Essie Mirror Metallics and New Luxeffects

Chrome finishes are often tricky to work with, so I don't reach for them often. Of course I did not let that stop me from trying a couple of the new ones from the Mirror Metallics collection from Essie. I put on a base of Salon Sciences Instant Artificials to smooth out the imperfections in my nail surface then applied Blue Rhapsody with an accent of No Place Like Chrome.



These are very shiny. In some shots they were reflecting so much light that my camera couldn't focus properly, and that's without topcoat. They also cover very well. I used two coats, but really could have stopped at one. Careful application is a must, as brushstrokes are an issue; they don't settle as well as I'd hoped (perhaps topcoat would help with that).



Above two shots were in the lightbox; here's a look in regular room light:



I also picked up the newest Luxeffects polish, Stroke of Brilliance, which is a cool-toned blue glitter.



This seemed like good match for the cool-toned chromes I was wearing, so I layered two coats of it on top (still no topcoat; I was extra lazy that day).





I just couldn't resist trying Stroke of Brilliance over my 2012 summer favorite, Essie Bikini So Teeny. This is three coats of Bikini with one of Stroke:





Stroke of Brilliance is a winner for me. I can think of so many colors it would look good with. I'm not as sure about the Mirror Metallics. I was hoping they'd be easier to work with than my old school Sally Hansen Chrome ones, but they were not.