Saturday, November 8, 2014

Lucky 13 Lacquer Dixon Hill, Private Investigator

Dixon Hill, Private Investigator was released by indie polish maker Lucky 13 Lacquer as part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation collection earlier this year. Jess, the owner and creative force behind Lucky 13, held a sale recently and I took advantage of the opportunity to purchase my first Lucky 13 polishes. 

Dixon Hill, Private Investigator is sort of another first for me, a nude holo. It is named for Captain Picard's noir-influenced PI holodeck character that debuted in the twelfth episode of the series. This trenchcoat and gumshoe inspired polish has a creamy light sand-colored base with a hint of gray and the barest breath of pink to it full of finely milled holographic pigment. The holo effects are very subtle, as you would expect with a pale base, with a trace prismatic flair predominated by golden yellow and twinkling slivers of reddish orange and pale blue. Additionally, the holo pigment provides a certain pearliness and depth to the formula that gives it a luminous, graceful appearance.

Application was dreamy. The consistency of Dixon Hill, Private Investigator is fluid, light and buttery smooth with a creamy, self-leveling flow over the nail. My himalayan nail ridges were vanquished with the first coat, hurray! Pigmentation is good, with wearably opaque coverage in two coats. I used three for this manicure, just to be sure the opacity was completely even. I was so enamoured with the formula that I found myself practically spooning it onto my nails with the first coat and had to check my enthusiasm and get back to thin/medium coats. Cleanup is easy and straightforward. In fact, the only issue I had at all with this polish was actually distinguishing the areas that needed cleanup, it's so close in tone to my own skin. Dixon Hill, Private Investigator dries naturally in good time to a silky smooth finish.

Photos show three coats of Dixon Hill, Private Investigator over Seche Rebuild treatment and Pretty Serious All Your Base basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.


Lucky 13 Dixon Hill, Private Investigator


Lucky 13 Dixon Hill, Private Investigator


Lucky 13 Dixon Hill, Private Investigator


Lucky 13 Dixon Hill, Private Investigator


Lucky 13 Dixon Hill, Private Investigator


Lucky 13 Dixon Hill, Private Investigator


Lucky 13 Dixon Hill, Private Investigator


Lucky 13 Dixon Hill, Private Investigator


Lucky 13 Dixon Hill, Private Investigator


Lucky 13 Dixon Hill, Private Investigator


Lucky 13 Dixon Hill, Private Investigator


Lucky 13 Dixon Hill, Private Investigator


Lucky 13 Dixon Hill, Private Investigator

I get in definite moods for nude/wet sand/cement/putty colors like this. I crave their creamy smoothness and the clean, modern look they have on the nail. This is an especially nice one, not too tan and not too fleshy, and the shy holo display adds a special touch. I was coming out of the drug store this morning when my nails caught my eye in the sun, all lit up with delicate sparkles of gold. It lifted my spirits considerably at a time when such lifting was much appreciated. Thank you, Jess, for this little bottle of joy!

love,
Liz

6 comments:

  1. That sale was when I got my first Lucky 13 polishes, too!!!! Many of them remind me of my man (his favorite number is 13, and I mean, them nerd themes...), and now that he's super blonde he's feeling extra Thor-ish so I'm very excited to try "God of Thunder" :D This one is so great, it really does look exactly like a trench coat!! It's so beautiful on you <3 Argghh, I should've picked up more holos!! I only got "Cliffs of Heaven"; I was so distracted by the glitter crellies... :P "My himalayan nail ridges" ahhaha oh Liz, the things you say, they crack me up!! :)

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    1. There are certainly some likely-looking Lucky 13 glitter crellies, Marisa, don't feel bad about missing the holos. There'll always be holos! I love God of Thunder, I should have gotten either that one or Mist and Shadow, Cloud and Shade but for some unknown reason I put Lawful, a glitter TOPPER, in my basket. What was I thinking? Something about sales has a negative impact upon what rational thought I do possess and *poof* blows it right out of my head. I always end up with stuff that makes me struggle to remember why it seemed like a good idea at the time.

      Cliffs of Heaven looks wonderful, sweet choice!

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    2. Hahaha that is exactly what happens to me at sales!! Then later I wonder how I could've ignored such beauties... ah, well. That is so funny about toppers rif basically all kinds because yeah, they seem awesome when you're first starting a collection but very quickly it's like meh. They just don't seem quite so substantial, especially shimmer toppers. Used to LOVE them... never use them.

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    3. Whoops, smartphone tripping me up ;) I think I was trying to say "toppers *of basically all kinds"?

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  2. I love colors like this on everybody else but me. On me, they just look like a bowl of the most uninspiring oatmeal ever. But I can totally see you wearing this to the office and walking by a sunny window to sneak a peak at the purty colors bursting forth! :)

    Best line: "my himalayan nail ridges."

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    1. I can wear this kind of color only if it has enough grey in it to keep it from being too warm. The more camel or tan versions look awful against my pasty pinkage. I used to turn away from nudes generally because of this, but now I'm eager to suss out whether they will work for me because they feel so great when you're wearing them, very clean and modern and graceful. They remind me of capezio character shoes, you know the ones? Kind of flesh-colored with a low heel and a strap aross the instep to keep em on your feet as your dance across the stage....

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