Lacquer Slacker Liz: 2017

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Dreamland Lacquer Elfin Gorgeous

Elfin Gorgeous was released last month by Missouri-based indie polish maker Dreamland Artisan Nail Lacquer as one of two exclusive polishes available only from the brand's new stockist, Girly Bits. Officially described as a "deep wine red with scattered holo particles and fiery red microflakes," the color is an inky, rich burgundy hue with graceful purple undertones, similar to claret or bordeaux. It is liberally dusted with silvery holographic pigment particles, which gives it a slightly subdued look until you get topcoat on it. Abundant red microflake shimmers read as magenta from within the base, gleaming when the light hits them just right. In the sun there's a sparkling prismatic display, dispersed somewhat by the microflake shimmers to more of a scattered look.

Application was lovely. The consistency of Elfin Gorgeous is fluid and smooth with a medium-to-slightly thicker viscosity to which I added a bit of polish thinner as I often do with thicker polishes. Thinned, it still retained a dense quality, with a plush, creamy, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is very good and will net evenly opaque coverage in two coats. Cleanup was a little bit of a bear due to very sticky microflakes. Elfin Gorgeous dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. The look of the color on the nail becomes clearer and richer with topcoat, which also accentuates the presence of the microflake shimmers.

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

Dreamland Lacquer Elfin Gorgeous

I was surprised by the difference topcoat made with this polish. It had a rather muted, dusty quality prior, and I was honestly a little disappointed by the flatness of the color. But topcoat kind of wiped the dustiness away, clarifying the color and giving it a richer, more definitive presence. The finish still has the finely-grained aspect that you see in holos, but the holographic pigment particles seem less silvery, more prismatic, and the gleaming microflake shimmers are easier to see. A beautiful, elegant polish!

I will be traveling up to Charlottesville VA tomorrow to deliver gifts to various households, drink champagne, go my dad's Christmas party and hang out with my sis and her family. I won't be blogging or even online (much) while I'm gone and I've not yet figured out when I'll be coming home. Before New Year's most likely. Don't worry, I'll be back! Until then, I wish you a joyful and safe holiday. Thank you for spending time here! Salud!

love,
Liz

Friday, December 22, 2017

Grace-full Nail Polish Christmas Spirit

Like Midnight Clear and Santa Cutie, Christmas Spirit was released in November this year by Australian indie-polish maker Grace-full Nail Polish as part of the Vintage Christmas collection. This microglitter bomb is described as a deep forest green base with bright green holographic microglitters, red microglitters and green shimmers. The jelly base is indeed a dark but vibrant forest green (almost a Kelly green sort of look) with a nicely balanced "primary" quality -- not too blue, not too yellow -- that gives it a great bold holiday vibe. It's packed with green holographic microglitters perfectly interspersed with red ones for a look that reminds me of a sparkly, stylized holly wreath. It's full of bright glittery sparkle in ambient light, with an added blanket of prismatic sparks in the sun.

Application was great! The consistency of Christmas Spirit is fluid and dense with microglitters, with a medium-to-slightly-thicker viscosity and an easy, tractable, self-leveling flow over the nail that went on best for me in thin to medium coats from a moderately loaded brush. Wearably opaque coverage can be had in two to three coats depending on how you paint. I used three for most uniform depth of color in my photos. I did my cleanup as I went along because sticky glitters! Christmas Spirit dries naturally in very good time to a shiny, pebbly finish that needs a layer or two of good, thick topcoat to smooth it out. I used the combination of a dedicated glitter-smoother and quick-dry for a glossy, glitter-under-glass look.

Photos show three coats of Christmas Spirit over KBShimmer Love You Strong Time treatment and KBShimmer Fillin' Groovy basecoat topped with a layer of Girly Bits Glitter Glaze and finished with Seche Vite.

Grace-full Nail Polish Christmas Spirit

Merry Christmas!

I cannot get over how well-balanced this glitter mix is, because this polish does not look even the least bit muddy, either in the bottle or on the nail. Somehow the eye sees those tiny red microglitters with perfect clarity amidst all of that green. They are so cute! Also, I couldn't help but imagine this polish as a glittery gift wrap. Wouldn't that be awesome?

My significant other was shuffling down the hall in his bathrobe when he spotted Christmas Spirit on my nails. "St. Patrick would be proud," he said, examining my manicure. Hello?! Needless to say, he's not really big on Christmas -- but he does love green!

love,
Liz

Thursday, December 21, 2017

ILNP Zoe

Like Party Favor and Downpour, Zoe was released last month by Nevada-based indie polish maker ILNP as part of the Holiday 2017 collection. It's officially described as a "raspberry-purple holographic," and I agree! The base color is a medium-dark to dark patriarch purple, well-balanced between red and blue. It is filled with bright pink metallic microflake shimmers that read as a brilliant raspberry color within the base on the nail, especially noticeable along the axis of light. These shimmers brighten the base color and give it more of a Munsell purple appearance overall. The look is dusted and flecked with silvery holographic particles, emitting pinpoint prismatic sparks and a subtle rainbow flush in ambient light. In direct light, they explode into a sparkling scattered display with a gorgeous, mobile prismatic flush that travels up and down the nail as you flex your fingers in the light.

Application was most agreeable. The consistency of Zoe is fluid, light and smooth with a medium viscosity and a fluent, self-leveling slip over the nail, an excellent, eminently-paintable formula that is just what we've learned to expect from the brand. Pigmentation is very good and will deliver a wearable opacity in two coats, although I used three for the photos. Cleanup is fairly straightforward with a bit of stickiness on the part of the pink microflake shimmers. Zoe dries naturally in good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat accentuates the presence and effects of the microflake shimmers and does not interfere in any way with the polish's holographic properties.

