Back in December of 2010, Ji Baek, owner & creator of Rescue Beauty Lounge, announced a “contest” whereupon fans were able to submit entries of their dream nail lacquer shade – hundreds answered the call, but in the end there were 4 winners – chosen by the people – and 15 months later, the ‘Fan Collection’ was born. Launched to the general public in April 2012 and with a somewhat aquatic theme underlying this entire collection, each hue offers something exceptionally unique and never seen before in the world of nail varnish, and as soon as I was able to, I snatched up all four – good thing I did, as these were all limited and sold out fairly quickly.
But wait! Before you start lambasting me for showing colours not for purchase anymore, just know that Ji is planning to re-release some of these in the fall. All is not lost, right?
A quick rundown of the winners and their inspiration behind each chosen hue of the ‘Fan Collection’:
- Halcyon – Imagined by Danielle: inspired by the look of dewdrops on tender succulent leaves. The beauty of these plants keeps her calm & serene
- Cuprum – Imagined by Neeta: inspired by the metamorphic moment when ammonia meets copper and transforms into a radiant blue – Cuprum is latin for copper and the dual nature of this element is what she wished to see captured in a bottle
- IKB: 2012 – Imagined by Nora: inspired by her appreciation and search for Yves Klein’s signature blue shade (International Klein Blue)
- Aqua Lily – Imagined by Kay-Di Kat: inspired by her mom, Lily, with her absolute love of swimming like a mermaid
dew on a succulent plant (source)
‘Halcyon’ is a softly diffused and muted silvery/sage green hue that is filled with ultra-fine, and rather square-cut pink shimmery glitter. The formula was absolutely amazing: self-levelling and excellent pigmentation/coverage. There is a hint of blueish-grey undertones in the base which appear as a sort of after-image, and the pink reflections of the glitter really come alive when see in sunlight. As this does not bear a high gloss at the finish, top coat is a must to really enhance its gentle beauty. Coats applied: 2
in sunlight
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indoors
with flash
copper coils (source)
‘Cuprum’ is an absolutely stunning deep cyan blue shade that is filled with minute copper and pink micro-flecks of shimmer. With its slightly thicker formula, you need to apply the first coat quite carefully in order to minimize and visible brush strokes, but the incredible density of pigment means that this hue can almost be a 1-coater. The coppery flacks are definitely sparse and quite tiny, making them almost non-existent indoors, but this shade needs to be seen in sunlight to be truly appreciated. A nice shine at the finish, but should be definitely enhanced by the addition of top coat. Coats applied: 2
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in sunlight
indoors
with flash
Yves Klein: With the Void, Full Powers – Hirshhorn Museum (source)
‘IKB: 2012’ is a pulsating & vibrant deep ultra indigo shade, in a semi-sheer crème-jelly hybrid formula. Exceptionally self levelling, I found that the thickness of this lacquer actually works in its favour: usually sheer-leaning hues need several layers to achieve a decent opacity, but I saw excellent coverage by the second coat. This a high-voltage colour that almost vibrates with its intensity, but it was surprisingly not as glossy as I expected, given its formula. Once top coat is added, look out: DROP DEAD GORGEOUS. Another bonus: completely non-staining upon removal. Coats applied: 2
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in sunlight
indoors
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Maldives (source)
‘Aqua Lily’ is the one hue of this collection that I anticipated the most, given my absolute obsession with anything aqua – and in that regard I was not disappointed. A deep and murky aqua shade in a greenish/turquoise base, this is filled with exceptionally fine ribbons of pink shimmer that seem to actually be suspended upon the surface of the colour once applied – clearly visible and not embedded deep within. The formula was absolute perfection, self-levelling and with a nice shine, but don’t skip the top coat here as you’ll want to bring out all of its amazing aquatic nuances. Its pearly pink gleaming flashes make me imagine a hidden/secret lagoon, nestled in a tropical paradise … ahhhhh…. Coats applied: 2
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NOTE: While I absolutely LOVE this shade, it needs to be stated that this is highly staining; doubling up on base coat should definitely help avoid this issue.
in sunlight
macro
side angle
indoors
with flash
Final thoughts: I love it when an entire collection meets up to all of my imagined expectations, then takes that one step further by exceeding them. It is becoming harder and harder for brands to produce original nail lacquer shades; opening up this venue to the diverse imaginations of so many people, pretty much guaranteed that something original would come forth as a result … and it did, as evidenced by these 4 incredible beauties. Picking my favourite among them is difficult, but if forced to choose, I would have to say ‘IKB: 2012’ for its über-intensity and ‘Aqua Lily’ for its oceanic appeal – stain potential, notwithstanding.
*I recently learned that Ji is planning to reissue at least ‘Aqua Lily’ come November; by following on twitter/facebook, you can be on the forefront of all of Rescue Beauty Lounge’s latest news.
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