Saturday, February 11, 2017

Fair Maiden Polish Duchess

Duchess was released in June 2016 by Minnesota-based indie polish maker Fair Maiden Polish as part of the Feline Catty collection, a series of polishes inspired by some of Disney's noteworthy feline characters. This particular polish is named for Duchess, voiced by the late Eva Gabor, from the 1970 American animated musical adventure/romantic comedy film The Aristocats.

Described as a medium violet holo with pink/gold/green colorshifting shimmers and silver holographic microglitters, the color here is a pretty medium-light floral lavender, softened and silvered by holographic pigment. Superabundant colorshifting microflake shimmers read primarily as pink within the base and create a sleek, radiant pink/lavender pink underlay with a pink flash along the axis of light. The microflake shimmers and holographic pigment work in concert to give the polish a misty visual texture, dotted with twinkling prismatic sparks from the tiny microglitters. Direct sun generates an extra-sparkly linear prismatic flare, slightly dispersed by the shimmers and predominated by a gorgeous arc of brilliant azure.

Application was wonderful. The consistency of Duchess is fluid, full-bodied and slightly fluffy with a medium viscosity and a smooth, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is somewhat sheer on the first coat, but surprised me by building quickly to evenly opaque coverage after the second, although if you use very thin coats you may want a third. Cleanup is mostly trouble-free -- the microflake shimmers and holographic microglitters can be a little sticky. Duchess dries naturally in good time to a mostly smooth, shiny finish with just the tiniest bit of perceptible texture that is completely smoothed by topcoat. Topcoat amplifies the presence and effects of the microflake shimmers and does not interfere with the holographic properties in any way.

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


Fair Maiden Polish Duchess


Fair Maiden Polish Duchess


Fair Maiden Polish Duchess


Fair Maiden Polish Duchess


Fair Maiden Polish Duchess


Fair Maiden Polish Duchess


Fair Maiden Polish Duchess


Fair Maiden Polish Duchess


Fair Maiden Polish Duchess


Fair Maiden Polish Duchess


Fair Maiden Polish Duchess

The effects of the pink shimmers are slightly washed out in my photos. They are quite prominent in person.

This is a misty, magical, faerie princess polish! It reminds me, as such polishes always do, of my friend Marisa of Tiny Twinklings, who has been frankening up some lovely creations in Montana lately. Marisa, I'm setting this one aside for you!

I had a fantastic group of very close friends in junior high/middle school (friendships that lasted through high school, college and beyond) and we used to put on little animal-centric plays and skits for our patient and amused parents, one of which was completely based on The Aristocats, a film we all adored. I played one of the kittens and I can still remember dialogue ripped right from the movie -- "I'm sleepy." "Me too!" "Me three!" -- and the performance we staged early one summer evening on the large second floor balcony of the home of my friend Charlotte's family on Bollingwood Road in Charlottesville, VA. From what I remember, it went perfectly, and became enshrined in my memory as an almost enchanted moment of childhood intimacy, collaboration and friendship.

love,
Liz

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