Monday, October 17, 2011

Chelsea Morning Glories



For close up swatch photos with bottle and review please read on after the jump!


Morning Glories, 3 coats

Chelsea Morning Glories has the most dramatic "lit from within" effect I've ever seen.  A gleaming silvery blue in the center of the nail gradates to a deep shimmering slate blue around the edges.  It reminds me of the wonderful tonal variations in old silk velvet which made Morning Glories the perfect thing to pair with the antique silk velvet millinery decoration shown.  The finish is curious; like a foil, a glass fleck, and a sparkle infused shimmer all in one.  A truly striking, unique polish.


The formula appeared very thin in the bottle, almost the consistency of water. Application was surprisingly nice though, like a thin version of a foil polish - smooth, even, and with no brushstroke marks.  It wasn't drippy or difficult to work with.  The superfine sparkles caused no bumps or roughness at all.  Dry time was quick.

Morning Glories is an older polish so it's not B3F.  It has dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in it though it is free of toluene and formaldehyde.  For a full list of ingredients please see the end of the post.  I strongly suggest excellent ventilation or mani-ing outside because the fumes are unfortunately quite noxious.  :P

All of the above photos were taken in the shade which highlighted the lovely blue notes of polish.  Below are some photos taken in the sun which highlight the steely quality of the polish.


One day I hope to find a vintage hat worthy of this precious adornment.  It's too delicate to pin into my hair so until that magnificent hat comes into my life I'll just enjoy the beauty of this piece.


Ingredients for Chelsea 620 Morning Glories:  Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Polyester Resin, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Acrylic Copolymer, Camphor, Dibutyl Phthalate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Diacetone Alcohol, Benzophenone-1, Citric Acid.