Hayley describes Scorched Earth as "a burnt orange holo with strong gold shimmer." It has a translucent bittersweet jelly base bearing oodles of finely-milled holographic pigment accompanied by a liberal dosing of tiny golden microflake shimmers. On the nail, it's a gorgeous medium orange-red that while not particularly saturated itself still manages to display a rich variety of sunset colors courtesy of the holographic effects. Radiant hues of vermilion, flame, lavender pink, salmon and even violet glow beneath a gleaming semi-metallic finish. The fully linear prismatic display in direct sun, uber sparkly because of the gold shimmers, is jaw-dropping. There's a brilliant inner band of co-mingled violet and indigo edged with thin ribbons of bright azure, spring green and a fiery melange of sparks in yellow, orange and red, all framing a glistening semi-metallic lick of pale coppery orange before shading to a vivid orange-red at the edges of the nail. Spectacular!
Application was delightful. The consistency of Scorched Earth is fluid, light and super smooth, with a medium viscosity and a near-effortless silky, self-leveling slip over the nail -- just a joy to work with. Pigmentation is excellent for a jelly-based lacquer. The semi-translucent formula applies very evenly, affording wearable coverage in two coats. However, I found that the addition of a third coat provided deeper, richer, more brilliant color that is closer to what you see in the bottle. The difference is substantial enough for me to advocate three coats for showing this polish at its best. Cleanup is blissfully easy. Scorched Earth dries naturally in very good time to a fabulous glossy finish. Topcoat does not interfere with the holographic properties in any way.
Photos show three coats of Scorched Earth over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
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| Emily de Molly Scorched Earth |
The holographic effects in Scorched Earth are just superb, between them and the gold shimmers, which give the polish its bright semi-metallic finish in low light and extra sparkle in the sun, they make this one awesome orange polish. The violet and lavender pink tones with the orange just slay me! And there's a certain earthy, organic quality to the palette of this remarkable lacquer that reminds me very much of photos I've seen of Arizona's amazing Antelope Canyon.
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| Lower Antelope Canyon, AZ (source) |
For all its showiness, Scorched Earth sits lightly on the nail, with a sleek energy and a wonderful shine. It's a sophisticated, grownup orange -- you don't feel like you're wearing a carnival, but it's there to see if you look for it.
hasta,
Liz
This reminds me of KBShimmer Rust No One- which is a very special polish because I think it's the very first post of mine that you commented upon! The Antelope Canyon reference just made me crave the Southwest even more... we used to go to Arizona/Utah/etc every spring break so every year around this time I develop a vague longing for red rocks and desert hikes. BEAUTIFUL pics, are you enjoying that new camera??
ReplyDeleteBrilliant, delightful girl! They are indeed very like with the brilliant unmuddied red-orange and that delicious lavender pink holo effect thing going on. How amazing that you can recall my first comment on your blog! I remember very well reading that post and basking in your graceful prose with its exquisite inclusion of detail interspersed with wry, self-reflective humor -- you're such a wonderful conversational writer, Marisa, you make it seem so effortless!
DeleteI've never been to the desert Southwest. Can you believe that? Never seen the Grand Canyon! The photos I've seen of those Antelope slot canyons with their incredible smooth water-carved curves and scalloped shapes and gorgeous colors fascinate me and fill me with awe. That Arizona/Utah wilderness must be a magical place....
I love this camera! The lens on it blows my mind. It's like all macro all the time, except it isn't set to macro -- that's just how it captures images. I wish I had a more facile understanding of photography -- I feel unable to absorb the mechanics of it in a comprehensive, useable way. It's like trigonometry or playing golf or driving a slalom through cones and hitting your apexes. I grasp certain facts in isolation but never seem to get to the point where they inform my process. You know what I mean? The camera is grand, though. It has this heft that makes my spidy senses tingle every time I pick it up!
Wow, wow, wow - that polish is simply stunning! And you are so right - it is orange, but a very grown up one. Those pinky lavender tones make it so wearable. Those macro shots!!!
ReplyDeleteLOL, I got lost admiring all the shades of orange in that Wiki link! So informative. And that photo you chose of the water carved canyon - most beautiful.
Which brush do you use for cleanup? Those macro shots show what a great job you do keeping the cuticles and side walls clean. I am looking to replace the brush I use and was wondering.
Thank you, Lara! I'm happy you like it! Aren't those slot canyon photos simply spellbinding? I could look at them for hours!
DeleteFor cleanup I got a set of acrylic nail/nail art brushes off of ebay. I can't remember whether they came from Hong Kong or China but they were very inexpensive and the ship time was actually pretty good, around two weeks. The set I got looked a lot like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/7Pcs-Pro-Acrylic-Nail-Art-Tips-UV-Builder-Gel-Painting-Design-Brush-Pen-Set-Lady-/262243427046?hash=item3d0eed22e6:g:PEQAAOSwyQtVuSnD -- except mine were double ended with a dotting tool on the other side instead of just a handle. These brushes are phenomenal for cleanup! They keep their sleek shape and the bristles don't fall out no matter how often you dunk them in acetone. They are slightly different in size and shape so there will probably be one that is more suited to your nails and technique than the others, but they all work wonderfully for cleanup purposes. From my original set, the three smallest brushes went to petite-fingered friends and I lost a couple, but the one I use every day I've had for over a year and a half now and it's still in as good a shape as the day I started using it.
Do a search for "acrylic nail art brush set" on ebay. There's an outfit in China that regularly runs auctions for the exact same set as the one at the url I gave you, with bids starting at a penny and free shipping -- bid $3-4 and you'll probably win the auction. How can you go wrong? Highly recommend!