The Lady Varnishes Moon Blinked

Moon Blinked was created by Kirsten of Utah-based indie polish maker The Lady Varnishes exclusively for the March 2018 "Books" edition of Polish Pickup. This polish was inspired by The Guardians of Ga-Hoole fantasy book series by Kathryn Lasky, and is described as a "deep blue-leaning teal with sterling silver coated, holographic silver and white flakes and a hint of blue and gold sparkle."

The color is a medium-dark cerulean with aspects of ming and teal blue, a rich, dense, complex shade that seems to lean more to green or to blue depending upon viewing circumstances. Layered clouds of small luminous flakes are suspended within, giving the polish a dimensional, dappled visual texture and gleaming or glowing in varying hues of blue-green and sea green as light travels over them, interspersed with occasional tiny sparks of blue, blue-green and gold. The rich color brightens a bit in the sun, and a loose net of fine prismatic sparkle joins the mix. 

Application was great! The consistency of Moon Blinked is fluid and dense with a medium consistency that thickens quickly with exposure to air, and I added a bit of polish thinner a couple of times during application to maintain the consistency with which I felt most comfortable. Thinned, it had a lush, smooth, self-leveling glide over the nail. The flakes dispersed evenly and laid flat to the nail without stickups. Pigmentation is very good to excellent, delivering evenly opaque coverage and full bottle color in two coats. Cleanup is straightforward. Moon Blinked dries naturally in very good time to a silky matte finish that loves a glossy topcoat to make the most of the color and the components.

Photos show two coats of Moon Blinked over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

The Lady Varnishes Moon Blinked

The Lady Varnishes Moon Blinked

The Lady Varnishes Moon Blinked

The Lady Varnishes Moon Blinked

The Lady Varnishes Moon Blinked

The Lady Varnishes Moon Blinked

The Lady Varnishes Moon Blinked

The Lady Varnishes Moon Blinked

The Lady Varnishes Moon Blinked

This is a beautiful, complex, evocative polish with a ton of dimensionality and character on the nail. The color is absolutely gorgeous -- deep, rich and mysterious -- and the layers of gleaming, glowing flakes within give it a watery dapple that has a certain eerie, undersea quality. It reminds me of the kelp forest scenes from the "Greens Seas" episode of Blue Planet II. It definitely has that one-of-a-kind, artisanal sensibility that makes you feel like you've discovered a treasure -- which, of course, you have!

love,
Liz