Painted Polish Mellow Mustard

Like Moss Meditation and Mocha Mantra, Mellow Mustard was released in September this year by California-based indie polish maker Painted Polish as part of the Fall Into Zen collection. Creator Lexi describes it as "a mustard ultra holo with green and brown undertones and added silver holographic glitters." The color is a complex dark goldenrod hue with aspects of khaki, ochre and citrine and a certain liquid, translucent quality that really does remind me of honey mustard. Superabundant finely-milled holographic pigment gives it a delicate all-over sparkle and generates hues of burnt orange, antique gold and olive in ambient light, dotted with bright coordinating sparks from the holographic glitters. In the sun there's a linear prismatic display predominated by twin sparkling arcs in spring green and orange.

Application was wonderful. The consistency of Mellow Mustard is fluid, full-bodied and silky smooth with a medium viscosity and a fluent, buttery, self-leveling glide over the nail that's a pleasure to work with. Pigmentation is very good, delivering evenly opaque coverage in two coats. Cleanup is easy. Mellow Mustard dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat does not in any way interfere with the polish's holographic properties.

Photos show two coats of Mellow Mustard over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Painted Polish Mellow Mustard

Painted Polish Mellow Mustard

Painted Polish Mellow Mustard

Painted Polish Mellow Mustard

Painted Polish Mellow Mustard

Painted Polish Mellow Mustard

Painted Polish Mellow Mustard

Painted Polish Mellow Mustard

Painted Polish Mellow Mustard

Definitely an unusual shade for nail polish and that's what makes it so chic! Part butterscotch, part fallow field, richly autumnal -- it really grows on you as you wear it. The complexity of the color, the omnipresent holographic effects and the twinkling sparkle of the holographic glitters give it an ornate, tapestried sensibility that I can't help but admire, as if it were woven with antique gold and studded with tiny citrines. A beautifully-constructed polish in what I've come to think of as Lexi's signature holographic style.

love,
Liz