KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

Shoe the Blues Away was released last month by Indiana-based indie polish maker KBShimmer as one of four custom, limited edition polishes for February 2017 created exclusively for members of the Hella Holo Customs (HHC) Facebook group. It is officially described as a cobalt blue linear holo, and I agree. It's a dark, clean, saturated shade, evocative of night skies and deep, oceanic waters. Abundant finely-milled holographic pigment creates a dimensional look on the nail, with a glowing heart of ultramarine edged by sea green sparks and a luminous, reflective sheen. The color brightens noticeably in the sun, which generates a sparkling linear holographic flare predominated by arcs of bright azure and Kelly green with a trailing corona of mixed prismatic sparks that surrounds a lick of semi-metallic silvery midnight blue and shades to dark blue at the sidewalls of the nail. 

Application was fantastic. The consistency of Shoe the Blues Away is fluid, smooth and dense with a medium viscosity and an even, velvety, self-leveling glide over the nail that has a little bit of pull to it, an easy-to-control formula that is a pleasure to finesse with KBShimmer's flattened-style brush. Pigmentation is very good to excellent, with impressive coverage on the first coat and completely even opacity after the second. Cleanup is straightforward. There's a tiny bit of pigment travel and some residual staining as you might expect from a well-saturated dark blue. Shoe the Blues Away dries naturally in very good time to a smooth shiny finish. Topcoat does not interfere with the holographic properties in any way.

Photos show two coats of Shoe the Blues Away over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

KBShimmer Shoe the Blues Away

Given my predilection for dark blue holos, you know that I love this beautiful polish. Colorists say that dark blue inspires feelings confidence, trust and security with calming and relaxing connotations and I think that's what makes it such a pleasing, elegant color for nails. It just feels right!

love,
Liz