ILNP Stopping Traffic

Stopping Traffic was released earlier this month by Nevada-based indie polish maker I Love Nail Polish (ILNP) as part of the Winter 2016 collection. Creator Barbra describes this as a fire engine red. To my eye it is slightly cooler than that, more along the lines of a crimson, medium-dark in tone but intense and vibrant. It bears, as Barbra says, "an array of holographic pigments" that vary in size from particles to tiny microflakes, giving the semi-translucent, jelly-ish formula a sparkly semi-metallic underlay a la Dorothy's ruby slippers, with a net of bright prismatic sparks at the surface. In the sun there's a scattered display of sparkle in all of the rainbow colors.

Application was most agreeable! The consistency of Stopping Traffic is fluid, smooth and jelly-like with a medium viscosity and a fluent, easy, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is very good, delivering evenly opaque coverage and full, rich color in two coats. Cleanup is remarkably easy for a red of this intensity, with no pigment travel or trace staining to speak of, hooray! Stopping Traffic dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, slightly flat finish that wants a glossy topcoat to look its best. Topcoat does not interfere with the holographic properties in any way.

Photos show two coats of Stopping Traffic over basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

ILNP Stopping Traffic

ILNP Stopping Traffic

ILNP Stopping Traffic

ILNP Stopping Traffic

ILNP Stopping Traffic

ILNP Stopping Traffic

ILNP Stopping Traffic

ILNP Stopping Traffic

ILNP Stopping Traffic

ILNP Stopping Traffic

ILNP Stopping Traffic

ILNP Stopping Traffic

As Edina says in her review of the Winter 2016 collection on Lakkomlakkom, red is not common among ILNP's offerings so Stopping Traffic is especially welcome for ILNP's red-loving fans. Even though it has no glitter in it, the intensity of the color and the shimmery, sparkling semi-metallic underlay remind me of classic sparkly red polishes like China Glaze's Ruby Pumps and Ring in the Red, Butter London Chancer and Essie Leading Lady. With the addition of holographic sparkle, it's like a modern indie take on that particularly festive kind of red polish. Beautifully done!

love,
Liz

ILNP Varsity Jacket

Varsity Jacket was released earlier this month by Nevada-based indie polish maker I Love Nail Polish (ILNP) as part of the Winter 2016 collection. I wore this for the first half of last week's Charlottesville visit. Before I even left town, I managed to tear two nails (both on my cinderella hand, fortunately) while energetically packing up the Subaru, so once I'd arrived and squeezed everyone and settled in, I had major nail filing and a new manicure to see to. I'd brought the polishes that I purchased from ILNP's Winter and New Year's collections with me, and Varsity Jacket was the first one to catch my eye when I opened the box.

Officially described as a metallic grey holo, Varsity Jacket is one of ILNP's Ultra Holos, formulated with a range of holographic pigment, particles and microflakes for maximum holographic goodness. The base color is a graceful charcoal grey with a clean, achromatic aspect, a shade or two darker than my favorite ILNP grey, Maiden Lane. It is absolutely packed with holographic components, giving it a silvery, shimmering quality replete with omnipresent prismatic sparkle, even in low light. In the sun it displays a brilliant flare of mixed prismatic sparks in a linear-style arc.

Application was lovely. The consistency of Varsity Jacket is fluid, light and smooth with a medium viscosity and a nearly effortless, silky, self-leveling slip over the nail. Pigmentation is very good, netting evenly opaque coverage in two coats. Cleanup is easy, with a bit of dispersion of the holographic microflakes but no other issues. Varisty Jacket dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat does not inhibit the holographic effects in any way.

Photos show two coats of Varisty Jacket over KBShimmer Love You Strong Time treatment and KBShimmer Fillin' Groovy basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

ILNP Varsity Jacket

ILNP Varsity Jacket

ILNP Varsity Jacket

ILNP Varsity Jacket

ILNP Varsity Jacket

ILNP Varsity Jacket

ILNP Varsity Jacket

ILNP Varsity Jacket

ILNP Varsity Jacket

ILNP Varsity Jacket

ILNP Varsity Jacket

ILNP Varsity Jacket

This was very well received by my family, who loved the gorgeous holographic effects. They are present in large degree at all times, making this a fun polish to wear and a great example of what a holo can do. It is sleek and shimmery on the nail, with a brighter and more lively appearance than the deep base color would lead you to expect. It was perfect for my time on the road and wore very well, showing only light tipwear after four days. 

