Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

When the Cherry Met the Spoon was released by indie polish maker Elevation Polish as a stand-alone lacquer earlier this month. Originally a small batch prototype from February this year, it's undergone reformulation in the interim and is now part of Elevation's core line. I adore the name of this polish! It reminds me of the English nursery rhyme Hey Diddle Diddle, itself having a possible origin in Scottish Jacobean courtier and poet Alexander Montgomerie's 1597 poem, The Cherrie and the Slae. I don't know for a fact that When the Cherry Met the Spoon shares this pedigree, but I wouldn't put it past Lulu's interdisciplinary skills to reach back through 18th century Mother Goose into 16th century allegorical poetry for inspiration! 

Described as a berry red by Lulu and other reviewers, to my eye it's more purple than that. It's close to the red violet Crayola color Jazzberry Jam. Lulu has a certain magic with purples that is renowned, and this may be the lushest, richest, most dazzling Elevation purple I've yet experienced. Unfortunately, its true nature is also the most frustrating to try and capture with a camera. When the Cherry Met the Spoon has a deep, well-saturated red violet jelly base swimming with ultrachrome flakies in jewel-tone colors, charcoal flake shimmers and a sprinkling of holographic pigment. In indirect light and shade, it has a decidedly black cherry appearance, with only an occasional gemstone-like flash from the ultrachrome flakies within to hint at its ultimate glory. But direct light kindles up an opulent sparkling dimensional near purple, deep and absolutely radiant in its intensity, with the components add twinkling multicolored sparks and gleaming flashes of color that fire from varying points like some exquisite piece of jewelry being turned in the light. It's beyond gorgeous and I cannot get enough of it!

Application was fantastic. The consistency of When the Cherry Met the Spoon is fluid and dense but not the least bit sticky. It has a velvety glide over the nail with a slight detectable texture from the components but no stacking, stick ups or protrusions to distract from the application experience. Pigmentation is excellent for a jelly. This polish appears nearly opaque after one coat but keep in mind that it is a jelly with an inherent degree of translucence. Two coats nets deeper, richer color with more even coverage and substantially more depth. Three coats deepens the color a tiny bit more and turns out to provide the most dimensional look of all. I used two coats for all nails but one, where I had an unfortunate occurrence that necessitated a third coat, but the next time I wear this I'll go with three coats all the way around. Cleanup is fairly straightforward but as with any polish as well-pigmented as this one there will be some pigment travel. All in all, I was very pleased with how nicely this polish applied and how easily it cleaned up. When the Cherry Met the Spoon dries naturally in very good time to a shiny finish with hints of visual texture from the components, particularly the ultrachrome flakies. Topcoat mostly levels this out and enhances the visibility of all of the components as well.

Photos show two coats of When the Cherry Met the Spoon over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite. As I mentioned, I couldn't quite manage an accurate likeness of how it appears in person (it leans a skosh more purple than what you see here), and the dynamic sparkle all but escaped me completely. It is so much more beautiful and majestic than the photos show!


Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon
 
Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Elevation Polish When the Cherry Met the Spoon

Featuring a lacquer like When the Cherry Met the Spoon really brings to the fore the application and photography skills that separate a dabbler like me from nail polish bloggers of substance and standing. Of such bloggers, my favorites of the swatches I've seen are Savannah's on Addicted to Polish at two coats, and Jenny's on Lavish Layerings at three. Both come far closer than I have to reproducing the appearance of this amazing polish in person. And if you're wondering how When the Cherry Met the Spoon differs from the original small batch prototype, Ida has a great comparison of the two on Ida Nails It.

My photography aside, this is a stunning polish. The rich glowing garnet color, speckled with charcoal flake shimmers and gleaming ultrachrome flakies and strewn with multicolored pinpoint sparks of light from the holographic particles, is to die for. Truly outstanding! If you love a lavish, deep, saturated shimmer polish with sumptuous, soft-focus sparkle and a dynamic interplay with light, you'll be wanting to add this to your stash. It's a gem!

love,
Liz

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