Great Lakes Lacquer Polishing Poetic 2.0 - Swatches & Review
Polishing Poetic 2.0 is a continuation of a previous release from Great Lakes Lacquer. As the collection name suggests, all the polishes are inspired by poetry. To be on the safe side for copyright concerns, I'll be linking to each poem rather than including the text in my post, but I highly recommend reading them as you check out the swatches. Each shade really embodies its inspiration.
Release Info:
- Stock and shipping: Debuting in the Great Lakes Lacquer shop August 15th at 9 PM EDT til the 29th at 9 PM EDT. **This is a preorder for 2 weeks only** This is not going to be a regular restock available on an endless basis. After all orders are shipped, it will appear for preorder again.
- Turnaround time: 2-4 weeks, depending on order volume.
- Pricing: $14 each or $66 for the whole collection.
All photos in this post are taken under artificial light. I used Talon Super Swatch & Peel base coat by Nail Hoot, (a clear peel-able vinyl base), and all are topped with Glisten & Glow HK Girl topcoat. These polishes were provided for my honest review.
Polishing Poetic 2.0 Swatch Notes
A few notes before we dive in: for all shades, I used three coats + topcoat. I found that to be enough coverage for all five shades, but GLL mentioned possibly needing four coats for long nails, so just know that. I also recommend thin coats and letting each coat dry a bit longer than you normally do. I had no issues, but it's because I knew that going in and used a little extra patience. It's worth it, trust me. Lastly, you might see slight VNL on a few photos - I only saw that while photographing under direct light. In real life, there is so much shine and color shifting happening, I seriously doubt you'll see VNL.
Whew, ok. Let's do this!
Without Ever Having Felt Sorry For Itself
Notes from the maker: Poem made famous by GI Jane. I love the fact that it is used to exemplify feminism from a mostly male-centric author.
Description: Pewter gold to lime to seafoam blue to azure with a flair of lavender at the end.
3 coats + topcoat
My notes: I'll say this about the majority of the shades, but I mean it most with this one: it GLOWS. The green sheen is really bright and almost lit from within. It almost looks like a metallic, but still with a ton of shift. This was more opaque than some others, but I still needed three coats.
Yearning To Breathe Free
Notes from the maker: Inscribed on The Statue of Liberty, this poem is by Emma Lazarus.
Description: Sky blue to purple to fuschia with a bit of orange at the edges.
3 coats + topcoat
My notes: This one is VERY sheer on the first coat, but don't let that deter you. She still builds up beautifully in three coats. This shade is really dreamy and the blue shimmer seems like more of a particle shimmer than a smooth sheen, if that makes sense. Grey base. One of my favorites.
A Dream Within A Dream
Notes from the maker: Edgar Allan Poe. I need not say more.
Description: Electric turquoise to aqua to royal purple with a fuchsia flair.
3 coats + topcoat
My notes simply say: "3 coats. Good formula. VERY shifty." Yep, that covers it. The photos fill in the rest.
The Fire In My Eyes
Notes from the maker: Maya Angelou's Phenomenal Woman needs to be in everyone's reading lineup.
Description: Silvery violet to fuschia pink to orange to gold to green.
3 coats + topcoat
My notes: I recommend this with all the shades, but particularly with this one: be sure to let it dry between coats. If not, it can pull a bit. I love the color shifts in this one. It reminds me of an old school Revlon that I loved called Khaki Zing, but better. It's the most understated and neutral of the bunch, but it's not a neutral at all and it's anything but boring.
Listen Close To Me
Notes from the maker: Mayhap be the poem that started me on my love of them. By Shel Silverstein.
Description: Electric pink to watermelon to peach to gold with a strong green flair.
3 coats + topcoat
My notes: Again, this one starts out super sheer, but just stick with it and it builds up well. The pink shimmer you see in most lighting and at most angles is really vivid and beautiful. I ended up wearing this one as a full mani for a few days.
The polishes side by side, this time with names so you can really see the differences between shades:
Which of these beauties is your favorite? I'm partial to Yearning to Breathe Free (SO glowing!) and Listen Close to Me (that pink sheen!), but really, they're all magical.
Once again, a reminder about the release:
Debuting in the Great Lakes Lacquer shop August 15th at 9 PM EDT til the 29th at 9 PM EDT for a two week pre-order. Turnaround time is 2-4 weeks, depending on order volume.
Thanks for reading,
Kiersten
