Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

Living on Borrowed Time was released the first of this month by Colorado-based indie polish maker Colors by Llarowe as the Polish of the Month for April 2017. Llarowe's Polishes of the Month are only available for a 24 hour period on the first of each month and then go away forever, which makes me a little sad because no matter how many alarms and reminders I set I always seem to miss that window for one reason or another. But not this time! Hooray!

Described as an orchid purple holo, this polish is a warm, saturated, medium-toned Munsell purple shade. If you remember my review of CbL's What's Your Dream back towards the end of February, Living on Borrowed time is a couple of clicks or so warmer and brighter than that one with a touch of additional creaminess to the color that gives it a lush, floral aspect on the nail. Abundant finely-milled holographic pigment creates richly dimensional tone-on-tone shading with a luminous ultramarine heart and a stealthy red-violet flash in ambient light, and in the sun there's a sparkling linear prismatic flare featuring twin arcs of azure and bright red.

Application was great! The consistency of Living on Borrowed Time is fluid, creamy and dense with a medium viscosity and a plush, self-leveling glide over the nail that has a bit of pull to it and went on best for me in medium coats from a well-loaded brush. It does not run or pool. Pigmentation is excellent, almost a one-coater but two is best for richest color and holographic effects. Cleanup is straightforward. Living on Borrowed dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Creator Leah Ann noted in her description of this polish that it may be reactive to some topcoats, possibly deepening in tone depending on what brand is used. Seche Vite did not appear to alter the color at all, nor did it inhibit or otherwise affect the holographic properties.

Photos show two coats of Living on Borrowed Time over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

Colors by Llarowe Living on Borrowed Time

What a glorious, effusive purple! Wearing it, I imagined myself surrounded by a cloud of ten brightly colored butterflies -- not that butterflies are purple but it's so eye-catching that it just has that kind of effect! Bright and feminine, it's a lovely alternative to pastel purples for spring. Love!

xo,
Liz