Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan was released in July 2016 by Michigan-based indie polish maker Great Lakes Lacquer as part of The Great Ones collection, a genius series of five polishes inspired by the Great Lakes of North America. The lone holo of the collection, Lake Michigan is described as "a deep teal linear holographic with multi chrome flake that shifts from a deep blue to light green and shimmer that mimics those flakes." With all of the component shiftiness going on, whether blue or green is most prevalent in the general appearance of this polish depends entirely upon viewing circumstances, but the base color is a translucent medium-dark blue-green.

That said, the combination of the multichrome flakies, which range in color from bright primary green to electric blue, and the blue/green color-shifting shimmers make this polish a truly dynamic chameleon. A cloud momentarily crossing the sun will transform the look from a resonant sea green glimmering with hints of emerald and pine to a lush, oceanic cerulean, with innumerable subtle variations of tone in between. The multichrome flakies and holographic pigment give it a rich, dimensional visual texture, with gleaming, jewel-like metallic flakes mixing with the finely-grained, Pointillist-style ambient color to create a shimmering tapestry of blues and greens. And in the sun, there's a sparkling, analogously-hued prismatic display.

Application was lovely. The consistency of Lake Michigan is fluid, full-bodied and smooth with a medium viscosity and an even, self-leveling glide over the nail with a bit of pull to it if using thin coats, which I recommend. The flakies range from tiny shards to relatively large pieces, but all disperse easily and randomly over the nail with no clumping, stickups or protrusions over the free edge. Pigmentation is sheerish and meant to be that way. I think that three coats creates the richest presentation, and I found thinner coats best to avoid any bulkiness. Cleanup is surprisingly easy, with just a skosh of trace staining. Lake Michigan dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish.

Photos show three coats of Lake Michigan over KBShimmer Love You Strong Time treatment and KBShimmer Fillin' Groovy basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

The flakies incorporate with the holo beautifully here, much more so in person than my photos would suggest, and there's a sort of semi-metallic quality to the finish that serves to encapsulate all of the visual texture and give the polish a really dressy, ornate feel. The linear holographic display in the sun is slightly dispersed by the components, but the colors are so brilliant and rich that this somehow only manages to make it even more stunning. Wonderful!

love,
Liz