Lacquer Slacker Liz: flakies

Showing posts with label flakies. Show all posts

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Tonic Polish The Best is Yet to Come

The Best is Yet to Come was created by Lindsey of Iowa-based indie polish maker Tonic Polish for limited release by Hella Handmade Creations in March this year, with a later, unlimited pre-order in May. It's described as "a denim blue with glowing copper shimmer, iridescent particles of different sizes that shift yellow and green, and scattered holo."

This polish is one of what I've come to think of as Lindsey's "deliciously ambiguous wonders." The base color is indeed a medium-dark blue along the lines of liberty from the ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Color Names, a denimy, lapis-like shade that's quite translucent -- the better to show off the components, which combine with it to give the color a complex, dusky appearance on the nail. Numerous variously-sized, color-shifting flakies ranging from tiny to medium-large gleam in shades of flame, gold, green and even magenta from within the base as light travels over them, while finely-milled copper shimmers create a prominent coppery-pink glow along the axis of light. Abundant holographic pigment adds depth, luminosity and a delicately-grained visual texture in ambient light. As you turn your nails toward your light source, the polish glows golden-green, and in the sun there's a sparkling scattered prismatic display that frames a bold, shimmering lick of copper.

Application was great! The consistency of The Best is Yet to Come is fluid and light with a medium viscosity and a fluent glide over the nail. There's an occasional bit of flakie jostling, but by and large they settle into place without issue. Pigmentation is very good. I was happy with two medium coats on my shorties, but longer nails or thinner coats may need three. Those flakies like to stick to the nail during cleanup, but it's pretty straightforward otherwise. The Best is Yet to Come dries naturally in good time to a slightly flat finish with a bit of mostly visual texture from surface-lying flakies. Topcoat adds a becoming gloss and accentuates the presence and effects of the components.

Photos show two coats of The Best is Yet to Come over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Tonic Polish The Best is Yet to Come

This is a complex, moody puzzle of a polish full of magical components that offer surprise and delight with every flex of the fingers. My favorite part is the bold copper shimmer. It's positively luminous on the nail, tying in to the flame-colored flakies and contrasting beautifully with the stormy blue ambiguity of base. Outstanding visual texture and light play!

love,
Liz

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Chaos & Crocodiles Stealth

Stealth was released in February this year by Maryland-based indie polish maker Chaos & Crocodiles as part of an update to the Secret Agent collection, originally released in June 2014. The new installment is divided into three parts or "types": New Recruits, Double Agents and Rogue Agents. Stealth is one of the Rogue Agents and is described as a "blue-purple with teal/purple shimmer and orange-red/green flakies."

The color is a clean, bold, medium-dark to dark blue with ultramarine aspects, similar to International Klein Blue. Teal/purple color-shifting microflake shimmers have a slightly more subtle overall effect on the nail than in the bottle, reading largely as bright azure/royal blue but also giving the color a certain chameleonic quality, leaning it more toward a darker royal blue or an indigo depending on viewing circumstances. Abundant flakies, sized from tiny to small-medium, glow in shades of flame, pink and lime green as light catches them, offering a striking contrast with the deep, intense blue of the base and giving the look a fetching, mosaic-like visual texture.

Application was wonderful. The consistency of Stealth is fluid and full-bodied with a medium consistency, dense with flakies but not at all unwieldy or difficult to work with. It has a fluent, self-leveling glide over the nail that went on best for me in generous coats from a moderately-loaded brush. The flakies go on flat to the nail without stacking or stickups and only an occasional attempt to protrude over the free edge. Pigmentation is very good. Two medium coats nets completely even opacity. I did my cleanup as I went along and experienced a little bit of flakie-sticking but no pigment travel to speak of. Stealth dries naturally in very good time to a mostly smooth finish with a slightly satiny look. Topcoat adds a becoming gloss and really pops those gorgeous flakie colors.

