Lacquer Slacker Liz: coral

Showing posts with label coral. 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

Monday, February 26, 2018

Picture Polish Coral Reef

Coral Reef was released in 2009 by Australian boutique polish maker Picture Polish. Described as a "coral pink creme," it's part of the brand's Classic line. I was surprised to realize when I looked that this is my first creme from Picture Polish -- the polishes I have in my collection are all Collaboration, Holographic and Opulence shades.

Coral Reef kind of sits in between two other corally PP cremes, Watermelon and Sunset. More orange than the former, more pink than the latter, it's a bright, medium-light coral pink, an amalgamation of pink and orange that looks pretty well-balanced between the two -- similar to salmon or Congo pink. Clean and creamy on the nail, it has that lush, tropical, floral/fruity vibe and the buoyant cheerfulness that I love so much about coral nail polish.

Application was every bit as fantastic as you'd expect from Picture Polish. The consistency of Coral Reef is fluid, light and creamy with a medium viscosity and a fluent, deliciously buttery, self-leveling slip over the nail that is a delight to manipulate with PP's flattened-style brush. Pigmentation is very good, delivering fully opaque coverage in two to three coats depending on how you paint. I thought that I could still detect a hint of darkness around the nail line after two so I added a third, but if I weren't taking photos I'd happily wear it at two. Cleanup is easy. Coral Reef dries naturally in very good time to a beautiful glossy finish.

Photos show three coats of Coral Reef over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Picture Polish Coral Reef

Not sure there's much I can add to the photos -- it's just a beautiful, engaging, happy shade! Great for summer -- or dreaming about summer, as it may be, given that it's still February. We've been experiencing unusually warm temps here lately, and the deciduous magnolias, daffodils, honeysuckle bushes and spirea have enveloped the place in a fragrant cloud of the sweetest light lemony floral perfume you can imagine -- it's amazing! One of my favorite things about spring!

love,
Liz

Friday, February 2, 2018

Tonic Polish Endless Shrimp

Endless Shrimp was released in May 2017 by Iowa-based indie polish maker Tonic Polish as part of the Spring 2017 collection. Officially described as a "coral cream with pale green shimmer," the color is a dense, slightly muted, medium orangey-pink with strong rosy aspects and a salmony vibe, kind of like a blend of coral pink and rose pompadour. A white-based shade, it is super creamy and opaque with a bit of that rose clay quality that I love. It's awash with ultrafine particulate shimmers reminiscent of old school frosts but much more subtle and delicate, which dimensionalize the look with a luminous mist of pale silvery green along the axis of light that brightens to a silvery blue-green in the sun.

Application was delicious. The consistency of Endless Shrimp is fluid, full-bodied and creamy with a medium viscosity and a profoundly satisfying, plush, silky smooth glide over the nail that self-levels like a dream from the very first coat. Any brushstrokes you see in the shimmer pretty much melt away as the polish dries. Nice! Pigmentation is very good, opaque in two coats although I added a third for the photos (I honestly just wasn't ready want to stop, it's that good). Cleanup is easy. Endless Shrimp dries naturally in good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat accentuates the presence and effects of the shimmers.

Photos show three coats of Endless Shrimp over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Tonic Polish Endless Shrimp

This color is milkier and more subdued than I usually gravitate toward when it comes to corals, but the delicious rose clay aspect and brilliant formula won me over. And as I wore it, I couldn't help but notice how often it drew my eye with its prettiness and sweet, graceful femininity. It's a real pleasure to wear!

Lisa of Cosmetic Sanctuary mentioned in her review of the Spring 2017 collection that Lindsey would be addressing some self-leveling issues she had with Endless Shrimp, and boy did she ever! The formula is creamy perfection, and one coat completely leveled out over even my ridgiest nails. Simply outstanding for a white-based color like this!

love,
Liz

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Literary Lacquers Unspeakably Desirable

Unspeakably Desirable was released on 24 August this year by New Mexico-based indie polish maker Literary Lacquers as a limited edition, numbered polish marking creator Amy's birthday. Officially described as "a bright coral mega glitter holo with copper, gold and rose microglitter," the name comes from a quote by Mark Twain, one of Amy's favorite authors:

There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.

The color is a rich, medium-light orangey coral with a stealthy rosiness and aspects of terracotta, like something along the lines of a slightly muted tea rose. There's a certain creamy quality to it that reminds me of tomato soup when you make it with milk. Abundant holographic pigment gives it a glistening, tapestried dimensionality and nuances the base with hues of tomato and Congo pink in ambient light, dotted with tiny bright sparks in rose and coppery orange from the microglitters. In the sun there's a lush linear holographic flare, somewhat dispersed by the microglitters, framing a swath of frothy coral pink and shading to persimmon at the sidewalls of the nail, the whole blanketed with a net of bright prismatic sparks, most notably in gold, orange and green.

Application went well. The consistency of Unspeakably Desirable is fluid, dense and smooth with a medium-to-thicker viscosity that I added a little polish thinner to but should please those who prefer working with a slightly thicker polish. Thinned, it had an even, fluent glide over the nail. Self-leveling properties are very good as is pigmentation, netting evenly opaque coverage in two coats. I did my cleanup as I went along to avoid overly sticky glitters. Unspeakably Desirable dries naturally in very good time to a flat, slightly textured finish that wasn't entirely smoothed by Seche Vite so I added a layer of Girly Bits Glitter Glaze for a glassy finish.

