Lacquer Slacker Liz: March 2016

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Top Shelf Lacquer Fireball

Another March 2016 Hella Holo Customs exclusive!

Fireball was released earlier this month by Ohio-based indie polish maker Top Shelf Lacquer as one of three custom polishes created by Amy exclusively for the members of the HHC facebook group. Officially described as "a linear holo in a crimson base with a chameleon gold shift," the base color is a translucent medium-light variation of crimson that is absolutely packed with golden microflake shimmers, so much so that they transform the color to something like a rich rosy terracotta pink or coppery tomato with a golden pearliness to it and a lustrous semi-metallic, almost foily finish. There's a whisper of violet in there too that keeps you guessing. Is it cool? Is it warm? It's as if you took the reddish salmony pink from a sunset and wove it into gold-shot silk brocade. Abundant finely milled holographic pigment explodes into a brilliant, fiery prismatic display on a bright cerise field in the sun, slightly scattered by the gleaming microflake shimmers but still clearly recognizable as linear, with a gorgeous glowing inner band of indigo, violet and blue surrounding a shimmering central lick of pale rose gold and edged by a thin corona of sparks in green, orange and red.

Application was fantastic. The consistency of Fireball is fluid, light and smooth with a medium viscosity and a silky slip over the nail that is easily manipulated with Top Shelf's flattened flexible brush. Self-leveling properties are very good as is pigmentation, delivering evenly opaque, wearable coverage in two coats, although I think it's worth adding a third as it gives the color a richer, denser look. Cleanup is easy and straightforward with stickiness on the part of the shimmers, not unexpected. Fireball dries naturally in very good time to a smooth shiny finish. Topcoat enhances the presence and effects of the shimmers and does not inhibit the holographic properties of the polish in any way.

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

Top Shelf Lacquer Fireball

Stunningly photogenic, no? But for all its burnished incandescent beauty, this polish sits softly on the nail. It is eminently wearable and complementary. Even Fuzzy, notorious for her disavowal of all things pink, allowed that this is a shade she could get behind (I've alerted the media). A rare treasure!

Hella Holo Customs is a private facebook group that solicits two polish makers for custom polishes every month, which are then available only to HHC members via a special ordering code posted in the group. If you'd like to join, send an email to hellaholocustoms@gmail.com with “join” in the subject line and your facebook profile name in the message.

love,
Liz

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

CrowsToes Abracadabra

Abracadabra was released by North Carolina-based indie polish maker CrowsToes Nail Color as one of three custom polishes for March created by Lauri exclusively for members of the Hella Holo Customs facebook group. This is a private group that solicits two polish makers for custom polishes every month, which are then available only to HHC members via a special ordering code posted in the group. If you'd like to join, send an email to hellaholocustoms@gmail.com with “join” in the subject line and your facebook profile name in the message.

Lauri describes Abracadabra:

A crazy mix of multicolor shifting flakies in a base of taupe flakies, with a generous heaping of micro holo. You will see damn near every color in this one!

I'm not sure that I can describe it better and she is not kidding! On close inspection, if you will your eyes to find a certain color, you will see it. Magenta, blue, spring green, yellow, red, purple, aqua, flame, violet -- they're all there, tiny variously-shaped color-shifting flakes gleaming away, plus an abundance of holographic microglitters with their infinitesimal sparks in all the prismatic colors. Needless to say, this is completely outrageous in the sun, where the effect is of a bazillion strings of Christmas lights twinkling like mad over an underlay of blackened violet. But it is equally if not more interesting in indirect light, where you can see all the glimmering multicolored flakes pieced together in a shimmering miniature mosaic veiled by a net of tiny prismatic sparks. Soul food for magpies, this is big nail polish fun!

