So, this is another review of something that has been on the market for a long, long time already but I've just discovered it, so it's new to me and on that basis, I'm going to have a little ramble about what I think of it.
The product in question is the Deborah Lippmann polish in the shade 'Cleopatra in New York'. The first DL polish I've ever bought.
I interviewed someone about a month ago and she had the most gorgeous black nails, with gold glitter over the top. Not a new idea, I know but the combination had just the right mix of classy and edgy and I decided that the same combination needed to be making an appearance on my nails very, very soon.
I had vague memories from previous blog post readings that DL did a jelly-like polish that ticked these boxes and a quick Google search led me to 'Cleopatra in New York'. At £18 for the bottle it was a little more than I would usually pay for a polish I wouldn't be wearing regularly but by this point, I was a girl on a mission and felt I had no choice but to press the 'order' button.
When I first put the polish on, it was everything that I'd expected - a gorgeous black jelly with gold glitter floating in the layers. Each coat individually is a little bit watery-looking, the black drags a little and goes on very thinly and it took 3 layers to build up to the opacity in these pictures but that's to be expected with this sort of polish.
The polish is absolutely packed with glitter and distributes really nicely over the nail, there's no time wasted fishing to get enough bits on your brush or having to position them delicately. Application was a dream and the drying time, considering the thickness of the polish, was great - especially with a chunky coat of Seche Vite over the top. I was in love!
Now for the slight downside... This polish literally flakes off my nails, after very little wear time. The first time it happened, I put it down to the fact I was at work, typing and the keys could have been catching but I've worn it again the past couple of days, while I've been off work (quite happily doing n.o.t.h.i.n.g) and it's still flaked.
The polish feels very brittle when it dries (you can tell when the edges are peeling), which I can only assume is something to do with the glitter actually buried in the polish. It feels like it's physically snapping off the nail. It's very easy to touch up though... the polish is thick enough to blob on to the gaps left by the chips, which are usually only the size of one or two pieces of glitter and it blends in well to the rest of the polish, so it's not noticeable that any touching up's been done.
The Verdict: Generally, with any other polish that tried so desperately (and effectively!) to escape from my nails, I would say 'do not buy', under any circumstances. Thing is, I can't bring myself to say that with this one... I would absolutely say 'go and buy it and you will love it'. Even though it flakes off and the top-ups are necessary, it's worth it for the result. This really is a beautiful, unique polish - the type that makes you look at your nails repeatedly throughout the day. It's a dream to apply, it's absolutely loaded with glitter and it's just...pretty - and for that, I can forgive it the bad stuff!
I already have another DL polish on my radar - 'Happy Birthday' - which is, again, another stunning glitter polish. Given my 'non-frivoulous' resoultion for 2015 though, I might have to rely on someone else's generousity for my birthday in March before this one graces my fingers!
Have you had a different experience with this nail polish? Are there any other DL polishes that I should try out? Let me know in the comments below.
Aimee x
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