Lacquer Slacker Liz: Cupcake Polish

Showing posts with label Cupcake Polish. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Cupcake Polish One in a Melon

One in a Melon was released last month by Texas-based indie polish maker Cupcake Polish as part of the Fruit Salad Trio, and is described as a coral shimmer polish with heavy gold shimmer. The base color is actually cooler than you might expect given the look of this polish on the nail, kind of like a vibrant French pink, creamy and dense. Abundant tiny gold metallic microflake shimmers read as a fine, luminous golden mist within the base that twinkles in direct light and combines with the pink to add that kiss of orange that brings the color to a beautiful, melon-y coral pink with a bit of that summery, glowing neon-esque sensibility, especially in low light and shade.

Application was great! The consistency of One in a Melon is fluid and full-bodied with a medium-to-slightly-thicker viscosity and a plush, creamy glide over the nail that went on most easily for me in medium coats from a generously-loaded brush. Pigmentation is very good. Evenly opaque coverage can be had in two medium coats. Cleanup scatters some shimmers, which like to stick to nail and skin. One in a Melon dries naturally in good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat accentuates the presence and reflective quality of the shimmers.

Photos show two coats of One in a Melon over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Cupcake Polish One in a Melon

Seems like every spring by the time May gets here I am itching to see the bright, glowing pinks, corals and reds of summer on my nails. Well, this polish definitely scratches that itch and omg, it feels SO GOOD! With a lean to its pink side in bright direct light and to its salmony/coral side in low light and shade, it has the vibrant, beachy, neon-esque pop that I associate especially with summer nail color. Would be amazing with tan and a matching swimsuit, but it's pretty darn wonderful even without them.

love,
Liz

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Cupcake Polish Shut Your Tulips

Shut Your Tulips was created by Sara of Texas-based indie polish maker Cupcake Polish especially for inclusion in the April 2018 "Tulips" edition of The Holo Hookup. Described as "a vibrant orange linear holo packed with super shiny silver shimmers," the color is a luxuriant ambery-orange shade that is similar to orange peel, about halfway between amber and orange on the color wheel. It reminds me of turmeric and Indian gold.

Finely-milled holographic pigment nuances the color with hues of mango and carrot and gives it the delicately-grained visual texture common to holos. Tiny silver microflake shimmers sparkle in shades of gold, amber and orange as light travels over them, adding extra zing and sleekness to the finish and giving the polish a luxurious sensibility. In the sun, there's a linear prismatic flare predominated by spring green and orange, slightly dispersed by the microflake shimmers but extra sparkly because of them also.

Application was fantastic. The consistency of Shut Your Tulips is fluid, full-bodied and smooth with a medium viscosity and a plush, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is excellent, very close to a one-coater. Two coats ensures most uniform opacity. Cleanup is straightforward with some scattering of the microflake shimmers. Shut Your Tulips dries naturally in very good time to a silky smooth, slightly flat finish. Topcoat does not in any way interfere with the holographic properties of this polish.

Photos show two coats of Shut Your Tulips over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Cupcake Polish Shut Your Tulips

Wow, this color is amazing, so vibrant and rich! Sometimes orange polish can feel a little forced or exaggerated or synthetic, but this one has a gorgeous organic quality that's both earthy and ornamental, natural and high-end. I adore the addition of the sparkling microflake shimmers, they add a touch of extra reflectivity and glamor to the presentation of this polish on the nail that is entirely in keeping with the glowing, opulent nature of the color. Gorgeous with earthtones and jeweltones as well. Really special!

love,
Liz

Monday, November 27, 2017

Cupcake Polish Plum Perfect

Plum Perfect was released in October 2016 by Texas-based indie polish maker Cupcake Polish as part of the Fall Fancies collection. Officially described as a plum purple linear holo with heavy purple shimmers, the color is a dark, cool, violet-leaning purple along the lines of eminence. Superabundant finely-milled holographic pigment gives it a shimmering, dimensional appearance and nuances the base with misty hues of indigo and plum with a hint of azure in ambient light. In the sun, there's a perfect linear prismatic flare featuring all of the rainbow colors that frames a lick of silvery purple and shades to dark purple at the sidewalls.

Application was great! The consistency of Plum Perfect is fluid, dense and smooth with the medium-to-thicker viscosity common to Cupcake formulas and a full-bodied, even, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is outstanding, a true one-coater, although I used two like I always do to finesse lines left wanting after the first. Cleanup is straightforward. There's a skosh of pigment travel but little trace staining. Plum Perfect dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, slightly flat finish that wants a glossy topcoat to look its best. Topcoat does not in any way interfere with the holographic effects.

