For Spring 2011, the incredibly talented Ji Baek, owner & creator of Rescue Beauty Lounge lacquers (and her eponymous salon), brings us her unique take on the season’s shades. Meant to be worn as an individualistic expression of a woman’s personal style, these unexpected colours can equally channel your inner rock goddess, or a prim ladylike demeanor. ‘Insouciant’ and ‘Decorous’ are the ubiquitous lighter shades — but with a dark edge to them, while ‘Recherché’ and ‘Iconoclast’ are deep shades — but with a hidden sweetness buried inside.  All swatches are with Sèche Clear base coat, two coats of lacquer and Sèche Vite top coat.

‘Insouciant’ is a dusty, greyed out lavender shade, with definite mauve undertones and the most incredibly fine ‘secret’ blue shimmer swirling in its depths.  Clearly visible in the bottle, the shimmer comes into its own when this polish is viewed in full sun (top photo) while shaded light (bottom photo) lends it a cooler cast with the shimmer subdued and a blueish tinge taking center stage. Highly flattering across a broad spectrum of skin tones, this is just so lovely — pair it with biker leathers for an unexpected but purely feminine touch!

‘Decorous’ is a luscious caramel-taupe shade, with a side helping of tan and the finest shimmer I’ve seen to date, in tones of silver and pink. This is most definitely a warm leaning polish, but the muddy hue of it makes it easily wearable by everyone.  I love the fact that there seems to be a lack of yellow in this shade, as so many similar hues can come off as being rather sallow, which makes ‘Decorous’ basically a perfect neutral. The other nice thing about this hue is how it can seem to elongate your fingers…an added bonus!

‘Recherché’ is a rich, deep plummy-eggplant hue.  There seems to be a hint of sienna in its base, giving it wonderful warmth.  I cannot get over how intensely glossy it is and the other interesting factor to this polish is its chameleon-like properties; full sun (top photo) brings out a definite prune-ish tone, while shaded light (middle photo) gives it a dustier, deep amethyst hue. The bottom photo gives the most accurate rendition of the velvety, almost chocolate-like intensity of this lacquer…vampy but never overdone…so sophisticated, wouldn’t you agree?

‘Iconoclast’ was the surprise colour choice for a Spring collection, but somehow, it just…works! A mysterious hue to be sure, this has a deep black base with the same über-fine shimmer of ‘Decorous’, but in tones of teal and pink.  What the shimmer does, is elevate this polish from simply a dark shade to a, well…iconic one. Black with shimmer has been done, but not like this; evenly dispersed throughout, you need to see this in full sun (top photo) to truly appreciate its magic. Even in shaded light (middle photo) you can still tell there’s something lurking under the surface, but in a more subdued form. In the closeup shot (last photo), you get the best view of how the stunning black acts as a perfect backdrop for the gorgeous prismatic effect.

Final thoughts:  This is a stunning Spring collection, but what impressed me even more than the unique colours being presented, was the outstanding formula.  Free from all harmful toxins, including Formaldehyde Resin, as well as being animal cruelty-free, the application for all four polishes was sublime; a thin & flexible brush deposits just the right amount of lacquer and once applied, it seems to be basically self-levelling, leaving a smooth surface behind and ending with a mirror like finish. For fans of the brand, please note that this is a limited edition collection, and is available now for purchase on Rescue Beauty Lounge’s website.