WARNING - PIC HEAVY
This polish was *extremely* hard to photograph - purples are usually difficult to accurately capture, but the subtle shimmer and nuances in colour made it extra challenging. So I just took a ton of photos! :)
Essie Demure Vixen was the only polish from their Summer 2010 line that I was intrigued by - I felt like I've seen the rest of them before (yes...including Pretty Edgy - greens are new for Essie, but not really for other brands...plus I'm not that much of a green girl to begin with). What got me about this one was the subtle nude/lavender base colour in the promo pics, and the glisten of shimmer. When I first received this at home and saw the bottle I was actually pretty upset - I thought it would be a total poop-y, mauve-y disaster and I'd just wasted my money (and hopes!). However, on the nail, it leans way more purple on me, which is more flattering. I like that this can serve as a summertime 'edgy neutral' - it's lighter than most of the taupes that are out, and the shimmer gives it a sense of delicacy.
On to the pictures:
See how its much more dull looking in the bottle than on my nail?
Side shot to show you the shimmer:
It has the same shimmer in it as Essie Baby Cakes - the shimmer in both is actually fuchsia, but photographs blue/purple in every light. (Top: Demure Vixen; Bottom: Baby Cakes):
The shimmer makes this one! I've heard some people say you can barely see it, but I have to heartily disagree. The base colour of this polish could be extremely icky (as you see in the bottle...a dull brown-mauve), but the shimmer changes how it reacts to light and makes it much softer, prettier, pinker and more flattering. The shimmer is just so finely milled that instead of your eye detecting individual shimmer particles, the polish seems to have a glow.
I really enjoyed the formula on this one. It was a little sheer, so I used 3 coats, but they were painless - no streaking, pulling, or chalkiness.
All in all, this is an odd duck of a polish. I appreciate that it is totally different than anything I currently own and is another 'edgy neutral' I can pull out for those days when I feel like a more subdued manicure. I think that the bottle colour is still putting me off though, because I'm still a little wary of it....
What do you think? Is this working for me or no? Have you tried any of the Essie Summer 2010 offerings?
kittytokaren
