Lacquer Slacker Liz

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Pahlish My Bespoke Psychopath II

My Bespoke Psychopath II was released earlier this month by Arkansas-based indie polish maker Pahlish as part of the Valentine's Bespoke Trio. It's a reformulation of the original My Bespoke Psychopath, which was part of creator Shannon's All of Time and Space Part II collection, released a year ago. Both of these are Whovian fandom collections, but the Valentine's Bespoke Valentine's Trio was inspired specifically by the character of River Song.

My Bespoke Psychopath II is a medium-dark Mardi Gras purple linear holo bearing abundant red particulate shimmers as well as tiny gleaming red metallic flakes. The plummy purple is rich and remarkably vibrant with a pearly magenta glow from the particulate shimmers, and the red flakes glisten as light travels over them. The holographic effects are athletic and responsive in almost any circumstance, with a gorgeous prismatic flare dominated by brilliant ultramarine blue in direct light.

Application was great! The consistency of My Bespoke Psychopath II is fluid, creamy and dense with a medium-thick viscosity and a plush flow over the nail. It likes to go on in medium to thicker coats and sets up fairly quickly. Self-leveling properties are very good and pigmentation is excellent -- it's very nearly a one-coater, although two coats are best for most even opacity and fullest holographic effects. Cleanup is fairly straightforward with a little bit of pigment travel but no residual staining. My Bespoke Psychopath II dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish.

Photos show two coats of My Bespoke Psychopath II over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Pahlish My Bespoke Psychopath II

This is a beautifully composed polish -- the ratios of components seem perfectly synched to allow each to shine individually and complement each other while simultaneously working together to create a resonant, dimensional look on the nail. Very nice!

ttyl,
Liz

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Polar Duress

Polar Duress was released towards the end of December 2015 by Connecticut-based indie polish maker Octopus Party Nail Lacquer (OPNL) as one-half of a Winter 2015 Duo produced in collaboration with B.I.T.C.H. by Jaclyn. More recently creator Dave offered it in his etsy shop as a stand-alone, which is how I got my greedy grasping paws on it.

Dave describes Polar Duress as a deep slate blue linear holo. To my eye, there's a skosh of seawater green in there along with the grey that makes me want to call it an Atlantic blue. Atlantic blues are typically darker, heavier and a little more sinister than this, which to me has a certain clear-eyed gallantry to it -- perhaps a kinder, more temperate Atlantic blue. It also reminds me of freshly blued gunmetal for some reason, maybe because of the "slightly metallic teal underbelly," as Nichole of Bedlam Beauty observantly describes it, a sleek transparent petrol blue glow. The holographic pigment it carries is responsive and athletic, adding a chromatic dimensionality to the polish in almost any circumstance. From what I've seen in other reviews, it also produces a beautiful linear prismatic display in the sun, though we are on day two of overcast skies and intermittent rain here so there's no sun to be had.

Application was lovely. The consistency of Polar Duress is fluid, creamy and dense with a medium viscosity and a smooth self-leveling flow over the nail that is easily manipulated with OPNL's round flexible brush. It's one of those polishes that goes exactly where you put it and stays there. Pigmentation is excellent, nearly a one-coater, but two coats will net a more even opacity as well as richer color and holographic effects. Cleanup is easy and straightforward -- there's almost no pigment travel at all and no residual staining, so unexpected and obliging for this dark blue. Polar Duress dries naturally in very good time to a silky smooth, slightly flat finish that loves a good topcoat to look its best.

Photos show two coats of Polar Duress over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

OPNL Polar Duress

I say YES to the shimmering richness of this gorgeous blue! Wherever it's going, I want to go too. That semi-metallic glow, which is much more prevalent than I was able to capture in my photos, gives it a sleek, weightless quality on the nail that is most agreeable.

Sweet!

ttfn,
Liz

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Il Était Un Vernis #imanatural

Like #justmytype, #imanatural was released in December 2015 by France-based boutique polish maker Il Était Un Vernis as part of the #HASHTAG collection. As co-creator Bé puts it in her post about #HASHTAG on Vernis En Folie, #imanatural is the soft polish of the series, inspired by the coziness of an oversized mohair sweater and drinking hot tea beside a fireplace. It's a very desaturated greige holo of similar weight to gainsboro grey but more chromatic, with a schnoogle of beige's creamy warmth. In addition to holographic pigment, it bears ultra fine golden particulate shimmers, visible upon close inspection and adding an understated gleam of pale gold along the axis of light. The two components work together seamlessly to dimensionalize the polish, giving it a graceful, plush quality on the nail.

Application was par for Il Était Un Vernis, which is to say: wonderful! The consistency of #imanatural is fluid, light and creamy with a thin-to-medium viscosity and a fluent buttery flow over the nail. It is amenable to thin or thicker coats, self-levels like a dream and is generally a delight to work with. Pigmentation is very good, with sheerness on the first coat building easily to wearable opacity after the second. I used three to ensure full bottle color for the photos. Cleanup, should you require it, is easy and straightforward. #imanatural dries naturally (ha) in very good time to a smooth shiny finish.

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

Il Était Un Vernis #imanatural

Bé and Stéphanie utilize holographic pigment in their creations quite differently than many other indie polish makers. For them, it seems to be a kind of compositional grace note, employed with a characteristic restraint that results in discreet, artfully-constructed lacquers with color being the primary attraction. In #imanatural, it is used in company with ultrafine golden shimmers to reveal the perhaps unconsidered subtexts to what is already a fundamentally subtle hue. No small feat! But there is clean uncluttered comfort here, and the grace of understatement, as well as evocations of bone-colored beach sand, natural unbleached linen and the magical phenomenon of early sunlight filtering through a misty fog and touching its droplets with gold.

Above and beyond its palate-cleansing, decorator neutral functions, #imanatural has an uncommonly generous soul, giving the wearer an opportunity to slow down and mindfully absorb the palliative simplicity of the moment. It's an embodiment of one of the reasons we practice this particular variety of physical adornment, and I for one am grateful for the reminder.

live to love another day,
Liz