Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

Cloud Peak was released by indie polish maker Elevation Polish as part of the Wyoming the Wild collection in April this year. Named for the highest peak in the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming, this is a medium-light cornflower blue creme/jelly hybrid freckled with black and ultrachrome flake shimmers and lightly dosed with holographic pigment. It's a beautiful summer-sky shade of blue, bright and fresh with a creamy quality that gives it a substantial presence. The delicious variably-sized speckling is nicely balanced with the base, and the ultrachrome flakies offer random reflections in a variety of colors, most noticeably purple, magenta and aqua, when the light hits them just right. There's just enough holographic pigment to provide a subtle dimensional shimmer to the blue in indirect light and a sprinkling of tiny rainbow sparks in the sun. 

Application was great. The consistency of Cloud Peak is fluid and creamy with occasional chunkiness on the part of the larger flakes -- I could feel them sorting themselves out as I painted but they did not interfere with the smooth flow of the polish over the nail and settled down quickly to lie perfectly flat without any stick-ups or other naughtiness. Self-leveling properties are very good as is the pigmentation. Even with the built-in translucence of the crelly base, I achieved completely opaque, even coverage in two medium coats. Cleanup was easy and straightforward. Cloud Peak dries naturally in good time to a smooth shiny finish. Topcoat seems to pop the colors of the ultrachrome flakies. 

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

Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

As the high point of an isolated mountain range, Cloud Peak has a particularly lofty topographic prominence, a measurement of elevation characterized by the height of the summit relative to the lowest encircling contour line. It has the second greatest topographic prominence in Wyoming and the fifteenth greatest in the contiguous United States.

The west face of Cloud Peak, elevation 13,167ft/4,013m. (source)

The northeast slope of Cloud Peak is a deep cirque, an amphitheatre-like valley head formed at the head of a valley glacier by erosion, which harbors Cloud Peak Glacier, the last active glacier in the Bighorn Mountains.

Cloud Peak Glacier, the last glacier in Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains, and two glacial lakes lie 2,000 feet down a sheer cliff below the summit of Cloud Peak. (source)

From the online reviews I've read, I gather that Cloud Peak is a fan favorite from the Wyoming the Wild collection. I love this polish. It strikes me as eminently characteristic of an Elevation composition, carefully constructed to maximize its inspirational ties while generating visual interest and a certain edginess on the nail, and resonant with Lulu's signature elegance and creativity. 

love,
Liz