love,
Liz

ILNP Caesar

I'm back! A little later than I thought, I stayed an extra day. I had a great time with my sis and bro-in-law and nephew and niece, the original inspiration for this blog. She's so grown up now! At twelve she's definitely more of a teen than a tween and something of a maverick, the only female trumpet player in her school's jazz band and an advocate for social justice. She and I watched some movies together, including Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, about which she astutely noted that the only actor of color was the villain, and Whiplash, which she loved for the music and but hated for J.K. Simmons' powerful portrayal of an abusive music director. While I was there, my nephew completed (much to his parents' relief) his application to George Mason University, his top choice for college next year. I can't believe my little (now the tallest in our family at 6'2") Noodle will graduate high school in 2017! Sis and bro-in-law are dealing well with two alternately sassy and morose teenagers in the house, I must say. They have a beautiful and inspiring partnership.

But about the nail polish, because that's why you're here, right? I wore only two polishes during my visit and loved them both so I'll feature them here starting right now with ILNP Caesar. Caesar was recently released by Nevada-based indie polish maker I Love Nail Polish (ILNP) as part of the New Year's 2016 collection, a series of six new additions to the brand's Ultra Metallics line. It's a dark murky olive color, considerably brightened by a luxurious, foily finish that's dusted with fine holographic pigment for some extra prismatic sparkle. Not that it needs it -- sparkle is a hallmark of the Ultra Metallics, which are formulated with ultra thin metallic flakes, here in gold. The pairing of the subdued olive color with the Ultra Metallic formula is incredibly successful, producing a rich, sophisticated, glamorous look that is alive with light play at all times. 

Application was dreamy. The consistency of Caesar is fluid, full-bodied and smooth with a medium viscosity and a lush, buttery, self-leveling glide over the nail, a wonderful user-friendly formula that goes right where you put it and stays there. Pigmentation is very good, delivering completely even opaque coverage in two coats. Cleanup is fraught with escapee metallic flakes, which happily ensconce themselves about the nail environs, but no issues other than that. Caesar dries naturally in very good time to a silky smooth, reflective finish. 

Photos show two coats of Caesar over basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite. Please pardon any gnarliness, my cuticles and fingertips are thoroughly put out after being ignored for a week. 

ILNP Caesar

ILNP Caesar

ILNP Caesar

ILNP Caesar

ILNP Caesar

ILNP Caesar

ILNP Caesar

ILNP Caesar

ILNP Caesar

ILNP Caesar

ILNP Caesar

ILNP Caesar

Although the base color is dark, Caesar is bright and gleaming on the nail with the luxurious twinkling sparkle that all of ILNP's Ultra Metallics have. They are true foils, these polishes, with that glorious, mosaic-like visual texture created by the tiny metallic flakes abutting one another. Caesar's deep muted olive green swimming with golden flakes seems to me a superb brassy neutral polish, and the holographic sparks are a wonderful indie touch.

I had this on for the latter half of my trip and it paired fabulously with the rusty red silk shirt and navy linen pants I wore on Christmas Eve and did equally well with a voluminous purple rayon top patterned in tie-dyed yellow, sea green, mauve and pale blue ginkgo leaves on Christmas day. I reckon it would be awesome with any outfit, actually. It has the kind of panache and sophistication that really dresses up a look!

love,

Liz

Great Lakes Lacquer Washed in Holo

Washed in Holo was released in April 2016 by Michigan-based indie polish maker Great Lakes Lacquer as a stand-alone shade, a holographic version of creator Mariah's Washed in Magenta from the Sunset Dissected collection, released the previous month. Mariah describes Washed in Holo as a "violet red with shifting blue to purple shimmer, neon purple micro flake, iridescent purple micro flake, and a strong linear holo." The color is a deep, rich, plummy red-violet, one of those sumptuous purpled berry colors that hang out in the spectrum between magenta and purple, kind of like a dark magenta with a kiss of jazzberry jam. A bevy of purple shimmers and microflakes serve to enrich the color, giving it a unique stamp and combining with the holographic pigment to create an especially shimmery appearance. Direct sun generates a brilliant linear prismatic display, slightly dispersed by the shimmers but also extra sparkly because of them, whisper-thin ribbons of rainbow sparks framing a central lick of glistening silvery magenta and shading to a resonant plum at the sidewalls of the nail.

