Emily de Molly Viridescent

Well it was bound to happen. Importuned by the creamy pastels of spring, I succumbed and ordered a number of pastel polishes from various makers. I've mentioned many times the incompatibility of my ruddy skintone with such colors. Now we'll all get to see whether I was actually stating a fact or making it up. The proof is in the pudding! I'll start with the greens.

Viridescent was released by Australian indie polish maker Emily de Molly (EdM) as a stand alone polish in October 2015. Described simply as a light green creme holographic polish, it's not what I think of as a true pastel, since A) it's translucent rather than white-based, and B) it's a holo. Still, the desaturated milky green is a nice fit with traditional spring shades and very springlike itself. The color is difficult to categorize. It has aspects of celadon, tea green and magic mint, and the translucence of the formula combined with the holographic effects creates nuanced hues of minty blue and pale turquoise that blend deliciously with the base color to produce a beautiful seafoamy jade-like vibe. A golden sheen appears at certain angles, and in bright direct light there's a wonderful analogously-colored prismatic display in the way of creme holos, predominated by a band of pale sparkling aqua edged by a corona of yellow and orange sparks surrounding a central shimmering gleam of lemony gold. 

Application was delicious. The consistency of Viridescent is fluid, light and very creamy with a thin-to-medium viscosity and a fantastic buttery glide over the nail. It is wonderful to work with and easily manipulated by EdM's sleekly compact flattened-style brush. Self-leveling properties are very good. Pigmentation is somewhat sheerish. Two coats will produce wearable coverage with a hint of translucence that is actually quite flattering and delicate, but you'll need a third to truly capitalize on the underlying creaminess of the color. I used three coats for this manicure and can tell you that it's noticeably different from the look at two. Cleanup is easy and straightforward. Viridescent dries naturally in very good time to a smooth shiny finish. Topcoat does not inhibit the holographic properties in any way.

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

Emily de Molly Viridescent

Emily de Molly Viridescent

Emily de Molly Viridescent

Emily de Molly Viridescent

Emily de Molly Viridescent

Emily de Molly Viridescent

Emily de Molly Viridescent

Emily de Molly Viridescent

Emily de Molly Viridescent

Emily de Molly Viridescent

Emily de Molly Viridescent

Emily de Molly Viridescent

So, not technically a pastel but very pastel-like, don't you think? In person, it's a tiny bit brighter than my photos show, but still with the same delicate translucent quality. Compared to my current favorite light green, Il Était Un Vernis Matcha Doing Today, Viridescent is much more of a chiffon to Matcha Doing Today's habotai, but they are both beautiful.

I cannot complain about how this looks on me, I think it is lovely and it has a great feel: airy, fresh and graceful. I was helped out today by the weather being cool and rainy with heavily overcast skies, which although it made it more difficult for the camera to focus did suppress my skin's inclination to pinkage. But I have a feeling that this pale beauty would be equally charming on a sunny day as well, when the warmer light would bring out its essential green-ness and its holographic magic a little more. 

love,
Liz