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

ILNP Zoe

Between the glowing raspberry microflakes and the holographic particles, this polish has loads of light play but I couldn't help feeling that it wasn't quite as bold and showy as the two blues from the collection that I've reviewed -- that is, until I went outside. Even under overcast, rainy skies, the color was so rich and radiant, an intensely vibrant, utterly stunning warm purple! My photos really don't do it proper justice and I can't even imagine what it's like when the sun's out. Fantastic!

xo,
Liz

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

KBShimmer Deck The Claws

Like You're Brew-tiful, Deck The Claws was released at the beginning of the month by Indiana-based indie polish maker KBShimmer as part of the Holo-day collection. It is a red filled with holographic microglitter, part of KBShimmer's Mega Flame line of polishes. The color is a saturated medium-dark crimson of perfect depth and brilliance to make for a resonant, joyful holiday red. Superabundant silver holographic microglitters offer up a colorful "Christmas tree lights" kind of sparkle, predominated by bright red in ambient light and joined by all of the rainbow colors in force in the sun.

Application was awesome! The consistency of Deck The Claws is fluid and dense with microglitters, with a medium-to-slightly-thicker viscosity and a surprisingly fluent, even, self-leveling spread over the nails. I had no problems with it and you know how paranoid I am about thicker polishes. Pigmentation is excellent, almost a one-coater for me but you'll definitely want a second to ensure most uniform color in direct light and for the extra sparkles it brings. I did my cleanup as I went along in a not entirely successful attempt to avoid sticky microglitters. Watch out for pigment travel also, which can leave a skosh of trace staining. Deck The Claws dries naturally in good time to a flat, sandy-textured finish that wants a good, thick topcoat to look its best. A double layer of regular quick-dry topcoat or a single layer of gel-effect or glitter-smoothing topcoat will do the job admirably.

Photos show two coats of Deck The Claws over treatment and basecoat with a layer of Girly Bits Glitter Glaze and a final layer of Seche Vite for extra gloss.

KBShimmer Deck The Claws

Love, love, love the bold, exuberant red color and the twinkly, colorful sparkle! Great name too. I am totally torn now between this polish and Grace-full's Midnight Clear to wear for my trip up to Charlottesville on Christmas Eve and to my dad's Christmas party the next day. Do you have a special polish in mind for the 25th?

xo,
Liz

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

A-England Anne of Cleves

Continuing with A-England's new Tudoresque collection, today's polish is Anne of Cleves. The German princess Anne of Cleves (1515-57) was Queen of England for six months in 1540 as Henry VIII's fourth wife. Neither was to the other's liking, and Henry had the marriage annulled on 9 July 1540 on the grounds that it had never been consummated. Anne received a generous settlement for not contesting the annulment and remained in England for the rest of her life, outliving Henry and all of his other wives. She died at age 41, most likely from cancer.

Officially described as a "delicate blush pink scatter holo with gold shimmer," this polish is a pale, quiet, rosy pink with a slightly muted quality that is heavily silvered by holographic pigment for a look that is similar to Boto pink. Luminous, shimmering and dimensional on the nail, it has the finely-grained visual texture that you see in holos and displays a lovely warm prismatic flush in direct light.

Application was first rate. The consistency of Anne of Cleves is fluid, light and creamy with a medium viscosity and a buttery, self-leveling slip over the nail -- another gorgeous A-England formula that is a delight to finesse with the brand's new paddle-style brush. Pigmentation is very good, delivering evenly opaque coverage and full bottle color in two coats. Cleanup is easy. Anne of Cleves dries naturally in very good time to a smooth shiny finish. Topcoat does not affect the holographic properties of the polish in any way.

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

A-England Anne of Cleves

This is simply lovely. The delicate color is a sophisticated, grown-up pink with an almost neutral kind of sensibility, sleek, demure and exceedingly graceful on the nail. Eminently wearable all year round, the softly subdued, silvery hue makes it an excellent foil for the darker, moodier colors of winter as well as an elegant accompaniment to winter whites and creams.

love,
Liz

Monday, December 18, 2017

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Reindeer Wolfcastle

Reindeer Wolfcastle was released in November this year by Connecticut-based indie polish maker Octopus Party Nail Lacquer (OPNL) as part of the Winter 2017 collection.

Creator Dave describes this as a "blushing cinnamon linear holographic with gold and holo flakies." The base color is a dark, rich, somewhat cool-toned brown along the lines of bole. It is densely packed with overt golden flakies that warm the color, suffusing it with brightly gleaming bronze and copper flecks that give the polish a luxurious, fire-lit quality. Holographic flakies add a generous sprinkling of prismatic sparks to the look. The holographic flare in direct sun is dispersed by the gold flakes to more of a scattered type of display, with gold, bronze and copper joining rainbow colors in a field of brilliant sparkle.

Application was fantastic. The consistency of Reindeer Wolfcastle is fluid, light and smooth with a medium viscosity and a fluent, tractable, self-leveling spread over the nail. Pigmentation is very good. This is a jelly-lish kind of formula with a degree of built-in translucence. Wearably opaque coverage can be had in two medium coats, but I liked three even better. Cleanup is straightfoward. Reindeer Wolfcastle dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish.

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

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Reindeer Wolfcastle

The name of this polish kills me, it sounds so random! What's up with that, Dave? Plus, I misremembered it early on as "Rudolph Wolfenstein" for some reason (talk about random, said the kettle to the pot) and now that name is stuck in my head and I keep having to refer to my resources to make sure that I'm typing the right thing!

Cool on the outside, warm on the inside! This is a splendid winter brown, filled with gleaming metallic bits that remind me of firelight flickering over polished brass -- a cozy, opulent, epicurean kind of sensibility. Well done!

love,
Liz