Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

Curtain Call was released in December 2016 by French boutique polish maker Il Était Un Vernis as part of the Cabaret collection. Officially described as a red holographic polish with pink, red and orange microglitters, the color here is a rich, buoyant medium red with a certain degree of warmth to it, like something along the lines of lust from the ISCC-NBS color list. A happy red! Ultrafine holographic pigment gives it that delicious, finely-flecked, Il Était Un Vernis visual texture and illuminates the color with a lit-from-within glow. The microglitters are a genius touch, emitting tiny glints in warm, tropical hues of pink, orange and red when light hits them just right and contributing in no small part to the beatific nature of the polish. The scattered holographic display in the sun is an utter delight -- a Pointillist mix of pink, orange, red, yellow and violet sparks with a warm prismatic bloom that travels up and down the nail as you flex your fingers in the light.

Application was wonderful. The consistency of Curtain Call is fluid, creamy and dense with a medium viscosity and a buttery-smooth, self-leveling slip over the nail -- a superb formula that is a pleasure to work with, just as I've learned to expect from this brand. Pigmentation is excellent, delivering wearably opaque coverage in one medium coat, but adding a second creates a denser look and maximizes the richness of the color and holographic properties. Cleanup is surprisingly easy. Curtain Call dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat actually seems to intensify both the color and the holographic effects.

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

Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

Il Était Un Vernis Curtain Call

I expect a lot from an Il Était Un Vernis red and co-creators Bé and Stéphanie have only themselves to blame for this: Pinot Noir, from the 2015 Grand Crus collection, is one of my all-time favorite reds, ever. I'm happy to tell you that Curtain Call is just as pleasing to my polish aesthetic, although it is entirely different in character. Bright and spicy, it reminds me of red-hots and has this awesome vacation/holiday kind of vibe -- high-spirited, delighted to be here and ready to ensure that you have as much fun as possible. I'd go with it anywhere!

love,
Liz