Photos show two coats of Plum Perfect over basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Cupcake Polish Plum Perfect

I really love the rich, saturated, violet-leaning purple color here, it's less sentimental and flamboyant that a warmer, red-leaning purple and is one of my favorite colors to wear around this time of year. The feel is neat, sleek and grounded, and there's plenty of graceful, holographically-generated dimensionality not to mention the gorgeous prismatic flare in direct sun. Excellent!

This and the other 2016 Fall Fancies are all currently available in Cupcake's big cartel shop.

love,
Liz

Sunday, November 5, 2017

Cupcake Polish Gettin' Twiggy With It

Gettin' Twiggy With It was released in July this year by Texas-based indie polish maker Cupcake Polish as part of the Mod About You collection. It's officially described as a "gunmetal grey" super linear holographic polish. For me, the color is slightly lighter and warmer than gunmetal, more of a battleship grey, but the holographic effects are so responsive and prominent that the relative tone of the grey almost doesn't matter. The prismatic flare in ambient light shows azure and gold most predominantly, with a sliver of red at the outside that slides into a beautifully burnished "toasted" effect at oblique angles to the light and a gleaming warm grey semi-metallic underlay. I imagine the flare is perfectly linear in the sun, although we're short of that here today.

Application was lovely. The consistency of Gettin' Twiggy With It is fluid, moderately dense and very smooth with a medium viscosity and a lush, buttery, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is very good, netting evenly opaque coverage in two coats. Cleanup is easy. Gettin' Twiggy With It dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat does not interfere with the holographic effects in any way.

Photos show two coats of Getting' Twiggy With It over basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Cupcake Polish Gettin' Twiggy With It

Grey linear holos are always wonderful for the definition and range of their prismatic properties, no? This one is perfect in that respect, with a misty twinkle and a beautiful dimensionalizing flare of colors that frame a sleek swath of golden grey along the axis of light. Very decorative and graceful on my new shorties!

love,
Liz

Monday, September 18, 2017

Cupcake Polish Mystic Blue

Mystic Blue was created by Sara of Texas-based indie polish maker Cupcake Polish especially for Polish Con September 2017 and released on the Polish Con website in July as part of The Road to Polish Con series. It will, of course, be available to those who attend Polish Con in Chicago at The Festival Hall, Navy Pier on 23 September 2017 -- less than a week away! If you want to go, tickets are still available at Eventbrite.

Described as an azure blue super linear holo with heavy green-to-blue colorshifting shimmers, the base color is an expansive, medium-light variation of azure similar to French sky blue. It's absolutely packed with those green-to-blue microflake shimmers, which add a dose of lush blue-green to the look. Amy McG of Polish Etc said that this polish made her feel like a mermaid and it's true! The shimmers are metallic and very reflective, giving the polish a sea green flash and a semi-metallic sheen on the nail that sparkles like the dickens. The holographic effects are strong and athletic and although they kind of outpace the semi-metallic aspect in photos, in person these two qualities share the stage remarkably well. There's a mobile, dimensionalizing prismatic flush in ambient light and a slightly dispersed but super sparkly linear flare in the sun.

Application was great! The consistency of Mystic Blue is fluid, dense and smooth with a medium-to-thicker viscosity that I added polish thinner to at the outset. Thinned, it had an easy glide over the nail that went on beautifully in thin to medium coats, very easy to control. Self-leveling properties are very good. As with most semi-metallic finishes, heavy nail ridges are likely to show, but I find that the addition of an extra coat will usually take care of them. Pigmentation is also very good, delivering evenly opaque coverage in two coats except for my ridgiest nail, my ring finger nail, which has three. Cleanup is a bit tetchy due to very sticky microflake shimmers and it's worth any extra effort to try and get as clean a manicure as possible to avoid having to deal with them. Mystic Blue dries naturally in good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat does not affect the holographic properties of this polish.

Photos show two coats (mostly) of Mystic Blue over basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite. Apologies for the flaky fingers -- they are overdue for a KBShimmer Mani Shot soak.

Cupcake Polish Mystic Blue

I'm not too thrilled with my photos, which don't show the shimmer-related metallic aspects of this polish at all. Despite what you see here, this is not a typical simple linear holo. It is sleek and reflective on the nail, with a ton of sparkle and a beautiful sea green flash. A supremely mermaidian lacquer!

love,
Liz