BB Couture – A Touch of Greece ‘The Goddesses’ (swatches & review)

For Summer 2011, BB Couture has created a historically rich and lusciously hued collection of lacquers aptly titled ‘A Touch of Greece’. This collection is available in two formats: ‘The Goddesses’ or women’s polishes (identified by the round bottle shape) and ‘The Gods’ or men’s polishes (identified by the square bottle shape). Today I present ‘The Goddesses’, six beautiful jewel tones with varying degrees of shimmer in their base, and all infused with natural pearl for extra luminosity. This collection strikes close to my heart as I am a proud Greek-Canadian gal and I confess to being so totally drawn to every single one of these shades, not only for the highly saturated tones, but for the names! Who wouldn’t want to have goddess worthy nails?! All swatches are with Sèche Natural base coat and two coats of lacquer, no top coat.

I begin my review with the first three goddesses, along with their historical reference: ‘Gaia’, (pronounced “yee-ah” in Greek) is also known as the earth mother, the primeval female divinity in Greek mythology, of whom all the Titans and most Gods sprang from. Well known for her incredible beauty as well as her legendary rise from the ocean, ‘Aphrodite’ (pronounced “af-ro-thee-tee” in Greek) is the goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. ‘Nike’ (pronounced “nee-kee” in Greek), is the winged goddess of victory, both in battle and in peaceful competitions.

‘Gaia’ is a medium toned green hue, resembling the promise of the earth’s re-awakening into Spring. This is a lovely celadon green shade and the incredibly delicate green shimmer in its base, along with the natural pearl, lend it a beautifully reflective shine. Wonderful opacity with just two coats, it has a fresh feeling to it whether seen in sunlight (top photo) or indirect light (bottom photo) and I’m certain will go with all skin tones.

Of course, ‘Aphrodite’ would have to be a deep rose, the hue of thoroughly kissed lips. This is deep pink shade with a silvery shimmer in its base, and it has the most incredible pearly finish. Note how full sun (top photo) lends it such warmth, while indirect light (bottom photo) gives it a much cooler cast, although the shimmer is still visible in any light it’s viewed in.

‘Nike’ is a decadent mauve shade, managing to be dark and vibrant at the same time. This is a grape hued purple, with the same silvery shimmer swimming in its depths as well as some very fine purple particles. This shade instantly reminded of the grape Pop-Sicles I absolutely loved as a child, and it bears the same lusciously cool vibe. Seen in full sun (top photo) brings out a slight reddish hue, while indirect light (bottom photo) lends it a bluer and cooler finish….delish!

The next three goddesses of this collection begin with ‘Hemera’ (pronounced “ee-me-rah” in Greek), the primeval goddess of day who each morning dispersed night’s mists and bathed the earth in the light of the cosmos. ‘Cybele’ (pronounced “kee-ve-lee” in Greek) is a Phrygian Goddess originally, but was known in Greek mythology as “Rhea” and as the primal goddess of nature. Lastly, ‘Selene’ (pronounced “suh-lee-nee” in Greek) was the Titan Goddess of the moon, and the sister to the god ‘Helios’ (the sun) who represented the gentle rays of moonlight that bathed the earth at night.

Like the breaking light of dawn, ‘Hemera’ is a sweet caress of colour. A cross between salmon pink and coral, this also bears subtle gold and silver shimmer in its depths, along with that pearlescent lustre giving it such richness of hue. The high saturation of colour is visible regardless of lighting conditions, and I absolutely love how it gleams with an inner fire. Hands down, my favourite of the six and what will surely be a hot summer shade!

‘Cybele’ is not only the most mysterious shade out the bunch, but the most elusive to properly capture. An interesting duochrome polish, which can appear either pink, brown, or olive green, this shade has a fascinating mix of greenish-gold glass like flecks in its base, as well as tons of pearly shimmer swirling through it and while the bottle shade appears dense, it is surprisingly sheer, but so wearable once applied. Never fully opaque even at two coats, it nonetheless imparts a delicate wash of colour to your nails and note how whether seen in full sun (top photo) or indirect light (bottom photo) your nails seem to be covered in starshine….a true original!

Finally, we have ‘Selene’, a deep true pink. This is a more blue based shade than ‘Aphrodite’, and much like ‘Cybele’, seems to have the same type of glass flecks but in gold and pink strewn throughout, giving it such a unique appearance and otherwordly depth. Seen in full sun (top photo), there’s a slight lavender cast to it while indirect light (bottom photo) brings out a more pearly side to this hue. A truly modern take on a dainty pink shade and will surely be a fab pedi shade this season!

Final thoughts: For those unfamiliar with this line of polishes, I can sum them up in one word: SUPERB. Not only are the shades so richly pigmented, requiring just two coats for full opacity (with the exception of ‘Cybele’), but the formula was perfect in flow, the brush thin & flexible (my favourite!) an amazing spreadability, quick dry time and quite glossy at the finish. I love how these polishes are not only free from all harmful toxins, but that this is a “4-in-one formula” which includes base coat, top coat, nail strengtheners and the lacquer itself (although I always swatch with base coat regardless). I found all six of these shades highly wearable and so lovely to look at, and now the gauntlet has been thrown to see if the ‘Gods’ can match the ‘Goddesses’! Stay tuned for the second part of my review on this collection to find out! BB Couture nail polishes retail for US $9.95 and can be purchased through the company’s website here.