Lacquer Slacker Liz

Monday, September 11, 2017

Nine Zero Lacquer Refraction

Refraction was released in April 2016 by Michigan-based indie polish maker Nine Zero Lacquer as part of the ROY G BIV collection, ingeniously named with the acronym formed by the seven colors of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). This is the red of the collection, a linear holographic polish in creator Jess' inimitable style. The color is a bright, medium-light variation of vermilion, a sunburn sort of shade with aspects of Indian red, brink pink and bittersweet. Intensely holographic, it has a strong salmony-red metallic underlay that gives the polish a reflective, gleaming semi-metallic look on the nail. Holographically-generated hues of glowing violet, tango pink, salmon and sparkling tomato nuance the base color in ambient light, and in the sun there's a dazzling linear prismatic display featuring arcs in all of the rainbow colors.

Application was great! The consistency of Refraction is fluid, dense and smooth with a medium-to-thicker viscosity that I added polish thinner to at the outset. Slightly-thinned, it had a plush, velvety, self-leveling glide over the nail that was surprisingly easy to work with for such a full-bodied formula. Pigmentation is excellent, nearly opaque in one medium coat although I used two like I always do. Cleanup is easy. Refraction dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat does not in any way inhibit the holographic properties of the polish.

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

Nine Zero Lacquer Refraction

While I love this sort of sunburn color for summer, it carries over beautifully into autumn as well, evoking the intense pinkish/orangey reds and corals you see in turning sugar maples. You can always count on Jess' holos to have powerful and athletic effects and so it is here. A luminous violet heart is especially noticeable, with a sparkling melange of holographically-generated reds, warm pinks, and salmon in ambient light that is just fabulous! A very gratifying polish to wear when you really want to get your holo on!

love,
Liz

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Top Shelf Lacquer Inebriated

Like Tanked and Boozed Up, Inebriated was released in July this year by Ohio-based indie polish maker Top Shelf Lacquer as part of the Drunken Fall Creme Holos collection. Amy describes this one as a Prussian blue creme holo polish. The color is a creamy medium-dark grey-ish blue, a resonant, November stormcloud sort of shade along the lines of dark blue-grey. You could almost consider it a dusty navy or a blueberry color. Abundant finely-milled holographic pigment reads as gold within the base, adding a stealthy golden shimmer to the look in bright ambient light that blooms in direct sun to a scattered holographic display with a delicate, vestigial arc of prismatic sparks.

Application was fantastic. The consistency of Inebriated is fluid, light and creamy with a thin-to-medium viscosity and an even, buttery-smooth, self-leveling slip over the nail, very user-friendly and a pleasure to work with. Pigmentation is very good to excellent. It's almost completely opaque in a single medium coat but use two to build up any lingering areas of translucence. Cleanup is easy. Inebriated dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish.

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

Top Shelf Lacquer Inebriated

I am completely obsessed with this color -- I find it poignantly beautiful. It has a crepuscular aspect to it that makes me think of the billow of heavy clouds at twilight, a moody, pastoral sort of hue with hints of violet that you'd see in the lengthening shadows of a landscape painting set in late afternoon. On the nail, it has a graceful, slightly reserved feel with a certain romantic sensibility that just sends me. I'd say that it is profoundly evocative rather than spectacular, but all the better for being so. Blue polish lovers, you want this! Really, really wonderful.

love,
Liz

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Cupcake Polish Blood Hound

Like Bat-chelor Pad and Coffin Break, Blood Hound was released in September 2015 by Texas-based indie polish maker Cupcake Polish as part of the Modern Vampire collection. This is a very dark purplish red holographic polish that's kind of like a cross between burgundy and Tyrian purple, a fathomless, vampy shade of wine. It has a plush, velvety presence on the nail, emitting an occasional shimmery glint from the holo pigment and a merlot flash under incandescent light. Direct sun kindles a bright prismatic flare predominated by twin sparkling arcs of azure and red that frame a glistening lick of semi-metallic merlot and shade to dark eggplant at the sidewalls.

Between my shaky hands and the deep, saturated color, application was fraught with the potential for disaster. As usual, I needn't have worried so much. Blood Hound has a lovely formula with a smooth, full-bodied consistency, a medium-to-thicker viscosity and a plush, even, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is outstanding, a true one-coater. I added a second to dress up my lines, but it didn't alter the color at all. Cleanup is straightforward with a skosh of expected pigment travel but little trace staining. Blood Hound dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, ever-so-slightly flat finish that wants a glossy topcoat to look its very best. Topcoat does not appear to affect the holographic properties in any way, and I found it to actually enhance visibility of the effects in ambient light.

Photos show two coats of Blood Hound over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Cupcake Polish Blood Hound

Jennifer of My Nail Polish Obsession called Blood Hound the epitome of a vampy shade in her review of the Modern Vampire collection, and I agree. It was arguably the fan favorite of the bunch when they came out and was voted the Best Red Polish of 2015 by readers of Peachy Polish. I love that it and three others from the collection are still available in Sara's big cartel shop -- seems like so many indies are releasing customs and limited editions these days. They're gone before you know it!

love,
Liz