Photos show two coats of Stealth over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Girly Bits Glitter Glaze,

Chaos & Crocodiles Stealth

This is a beauty, livelier and more complex than you'd guess from my pics, and so much fun on the nail! The formula is excellent for a flakie-filled polish, totally paintable and a pleasure to work with, which endeared the polish to me from the get-go. I absolutely adore the colors of the flakies and their contrast with the base -- it is just delicious and makes my eyes happy. Boatloads of light play here, and tons of visual interest that never gets old. Awesome!

love,
Liz

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Pahlish The Land of Tears

The Land of Tears was created by Shannon of Tennessee-based indie polish maker Pahlish exclusively for the March 2018 "Books" edition of Polish Pickup. It was inspired by the 1943 novella The Little Prince by French aristocrat, writer, poet, and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

I did not know what to say to him. I felt awkward and blundering. I did not know how I could reach him, where I could overtake him and go on hand in hand with him once more.

It is such a secret place, the land of tears.

This polish is described as a violet jelly with holographic pigments and flakes and olive-to-blue multichrome shimmer. The base color is a darker variation of violet that's brighter and more purple-leaning in the neck of the bottle than it is on the nail, where it assumes a duskier, somewhat indigo-esque appearance that's similar to Pantone's 2018 Color of the Year, ultra violet. The multichrome shimmers are quite conspicuous, reading as a broad, luminous mist of yellow-green along the axis of light. Abundant silvery holographic flakes stipple the finish, blanketing the look with prismatic sparkle in bright direct light.

Application was great! The consistency of The Land of Tears is fluid, full-bodied and smooth with a medium-to-slightly-thicker viscosity and a plush, even, self-leveling glide over the nail that likes to go on in medium to thicker coats. Pigmentation is very good, delivering evenly opaque coverage in two coats. Cleanup is easy. The Land of Tears dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, slightly flat finish. Topcoat seems to bring out the rich violet of the base.

Photos show two coats of The Land of Tears over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Pahlish The Land of Tears

Between the dusky violet base color, the holographic flakes and the prominent contrasting multichrome shimmers, this polish has an intruiging, cosmic quality on the nail that is a beautiful fit with its inspiration. Slightly subdued and inscrutable in ambient light, it brightens considerably and becomes more accessible in the sun. There's an elegant, poetic sensibility to the look that makes it more charismatic and fun to wear than I expected. Cool!

love,
Liz

Monday, April 2, 2018

Lacquester Tulipazuli

Tulipazuli was created by Caroline of Dutch-based indie polish maker Lacquester especially for inclusion in the April 2018 "Tulips" edition of The Holo Hookup. The Holo Hookup is a collaborative monthly polish box featuring creations from Cupcake Polish, Different Dimension and Glisten & Glow along with a contributing guest polish maker that changes each month. Lacquester is the guest maker for April.

Described as a blue jelly-based linear holo with color-shifting pigment and multichrome flakies, the color is translucent medium-dark variation of sapphire with aspects of cornflower and iris, similar to Kelly-Moore's Evening in Paris or hex color #314d8c, a clear, early evening sky kind of blue with a softened, gently faded sensibility. Finely-milled holographic pigment generates nuanced hues of azure and violet with hints of aqua in ambient light, while abundant pink/gold/green color-shifting shimmer reads predominantly as pink within the base, mixing with it to give it a lavender-esque quality and creating a luminous coppery pink mist along the axis of light. Equally abundant multichrome flakies speckle the finish in a beautifully-coordinated reddish copper/pink/salmon/flame colorway, glowing in sunset hues as light travels over them. In the sun, there's a slightly dispersed but recognizably linear and prismatic flare with lots of pink sparkle that surrounds a glittery lick of bright pink.

Application was lovely. The consistency of Tulipazuli is fluid, light and smooth with a medium viscosity and a fluent, easy, self-leveling slip over the nail that is a pleasure to manipulate with Lacquester's flexible, paddle-style brush. The multichrome flakies disperse evenly and lay flat to the nail. Pigmentation is sheer and requires three coats for wearable opacity. Cleanup is straightforward with a bit of stickiness on the part of the flakies. Tulipazuli dries naturally in very good time to a smooth shiny finish. Topcoat accentuates the presence and effects of the components.