Application was wonderful. The consistency of Washed in Holo is fluid, full-bodied and very smooth with a thin-to-medium viscosity and a silky, self-leveling slip over the nail with a tiny bit of pull to it. Pigmentation is very good, delivering evenly opaque coverage in two coats. I had to add a third to one nail to fix a line, so I added a third to the rest of my nails. It's not a huge difference from two, but did create a slightly denser look to the color. Cleanup is remarkably easy considering the depth and saturation of the color and all of the shimmers. I had no issues, hooray! Washed in Holo dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Top coat does not interfere with the holographic effects in any way.

Photos show three coats of Washed in Holo over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Great Lakes Lacquer Washed in Holo

Great Lakes Lacquer Washed in Holo

Great Lakes Lacquer Washed in Holo

Great Lakes Lacquer Washed in Holo

Great Lakes Lacquer Washed in Holo

Great Lakes Lacquer Washed in Holo

Great Lakes Lacquer Washed in Holo

Great Lakes Lacquer Washed in Holo

Great Lakes Lacquer Washed in Holo

Great Lakes Lacquer Washed in Holo

Great Lakes Lacquer Washed in Holo

Marvelous! The rich deep color is dramatic and utterly gorgeous, awash with holographically-nuanced hues of red and purple and glowing violet in ambient light, with a gleaming red-violet flash. It is regal and sleek on the nail, bursting into a beautiful sparkling prismatic flare in the sun. It reminds me of something Fuzzy likes to say: too much of a good thing is even better!

I am driving up to my sister and bro-in-law's place in Charlottesville today to spend Christmas with them and their teenage offspring, my adorable niece and nephew, who have the week off from school. I won't be blogging while I'm there, but I expect to be back and posting again by the 27th. Thank you so much for the time you spend here, I am grateful for you! 

Wishing you and yours a fabulous festivus!

love,
Liz

Alchemy Lacquers Ennui

Like Guanxi, Ennui was released in October this year by Pennsylvania-based indie polish maker Alchemy Lacquers as part of the Alchemy in the Abstract collection. Described as a "dusky darkened purple with pink, purple and turquoise micro flakes," it has a milky, greyed-out Chinese violet look in the bottle. Once on the nail, however, the color becomes slightly more ambiguous, more of a murky indigo shade with slate and navy-ish aspects, similar in depth and tone to a dark blue-grey, but with a violet undertone that is more or less perceptible depending upon viewing circumstances. Difficult to describe, it's a shadowy, crepuscular sort of color with a touch of stormcloud. Abundant variously sized and shaped metallic microflake shimmers in purple, pink and turquoise float within, visible mostly upon close inspection when the light hits them just right, adding a subtle complexity to the romantic duskiness of the base color. 

Application was wonderful. Ennui is packed with microflakes but still manages to maintain a fluid and light consistency with a medium viscosity and an easy, fluent glide over the nail. The microflakes are by and large well-behaved, occasionally threatening to hang off the free edge but never actually doing so. Pigmentation is very good. Any sheerness or streakiness to the first coat builds easily to completely even opaque coverage with a second. Cleanup is fairly straightforward -- those little flakes love to stick, though, especially to the nail. Ennui dries naturally in good time to a shiny finish with a delicately dimpled visual texture, not discernable to the touch. Topcoat helps to highlight the shimmers.

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

Alchemy Lacquers Ennui

Alchemy Lacquers Ennui

Alchemy Lacquers Ennui

Alchemy Lacquers Ennui

Alchemy Lacquers Ennui

Alchemy Lacquers Ennui

Alchemy Lacquers Ennui

Alchemy Lacquers Ennui

The microflakes are somewhat more distinct in the photos than they are to the naked eye in person.

I love this color, it reminds me of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. It has a soft, washed, slightly dusty quality that is tremendously appealing, I think. There's a sort of organic elegance to it, an easy earthiness that is inherently graceful and romantic. Very chic, as well, and the kind of color that will be beautiful on everyone, regardless of skin tone or nail length. I could wear this again and again and not tire of it. Recommend!

xo,
Liz