Different Dimension Aquila

Aquila was released by indie polish maker Different Dimension as part of the limited edition Shooting Stars series at the end of February 2015. Aquila is different than Lyra and Sagitta in that instead of sterling silver flakies, it contains holographic microglitters. Aquila has a blue-green linear holo base bearing multichromatic flakies in shades of blue, green and yellow with occasional flashes of orange plus superabundant hex-shaped turquoise holographic microglitters. As you can imagine, it has a ton of sparkle that just leaps out in all but the dimmest of lighting, while the multichrome flakies and holo base blend their colors in a pastiche of blues and greens in the background. On the nail it reminds me of a magical sunlit tropical sea or a scene from some lush, otherworldly mermaidian fantasy.

Application was great! The consistency of Aquila is slightly gel-like but still fluid, and packed with components. It feels a bit more element-dense than the other two Shooting Stars I've featured, with a bit of brush splay as a result but not so much as to hinder application. It has an even, self-leveling spread over the nail with such outstanding component pay-off that it only requires two coats for completely opaque coverage. It didn't tip-wrap as nicely as I'd wish, and I had a little bit of tip pull on a couple of nails after topcoat. Cleanup is best done as you go along because those glitters become limpet-like once they've dried. Aquila dries in average time to a slightly textured finish from the microglitters and I applied a surface-smoothing coat of Nail Pattern Boldness Glitter Food before topcoating. 

Photos show two coats of Aquila over treatment and basecoat with a layer of Nail Pattern Boldness Glitter Food followed by a topcoat of Seche Vite. 

Different Dimension Aquila

Different Dimension Aquila, macro shot in the bottle

Different Dimension Aquila

Different Dimension Aquila

Different Dimension Aquila

Different Dimension Aquila

Different Dimension Aquila

Different Dimension Aquila

Different Dimension Aquila

Different Dimension Aquila

Different Dimension Aquila

Different Dimension Aquila

Different Dimension Aquila

Other reviewers have chosen Aquila as their favorite among this batch of Shooting Stars. It's the only one with microglitters, so that change in composition sets it apart. I must admit that I miss the sterling silver flake component that was part of the formulas of Lyra and Sagitta. The use of on-tone holographic microglitters provides for more color overall and a glittery rather than semi-metallic finish, but to me it distracts from the look of the multichrome flakies embedded in the holo base and the glistening, pebbly, mosaic-like beauty of that particular visual texture. I guess I'd say that Aquila has more of a sparkling sandy look.

That's not to say that Aquila isn't a gorgeous, striking polish -- it is! It's extremely sparkly, and the holo of the microglitters only adds to the flashiness of the polish's linear prismatic display in direct light. I wish I could have taken a photo to show you how bold the polish is in that state, but we're overcast and rainy here. 

Even though Aquila is no longer available from Different Dimension, I've seen a few bottles on Storenvy.com so if you have a hankering, that's a good place to look.

love,
Liz