Saturday, July 26, 2014

Barielle Polished Princess

Polished Princess was released by Barielle as part of the All Lacquered Up collection for fall 2009, a collaborative effort between Barielle and Michelle Mismas of the venerable polish blog All Lacquered Up. If you would like to read her post featuring Polished Princess, you can find it here.

This polish is a vibrant medium golden green shimmer. It has a slightly swampy yellow-green base with warm mossy olive undertones to it containing superabundant finely milled golden shimmer, which gives it a bit of a frosty creme rinse character although it does not show brushstrokes as much as a typical frost does. The golden shimmer throws sparks of bright spring green, aqua and coppery orange through the strata of polish and has a scintillating sparkle in the sun. In shade and indirect light, this polish has a striking golden green glow.

Application was quite satisfactory. Polished Princess has a fluid, smooth, slightly oily consistency with a nice density for painting. It has excellent even, self-leveling flow over the nail and is easy to control and manipulate. I had no problems with running, pooling, patching or any other sort of unruly polish behavior. Pigmentation could be better, though. Polished Princess was quite sheer and fugly-looking on the first coat. After the second, there were still sheerish areas and visible nail line in a few places and to be honest I almost decided to take it off right then. But then with the third coat I got fully opaque coverage and the true character of this strange green shimmer suddenly coalesced for me. However well it applies, this polish really doesn't come together unless you get to that point. Cleanup was easy and straightforward. Polished Princess sets and surface dries in fairly good time but the polish underneath takes longer than average to dry completely. The natural finish is smooth and shiny. 

Photos show three coats of Polished Princess over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite, which helped substantially with the dry time. I wouldn't try wearing this polish without a quick dry topcoat.


Barielle Polished Princess


Barielle Polished Princess


Barielle Polished Princess


Barielle Polished Princess


Barielle Polished Princess


Barielle Polished Princess


Barielle Polished Princess


Barielle Polished Princess


Barielle Polished Princess

As I was swatching this all I could think about was the story about the princess who kissed a frog that turned into a prince. Metaphors aside, if the genders were reversed and a prince kissed a frog that turned into a princess, this is the nail polish she'd be wearing. Can't you just see it? 

I have to admit that I was prepared not to like this polish even though it's been on my wishlist for the longest time. As I began applying it, I thought: what was I thinking? But after that third coat, it all comes together and you have a lively, chic glowing green polish with an air of casual elegance to it that is completely unexpected. It really does look fabulous on the nail, unusual and lithe and athletic somehow. Like if I gave it something to do it would get done tout suite, and done well at that.

I think I'll keep this one on for a while and let it grow on me some more!

love,
Liz

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