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

Lacquester Tulipazuli

Delightful! On the nail, this polish is complex, luminous and packed with indie flair. The native translucence of the base gives the beautiful blue color a soft, airy, dimensional quality and allows all of the components to shine, which they do! This is my first experience with Lacquester and I'm impressed.

In the US, you can purchase Lacquester at Color4Nails.

love,
Liz

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Colors by Llarowe Jitterbug

Jitterbug was released at the beginning of this month by Colorado-based indie polish maker Colors by Llarowe as the brand's March 2018 Polish of the Month (POTM). It's described as "a reddened hot pink, prismatic holo flake with a blue to purple aurora pigment for added sparkle." The color is a vibrant, rosy, medium-dark Mexican pink with aspects of raspberry and cerise. Abundant silvery holographic flakies give the polish a luminously dappled visual texture and create a delicious, dimensional prismatic flush in bright hues of red, rose, pink and lavender in ambient light. So pretty!

Application was wonderful. The consistency of Jitterbug is fluid, light and smooth with a medium viscosity and a fluent, even, self-leveling glide over the nail, a beautiful, eminently-paintable formula that is on par with the brand's best. Pigmentation is very good to excellent, almost a one-coater, and delivers completely even opacity and full bottle color in two coats. Cleanup is straightforward with a tiny bit of pigment travel. Jitterbug dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat accentuates the prismatic effects of the flakies.

Photos show two coats of Jitterbug over KBShimmer Love You Strong Time treatment and KBShimmer Fillin' Groovy basecoat.

Colors by Llarowe Jitterbug

I always look forward to CbL's POTMs and this one is gorgeous, I love it! The color is fierce -- lush, saturated and feminine -- and the luminous prismatic effects of those holographic flakes really complement its native rosy richness. Perfect!

Currently, Jitterbug is still available at Girly Bits in Canada and Hypnotic Polish in the UK.

xo,
Liz

Monday, March 26, 2018

The Lady Varnishes Moon Blinked

Moon Blinked was created by Kirsten of Utah-based indie polish maker The Lady Varnishes exclusively for the March 2018 "Books" edition of Polish Pickup. This polish was inspired by The Guardians of Ga-Hoole fantasy book series by Kathryn Lasky, and is described as a "deep blue-leaning teal with sterling silver coated, holographic silver and white flakes and a hint of blue and gold sparkle."

The color is a medium-dark cerulean with aspects of ming and teal blue, a rich, dense, complex shade that seems to lean more to green or to blue depending upon viewing circumstances. Layered clouds of small luminous flakes are suspended within, giving the polish a dimensional, dappled visual texture and gleaming or glowing in varying hues of blue-green and sea green as light travels over them, interspersed with occasional tiny sparks of blue, blue-green and gold. The rich color brightens a bit in the sun, and a loose net of fine prismatic sparkle joins the mix.

Application was great! The consistency of Moon Blinked is fluid and dense with a medium consistency that thickens quickly with exposure to air, and I added a bit of polish thinner a couple of times during application to maintain the consistency with which I felt most comfortable. Thinned, it had a lush, smooth, self-leveling glide over the nail. The flakes dispersed evenly and laid flat to the nail without stickups. Pigmentation is very good to excellent, delivering evenly opaque coverage and full bottle color in two coats. Cleanup is straightforward. Moon Blinked dries naturally in very good time to a silky matte finish that loves a glossy topcoat to make the most of the color and the components.

Photos show two coats of Moon Blinked over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

The Lady Varnishes Moon Blinked

This is a beautiful, complex, evocative polish with a ton of dimensionality and character on the nail. The color is absolutely gorgeous -- deep, rich and mysterious -- and the layers of gleaming, glowing flakes within give it a watery dapple that has a certain eerie, undersea quality. It reminds me of the kelp forest scenes from the "Greens Seas" episode of Blue Planet II. It definitely has that one-of-a-kind, artisanal sensibility that makes you feel like you've discovered a treasure -- which, of course, you have!

love,
Liz