Illamasqua Hemlock Nail Varnish Review, Swatches and Photos

I  don't know if I've ever mentioned it on the blog before, but Illamasqua is one of my all time favourite brands for nail polish. Highly pigmented, perfectly textured and long wearing, you probably cannot go wrong choosing any of their shades. Even better yet, is their polish (but somehow not their makeup?) is now available in Canadian Sephora stores.

I recently ordered Hemlock, one of their new shades for spring, which is described  as "pale opal green iridescent"....pretty apt description as Hemlock is an iridescent duochrome green shimmer suspended in a sheer beigey grey base. For the most part Hemlock flashes green, but if you catch it at the right angle it flashes orange too. Photos taken in natural light, three coats of polish with no top coat.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Hemlock

This is a very pretty polish that is soft enough to wear to work, but kicky enough to still feel fun. The one thing that may be a drawback is the opacity of the polish - it is very sheer. The above photos are taken with three coats and my nails are still clearly visible through the polish, although the base has significantly lightened my nail bed . For some this may be a deal breaker. It's sheerness doesn't bother me too much, as I like it's ethereal fairy dust quality, but I do wish I could reach the effect of three coats in the standard two. Wear time and application are excellent as with other Illamasqua polishes. This polish is limited edition ($18.00 CA/$14.00 US).

Grade: B