Like Taos and Palm Springs, Dusky Skies was released earlier this month by NYC-based indie polish maker Cirque Colors as part of the Desert Bloom collection. This polish shares the same vibrant pink shimmer and delicate holographic sparkle as the other two, here in what is described as a deep blue-violet base.
The color is a medium-dark to dark but vibrant modern royal blue, also known as web royal blue. It combines with the pink shimmers to produce a gorgeous, shifty blue-violet melange with aspects of ultramarine, color wheel violet, indigo, electric indigo and Munsell purple that vary in prominence and depth of hue according to viewing circumstances. Running along the axis of light is a broad, dimensional mist of visible shimmers that ranges in appearance from pink in direct light to a rich Munsell purple in low light and shade. Tiny, scattered holographic microglitters with a dainty, unobtrusive prismatic twinkle complete the look.
Application was wonderful. The consistency of Dusky Skies is fluid, light and smooth with a medium viscosity and a fluent, even, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is very good. Some sheerness on the first coat builds quickly to a wearable opacity with the second if using medium coats. Thinner coats will require three. Cleanup is easy. Dusky Skies dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, satiny finish that wants a glossy topcoat to look its best.
Photos show three coats of Dusky Skies over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.
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Beautiful! This my favorite of the three Desert Bloom polishes that I purchased.
My father is getting married on 21 April and I'll be driving up to Charlottesville, VA tomorrow to attend the wedding, staying for the weekend and into next week so I'm not sure exactly when I'll be posting again. Probably not for a week or so. Not to worry, I'll be back!
love,
Liz
Like Taos, Palm Springs was released earlier this month by NYC-based indie polish maker Cirque Colors as part of the Desert Bloom collection. Officially described as "a cyan blue nail polish with vibrant pink shimmer and delicate holographic sparkle," the color is a soft, medium-toned cyanic shade along the lines of French sky blue that can appear duskier or brighter depending upon viewing circumstances. Abundant finely-milled pink-to-gold particulate shimmers create a luminous pink mist along the axis of light, and scattered, minute holographic glitters emit twinkling sparks from within the base. The whole look brightens considerably in the sun -- the pink shimmers become quite vibrant and the blue brightens to more of a deep sky blue.
Application was great! The consistency of Palm Springs is fluid and smooth with a medium viscosity and a light, silky, self-leveling slip over the nail. Pigmentation is very good, delivering evenly opaque coverage in two coats, although I used three to ensure the non-appearance of my nail ridges. Cleanup is easy. Palm Springs dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, satiny finish.
Photos show three coats of Palm Springs over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.
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This beautiful blue is soft and somewhat demure in low light and shade but really comes out of its shell in the sun, taking on a much more vivid, almost pool blue sensibility. With the pretty pink shimmers and delicate twinkling sparkle, I couldn't help but think how sweet this polish would be as a "something blue" bridal nail color. Sleek and glossy on the nail.
love,
Liz
Taos was released just this week by NYC-based indie polish maker Cirque Colors as part of the Desert Bloom collection for spring 2018, a series of nine polishes inspired by the colors of the desert. Creator Annie describes this one as "a teal nail polish with vibrant pink shimmer and delicate holographic sparkle." The base color is a translucent variation of blue-green similar to verdigris, which deepens to a medium-dark dusky teal or dark cyan when layered over itself on the nail. Abundant finely-milled pink-to-gold particulate shimmers give it a luminous, dimensionalizing mist of pink or gold along the axis of light depending upon orientation, and tiny, scattered, silvery holographic glitters emit delicate, twinkling sparks in hues of blue, blue-green and spring green in ambient light.
Application was most agreeable! The consistency of Taos is fluid and smooth with a medium viscosity and a fluent, self-leveling glide over the nail that has a tiny bit of pull to it. Pigmentation is sheerish on the first coat but will build to a uniform, wearable opacity in two if you have an even hand (which I don't), with fullest representation of bottle color in three. Cleanup is easy. Taos dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish.
Photos show three coats of Taos over KBShimmer Love You Strong Time treatment and KBShimmer Fillin' Groovy basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.
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The dusky, muted quality of the color gives this polish a very earthy look on the nail that's surprising for a teal and heightened by the contrasting shimmers. To me, there's a certain somber aspect to it that feels more like a fall or winter polish, a kind of stylish soulfulness that's very chic. It reminds me of prickly pear cactus skin and the oxidized paint on the '63 MG my dad used to have when we were little. I suspect it would be particularly satisfying paired with other earthy colors. Love the dewy twinkle of those holographic bits -- a lovely touch that somewhat counterbalances the moodiness of the color.
love,
Liz
One-Night Stand was released in June this year by NYC-based indie polish maker Cirque Colors as part of the Vice 2017 collection. This is a creme in a medium-dark to dark intense and saturated blue-purple color that is similar to Majorelle blue or electric indigo. It deepens considerably in low light to more of a web indigo shade with aspects of ultramarine and Mardi Gras purple, and reads as a lush Spanish violet under incandescent light. Changeling polish!
Application was great! The consistency of One-Night Stand is fluid, light and creamy with a medium viscosity and a fluent, even, self-leveling glide over the nail. Nice! Pigmentation is very good, delivering evenly opaque coverage in two coats. Cleanup is straightforward with a tiny bit of pigment travel but little to no trace staining. One-Night Stand dries naturally in good time to a smooth, matte finish that wants a glossy topcoat to look its best.
