and is a name that is shared by Mt. Kilauea, possibly the world's most active volcano, located along the southeastern shore of the island of Hawaii and the town of Kilauea on the northern shore of the island of Kawaii, the most westerly of the islands in the top leg of the sideways "V" that roughly makes up the shape of this island state. Given the color, I would imagine that Lulu was thinking of the volcano when she worked up this puppy, but far be it from me to second guess the creative process of an artisan! 

love,
Liz