Lacquer Slacker Liz: Octopus Party Nail Lacquer

Showing posts with label Octopus Party Nail Lacquer. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Ice Ice Maybe

Like Reindeer Wolfcastle, Ice Ice Maybe was released in November by Connecticut- based indie polish maker Octopus Party Nail Lacquer (OPNL) as part of the Winter 2017 collection.

Officially described as an "iceberg linear holographic jelly," the color is a light, translucent blue-grey that reads as a cadet grey on me in ambient light, with more of the blue coming out in the sun. Superfine holographic pigment glistens in pale gold as light hits it, nuances the base with translucent hues of violet and cloudy azure and adorns the finish with a shimmering, mobile prismatic sheen of violet, azure, green and gold in ambient light. In the sun there's a linear prismatic flare predominated by shades of blue edged by bright sparks of spring green and orange.

Application was wonderful. The consistency of Ice Ice Maybe is fluid, light and incredibly smooth with a medium consistency and an effortless, buttery, self-leveling slip over the nail. Pigmentation is sheer but built to fully opaque coverage on me in three coats. Cleanup is easy. Ice Ice Maybe dries naturally in very good time to a beautiful glossy finish. Topcoat does not inhibit the holographic properties of the polish in any way.

Photos show three coats of Ice Ice Maybe over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Ice Ice Maybe

With its exceptionally sleek, glossy finish, Ice Ice Maybe actually looks slippery! The translucent color has a smooth, creamy, silvery quality with a vitreous dimensionality that reminds me of freshly resurfaced ice at an ice skating rink. Zamboni ho! It's beautifully suited to the season, and the blue-grey makes for an eminently wearable neutral. I particularly like the way it looks with violet, purples and dark blues, which seem to pull out the holographically-generated nuances, giving it a subtle but dreamy complexity that is deeply cool.

I like it. I like it very much!

xo,
Liz

Monday, December 18, 2017

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Reindeer Wolfcastle

Reindeer Wolfcastle was released in November this year by Connecticut-based indie polish maker Octopus Party Nail Lacquer (OPNL) as part of the Winter 2017 collection.

Creator Dave describes this as a "blushing cinnamon linear holographic with gold and holo flakies." The base color is a dark, rich, somewhat cool-toned brown along the lines of bole. It is densely packed with overt golden flakies that warm the color, suffusing it with brightly gleaming bronze and copper flecks that give the polish a luxurious, fire-lit quality. Holographic flakies add a generous sprinkling of prismatic sparks to the look. The holographic flare in direct sun is dispersed by the gold flakes to more of a scattered type of display, with gold, bronze and copper joining rainbow colors in a field of brilliant sparkle.

Application was fantastic. The consistency of Reindeer Wolfcastle is fluid, light and smooth with a medium viscosity and a fluent, tractable, self-leveling spread over the nail. Pigmentation is very good. This is a jelly-lish kind of formula with a degree of built-in translucence. Wearably opaque coverage can be had in two medium coats, but I liked three even better. Cleanup is straightfoward. Reindeer Wolfcastle dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish.

Photos show three coats of Reindeer Wolfcastle over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Reindeer Wolfcastle

The name of this polish kills me, it sounds so random! What's up with that, Dave? Plus, I misremembered it early on as "Rudolph Wolfenstein" for some reason (talk about random, said the kettle to the pot) and now that name is stuck in my head and I keep having to refer to my resources to make sure that I'm typing the right thing!

Cool on the outside, warm on the inside! This is a splendid winter brown, filled with gleaming metallic bits that remind me of firelight flickering over polished brass -- a cozy, opulent, epicurean kind of sensibility. Well done!

love,
Liz

Friday, December 8, 2017

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Swamped

Swamped was released in August 2016 by Connecticut-based indie polish maker Octopus Party Nail Lacquer (OPNL) as part of the Fall 2016 collection. This linear holographic polish is a blackened dark olive with subtle aspects of field drab. Abundant finely-milled holographic pigment gives the look a delicate graining of pinpoint prismatic motes, creates a stealthy deep bronze underlay and nuances the base color with inky hues of deep indigo and rifle green in ambient light.

