Lacquer Slacker Liz: Dreamland Lacquer

Showing posts with label Dreamland Lacquer. Show all posts

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Dreamland Mrs Mia Wallace

Mrs Mia Wallace was created by Noelie of Missouri-based indie polish maker Dreamland Artisan Nail Lacquer especially for the May 2018 "90s Pop Culture" edition of Polish Pickup. This polish was inspired by nail color worn by the character of Mia Wallace, played by Uma Thurman, in Quentin Tarantino's 1994 postmodern masterpiece Pulp Fiction. Noelie writes

In 1994, pop culture collided when Mrs Mia Wallace danced her way onto the screen. The very definition of a vamp, Mia was mysterious, gorgeous, dangerous, and drop dead sexy (no pun intended), and she was wearing a very, very special polish on her fingers and toes. That polish changed the landscape of nails away from flower type colors to the rainbow we now know and love. People waited in lines around the block and put themselves on in-store waiting lists to obtain a bottle of the blackened red stunner that everyone was talking about. Spawning endless dupes, and setting the nail industry on a new and exciting journey, it was a real game-changer - so much so that 24 years later, we've tackled the idea of making it vamp like it's 1994, but sparkle like it's 2018.

That polish was Chanel's No. 18 Rouge Noir, known in the US as Vamp.

Noelie's take is a deep, dense, plummy, venous blood color that is similar to Very Dark Reddish Purple from the ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Color Names or Benjamin Moore's Dark Purple. Superabundant tiny silver holographic microglitters blanket it with a glamorous, twinkling field of delicate prismatic sparks in ambient light that explodes into bold, brilliant sparkle in the sun, where the intensity of the color takes on an almost chocolatey sensibility.

Application was great! The consistency of Mrs Mia Wallace is fluid and full-bodied with a medium viscosity and a fluent, even, self-leveling slip over the nail, going on easily in medium coats. The brand's flattened-style brush holds quite a lot of polish -- take care not to overload! Pigmentation is excellent, very close to opaque in one coat although I used two like I always do. Cleanup is straightforward. Mrs Mia Wallace dries naturally in very good time to a sandy-textured, matte finish that wants a good glitter-smoothing topcoat to look its best.

Photos show two coats of Mrs Mia Wallace over treatment and basecoat with a layer of Girly Bits Glitter Glaze plus a layer of Seche Vite for the ultimate glassy finish.

Dreamland Mrs Mia Wallace

Noelie's microglitter polishes are perfection, I just love them! This is a fabulous look, intensely vampy and mysterious with the glamorous twinkle of countless prismatic sparks. I don't often gravitate toward colors this dark, but I love this one a lot for the Pulp Fiction reference and its homage to the Chanel Rouge Noir phenomenon, so significant in the evolution of nail polish culture. Outstanding!

xo,
Liz

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Dreamland Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah

Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah was created by Noelie of Missouri-based indie polish maker Dreamland Artisan Nail Lacquer especially for the April 2018 "Across the Universe: Planets and Galaxies" edition of Polish Pickup. It was inspired by Noelie's favorite "Win a Date with a Jet Screamer" episode of the venerable animated sitcom The Jetsons, and you can see the clip that gave it its name here.

Officially described as an "indigo jelly base with sparkly holo glitter and blue/purple shifty shimmer," the color is a deep zaffre shade, a dark but bright stained glass kind of blue that's like a mix of cobalt and ultramarine, very potent. Superabundant holographic glitters blanket the polish with twinkling azure sparks and create a bright semi-metallic azure reflect, giving the polish strong aspects of modern royal blue in ambient light. The shimmers add to the richness of the blue, which shifts through indigo to a glowing royal purple as you turn your nails into your light source as well as under incandescent light. But this polish really comes into its own in the sun, where the zaffre hue takes on an incredibly rich, bold, fathomless quality and the holographic glitters burst into a dense, starry field of bright prismatic sparkle.

