Il Était Un Vernis Merlot

Merlot was released last September by French boutique polish maker Il Était Un Vernis as part of the Grand Crus collection for fall 2015. This is described by creators Bé and Stephanie as a brick orange, and it really does resemble the orange clay bricks you see everyday. It's a medium-toned rusty orange-red softened and slightly muted by subtle tones of creamy pink. It bears abundant gold microflake shimmers, which read as orangey pink through the base and give the polish a coppery aspect, as well as a generous dose of finely-milled holographic pigment, creating the velvety visual texture and depth that I've come to think of as an Il Était Un Vernis signature. In direct sun, you can see a gentle scattered prismatic sparkle amidst the gleaming microflakes.

Application was stellar. The consistency of Merlot is fluid, light and super creamy, with a medium viscosity and an effortless, mag lev-smooth glide over the nail that self-levels like a dream. It's the kind of formula that just exudes quality as you apply it, so buttery and biddable that the heart swells with appreciation and an involuntary smile inevitably works its way onto your face. Love! Pigmentation is outstanding, offering opaque coverage in a single coat. Adding a second, as I always do, does seem to deepen and enrich the color somewhat but it isn't necessary in terms of opacity. Cleanup is fairly easy, there's a tiny bit of pigment travel and the golden microflakes like to stick, but nothing that a few extra swipes of the cleanup brush won't handle. Merlot dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat adds a becoming gloss and seems to emphasize the polish's beautiful velvety depth on the nail.

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

Il Était Un Vernis Merlot

Il Était Un Vernis Merlot

Il Était Un Vernis Merlot

Il Était Un Vernis Merlot

Il Était Un Vernis Merlot

Il Était Un Vernis Merlot

Il Était Un Vernis Merlot

Il Était Un Vernis Merlot

Il Était Un Vernis Merlot

Il Était Un Vernis Merlot

Il Était Un Vernis Merlot

Just a perfect rich coppery rust, substantial enough to be worthy of being called a rust, but feminine and graceful and filled with golden grace notes. 

This shade reminds me so much of one of my roommates in college. She was a redhead with a pale but warm-based complexion. Her mother did those spring/summer/fall/winter skintone evaluations so she had her colors down to a science, and she was a veritable fountain of wisdom when it came to personal care -- nails, hair, skin, she could answer any question. In my not-so-blissful state of ignorance of these matters, she was a godsend. I think she had a lipstick exactly this shade and it looked fabulous on her. Carolyn, Happy Mother's Day! This polish is for YOU!

My apologies for featuring such a quintessentially autumnal shade in the middle of spring, but I purchased three of the Grand Crus polishes recently when I read they were going to be discontinued and I can't help but want to wear them regardless of seasonality. With their wonderful formulas and interesting, carefully considered colors, Il Était Un Vernis' creations are irresistible to me! 

ttyl,
Liz