Lemming Lacquer February 2016

February 2017 was released last month by Illinois-based indie polish maker Lemming Lacquer as part of creator Cassie's ongoing limited edition polish of the month series. I recently placed my very first order with this indie brand. The logo is total TDF cuteness! 

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

I mean, how adorable is that? Notice how the little bottle of polish in the logo is transparent, revealing the actual color of the polish inside -- such a clever detail! The unusual squared-off tapered hourglass bottle shape and tallish textured trumpet-like cap give the polish a distinctive bold look that I find fresh and appealing.

February 2016 is a medium-dark crimson linear holo. It's a vivid, dense, resonant shade of red with a cool lean in a jelly-esque formula that allows plenty of light in to illuminate the color and activate its holographic properties. Direct sun elicits a linear prismatic display predominated by an inner band of intense glowing indigo edged by a brilliant sparkling ribbon of bright red. In bright indirect light, the polish looks for all the world like the traditional candy apple red finish you see in auto paint, with a ton of depth and sparkle plus that special semi-metallic reflective kind of glow from deep within. Luscious! 

Application was great! The consistency of February 2016 is fluid and super smooth with a medium-to-thicker viscosity and a fluent glide over the nail. Self-leveling properties are outstanding. The polish went on best for me in thin to medium coats. Lemming Lacquer's flattened flexible brush has a relatively long wand, but the thicker formula prevents flooding of the brush as can sometimes happen with a long wand. Pigmentation is excellent, delivering wearable opacity in a single coat if you have a generous hand. As always with a holo, though, two thin to medium coats are best for richest effects. Cleanup is fairly straightforward with some pigment travel and a hint of residual staining, not uncommon for a well-pigmented red. February 2016 dries naturally in fairly good time to a beautiful glossy finish. Topcoat does not inhibit the holographic properties in any way, and actually adds depth to the look of the polish on the nail. 

Photos show two coats of February 2016 over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

Lemming Lacquer February 2016

A beautifully done, super glossy red holo with that particularly fetching candy apple look, what's not to love?

I can see why indie polish makers feature limited edition polishes of the month. It gives them the opportunity to generate interest between collections and the luxury of producing one-off formulations and colors that don't need to be incorporated into a group the way polishes in a collection do. They can be single pours, even, obviating the necessity of maintaining an inventory. The only drawback to a limited edition is its raison d'être -- once it's gone, it's gone! Past its month-long lifespan, you'll have to look to the secondary market to find an LE if you want it. 

But searching out a particular limited edition polish second-hand is kind of like the online version of brick-and-mortar "dusty hunting," an adventure in itself. If you're proficient at it, there's no telling what treasures you can add to your collection!

love,
Liz