Application was a little tetchy for me. The consistency of Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah is fluid, dense with glitters and somewhat fluffy with a medium-to-thicker viscosity to which I added a bit of polish thinner to at several points to keep a viscosity I was comfortable with. It has a full-bodied flow over the nail that sets up quickly and went on most easily for me in generous coats. Pigmentation is excellent for a jelly -- it's nearly opaque in one coat. I used two for this manicure. I did my cleanup as I went along and experienced some glitter scattering but little to no pigment travel or trace staining. Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah dries naturally in good time to a gently textured, matte-ish finish that wants a nice, thick glossy topcoat to look its best.

Photos show two coats of Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Girly Bits Glitter Glaze.

Dreamland Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah

Bold and full of sparkle, just as you'd want for a cosmic, intergalactic kind of look! The extravagant depth and vibrancy it takes on in the sun is extraordinary, and the color-shifting shimmers cast hints of indigo and purple along the contours of the nail in various viewing circumstances, adding that bit of complexity that lets you know that this is not just another glittery dark blue. Fantastic!

love,
Liz

Monday, January 15, 2018

Dreamland Sassenach

Sassenach was released in September 2016 by Missouri-based indie polish maker Dreamland Artisan Nail Lacquer as part of the Outlander collection, a quartet of polishes themed around the British-American television drama Outlander. The word sassenach (pronounced SASS-en-ack, or thereabouts) is used by the Scots to refer to the English, in particular the main character Claire, who is the inspiration for this polish.

Described simply as a "dark brown linear holographic polish," Sassenach is a warm, resonant medium-dark brown with a subtle reddish-orange tinge and aspects of chocolate and golden brown, similar in appearance to the color russet. Abundant finely-milled holographic pigment reads as gold within the base and and gives the polish a shimmery dimensionality on the nail with a silky, delicately-grained visual texture. In the sun, there's a sparkling linear prismatic display predominated by azure, spring green and orange that frames a lick of glistening golden brown and shades to coffee at the edges of the nail.

Application was wonderful. The consistency of Sassenach is fluid and smooth with a medium viscosity and a plush, creamy, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is very good, providing evenly opaque coverage and full bottle color in two coats. Cleanup is straightforward with a tiny bit of pigment travel but little to no residual staining. Sassenach dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat does not interfere with the holographic properties of the polish in any way.

Photos show two coats of Sassenach over KBShimmer Love You Strong Time treatment and KBShimmer Fillin' Groovy basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Dreamland Sassenach

I wore this during my Christmas trip and received several unsolicited compliments on it. Brown is generally considered a neutral but this russet holo is actually quite distinctive, even showy! Not too foody, not too earthy and not in the least austere, it has a certain measured opulence to it that reminds me of fine, heavy silk. The holo pigment acts like a luminous shimmer, lighting up in a coppery-gold mist along the axis of light. Glossy and elegant on the nail, with a generous spirit. People will notice!

love,
Liz

Monday, January 8, 2018

Dreamland Lacquer Santa! I Know Him!

Santa I Know Him was released in November 2016 by Missouri-based indie polish maker Dreamland Artisan Nail Lacquer as part of the Holiday collection, a series of six polishes inspired by the 2003 Christmas fantasy comedy film, Elf. Officially described as a "deep red jelly filled with holo flakies," the color is a rich, medium-dark cardinal with aspects of deep rose and brickyard. It's absolutely packed with luminous silvery holographic flakies, which give the finish a speckled look and glow in shades of red and pink through the base in ambient light -- there's even a subtle, traveling flush of brightness as you flex your fingers. The sparkle in the sun is fantastic, a dense blanket of bright reds, pinks, oranges and purples with occasional flashes of blue and green.

Application was excellent. The consistency of Santa I Know Him is fluid, light and slightly fluffy with a medium viscosity and a fluent, easy, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is very good, netting even, opaque coverage in two coats. I did my cleanup as I went along and beyond a bit of pigment travel had no issues. Santa I Know Him dries naturally in good time to a mostly smooth, slightly flat finish. Topcoat adds a becoming gloss and accentuates the holographic glow of the flakies.

Photos show two coats of Santa I Know Him over KBShimmer Love You Strong Time treatment and KBShimmer Fillin' Groovy basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Dreamland Lacquer Santa! I Know Him!

