Monday, November 11, 2013

What's in a finish? -Shimmer


     For this post, I'm going to take a closer look at the shimmer finish. When I was a little girl I was in love with this finish. I have to admit that about 90% of my collection consisted of shimmer polishes when I first started out. To this day I'm still drawn to them on the store shelves. So what is it about these polishes that have me transfixed?

     A shimmer polish is most commonly spotted by the very fine metallic or sparkly particles mixed evenly in the base color. Ordinarily the base color and "shimmer" color have been in the same color family for a subtle feel but recently, polish makers have been combining contrasting colors, giving the polish more character.  The typical color balance of a shimmer polish has more pigment than shimmer giving these polishes a "lit from within" look.


Shimmer polish with subtle shimmer Revlon Captivate

Photo Credit Stylecraze. Shimmer polish with contrasting colors

     The Shimmer finish is almost a popular as the creme finish but that's not all they have in common... Similar to a crème finish shimmers dry to a smooth, shiny finish. However, the opacity level can vary. I own some that reach full opacity in 2 coats and others that can take 4 or 5.

    Some say there is a sub-category to the shimmer polish called Micro Shimmer but everything I read about this subcategory seems to have the same description as a regular shimmer. I'll have to do a little more research on the subject and will update this post if I find something new.

    Are you still wondering why shimmer polishes hold a soft spot in my heart? The short answer is they sparkle and women like sparkly things. Besides how can you not feel pretty when your fingers sparkle?


     I hope you've enjoyed this post and will come back to check out the next one in this series when I take a look at the suede finish and how it's different from a matte finish.

2 comments:

  1. Sparkly shiny things... and colorful dazzling things... We're like the cybugs in Wreck-It Ralph except to shiny things hahas

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    Replies
    1. Oh I love that movie! My kids watch it about twice a month. They got a laugh when I told them mommy was like the cybugs.

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