Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

If It Pleases You was released by indie polish maker Literary Lacquers as part of The Good Parts collection, a series of polishes based on erotic fiction, in March 2013. This is a medium-toned dusky purple with brownish undertones and plenty of finely-milled holographic pigment that produces a beautiful linear prismatic display in almost any light. It's a particularly subtle and understated blend of colors and the holographic flair suffuses the base with delicate, pervasive silvery lavender and pale blue nuances, producing a polish that is almost heartbreakingly beautiful and sophisticated. It's right up there with Pretty Jelly's Rich Fabrics collection and Femme Fatale's holos as one of the most elegant and poignantly lovely holographic polishes I can think of. 

Application was dreamy. The consistency of If It Pleases You is similar to it's stablemate Laters Baby: fluid, full-bodied and smooth, with a degree of translucence to it. It's as if there is a higher ratio of suspension base to pigment than holos from other brands I've worked with, and yet there's no loss of pigmentation overall. Fully opaque, even coverage is achieved in two medium coats. This is a very user-friendly polish that is amenable to patching and edge finessing should they be needed. Cleanup is easy and straightforward. If It Pleases You dries naturally in very good time to a smooth shiny finish. 

Photos show two coats of If It Pleases You over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite. I have a patch on a low break of my left middle finger nail giving it a slightly bulbous, misshapen look, which I didn't really notice until I saw the photos. You can tell I'm feeling self-conscious about this if I have to mention it. It just needs a bit of buffing down. In the meantime, I hope it won't put you off this amazing polish.

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Literary Lacquers If It Pleases You

Except in direct sun where the holographic flame is particularly strong and delineated, this is one of those holos where the mix of holo and color pigments is so well-balanced that the prismatic colors appear to emanate from deep within the base color of the polish, merging with it to produce unique ephemeral hues that are even more lovely for their transience and delicacy. Ambiguous color lovers take note, this is one for the books!

love,
Liz