Zoya Lotus + Lilacquer Bakeneko topcoat = a gorgeous, shimmery manicure that I am very pleased by.
Lotus is a slightly dusty purple not too far (though more red) than a color I think of as Imperial Violet. It has a beautiful shimmer that seems to shift from red to gold, passing through pink in certain lights.
Bakeneko is a multichromatic topcoat that, from photos I’ve seen, does a pretty good job mimicking Clarins 230/Max Factor Fantasy Fire. I have never seen either of those beasts in person, so I cannot verify this for certain, but all three feature red-orange-gold-green shifting pigment and a purple base, and perhaps my photos will tell more. Also, I love the name — shapeshifting monster cats for the win!
This makes me so happy. Each Lotus-painted nail is two coats, except the pinky, which is three only because I initially was crazy and thought I’d put a matte on this manicure. Foolish human. What was I thinking? (Though I have to be square with you; Bakeneko looks pretty awesome matte. I might do that again later.) The Bakeneko nails are one coat of Lotus and two coats of Bakeneko.
I’ve really been playing around with two accent nails. I still can’t decide entirely how I feel about it, or if I prefer just one. For this round, I decided that full hands of sparkly, multichrome, oh my god that’s lovely would be too distracting and I’d probably walk out in traffic or something equally silly, so I went for just enough to make a point.
I like the way these two complement each other. I am a fan of coordinating sparkles. One is just much more subtle.
Here are a couple of extra pics with a bit of blur that really show off the shift and the shimmer in Lotus:
I buy my Zoya polishes from Zoya, and Lilacquer from her shop on Etsy.
I bought both of these with my own money and I wear them because I think they’re pretty. ;)
Vanitas Rex 