Tuesday, April 21, 2015

ILNP Timeless Vow

Timeless Vow was released  by boutique polish maker I Love Nail Polish (ILNP) as part of the Spring 2015 collection, one of two (the other being Happily Ever After) from this collection that I ordered during the presale in March. This is a pale lichen green linear holographic polish bearing small irregularly shaped soft gold flakies. The holographic pigment is exceptionally fine and immediately responsive to any light, patinating the grey green base with a host of shifting, bruised rainbow colors: faded aqua and pale violet, soft mauve and greyed brass. It also gives the polish a semi-metallic finish and a blazing, sharply-delineated prismatic display in directly light. What I love most about this shade is how it is both profoundly organic and soft but also quite decorative. The golden flakes add gleaming lemony sparks to the prismatic flair in brighter light but really come into their own in the shade, where they dapple the pale sagey green base with delicate but distinct gleaming flecks, giving it a sort of antiqued appearance that is striking and unusual. 

Application was dreamy. Watching the shifting hues of the base color as I painted was almost hypnotizing and I had to consciously think about closing my gaping maw to keep myself from mouth breathing my way through the manicure. The consistency of Timeless Vow is fluid, creamy and full-bodied with a silky glide over the nail and very good self-leveling properties. Pigmentation has the appearance of sheerness with the first coat but easily builds to even, opaque coverage after the second. To ensure invisibility of my nail ridges, I used three coats for my manicure as the furrows were still detectable -- barely -- after two. This happens a lot with highly reflective polishes and I much prefer to secure a smooth finish with an extra coat than have to look the disruption of visible ridges. I found cleanup a little taxing on my eyes as the pale color and reflectivity of this polish makes it difficult to see those tiny swipes that typically adorn my nail environs after painting. Age is such an enfeebler! In the end I just tidied around each nail with the cleanup brush 'cause it was the only way to be sure. Timeless Vow dries naturally in good time to a smooth, semi-metallic finish. Topcoat helps to spotlight the golden flakies and doesn't in any way diminish the polish's powerful holographic properties. 

Photos show three coats of Timeless Vow over Seche Rebuild treatment and Pretty Serious All Your Base basecoat with a topcoat of Glisten and Glow HK Girl.

ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow


ILNP Timeless Vow

This is such a beautifully-composed, multifaceted, remarkable polish! It reminds me of the description of the elven cloaks woven by Galadriel and her maidens and gifted to the members of the fellowship in JRR Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. They appeared to be grey or green, changing with the light, and had the power to hide the wearer from unfriendly eyes. Looking at Timeless Vow, it certainly feels like there might be a touch of elvish magic in it. Graceful, delicate and changeable, a gleaming splendor barely veiled.

Exceptional polish!

love,
Liz

4 comments:

  1. After I read your exquisite description of this polish, I promptly ordered a bottle and am now happily awaiting its arrival. You are a shameless enabler.

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    Replies
    1. Ha, so true! :) Enjoy your polish!

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    2. Got it! It is everything you described. I enjoy your blog. Thank you!

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    3. Hooray! Champagne all around. Thanks for reading, I appreciate you!

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