Lacquer Slacker Liz: Rescue Beauty Lounge Better Than Boyfriend Jeans

Friday, March 20, 2015

Rescue Beauty Lounge Better Than Boyfriend Jeans

Better Than Boyfriend Jeans was released by bijoux polish maker Rescue Beauty Lounge as part of the R29 + Rescue Beauty Lounge collection in November 2014. This collection was a collaboration between Ji Baek, owner and creative force behind RBL, and Refinery29, an independent lifestyle website covering shopping, beauty, wellness and celebrities. Better Than Boyfriend Jeans "ideally replicates that faded, powder-y shade of your favorite pair of worn-in jeans," according to the R29 description. It's a whitened sky blue creme/jelly hybrid, a soft pastel shade with a cool creamy elegance on the nail.

Because I find pastels typically difficult to apply, I avoid them in general but after looking at swatches of this pale blue beauty I couldn't resist tempting fate. And I did find it difficult to apply. The consistency is fluid and thin and smooth, similar to other RBLs I've tried. It's also quite sheer, but not patchy. The first and second coats were very streaky and the polish wasn't as self-leveling as I would have liked. The third coat evened things out mostly but it took topcoat to produce an evenly opaque look. That said, I think this one was worth the angst and extra effort it took to apply because it really is lovely. Cleanup was easy, and I found this polish to be surprisingly amenable to repairs and extra dabs here and there. Better Than Boyfriend Jeans dries in average time to a glossy finish.

Photos show three coats of Better Than Boyfriend Jeans over treatment and basecoat with a generous topcoat of Seche Vite.

Rescue Beauty Lounge Better Than Boyfriend Jeans

In spite of my slightly sloppy topcoat efforts, I really love this manicure. Something about the milky blue translucence of Better Than Boyfriend Jeans gives it a precious, nostalgic quality, like a long-cherished item from childhood kept in a special box with other similar treasures. When you look at them, you are transported to a state where the past is both recollected and reassimilated, a place at once dreamy and poignant, humbling and empowering, where fundamental memories are refolded into the psyche.

love,
Liz

2 comments:

UnknownNovember 6, 2015 at 5:20 PM
Wow your description of this shade is so poetic and poignant! You have a wonderful way with words, hope you're busy on a novel! RBL is closing its doors in a matter of weeks, and most of the shades are now 50% off. I was debating whether or not to order this one, and now I'm sold!
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