The good: this is a gorgeous color. Like a cool-gilded whiskey, makes me want to hold a drink in a gold etched highball glass.
The bad: there’s pretty much no magnetic payoff on the nail. I can get a faint stripe directly in the bottle, but I think the swatch pictures are telling, because they don’t show a distinct stripe or true velvet effect nail. I did three thick coats trying to make it work. I hovered the wand between each coat trying for a cat eye effect, and velvet on one single nail. There is literally no difference. At first I thought it might be because the magnetic color is so similar to the base color, with with most magnetic polishes you can see the particles moving/gathering under the magnet, especially on coats two and three. Nothing with this color.
Verdict: I’ll absolutely wear this color because it’s stunning. I’m actually doing new years nails with this, Super Freak, and the coordinating gems and I really like it. But this was the first magnetic I’ve bought from this brand, and I probably won’t buy one again. LL does amazing things with cremes and crellies and jellies, and I feel like that’s their strong suit. I would be far happier if this were described as a frosted metal and have no qualms, but that it’s marketed as magnetic with zero payoff is disappointing.
The picture is my thumb with three thick coats, trying for a cat eye from top left to bottom right.
