KBShimmer Let's Be Frank

Like Color Me Rad, Let's Be Frank was released this month by Indiana-based indie polish maker KBShimmer as part of the All The Bright Moves collection. This is the purple of the series and was inspired by Lisa Frank. I was already a troubled young adult in the 90s and everything I know about Lisa Frank I learned from other nail polish enthusiasts so clearly I am no expert. But judging by the enthusiasm with which this polish has been welcomed, it's right on target.

The color is a creamy, medium-toned, orchid-leaning purple that in low light very closely resembles the way Crayola's pearly purple looks on a computer screen. It brightens with the light in which it's viewed to what I want to call a primary purple, if there was such a thing. It's got the brightness of a Munsell purple with the creaminess and lilt of an orchid, with a graphic sensibility to it. 

Application was ok. The consistency of Let's Be Frank is fluid, light and smooth with a medium-to-thinner viscosity and self-leveling slip over the nail that seemed to be particularly susceptible to my hand tremors, if my cuticle lines are any measure. The creme/jelly hybrid formula has a good amount of translucence to it. The first coat is somewhat uneven and very light in color, especially if you use thin coats. Two coats deepens the color considerably and will even it out to a wearable opacity if you use a thick enough coat. Since I tend to have an uneven hand, I added a third, which really didn't alter the look of the color but made me more confident that it would be evenly opaque in my photos. Cleanup is easy. Let's Be Frank dries naturally to a smooth, fairly shiny finish. Topcoat gives it a becoming gloss and a bit of that squishy look prized by jelly-loving enthusiasts.

Photos show three coats of Let's Be Frank over KBShimmer Love You Strong Time treatment and KBShimmer Fillin' Groovy basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

KBShimmer Let's Be Frank

KBShimmer Let's Be Frank

KBShimmer Let's Be Frank

KBShimmer Let's Be Frank

KBShimmer Let's Be Frank

KBShimmer Let's Be Frank

KBShimmer Let's Be Frank

KBShimmer Let's Be Frank

KBShimmer Let's Be Frank

Although this isn't a neon, it's certainly bright and bold enough to make a great summertime color. It reminds me a little bit of one of my Buxom lip glosses, a purplish one that I think is called Jennifer. Wearing it with white or lighter colors will make the most of its natural vibrancy.

love,
Liz