Smitten Polish Aer Opal

Aer Opal was released by Missouri-based indie polish maker Smitten Polish as part of the Opalescent Elements collection in May this year. This is the last of my Opalescent Elements purchases. You've already seen Ignis Opal and Aqua Opal, but I think Aer Opal may be my favorite of the three. 

This is described as a "warm pink-leaning purple filled with iridescent flakies." It's medium slightly milky red-violet color in the bottle but once on the nail it kind of abandons any pretense to purple with an intense rosy lean -- at least on me. The abundant iridescent golden flakies give it a gently dappled appearance and flicker from within the polish in a range of fiery hues from near-red through orange to golden yellow. There's even an occasional flash of bright green! I love the contrast between the gleaming warm tones of the flakies and the cool rosy pink of the base, it gives the polish a burst of delicious chromatic tension that makes my eyes happy. 

Application was great! All three of these Opalescent Elements have eminently paintable, user friendly jelly formulas. The consistency of Aer Opal is fluid, light and smooth with an easy, self-leveling flow over the nail and absolutely none of the stickiness that sometimes characterizes jelly polishes. The flakies are very well-behaved and go on flat to the nail without tumbling, stick ups or protrusions over the free edge. As with all jellies, coverage is buildable over multiple layers. I achieved an opacity and depth of color I was happy with in three coats. Cleanup is easy and straightforward, with a bit of truculence on the part of the flakies. Aer Opal dries naturally in very good time to a shade that's pinker than bottle color and a silky smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat accentuates the multiple colors of the flakies. 

Photos show three coats of Aer Opal over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Smitten Polish Aer Opal

Smitten Polish Aer Opal

Smitten Polish Aer Opal

Smitten Polish Aer Opal

Smitten Polish Aer Opal

Smitten Polish Aer Opal

Smitten Polish Aer Opal

Smitten Polish Aer Opal

Smitten Polish Aer Opal

Smitten Polish Aer Opal

Smitten Polish Aer Opal

Smitten Polish Aer Opal

Smitten Polish Aer Opal

My initial disappointment that Aer Opal wasn't as purple as I'd hoped lasted only as long as it took me to spot all of the fiery colors generated by the iridescent flakies. They are somewhat shy in my photos, unfortunately, and much more apparent in person. It wasn't until I had this polish on my nails that the whole "opal" part of Opalescent Elements really solidified for me. D'oh! 

I find that the Opalescent Elements polishes take on a whole other life at night under incandescent lighting. The golden flakies release an intense semi-metallic gleam that informs the whole polish. With Aer Opal, some of the purple tones lost in daylight return, making the contrast with the flakies even more intense. Very cool! 

love,
Liz