Application was fantastic. The consistency of Swamped is fluid, light and very smooth with a medium viscosity and a silky, self-leveling slip over the nail, a gorgeous, eminently-paintable formula that is a pleasure to work with. Pigmentation is very good, with slightly patchiness on the first coat building easily to evenly opaque coverage with the second. There is a certain amount of built-in translucence to the formula, though, and the color will take on a very dense, midnight vibe with the addition of a third coat so depending upon the look you're going for you may want to try that. Personally, I like the greenish-brown/bronzey aspects that comes across in two coats. There's some pigment travel with cleanup, but no trace staining to speak of. Swamped dries naturally in very good time to a gorgeous, glossy finish. Topcoat does not appear to inhibit the holographic properties in any way.

Photos show two coats of Swamped over KBShimmer Love You Strong Time treatment and KBShimmer Fillin' Groovy basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite. The polish appears way more black here than it does in person, where olive features more prominently in its coloring.

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Swamped

This has a kind of foresty, western vibe that reminds me of the Rockies, although you could probably just as easily call it a military look. It has an exceptionally glossy finish, even before topcoat, which gives it a tidy, purposeful feel on the nail. It's unusual to find a yellow-green this dark, even among fall and winter polishes. Rich and full of character -- and you can't beat the formula with a stick!

love,
Liz

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Shock

Today's polish is another from the Oogie Boys Trio: Shock, by Connecticut-based indie polish maker Octopus Party Nail Lacquer (OPNL). This one is described as "a charcoal mauve holographic with gold flakies, purple/indigo shifting pigment and iridescent purple glitter." Charcoal mauve is an excellent way to characterize this sophisticated mix of dark grey, purple and rose. It's a raisin-y sort of shade with a richly heathered look from abundant finely-milled holographic pigment and copious gold flakes, which gleam brightly as light catches them, interspersed with luminous pinpoint particles of brilliant blue. The holographic display in the sun is jewel-like, a dispersed flare of bold prismatic sparkle that blankets the nail and shades to a deep cinerous hue at the sidewalls.

Application was fantastic. The consistency of Shock is fluid, light and smooth with a medium consistency and a biddable, even, self-leveling glide over the nail, an excellent formula that is a pleasure to work with. Pigmentation is very good, netting evenly opaque coverage in two coats. Cleanup was easy. Shock dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat does not in any way interfere with the polish's holographic properties.

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

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Shock

The understated, almost neutral color here is beautifully counterpointed by the visual texture and light play of the components -- a delicate, sparkling mist of various particles that gives the finish a rich, glistening aspect. It's a pleasingly stylish look that seems like it would be perfect for work or professional occasions where you want something low-key that's not without an element of sophisticated indie charm. Absolutely lovely!

xo,
Liz

Monday, December 12, 2016

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Krait and Barrel

Krait and Barrel was released around the end of June/beginning of July 2015 by Connecticut-based indie polish maker Octopus Party Nail Lacquer (OPNL) as part of the Summer 2015 collection. I haven't featured a black holo in a while, and the name of this polish alone is reason enough to do a post on it. I love it! Fuzzy gets every Crate and Barrel catalog known to man here, which makes it double plus good.

So! Creator Dave describes this is a jet black linear holographic polish. While I realize that "jet black" is a figurative expression, I find it particularly apropos for this polish in a literal sense. If you've ever examined a piece of jet, you know that it is a "warm" gemstone with a soft black color. Krait and Barrel's color is very jet-like in that way, especially in bright ambient light where it glistens with finely-milled holographic pigment, which reads as antique gold through the base. Direct sun generates a perfect linear prismatic display, a compact, sparkling rainbow arc that frames a central lick of gleaming brassy gold.

Application was delicious. The consistency of Krait and Barrel is fluid, full-bodied and very smooth with a medium viscosity and a creamy, self-leveling glide over the nail, a user-friendly formula that is a pleasure to apply. Pigmentation is excellent, it's very nearly a one-coater but you'll probably want two for most evenly opaque coverage and to maximize the holographic properties. Cleanup is straightforward. Krait and Barrel dries naturally in very good time to a beautiful glossy finish. Topcoat does not interfere with the holographic effects at all.

Photos show two coats of Krait and Barrel over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Krait and Barrel

A splendid and sleek black holo! Softer and much more interesting on the nail than a straight black lacquer, with a precise and perfect linear flare in the sun. And you couldn't ask for a creamier, more eminently paintable formula. Hooray!

love,
Liz