*tiny twinklings*: Lilypad Lacquer: *Delicate Duos*

Happy weekend, Twinklings!! If you love enchanted colors and haven't met Lilypad's Delicate Duos collection yet, your dreams are about to come true. When I first saw these, I either died a bit or came alive, I don't know which. I'm going to make a pretty monumental declaration right now, but in my polished heart it feels right so I'm going to take the plunge: this is absolutely my favorite nail polish collection of all time. Probably always will be.

Lilypad Lacquer Delicate Duos

I know, that is a huge statement to just throw out there; I mean, there's huge volumes of new nail polishes being released all the time, how am I to predict such a thing? But this collection really is special. When I first saw these colors, they just resonated with me. They spoke to me. They're the polish dream that I never could have imagined. Nicole of Lilypad Lacquer must be the fairy godmother of nail polish because these are pure magic.

Most bloggers whom I read and love are very much on the fashion edge; they pull for the bold, the intrepid, and the unusual. But I admit, I'm not really an on-trend kind of girl. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't care one whit about cobalt. I could swim in a sea of daydreams forever and ever and not once long for red. I just love delicate, ephemeral colors that remind me of unicorns and fairytales. I feel like the Delicate Duos understand me; no, like they were MADE for me. Or at least, made for wandering enchanted woodlands, searching for faerie circles and wildflowers... ♥

Each Delicate Duo brings together two fairy-like hues with a sprinkle of pixie dust holographic sparkle!! Ooh-la-la. Each one is more beautiful than the next, which is a great and terrible thing; it's exhilarating, dizzying, and heartbreaking all at once, like ooohh I need this one, and THIS one, and okay wait this one too, and good god what is happening to me. And impossible though it seems, these are even lovelier in real life. I tell you, I don't know what is going on with this holographic shimmer but it is somehow alive, like a radiant tingling energy source. You should just SEE it indoors; somehow it gets this rippling deep sheen under certain lights and you cannot take your eyes away. Enchanted, indeed.

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Apple Spritzer

"Apple Spritzer" is a lovely warm laurel leaf green saturated with golden sunlight shimmer. Imagine an afternoon picnic of sweet golden pears, in a Grecian olive grove while the breeze off of the Mediterranean tickles the gilded leaves. Did anyone else here love The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants? I was thinking about it while I contemplated this polish, so I idly opened it for nostalgia's sake and luck had it that I flipped straight to the part when Lena finds her special Santorini painting place:

"She walked up, up, over the crest of the cliff and onto the flat land at the top. It was much emptier up here. In the distance hills rose, probably signaling yet a higher cliff plunging into the sea. But here the land was gentle. Though it was arid, rocky cliff smoothed into wide green vineyards and meadows. The air felt hotter and the sun even stronger. These are lucky pants, she thought about a half mile or so later when she came upon a perfect grove of olive trees with glinting silver-green leaves. The olives were small and hard - still babies. At one end she discovered a small spring-fed pond. It was so private, so quiet, so lovely, it felt like her place - like she was the first person ever to set eyes on it." - Ann Brashares

Lilypad Lacquer "Apple Spritzer"

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Golden Sea

“Golden Sea” is a crystalline blue glowing with pale dawn gold. Like a mirrored sea illuminated by the first light of morning, "Golden Sea" has all the pure tranquility and quiet optimism that I associate with sunrise yoga. Are there any Narnians among us? I am reminded of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and the Wonders of the Last Sea, where the water is sweet and clear, and the light is impossibly bright and yet the sea gives the voyagers the strength, vitality, and serenity to embrace it. It's such a happy, peaceful place. "Golden Sea" takes me there.

Lilypad Lacquer "Golden Sea"

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Grape Parfait

“Grape Parfait” is a fantasy lupine purple suffused with cerulean lagoon shimmer. The blue-green shimmer has a frosted glacial effect that of course I adore, because I'm a winter girl, don't you know :) I'm really not seeing grapes, but then I think these are all far too lovely for any fruit to measure up; it is more akin to iridescent butterfly wing, or a magical enchantment, or the gossamer silk of a fairy princess' dress. What do you see? In any reckoning, it is perfectly fantastical.

