Lacquer Slacker Liz

Saturday, March 25, 2017

KBShimmer Salt Water Sassy

I can't believe that it's been a year and a half since I last reviewed one of Christy's glitter crellies -- too long! Especially since I've added ÜNT's peel-off basecoat to my arsenal.

Salt Water Sassy was just released last week by Indiana-based indie polish maker KBShimmer as part of the Nauti By Nature collection for spring 2017, a series of polishes designed around the theme of spring break in the Caribbean. It's described as a minty aqua creme/jelly hybrid base swimming with matte hex glitters in bright pastels. The base color is a pastel variation of cyan, a translucent, milky, minty blue along the lines of light cyan or pale celeste. The matte hexes suspended within are yellow, coral, turquoise, white and periwinkle, variously-sized from tiny to medium.

Christy has her glitter-to-base ratio down to a science, not too many or too few, just enough to create a perfect, random distribution over the nail. The pretty hexes are just adorable with the minty base, creating a whimsical melange with a beachy vibe that really does remind me of candy.

Application was quite agreeable. The consistency of Salt Water Sassy is fluid and smooth with a thin-to-medium viscosity and an easy, fluent glide over the nail that likes to go on in thin coats from a moderately-loaded brush. Self-leveling properties are very good, as is glitter distribution. A bit of manipulation may be necessary to get the colors where you want them, but the glitters apply very smoothly with no stacking or stickups and only a few protrusions over the free edge. Pigmentation is sheer and a little streaky. The translucent formula needs an even, careful hand to ensure most uniform opacity. I used three thin coats and in retrospect wish I'd been a tad more generous with at least one of them as there are certain areas that show more translucence than I'd like to see. Cleanup is easy if you do it while the polish is still wet. Salt Water Sassy dries naturally in very good time to a shiny finish with a gentle pebbly texture from the glitters.

Photos show three coats of Salt Water Sassy over ÜNT Ready for Takeoff basecoat with a layer of Pretty Serious Plump up the Volume gel-effect topcoat followed by a layer of Seche Vite.

KBShimmer Salt Water Sassy

I'm inclined to be hyperaware of the glitter distribution in polishes like this and I'm telling you, it's making me feel a little crazy. In this manicure, for example, I wish there were more coral hexes and fewer white ones, and that my glitters were better spread over the whole nail and not as bunched up near the cuticle as they are. Am I the only one who frets over this sort of thing? Sigh. As usual, I may need to lighten up.

Glitter distribution notwithstanding, I do love this sweet, breezy, whimsical look. The pale blue base color is gorgeous and the color range of the hexes is just perfect. Such a happy polish!

love,
Liz

Friday, March 24, 2017

Tonic Polish Magnetic Midnight

Magnetic Midnight was released this past December by Iowa-based indie polish maker Tonic Polish as part of the Holiday 2016 collection. Named for that time of night best suited to observing auroras, when the North or South Magnetic Pole is exactly in between the sun and an observer on the earth's surface, it is described as a royal blue scattered holographic multichrome polish with a blue/purple/red/gold shift spectrum and a sprinkling of silver holographic microglitter.

On the nail, the color most frequently on display is a beautiful medium Majorelle blue edged by indigo, but this polish is so shifty and the colors so mutable that you are always seeing more than just one, with subtle gradients through the spectrum. The blue easily morphs through royal purple to a robust Mardi Gras as you turn your nails toward your light source. Magenta appears at sharper angles still, and grows in warmth to bright red, where it finally segues through a flaming sunset color to gold. Finely-milled holographic pigment adds dimension and further nuances to the color in ambient light, dusting the semi-metallic finish of the polish with delicate silvery motes that explode into a fully linear prismatic display in direct sun, while the minute holographic microglitters create an exquisite twinkling effect as light travels over them.

Application was trouble-free. The consistency of Magnetic Midnight is fluid, smooth and dense with a slightly thicker viscosity than I generally prefer so I added polish thinner at the outset. Thinned, it had a fluent, silky, self-leveling slip over the nail. Pigmentation is sheer. I am always amazed by how the first coat of a multichrome resembles nothing so much as grey dust in a lightly tinted suspension base, you know? This one builds remarkably well to wearably opaque coverage after the second coat, but I added a third to maximize the colors and shiftiness for the photos. Cleanup is easy. Magnetic Midnight dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish.

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

Tonic Polish Magnetic Midnight

Mesmerizing and very more-ish -- you see the color shifting, and you totally want MORE! Much time will be spent gazing at it, holding it up to eye level and spinning around in the sun. At least, that's what went on here today and not much else! *lol*

Don't let the ubiquitous dusty effect of the holographic pigment in my photos mislead you. In person, it's much more subtle as well as prismatic, and the ambient colors are bold and sleek. Plus, the unexpectedly linear holographic display is fabulous! So much to see!

love,
Liz

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan was released in July 2016 by Michigan-based indie polish maker Great Lakes Lacquer as part of The Great Ones collection, a genius series of five polishes inspired by the Great Lakes of North America. The lone holo of the collection, Lake Michigan is described as "a deep teal linear holographic with multi chrome flake that shifts from a deep blue to light green and shimmer that mimics those flakes." With all of the component shiftiness going on, whether blue or green is most prevalent in the general appearance of this polish depends entirely upon viewing circumstances, but the base color is a translucent medium-dark blue-green.

That said, the combination of the multichrome flakies, which range in color from bright primary green to electric blue, and the blue/green color-shifting shimmers make this polish a truly dynamic chameleon. A cloud momentarily crossing the sun will transform the look from a resonant sea green glimmering with hints of emerald and pine to a lush, oceanic cerulean, with innumerable subtle variations of tone in between. The multichrome flakies and holographic pigment give it a rich, dimensional visual texture, with gleaming, jewel-like metallic flakes mixing with the finely-grained, Pointillist-style ambient color to create a shimmering tapestry of blues and greens. And in the sun, there's a sparkling, analogously-hued prismatic display.

Application was lovely. The consistency of Lake Michigan is fluid, full-bodied and smooth with a medium viscosity and an even, self-leveling glide over the nail with a bit of pull to it if using thin coats, which I recommend. The flakies range from tiny shards to relatively large pieces, but all disperse easily and randomly over the nail with no clumping, stickups or protrusions over the free edge. Pigmentation is sheerish and meant to be that way. I think that three coats creates the richest presentation, and I found thinner coats best to avoid any bulkiness. Cleanup is surprisingly easy, with just a skosh of trace staining. Lake Michigan dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish.

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

Great Lakes Lacquer Lake Michigan

The flakies incorporate with the holo beautifully here, much more so in person than my photos would suggest, and there's a sort of semi-metallic quality to the finish that serves to encapsulate all of the visual texture and give the polish a really dressy, ornate feel. The linear holographic display in the sun is slightly dispersed by the components, but the colors are so brilliant and rich that this somehow only manages to make it even more stunning. Wonderful!

love,
Liz