This is a fun polish! It's not the brightest red you'll ever see but the luminosity of the flakies gives it a nice dimensionality on the nail in ambient light and the look in the sun is out-of-this-world gorgeous -- I love, love, LOVE the red-pink-orange-purple colorway of that sparkle!

xo,
Liz

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Dreamland Lacquer Elfin Gorgeous

Elfin Gorgeous was released last month by Missouri-based indie polish maker Dreamland Artisan Nail Lacquer as one of two exclusive polishes available only from the brand's new stockist, Girly Bits. Officially described as a "deep wine red with scattered holo particles and fiery red microflakes," the color is an inky, rich burgundy hue with graceful purple undertones, similar to claret or bordeaux. It is liberally dusted with silvery holographic pigment particles, which gives it a slightly subdued look until you get topcoat on it. Abundant red microflake shimmers read as magenta from within the base, gleaming when the light hits them just right. In the sun there's a sparkling prismatic display, dispersed somewhat by the microflake shimmers to more of a scattered look.

Application was lovely. The consistency of Elfin Gorgeous is fluid and smooth with a medium-to-slightly thicker viscosity to which I added a bit of polish thinner as I often do with thicker polishes. Thinned, it still retained a dense quality, with a plush, creamy, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is very good and will net evenly opaque coverage in two coats. Cleanup was a little bit of a bear due to very sticky microflakes. Elfin Gorgeous dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. The look of the color on the nail becomes clearer and richer with topcoat, which also accentuates the presence of the microflake shimmers.

Photos show two coats of Elfin Gorgeous over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Dreamland Lacquer Elfin Gorgeous

I was surprised by the difference topcoat made with this polish. It had a rather muted, dusty quality prior, and I was honestly a little disappointed by the flatness of the color. But topcoat kind of wiped the dustiness away, clarifying the color and giving it a richer, more definitive presence. The finish still has the finely-grained aspect that you see in holos, but the holographic pigment particles seem less silvery, more prismatic, and the gleaming microflake shimmers are easier to see. A beautiful, elegant polish!

I will be traveling up to Charlottesville VA tomorrow to deliver gifts to various households, drink champagne, go my dad's Christmas party and hang out with my sis and her family. I won't be blogging or even online (much) while I'm gone and I've not yet figured out when I'll be coming home. Before New Year's most likely. Don't worry, I'll be back! Until then, I wish you a joyful and safe holiday. Thank you for spending time here! Salud!

love,
Liz

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Dreamland Boat Snack

Boat Snack was just released for pre-order this month by Missouri-based indie polish maker Dreamland Artisan Nail Lacquer as part of the Wayfarer collection, a set of five polishes based on the 2016 Disney animated film Moana. Described by creator Noelie as a "medium orange linear holographic," the color is a stunning medium-light coppery orange with an amber aspect, similar in hue to the web color orange. Abundant finely-milled holographic pigment dimensionalizes it with analogous shades of misty amber, orange peel and carrot and creates a gleaming coppery-orange semi-metallic underlay with an overt, showy flash. In direct sun, there's a brilliant linear holographic flare with slender arcs in all of the rainbow colors framing a central lick of bright semi-metallic coppery orange and shading to a deeper orange at the sidewalls of the nail.

Application was wonderful. The consistency of Boat Snack is fluid, light and very smooth with a medium viscosity and a fluent, silky, self-leveling slip over the nail, just the sort of excellent formula you'd expect from Dreamland. Pigmentation is very good, delivering completely even opaque coverage in two coats. Cleanup is easy. Boat Snack dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. To my eye, topcoat deepened the color a touch and intensified the metallic aspect of the polish, but did not in any way inhibit the holographic properties.

Photos show two coats of Boat Snack over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Dreamland Boat Snack

Fabulous! The unique ambery/coppery orange color is buoyant and happy, the holographic effects are excellent and the polish just gleams on the nail. I haven't seen Moana and don't know anything about it but I love the name of this polish, it's so fun to say and it makes a great diminutive. I think I'm going to start using it for my significant other: What's that smell, my little boat snack?

If you're wondering how this polish compares to some of Dreamland's other oranges, Bengal Tiger for example, Jennifer includes an excellent comparison in her review of the Wayfarer collection on My Nail Polish Obsession.

xo,
Liz