First Look at Akira Lacquer

press sample

This might be the coolest thing I've ever been a part of, nail polish wise. (well, tied for the top anyway). I answered a call for a swatcher/tester/reviewer on instagram, and I actually got picked! For a completely new line of polishes! (You know how I love to have things no one else does, and for a couple of months, I enjoyed being in a super exclusive club.) So without further ado...or gloating...let's take a peek at Akira Lacquer!

Berrylicious

It's summertime and all the polish companies want you to abandon the vamp in favor of brights and neons. I say NO! Instead, pick a color like this. I call it "vampy-lite". It's still dark enough that it looks good with a black sundress, but its light enough to shut those people up who whine about how you "never wear colors"...or is that just me? It is a  warm wine cream/jelly hybrid that applies fairly easily. I needed three coats here, but I think that was the weather being a dick.

three coats + seche vite

Star Fruit

What a happy, wearable mustard with a slight pearl! It's like what that Sally Hansen Butterscotch polish would be if it didn't suck. It applies easily, without streaks or strokes, and was probably opaque enough at two coats. It absolutely reminds me of dandelions, and I feel like this is a great color for some summery nail art. Yellow is such a tricky color for me to wear, but I actually like this particular color against my skin. It's so weird how tiny little shifts in color can take things from "yuck" to "oooh!"

three coats + seche vite

Cosmic Nights

This one is a graphite holo with holo glitter. It's a little bit on the textured side... I used three coats + seche vite + gelous. If you let each layer dry completely, it is a lot less trouble to apply. Any hassle is worth it though. It has a beautiful, subtle holo flare in the sun and still manages to look interesting indoors. I actually wore this one for three days and change, and it didn't chip once...which is kinda amazing because when I layer SV and Gelous, that is basically the same as saying "it's ok nailpolish, I like it when you peel and chip when I'm out in public. lets do more of that, ok?" 

three coats + seche vite + gelous

direct sun

Kickin' Kiwi

Kickin' Kiwi is a happy green with a subtle gold pearl. I applies like magic and fairy breath. Seriously, this formula is flawless. FLAWLESS.  I applied two coats and it was perfection. I am a little crazy about this one, and so are the wee folk. (this plus starfruit makes a great Oakland A's manicure for a little girl.)

two coats + seche vite

Sorbet Kiss

Are you looking for a SFW color with a secret? This peachy-pink might be for you. In normal light, it has a strong gold shimmer and looks like any other delicate feminine polish. You can wear it with one coat for a sheer wash (if your nails are not stained like mine, it looks a lot better) or built up with three coats to opacity. It is a jelly, so you can even layer glitter in between for a more sparkly look. I mentioned a secret...and guess what: it glows in the damn dark. That is so unexpected for such a normal looking polish. I desperately need a blacklight so I can show off the glow on camera. I tried using manual mode on my camera to catch it...but it's beyond my current skillset.

three coats + seche vite / one coat over ring finger

My Melons Sparkle

This one is so much fun. It reminds me of a muppet for some strange reason. Lime green, pink holo hex glitter, and holo flare? Fabulous. I used three coats here, and I'm ok with that. The base is just slightly sheer, so you get a decent amount of depth with the glitter. Amanda might want to look into this color. It's almost an ugly green, and she loves those.

three coats + seche vite

Chocolate Kisses

Chocolate Kisses is a warm brown with a strong gold pearl. It applies smoothly, brush stroke free, and is opaque in two even coats. Browns are not my favorite color, but this is a great formula and I am a sucker for a polish that is easy to apply. I deem this SFW because it is basically a medium neutral. I'm going to see if one of my not-pasty friends will model this because I'd love to see it on someone darker than day-glow.

two coats + seche vite

Twinkling

This is what I wanted that horrible claires polish to be. A navy jelly with hex and micro glitter...and holo sparkles. It's a true jelly, but can still be built up with three thin coats. It is perfection. A little night sky on my fingertips. I think I need this in multiple colors. For science, you know...

three coats + seche vite

Fairy Wings

Unicorn tears in a bottle. My ultra-girly kids lots their minds over this one, and they have made a serious dent in my bottle. Its a shimmery sheer white with pastel glitters. I think this one is fairly SFW at one or three coats. It is glittery without being omgglitteryouguise which I like. My kids like it because, in the words of my seven-year-old, it is something "that Elsa would wear." I don't know if you can get a more ringing endorsement.

R: In the direct light / L: diffused light
three coats + seche vite

To see what it would look like as a topper, I applied two coats over NYC Lincoln Square Lavender. I really like it, but it looks like the Limecrime lipstick tubes. I feel a little conflicted about that...but it's still cute. I wore this for two whole days without so much as a threat of chipping. 

I'm a unicorn!

Need a Mint?

I need it to be Christmas now, kthnx. This is a jelly-ish white pearl with red and white glitters flawlessly suspended. I feel like a candy cane, but in a good way. I was horribly disappointed that my hands didn't smell like peppermint...seriously, I completely expected this polish to be scented. It applied nicely, as was opaque at three coats. Honestly, it dries so smooth you don't even really need a top coat, but it does help the red bits glow. This is another one I need in all the colors.

three coats + seche vite

I am completely floored here guys. Granted, I have no idea what exactly goes in to making polish (pretty sure it involves glitter and human sacrifice) but I have to say I am very impressed with the initial offering from Akira Lacquer. Their performance belies the fact that these are some of the first products that have been produced. I have used mass-market brands that didn't do a third as well. 

I cannot wait to see what the next collection brings, and I hope that I will get another chance to work with this brand. Not only is the owner, Melodee, a funny and friendly person, but her polishes are rather fabulous. As I have been getting more into the indie world, I am finding that an attentive, polite brand owner is as important as the polishes produced. I am trying to make a point of getting a feel for the owners as well as the polish, so that I can wholeheartedly recommend the product. 

Without a doubt, I recommend these. Especially Twinkling. Seriously...buy it. Go.