Laura Mercier Caviar Dreams

Good morning, Dear Reader!

After spending many days of being able to see through my tips with Revlon Fizzes, I wanted to change to a good opaque polish.  I chose an oldy, Laura Mercier Caviar Dreams.

Laura Mercier hasn't put out nail polish for at least a couple of years now, I think, but I loved them when they did.  I'd liken them to Dior with respect to overall quality - they're extremely well pigmented with one coat being almost sufficient, are so easy to control they pretty much apply themselves, and some of the colors are spectacular.  Caviar Dreams is in the Spectacular category.  I recall when Chanel Black Pearl came out that at least one person asked me if it was a dupe for Caviar Dreams, and at the time the likelihood of me locating this one to compare was virtually nil, but I was sure that Caviar Dreams was far more duochrome and I managed to get some pictures that at least hint at its spectacularity (I know that's not a real word, but it's a fun word).

This is Caviar Dreams in direct bright sunlight.  You can see that it's a charcoal shimmer and there's something going on with a bit of teal in the shimmer, but the duochrome effect is largely washed out in the brightest lighting.

Laura Mercier Caviar Dreams Nail Polish, Two Coats in Direct Sunlight

I wandered around taking pictures in different light to see how many of its colors I could catch, and partially lit with bright sunlight, the kind of purple-pink side of Caviar Dreams shows up.  Indoors, that pinkish cast shows over the whole nail well, but in light bright enough for a color accurate picture it's just in a few spots.

Laura Mercier Caviar Dreams Nail Polish, Two Coats in Partial Sunlight

Completely in the shade, I was able to get a good look at the teal in Caviar Dreams, which is also apparent in indoor lighting.

Laura Mercier Caviar Dreams Nail Polish, Two Coats in the Shade

Pretty cool, huh?  This is a good one, so I'm glad I stumbled upon it while looking for something completely different.  Really good duochromes are so few and far between that I always really enjoy one when I wear it - it's fun to make my nails change colors in the sunlight while sitting at traffic lights.

That's the scoop for today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Sexy, Caviar Dreams, & Tropic of Cancer

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I have a few more Nails of the Day that recently followed swatching to show you. The first, Orly's Sexy, I'm wearing now, and decided to take the few minutes it need to dry enough to Konad it to post some pictures for you.

The second is Laura Mercier's Caviar Dreams, described on Sephora as a dark metallic grey. I would have been content with that, but again have to take issue with Sephora's description, as this polish has a greenish duochrome effect to it. It's definitely unique - I was afraid it may be the same as NARS Full Metal Jacket, and although the base color is the same, the shimmer, finish, and overall look of the two is very different. I'm much happier with Caviar Dreams than I had hoped to be.

Third, I have a classic that I got from a dear friend, Chelsea's Tropic of Cancer. I ran into this lovely unpacking polish, and set it aside to use last week. It makes me happy to wear it not only because it's a gorgeous color that I wanted for a long time before I could have it, but because it makes me think good thoughts about the wonderful lady who gave it to me.

I'm also pleased to report that I had my first successful nail-length maintenance filing yesterday (my first ever). I must confess that I am the worst there is about filing my nails - I have always just let them get a bit too long, have a break as a consequence and file them down, and repeat, without ever touching them with a file in the months in between. This time, I decided I wanted them a little bit longer than they are now, but that I'd start the regular filing so I don't keep putting it off until I have another break. The first two pictures are post-filing - Caviar Dreams is what I used after I was done, and Sexy is what I just put on this morning. I think I did a decent job of keeping them even and shaped properly, and I'm happy with the outcome. I was quite anxious about doing it - my only experience with filing in all these years has been 3-4 times per year to file all the way down, never to just maintain. Now, I felt a sense of accountability to you, Dear Reader, to take better care in order to provide you with consistent pictures. So thank you for giving me the reason to finally be able to enjoy long nails without having a break every several months (assuming I did it well enough...)!

That's all for now, Dear Reader. Until we meet again, love and nail polish to you!