Photos show two coats of One-Night Stand over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.
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This is definitely a polish that will mess with your mind. Although it looks excessively blue in the photos (as is common with blue-purples), in person the color is so rich and saturated and intense that it's all but impossible to tease out an exact classification outside of the moment you're looking at it -- and blurple just doesn't work for me. I must say though, for originating from a collection of neons, this polish is really holding its own on this deliciously grey, wet November day, feeling for all the world like a bold winter jewel tone.
One-Night Stand was a limited edition, as were all of the Vice polishes, so this isn't available any longer but Cirque has several medium-to-dark but bright blues that ARE -- Annie's been particularly successful with this sort of shade, I think. I especially like NYFW as a potential stand-in for this one.
love,
Liz
Like Coronation, Rioja was released earlier this month by NYC-based indie polish maker Cirque Colors as part of the Holiday 2017 collection. It is the sole polish in the collection that is not a Limited Edition.
Creator Annie describes Rioja as "a brilliant ruby red holographic," and I agree. It's a dark, dense, saturated true ruby that in low light reminds me for all the world of a drop of venous blood on the nail. When the princess pricks her finger on the spinning wheel in the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, this is the color that my imagination sees. It's packed with fine, shimmering holographic pigment and I believe there may be some slightly larger holographic particles in there too because I see brightly glowing bits when the light hits them just right. This polish is absolutely glorious in the sun -- bloodlike transforms to rich, blazing brocade, with a linear prismatic flare featuring all of the rainbow colors that frames a lick of glimmering semi-metallic ruby and shades to a deep red wine color at the sidewalls.
Application was great! The consistency of Rioja is fluid, dense and smooth with a medium-to-slightly-thicker viscosity and a full-bodied, self-leveling flow over the nail. Pigmentation is excellent, delivering evenly opaque coverage on the first coat, but I think that adding a second does increase the depth and native richness of the look. Cleanup is straightforward with some pigment travel and a skosh of trace staining. Rioja dries naturally in good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat does not in any way inhibit the prismatic properties of the polish and actually seems to accentuate its holographically-generated dimensionality.
Photos show two coats of Rioja over KBShimmer Love You Strong Time treatment and KBShimmer Fillin' Groovy basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.
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There's a smoldering glow to this rich, vampy deep red that is just stunning, and it has a dramatic, sensual kind of clarity on the nail that's very seductive. Much better in person than any still image could portray and perfect for date night! It's unusual in my experience to come across a red holo this dark and saturated that displays such a full range of prismatic color in the sun, fabulous! I'm loving it on my shorties, it makes my fingers feel long and graceful and cunning, like I could perform any number of magic spells to bend the hapless passerby to my will! Let's see if it works on the dog....
xo,
Liz
NYC-based indie polish maker Cirque Colors originally released Coronation to great acclaim during the fall of 2013, in October I think, as a special, limited edition artisan collaboration set -- the polish was specially packaged and accompanied by a crown-like, lace-inspired rose-gold-plated ring by Texas jewelry designer Jeannie Vianney. It sold out almost immediately at release and also upon restock, quickly becoming of those legendary HTF (Hard To Find) polishes, avidly sought after by enthusiasts and collectors. This year Annie has surprised us all with an early Christmas gift: the resurrection of this very special polish as part of the recently released Holiday 2017 collection.
Described as "a violet jelly with multi-dimensional shimmer" on Cirque's website, the base color is a translucent vivid violet that darkens considerably to a more of a deep pigment violet with layering. Swimming within are abundant luminous colorshifting shimmers that read as a sparkling red mist through the base with a shift through copper to greenish gold as you turn your nails into the light. The shimmers give the polish a stunning, dimensional reddish glow in the center of the nail that shades to an inky purple at the sidewalls. Additional sparkle is provided by a sprinkling of holographic particles and/or possibly ultrafine holographic glitters, creating a delicate net of pinpoint prismatic sparks in the sun.
Application was great! The consistency of Coronation is fluid, dense and smooth with a medium viscosity and a plush, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is sheer and requires three coats to build to full bottle color -- well worth the trouble! Be sure to wrap your tips carefully with each coat to avoid any excessive sheerness there. Cleanup is easy. Coronation dries naturally in good time to a smooth, slightly flat finish that wants a glossy topcoat to look its best, which also intensifies the presence and effects of the shimmers.
Photos show three coats of Coronation over basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.
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Coronation was ahead of its time in 2013, when many likened its look to that of Clarins 230 and Max Factor Fantasy Fire. These days, with the resurgence of Unicorn Pee polishes, it joins that genre as a beautiful example of the properties and effects of colorshifting shimmer couched in a translucent base. The sheer pigmentation of the base here allows the shimmer color to stand out particularly well, and the twinkling holographic sparkle adds glamour and panache to the rich, regal nature of the look. Utterly gorgeous!
This polish is currently sold out but will be restocked once in December. To receive a restock notification by email, visit its listing on Cirque's website and fill out the form on that page. As in the past, it is an LE or limited edition polish, so get it while the gettin's good -- I'm not sure we should count on Annie's largess to resurrect it again in the future!
love,
Liz
