Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Cirque Carpe Diem and Nine Zero Kaleidoscope

I don't buy many glitter toppers these days but every now and then I find myself in the midst of a craving for the delight of layering glitter over another polish. A few months ago I came across Nine Zero Kaleidoscope and haven't been able to get it out of my mind.

Kaleidoscope was released at the beginning of April this year as part of the ROY G BIV collection, named with the acronym for the seven prismatic colors that make up the spectrum of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). This is a multicolored glitter topper created with two sizes of translucent rainbow hex glitters in a transparent suspension base, like tiny pieces of stained glass for your nails.

To showcase the colorful glitters, I wanted to apply them over white -- a perfect opportunity to try out Cirque Carpe Diem, a white creme released in 2014 with the Back to Basics gift set. It's a bright white formulated with a tiny amount of pearly yellow shimmers that are only visible in the bottle. I'm guessing that the addition works to improve application and leveling properties, both notorious issues for white lacquers, because the shimmers are invisible on the nail.

Carpe Diem applies beautifully! It has a fluid, light, creamy consistency with a medium viscosity and a silky smooth slip over the nail, where it self-levels like a dream. So impressive! Pigmentation is very good, with evenly opaque coverage available in three thin or two thicker coats, and cleanup is a breeze. Carpe Diem dries naturally in very good time to a gorgeous glossy finish.

Photos show three coats of Carpe Diem over treatment and basecoat, no topcoat. Please excuse the battered-looking tips -- I didn't wait for the polish to dry to begin typing. My bad!

Cirque Carpe Diem

Cirque Carpe Diem

Cirque Carpe Diem

Now for the glitters! The consistency of Kaleidoscope is fluid and dense with a medium viscosity and perfect glitter payoff, not too much nor too little, that disperses randomly over the nail. I'm always a bit ansty about the glitter distribution, but this one just paints on like a champ with out any stacking, stickups or protrusions over the free edge. I used two light coats with a little dry time in between. Kaleidoscope dries naturally in fairly good time to a gently pebbled finish from the glitters, easily smoothed by a generous layer of Seche Vite.

Pics!

Nine Zero Kaleidoscope over Cirque Carpe Diem

Nine Zero Kaleidoscope over Cirque Carpe Diem

Nine Zero Kaleidoscope over Cirque Carpe Diem

Nine Zero Kaleidoscope over Cirque Carpe Diem

Nine Zero Kaleidoscope over Cirque Carpe Diem

Nine Zero Kaleidoscope over Cirque Carpe Diem

So cheerful and fun! Reminds me of Wonder Bread, speaking of nostalgia, and makes a great pride manicure too!

ttyl,
Liz

2 comments:

  1. Those glitters are so pretty and festive on the white (thanks for reviewing it - I have been wondering about it). I haven't done glitters in awhile - maybe time to get them out! After all, it's summer!

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    1. I loved these fun glitters! Fuzzy didn't like them one bit and did not hesitate to tell me so. Rain on my parade much, Fuzz? *lol* You'd think she'd be used to a bit of chaos by now, although this is hardly what I'd call chaotic. It is, as you say, festive!

      As far as white polishes go, Cirque Carpe Diem is happiness in a bottle. I cannot recommend it enough.

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