Thursday, January 14, 2016

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Malibu Stacy's Mom

Malibu Stacy's Mom was released in November 2015 by Connecticut-based indie polish maker Octopus Party Nail Lacquer (OPNL) as part of the Winter box collection from Creme de la Mode, and has since become available as a stand-alone through OPNL's etsy shop. This is a light-medium bright pink creme, a guava pink along the lines of French pink. It's warmer and less shrill than hot pink, with a gentle sun-bleached quality and the floral/fruity aspect you get from pinks of this nature. In certain low light circumstances it displays modest pretensions to coral, but any hint of orange disappears in direct light where it is bright and vibrant and most definitely pink. 

Application was most agreeable. The consistency of Malibu Stacy's Mom is fluid and very creamy, with a silky glide over the nail and very good self-leveling properties. The formula has a skosh of translucence that reminds me of a creme/jelly hybrid, and is quite user-friendly. I was able to finesse several tiny fiber extractions (apparently it was tiny fiber day here today) with patches that melted in beautifully, hooray! Pigmentation is very good with wearable coverage in two coats, although my more hopelessly furrowed nails still showed subtle dark streaks so I added a third all around for most even opacity. Cleanup is easy and straightforward. Malibu Stacy's Mom dries naturally in very good time to a beautiful glossy finish. 

Photos show three coats of Malibu Stacy's Mom over Pretty Serious Rock On treatment and Pretty Serious All Your Base basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite. The staining in the sidewalls of some nails is leftover from yesterday's experience with Butter London Royal Navy, ugh!


OPNL Malibu Stacy's Mom


OPNL Malibu Stacy's Mom


OPNL Malibu Stacy's Mom


OPNL Malibu Stacy's Mom


OPNL Malibu Stacy's Mom


OPNL Malibu Stacy's Mom


OPNL Malibu Stacy's Mom


OPNL Malibu Stacy's Mom


OPNL Malibu Stacy's Mom

This luscious shade is actually a tiny bit more saturated in person than my photos show. It's a fun, beachy, Florida kind of pink with a juicy pink grapefruit vibe. I love a bright pink with the hint of warmth to it that this one has, it feels very healthy and fresh to me.

Until I looked it up, I'd forgotten about Malibu Stacy. She's the sexist talking doll that infuriates Lisa in The Simpsons. I was horrified to discover that Malibu Stacy was inspired by Mattel's insidious Teen Talk Barbie line of dolls from the early 1990s that actually spoke phrases that were similarly demeaning to women. *shudder* How do parents navigate the minefield of children's toys and games and, these days, electronic media and software, anyway? My sixth-grade niece recently asked her parents if she could have a smart phone since "everybody else has one." That old chestnut failed to impress my sister, although I think it startled her a little. She and my bro-in-law ultimately declined the request, at least for now.

Glad to be grown-up, even if it's just in theory.

Liz

2 comments:

  1. That's a very becoming pink. It seems more wearable - not as bright and noisome as hot pink, but still has a nice steady vibe. My pink range used to be limited to a light, clear pink but I find I really enjoy most all pink polishes now (although some are liked more than others, hahah).

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    1. It really does have a nice steady vibe -- very observant, my dear!

      My natural pinkage usually outpinks pale pinks, which makes me sad because I love pale pink. :( Luckily, bright pinks make my eyes happy and also do well with my skin tone. I especially love fruity/floral pinks like this one!

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