Lilypad Lacquer "Grape Parfait"

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Moon Glow

“Moon Glow” is a pacific willow green bathed in an eerie moonlight blue shimmer. I found this one to be so captivating; hauntingly beautiful, like the moon's reflection on a mirrored pool. You can see how the shimmer shifts from radiant aqua in some lights to a phantasmal periwinkle in others. "Moon Glow" is precisely named; the cool blue shimmer is somehow recollective of the spectral silver light cast by a full moon. Enchanting.

Lilypad Lacquer "Moon Glow"

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Plum Wine

“Plum Wine” is a whimsical allium purple illuminated with a golden candlelight glow. If Rapunzel is your girl then “Plum Wine” is your polish. The fairytale purple and lantern-lit gold is spot-on Tangled. The gold shimmer even has coppery duochrome edges, just like those golden amber lanterns <3 I feel like "Plum Wine" had the strongest holographic shimmer effect of all my Delicate Duos, I was all dazzled-eyed when I got it out in the sun.

Lilypad Lacquer "Plum Wine"

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Sea Queen

“Sea Queen” is an idyllic ocean blue glimmering with seafoam green shimmer. It is the most perfect paradise sea blue I have ever seen, and unquestionably my favorite nail polish, period. Watery blue-green, shimmering, holographic; what else could you desire? If I could only wear one nail polish for the rest of my life, it be "Sea Queen". I actually delayed more swatch-taking for three days because I just couldn't bear to take it off; my soul wept at the thought. The night that I finally did, I went and ordered a back-up, which is unprecedented. Like the rest of the collection, "Sea Queen" is also stunning mattified, though it is truly its most glorious self with matte + topcoat. Exquisite.

Lilypad Lacquer "Sea Queen"

Lilypad Lacquer "Sea Queen" [matte]

Sea Queen + Cirque "XX"

One of my most favoritest glitters ever ever is Cirque "XX" (for the 20 different kinds of dream-hued holographic glitters), and whaddaya know, it is unbelievable over every one of the Delicate Duos. "XX" has that same whimsical personality, and together they are fabulous. I felt like my nails had been dipped in decadence, gemstones, and magic. Too much love for words.

Lilypad Lacquer "Sea Queen" + Cirque "XX"

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Tender Touch

“Tender Touch” is a delicate tea rose mauve frosted in winter mint shimmer. Such a ladylike shade, and fragile like the filtered rays of morning light on a cozy wintry day. On the nail the pale green shimmer takes on an icy white gold sheen, though the diaphanous minty hint is discernible. Utterly romantic and heartbreakingly lovely.

Lilypad Lacquer "Tender Touch"

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Formula on these is consistent across the board: they glide on like liquid metal, smooth and even, and opaque in two coats. And because the shimmer is fine and metallic, there are some brushstrokes but nothing terrible. However, Sam over at Fashion Polish came up with the most ingenious solution for the dreaded brushstroke-y finish. Fear no longer the frost nor the pearl! Seriously though, I am so grateful to Sam for inventing this trick, which really manifests the full and gorgeous potential of those polishes that are so pretty in the bottle and such streaky monsters on the nail. Per the Fashion Polish way, I applied a layer of matte and then a layer of topcoat to each of the Delicate Duos, and suddenly not only are any sign of streaks gone but these babies have an otherworldly luminance to them that is just mind blowing. The matte top coat creates this incredible diffusion effect and really brought out the beauty of these polishes. Need convincing? Sam's comparison shots are will inspire you to resurrect those frosties you've given up on: { http://www.fashionpolish.com/2014/05/how-to-smooth-out-frosts-in-2-easy-steps.html#.VAHff0g72BQ }.

Lilypads may be found at Llarowe, Nail Polish Canada, Norway Nails, Beauty So Fly, and Etsy. In the United States they retail for $13, though Tender Touch and Sea Queen are currently on sale for $10 at Llarowe!! There are fourteen Delicate Duos total; I hope maybe eventually I'll be able to acquire the rest!! On my desperate needs list are Playful, In Bloom, Young Love, Violetta, Fairy Floss, Goddess, Pinkie... oh whoops, that's all of them. I need all of them.

Which ones do YOU need? Oh, and go give Lilypad Lacquer some lovings for making such magical lacquers for us!! xoxo

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Lilypad Lacquer: Delicate Duos