Photos show two coats of Unspeakably Desirable over ÜNT Ready for Takeoff peel-off basecoat with a double topcoat of Seche Vite and Girly Bits Glitter Glaze.

Literary Lacquers Unspeakably Desirable

I usually think of coral as a summer color so I was surprised at how fall appropriate this polish feels on the nail, possibly because it pulls richly orange on my skin tone compared to the way it appears in other reviews that I've seen, where it seems much rosier. I love the generous sparkle of those microglitters, it adds a lighthearted, playful quality to look.

Like what you see? Unspeakably Desirable is still available in the Literary Lacquers etsy shop!

love,
Liz

Friday, July 21, 2017

Colors by Llarowe One Headlight

One Headlight was released at Polish Con NYC in April this year by Colorado-based indie polish maker Colors by Llarowe as a stand-alone charity polish. All proceeds from its sale go to the One Headlight Charity Fund to benefit swatcher and nail artist Janna Miller aka The Girlie Tomboy, who is undergoing treatment for Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC).

Officially described as "a neon pink leaning coral crelly base with intense aqua blue shimmer and aqua blue glass fleck," the base color of One Headlight is particularly sharp and bright, even for a neon. It's almost like an especially intense neon version of brink pink. Take a somewhat cool but vivid medium pink like deep pink light and give it hot raspberry overtones and fluorescent corally glow -- voilà! Blue glass fleck shimmers glisten within the base along the axis of light, cooling the color there just enough to create a distinct contrast with the warm reddish pink that dominates the edges of the nail. The color brightens and sharpens even further in the sun, and the shimmers evolve into a twinkling net of delicate blue sparkle over the nail.

Application was great! The consistency of One Headlight is fluid and full-bodied with a medium viscosity and a plush, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is slightly sheerish. I could still see dark hints of nail line after two coats, so applied a third and was happy with the coverage. Cleanup is easy, just be patient with sticky glass flecks. One Headlight dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, matte finish. Topcoat adds a becoming gloss, which makes the most of the neon color and accentuates the presence and effects of the shimmers.

Photos show three coats of One Headlight over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Colors by Llarowe One Headlight

This brilliant neon has such an intense glow that it almost seems to float over the nails. It is less fluorescent in low light and shade than I expected, but the brilliance of the color more than makes up for that. There's a stealthy rosy aspect to it as well, very pretty and feminine in spite of the intensity and the glass fleck shimmers make it unique. Fabulous!

love,
Liz

Monday, May 29, 2017

Different Dimension Kicking Multiple Scleros-ass

Kicking Multiple Scleros-ass was released earlier this month by Indiana-based indie polish maker Different Dimension as part of a trio of custom, limited edition lacquers created by Missi specially for Crystal's Charity Lacquers, with part of the proceeds going to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It is the third and final polish of this set.

This one is officially described as "a hot coral pink linear holo with added shimmers." The color is delicious. It's a lighter, almost pastel blend of pink and orange to produce a warm, creamy coral or congo pink, which bears superabundant baby pink shimmers that give it cool pink highlights and a pale pink sheen along the axis of light. Finely-milled holographic pigment adds a delicately-grained, dimensional visual texture to the look. The shimmers cause the linear flare to be slightly dispersed but also give it extra sparkle, with a predominating, dimensional, sparkling arc of pale gold that travels up and down the nail as you bend your fingers in the light.

Application was excellent. The consistency of Kicking Multiple Scleros-ass is fluid and creamy with a medium viscosity and a plush, smooth, self-leveling glide over the nail. The formulas for this trio are all consistently wonderful and extremely satisfying to work with. Pigmentation is very good, with a few areas of sheerness on the first coat building easily to completely even opacity with the second. Cleanup is fairly easy. The shimmers don't disperse over the skin as much as yesterday's polish, dreaMS, but they do like to stick to the nail a bit. Kicking Multiple Scleros-ass dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat accentuates the cool pink of the shimmers.

Photos show two coats of Kicking Multiple Scleros-ass over basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Different Dimension Kicking Multiple Scleros-ass

After swatching the first polish of this trio, No MS'ing Around, I tentatively picked that one as my favorite. Well, it's been supplanted. Kicking Multiple Scleros-ass is my new favorite. My love for coral polishes usually confines itself to the brightest variations, but the soft, creamy color of this orange-tinged pink is just exquisite.

There's a certain suave, stylized feel to it as well that is also present in the other two polishes. It's almost a kind of nostalgic sensibility that's difficult to articulate but reminds me of the sunbathing ladies of my childhood, mothers of friends who would be all oiled up and laying out in the sun when I came over to play. Perhaps it is a little girl's fascination with the mystery and sophistication of women and their beauty rituals that is recalled, somehow, by the look of the polishes in this trio.

I don't know, it may be singular to my perception. But these are special lacquers, no doubt about it. If you managed to purchase them while they were available and haven't tried them yet, you're in for a treat!

love,
Liz