Application was most fulfilling. The consistency of Abracadabra is fluid and dense with components, with a thicker viscosity that even so manages a smooth glide over the nail using thin coats and a light touch. Glitter payoff is excellent and remarkably even. The sparkle and reflectivity of the components and the visual texture they create provide eminently wearable coverage in only two coats -- outstanding! I added a third for the photos, but beyond maybe building the density a wee bit it didn't really affect the look. Cleanup with this one is best done as you go along while the polish is still wet. Abracadabra dries naturally in fairly good time to a softly textured finish that is actually relatively smooth, just a hint of barely discernible sandiness. I didn't want any irregular surface reflections distracting from my enjoyment of the explosion of colors beneath, so I applied a layer of glitter-smoothing topcoat, waited for that to set up and partially dry and then finished with quick-dry topcoat.

Photos show three thin coats of Abracadabra over treatment and basecoat with a coat of Pretty Serious Plump Up the Volume followed by a coat of Seche Vite.

CrowsToes Abracadabra

Abracadabra was inspired by a photo of some amazingly gorgeous kush, a subset of strains of cannabis indica originating in Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan and North-Western India. The name coming from the Hindu Kush mountain range.

Kush phenotype 'Mendocino Purps,' aka purple urkle, often used medicinally to treat insomnia, migraine and chronic pain. (source)

Talk about psychedelic. *lol* Suffice to say, this polish rocks!

love,
Liz

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Carpe Noctem Cosmetics Paint Uranus Pink

This post is dedicated to Erik Engberg, who enjoys seventh planet puns more than any person should.

Paint Uranus Pink is part of the core line of Michigan-based indie polish maker Carpe Noctem Cosmetics. I'm not sure when creator Emily released this polish. It went on my wishlist for the name alone the moment I came across it, which seems like it was a while ago now. Just recently I made a point of visiting the Carpe Noctem myshopify store and purchasing it, along with two other pink polishes that I suspect will inevitably make their way here also.

Emily describes Paint Uranus Pink as a super bright magenta holo and I agree. Loaded with fine metallic hot pink shimmers, the overall impression is of an intense steel pink with aspects of orchid. It has a gleaming, semi-metallic finish with that slightly dusty holo look that shimmer holos sometimes have and a wonderful purpley pink flash. In direct sun, the color brightens to a hot pink and the dustiness transforms into a sparkling prismatic mist. Now I'd have bought this no matter what it looked like, but it is totally gorgeous, a fiercely feminine, unrepentantly flamboyant eye-catcher of a polish.

Application was lovely. The consistency of Paint Uranus Pink is fluid, light and creamy with a medium viscosity and a fluent, silky slip over the nail. Self-leveling properties are excellent as is pigmentation, delivering opaque coverage in a single coat. I used two coats for this manicure as I usually do, but it honestly did not seem to affect the look of the polish on the nail at all. Cleanup is easy and straightforward with a skosh of pigment travel but no residual staining to speak of. Paint Uranus Pink dries naturally in very good time to a silky smooth finish with a soft shine. Topcoat adds a becoming gloss and does not affect the holographic properties of the polish in any way that I could tell.

Photos show two coats of Paint Uranus Pink over Pretty Serious Rock On treatment and Pretty Serious All Your Base basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Carpe Noctem Cosmetics Paint Uranus Pink

Dat shimmah, tho'!

I don't remember being the slightest bit embarrassed by the traditional English pronunciation of Uranus until middle school, so I must have learned my planets before I grasped the concept of double entendre. Well, either that or I hadn't yet been exposed (so to speak) to the proper anatomical term for that part of the body. A sheltered life dot com.

It's worth pointing out that only in English is it impossible to speak the name of the seventh planet aloud without somebody in earshot snickering. Other languages handle it much more gracefully than we do. We get all the fun, don't we?

ttyl,
Liz

Monday, March 28, 2016

Different Dimension Buttersweet Symphony

Time again for the infrequent yellow polish!

