Sephora by OPI – Absinthe Makes The Heart

 

 

In light of the fact that I still can’t get my hands on CHANEL’s Black Pearl (yet!), I searched through my stash of lacquers to find something that would *temporarily* satisfy that colour craving….enter Sephora By OPI’s ‘Absinthe Makes The Heart’.

 

 

A brief history lesson: the spirit known as Absinthe became popular in the late 19th – early 20th centuries among the Parisian artistic sect.  Also called “La Fée Verte” (The Green Fairy) because of it’s green colour and somewhat hallucinogenic properties (an effect brought on by the herb ‘Grande Wormwood’ which was a main ingredient), it was finally banned by 1915 in the US and most European countries. Since the late 1990’s, Absinthe has been enjoying a revival, and as of 2008, there were over 200 makers of the spirit, without the wormwood that was prevalent in the original.

Let’s get back to the polish, shall we?………..!

Sephora by OPI’s (or SOPI for short) ‘Absinthe Makes The Heart’ (AMTH) is original and absolutely stunning….can’t believe I’ve had this since it came out (Winter 2009) and never wore it! It is a steely grey-green shade, with very fine multi-coloured micro glitter.  In sunlight, you have the most spectacular deep tinsel-like flash, which settles down to an über sparkling dusty green in lower light….mesmerizing! The formula was excellent, not too runny nor too viscous and the brush, while on the thin side (my personal favourite) is quite flexible and made it very easy to get to the edges of the nail with finesse.  Final pictures are with base coat, 3 thin coats of polish and Sèche Vite top coat.

With the 1st coat, the base looks more grey than green with the micro-glitter showing clearly.

It becomes basically opaque by the 2nd coat, with a more greenish cast to it.

By the 3rd coat, it is fully opaque and the reflected sparkle is outstanding; almost seems lit from within and extending out.

In more natural light, the green presence and sparkle are still evident but take on a slightly more subdued look.

 

Because this shade was a limited edition polish released by Sephora in Winter 2009, it is no longer available for purchase on their website and I hate showing you something you can’t presently get….I apologize with all my heart! Of course, you can always try tracking it down on ebay (*shudder*!!!) but my aim was to show you another dark-with-green-undertones-and-shimmer polish along the lines of CHANEL’s Black Pearl (yes, I know the two are probably nothing alike but the theme is somewhat similar….humour me!). Seriously though, isn’t this mix of grey/green/micro glitter simply awesome?

 

 

 

*Absinthe poster courtesy of Winemag