Saturday, February 18, 2012

NOTD - THE Green I've Searched For! *UPDATED*

One of my favorite colors in the whole world is the iridescent green-black of a mallard duck's head. I've looked for a nail polish like that - and I think I've found it in Finger Paints "Avant Garde Green".

This is an incredible color, a shimmery emerald green, that looks almost black at oblique angles in direct light. Unfortunately, I had trouble with application... the Finger Paints brush is a standard narrow round, and the formula is on the thick side, so the brush doesn't fan out well, and the polish doesn't flow well on the nail. I ended up putting it on too thick to compensate, which led to bubbling. I had to redo several fingers, and one needed redone again... On the bright side, it does seem to dry faster than other Finger Paints I have used. Still, the result is worth the effort - I love the color, and I'll wear this often!

*UPDATE*
Just for fun, I tried another approach to achieve the same "Mallard Green" effect.





This time, I applied an opaque, true black. Then, I floated two drops (per 2 nails) of China Glaze "Watermelon Rind" on water, and dipped my nails as per water marbling. This gave me a very thin, even coat of WR over the black. WR is more sparkly than shimmery, and at this thickness it flashes brilliant green and then abruptly goes black. The color is darker than WR on its own (shown on the pinky), and is very similar to the color of the AGG above... but the color is more "active" in motion (makes it harder to photograph though), and much more dazzling in sunlight. Plus, even with the water dip, application was easier because the black goes on super smooth and glossy, the green lays right on, it all dries faster, and I had no bubbling issues and no need to redo anything.


Of the two versions here, I like the second one better!

(Disclosure: I bought this all myself, I have not been compensated in any way for this review.)

12 comments :

  1. Wow, I love this colour! I wish Finger Paints were available in the UK! I have to rely on lovely people from the states to swap them with me!

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  2. That is a great color Steve. I hate small round brushes that don't fan out. I like the OPI brushes.

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  3. Green polish was my first love...it was about 1977, and while poking through my aunt's polish drawer I came across a bottle of Maybelline green glitter polish that was no doubt purchased as part of a Halloween costume, since no one wore green back then...I turned that bottle over and over in my hands like some kind of precious gem.
    Yep. You can never have too many greens.

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  4. Really nice color. Looks good Steve.

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  5. This color.is gorgeous steve I love it

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  6. Gorgeous deep blue green, reminds me of a more blue version of ULTA 'Envy' - you should check that color out too, I bet you'd like it!

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    1. I think my camera shifted the color a little bluish... the swatches I found for "Envy" look veerrrryy close to what I SAW wearing AGG... If the Ulta applies better, I may need to get it! Thanks for the heads-up!

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  7. I need to check out Sally's... right around the corner from me!
    I love this color!

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  8. I need this FP color - it's gorgeous. Great swatches. New follower here

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  9. love the FP green! also, you KICK ASS for being a man in the nail polish world! more power to ya :)

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  10. IF you can find it - it's rather scarce as it's an older color - OPI's Jasper Jade is the perfect blacky mallardy dark-bluey green. I will see if I can find it in my stash and send you a photo of it. I stock up on it when I can still get my hands on it. Creative Nail also had one years ago in their Gotham collection (in the late 90s) but danged if I can remember the name of that one. But Jasper Jade you would love.

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