Femme Fatale Heavenly Raiment

Heavenly Raiment was released at the end of July/beginning of August this year by Australian indie polish maker Femme Fatale Cosmetics as part of the Birth of Venus collection, a series of polishes inspired by Sandro Botticelli's famous painting The Birth of Venus, circa 1486. Creator Sophie describes it as "a soft floral pink jelly with silver holographic microglitters and blue glass fleck shimmers." The color is a light, translucent rosy pink shade with aspects of champagne and dusky pink lavender. It is packed with components: teeming holographic microglitters in two sizes read as champagne through the base and twinkle in ambient light and superabundant sky blue glass flecks give the polish an overt silvery blue sheen. In direct sun, those glass flecks explode into a dazzling veil of sky blue sparkle interspersed with bright prismatic sparks from the microglitters. 

Application was a feast for the eyes with all of the light-catching components. The consistency of Heavenly Raiment is fluid and dense with components, with a medium-to-thicker consistency to which I added polish thinner for a viscosity more compatible with my skills. Thinned, it had an even, easy glide over the nail. The components were by and large well-behaved with very little tumbling and no stick-ups or protrusions over the free edge. Pigmentation is excellent for a translucent shade. The components are responsible for a large part of the coverage, and even, wearable opacity can be had in two coats, although I used three for the photos. Cleanup frees glass flecks and microglitters to roam about the nail environs, where they like to stick like sparkly little limpets. Heavenly Raiment dries naturally in very good time to a textured finish. It smooths out a good deal with a generous layer of topcoat, but for a glassy finish you'll want to use a gel-effect topcoat or a dedicated glitter-smoother. 

Photos show three coats of Heavenly Raiment over treatment and basecoat with a layer of Pretty Serious Plump Up the Volume gel-effect topcoat followed by a layer of Seche Vite.

Femme Fatale Heavenly Raiment

Femme Fatale Heavenly Raiment

Femme Fatale Heavenly Raiment

Femme Fatale Heavenly Raiment

Femme Fatale Heavenly Raiment

Femme Fatale Heavenly Raiment

Femme Fatale Heavenly Raiment

Femme Fatale Heavenly Raiment

Femme Fatale Heavenly Raiment

Femme Fatale Heavenly Raiment

Femme Fatale Heavenly Raiment

This glistening, effervescent rosy pink with its dewy blue sheen and dazzling sparkle is a beautifully constructed rendering of a garment fit for the goddess of love. To me, it is more reminiscent of traditional Greek myth that Bottecelli's painting, and I like it that way. It suits my imagination to a tee! 

xo,
Liz