Darling Diva Mother

Mother was recently released by Minnesota-based indie polish maker Darling Diva as part of the new Hug My Face collection based on the Alien franchise, an American sci-fi horror film series that began in 1979 with Alien. This particular polish was inspired by the MU-TH-UR 6000 computer mainframe, called Mother by the crew aboard the USCSS Nostromo in that film.

This is a pale ash grey creme/jelly hybrid holographic polish with plenty of finely-milled holographic pigment that effects a faint prismatic display in direct sun with lots of beautiful sun-on-snow sparkle. The delicate, semi-translucent color is in stark contrast with the other polishes in the collection, which are deep and broody, but it suits its namesake quite well. Serene and glistening in indirect light, you can see the holographic particles gently shimmering within the milky grey base, and there's an ephemeral silvery sheen to the finish that contributes to a magical, faerie-like appearance on the nail.

Application was lovely. The consistency of Mother is fluid, light and slightly fluffy with a smooth flow over the nail and excellent self-leveling properties. It feels a little bulky on the nail at first, but thins to a compact layer as it dries down. Pigmentation is very good for a polish with a certain degree of built-in translucence. Those with shorter nails will probably be perfectly happy with the opacity and coverage at two coats, but I used three for this manicure to ensure the non-appearance of smile lines and completely cover my polish stains. Cleanup is easy and straightforward. Mother dries naturally in good time to a smooth finish that loves a good topcoat to look its best. Topcoat does not diminish the holographic properties of this polish in any way.

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

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

Darling Diva Mother

The artistry of this polish lies in how neither the holographic sparkle nor the sleek silvery sheen of the finish overshadows the delicately glistening pale grey base color. Graceful and understated on the nail, it reminds me of silk taffeta and seems to possess a certain self-assured awareness of its own beauty that I find most appealing.

love,
Liz