Pahlish The Land of Tears

The Land of Tears was created by Shannon of Tennessee-based indie polish maker Pahlish exclusively for the March 2018 "Books" edition of Polish Pickup. It was inspired by the 1943 novella The Little Prince by French aristocrat, writer, poet, and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

I did not know what to say to him. I felt awkward and blundering. I did not know how I could reach him, where I could overtake him and go on hand in hand with him once more.

It is such a secret place, the land of tears.

This polish is described as a violet jelly with holographic pigments and flakes and olive-to-blue multichrome shimmer. The base color is a darker variation of violet that's brighter and more purple-leaning in the neck of the bottle than it is on the nail, where it assumes a duskier, somewhat indigo-esque appearance that's similar to Pantone's 2018 Color of the Year, ultra violet. The multichrome shimmers are quite conspicuous, reading as a broad, luminous mist of yellow-green along the axis of light. Abundant silvery holographic flakes stipple the finish, blanketing the look with prismatic sparkle in bright direct light.

Application was great! The consistency of The Land of Tears is fluid, full-bodied and smooth with a medium-to-slightly-thicker viscosity and a plush, even, self-leveling glide over the nail that likes to go on in medium to thicker coats. Pigmentation is very good, delivering evenly opaque coverage in two coats. Cleanup is easy. The Land of Tears dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, slightly flat finish. Topcoat seems to bring out the rich violet of the base.

Photos show two coats of The Land of Tears over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Pahlish The Land of Tears

Pahlish The Land of Tears

Pahlish The Land of Tears

Pahlish The Land of Tears

Pahlish The Land of Tears

Pahlish The Land of Tears

Pahlish The Land of Tears

Pahlish The Land of Tears

Pahlish The Land of Tears

Pahlish The Land of Tears

Pahlish The Land of Tears

Between the dusky violet base color, the holographic flakes and the prominent contrasting multichrome shimmers, this polish has an intruiging, cosmic quality on the nail that is a beautiful fit with its inspiration. Slightly subdued and inscrutable in ambient light, it brightens considerably and becomes more accessible in the sun. There's an elegant, poetic sensibility to the look that makes it more charismatic and fun to wear than I expected. Cool!

love,
Liz