Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Phallic - $14 at Sephora.com
The richness of Illamasqua polishes keeps on blowing me away. This deep blue with gorgeous sparkles had me at, "wait, is that really the name?" Phallic might be just one of a plethora of midnight shimmers on the market, but it's worth having for so many reasons in my opinion. The formula, like all the other Illamasqua polishes I've tried, is buttery perfection. It's incredibly pigmented but somewhat translucent making it easier for the sparkles to shine through a bit in the sun. You can see along my cuticle what one coat would look like due to my sloppy application. For fans of Chanel Blue Satin, or those who missed out on it, this is a gorgeous sister polish. The depth of the blue is incredible; super deep but never appearing black. It's probably the deepest blue I can think of that can do that trick. Like I said, if you're familiar with Chanel Blue Satin, you'll find Phallic familiar. The application and color is much the same but Phallic has that bit of added sparkle instead of that vibrant embedded shimmer that you see in Blue Satin. The above photo is with flash, and below you can see more photos including one in inside indirect light.
