Friday, September 25, 2015

Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya

Indigo Montoya was released by California-based indie polish maker Indigo Bananas as part of the Fall 2015 Holos collection in August this year. As you may guess from its name (tip of the hat to the 1987 fantasy comedy adventure film The Princess Bride), this is a deep blue linear holographic polish. It has a medium-dark violet-blue base that is beautifully shaded with brilliant hues of sapphire, ultramarine and indigo blue courtesy of its abundant finely-milled holographic pigment. Unfortunately it is overcast here today so I don't have direct sun to provoke a full prismatic display, but if Indigo Montoya is anything like its sister polish, Olive Time and Space, the holo flare should be dramatic and fully linear in the sun. Even in bright indirect light, you can see a few tiny sparks of yellow, orange and red edging a central blaze of bright sapphire and saturated ultramarine, which shades to deep indigo at the edges of the nail. Low light and shade gentles the base color to a silver-speckled denim. 

Application was a treat. The formula for Indigo Montoya is similar to its stablemates, Olive Time and Space and Synonym Bun, having a fluid, light and very smooth consistency with an easy, self-leveling glide over the nail. This is a user friendly polish with a very nicely balanced viscosity for painting that is a pleasure to work with. Pigmentation is buildable, with some sheerness to the first coat building quickly to even, opaque coverage with the second. Given the propensities of the other two polishes that I've shown you from this collection, I decided to add a third to see if it would deepen the color or enrich the holographic effects. In my opinion, while it's eminently wearable at two, three coats does indeed provide a richer, more dimensional look. Cleanup was easy and straightforward. Indigo Montoya dries naturally in good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat does not diminish the holographic properties of the polish in any way. 

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


Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya


Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya

Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya

Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya

Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya

Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya

Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya

Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya

Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya

Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya

Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya

Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya

Indigo Bananas Indigo Montoya

Judging from other photos of this polish that I've seen online, I expect that the brightness and intensity of all of the blues generated by the holo pigment that you see here will be exponentially greater in direct sun. Take a look at Debbie's photos in her review of this collection on The Crumpet to see what I mean. Wow! The indigo really takes the stage in those pics!

With so many holographic polishes available from indie polish makers these days you can have your pick of various blues, but I think this one is especially lovely and so easy to wear. The brighter blues in it reminds me of clear fall skies and the deep indigo around the edges bring to mind rain-slicked asphalt roads littered with fallen leaves. I've only seen a hint of fall's touch in the leaves of the trees around here, but our big red maple by the front porch has some flame-tipped branches high in the canopy, a sure sign that autumn is here at last.

love,
Liz

5 comments:

  1. Another lovely blue holo, and this one looks more...casual?...is that the right term? Like a weekend neutral? Have I had too much coffee? Possibly...I never even go anywhere on the weekends. I suppose what I meant is this blue looks more readily wearable.

    Enjoy your leaves. Our grape vines around the island usually turn yellow the week of Thanksgiving. :/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh...I almost forgot: You killed my father; prepare to die.

      Delete
    2. *lol*

      Casual is exactly the right word. It's a perfect weekend polish. Too much coffee? Is there such a thing?

      We had a huge crop of scuppernongs this year, and they were hanging in bunches. Usually we'll get like, a handful every day for a couple of days, but this year they were up there and edible in double handfuls for over a week. I even got a ladder out so I could get to the bunches that were out of my reach. I love eating scuppernongs off the vine. Those leaves are turning yellow now. When do your maples turn? Please don't say November....

      Delete