Buttersweet Symphony was released by Indiana-based indie polish maker Different Dimension as part of the Falling in Love collection at the beginning of October 2015. Described by creator Missi as a "a mustard yellow holographic polish with added shimmer and microglitters," the color is a substantial, well-saturated medium Munsell yellow with a greenish/brownish cast, more or less prevalent depending upon viewing circumstances, that places it somewhere between trombone yellow and citrine. It bears a certain similarity to the translucent curry yellow of Nine Zero's Corn Maize, also from this past fall, but is somewhat deeper in tone with a semi-metallic finish thanks to the addition of copious metallic shimmers. It also carries a goodly amount of holographic microglitters, which decorate it with random twinkling sparks of bright yellow and other prismatic colors as light hits them. We're overcast and rainy here today so I didn't get a chance to see the full extent of the holographic effects in person, but they are athletic and responsive and provide immense dimensionality to the look of the polish on the nail. From photos I've seen in other reviews, they bring a fully linear display and a wealth of blingy prismatic sparkle to the polish in the sun.

Application was just superb. The consistency of Buttersweet Symphony is fluid, light and incredibly smooth with a medium viscosity and a nearly effortless buttery glide over the nail, such a pleasure to apply! Self-leveling properties are outstanding and pigmentation is excellent. A bit of built-in translucence to the formula is all that prevents it from being opaque in one coat. Two coats provide completely even opaque coverage and full bottle color. Cleanup is easy and straightforward, with a tiny bit of pigment travel. Buttersweet Symphony dries naturally in very good time to a smooth shiny finish.

Photos show two coats of Buttersweet Symphony over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Different Dimension Buttersweet Symphony

Buttersweet Symphony was well-received by polish enthusiasts when it appeared and made several bloggers' best of 2015 lists at the end of the year. I don't have the skintone to show it off properly, but I can't help but admire this edgy, unusual shade. It's just so cool! Beautifully constructed, I love the twinkling microglitters and the semi-metallic gleam of the finish is fierce! It definitely feels like more of a fall/winter polish, and I'm thinking that it would be a stunning accompaniment to other autumnal hues. Imagine it accessorizing a moody charcoal or olive green! And violet! Great for Mardi Gras!

xo,
Liz

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Illyrian Polish Never Forget What You Are

Never Forget What You Are was released in January this year by Texas-based indie polish maker Illyrian Polish as part of the Winter is Coming collection, a series of polishes inspired by the epic fantasy drama series Game of Thrones. Creator Vanessa describes this polish as a teal linear holo with purple shimmer. It's an utterly stunning teal blue, deep and well-saturated and fantastically oceanic, a creme holo in which the abundant finely-milled holographic pigment serves to enrich the base with shimmering shades of ultramarine and cerulean spangled with tiny sparks of sea green. Microflake shimmers add complexity with sporadic, unexpected glints of royal purple and a stealthy violet glow in low light. In the sun there's a magnificent linear prismatic display with a central flame of bold ultramarine and cerulean edged by a sparkling band of electric blue and a corona of bright sparks in spring green and fiery orange, darkening to inky ambiguity at the edges of the nail.

Application was wonderful. The consistency of Never Forget Who You Are is fluid, creamy and dense with a medium viscosity and a full-bodied, self-leveling flow over the nail. Pigmentation shows a little bit of sheerness on the first coat that quickly builds to fully opaque coverage with the second. A third coat will deliver even deeper, richer color and holographic effects, and that's what I used for this manicure. Cleanup is straightforward with a skosh of pigment travel as you might expect from such a shade but no residual staining to speak of. Never Forget What You Are dries naturally in very good time to a silky smooth finish that has a soft shine. Topcoat does not appear to affect the holographic properties of this polish in any way.

Photos show three coats of Never Forget What You Are over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Illyrian Polish Never Forget What You Are

This polish is named for a quote by the character of Tyrion Lannister, played by Peter Hayden Dinklage in the series. He says to Jon Snow:

Let me give you some advice bastard. Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.

So interesting that this dramatically beautiful, richly-hued polish is linked with Tyrion!

love,
Liz