Essie Shine of the Times

I was lusting after Essie Shine of the Times for just about ages when I first saw swatches--all those colours flashing on one nail, augh. Apparently I wasn't the only one with major feels for this top coat from the Essie Luxeffects collection, because it was pretty much sold out anywhere I walked in.

I finally caught it at London Drugs, and since I was in a very navy mood at the time, layered it on top of China Glaze First Mate.

The colours! Look at them!

If you're a big nail polish fanatic, you're probably familiar with flakie polish through brands such as Nfu Oh, but this is my first and I was positively enchanted by all the shiny iridescent bits on my nails that practically glow.

Shine of the Times flashes anywhere between reddish-orange to green depending on the angle that you are looking at the nail. When the nail is angled away from me is my favourite, maybe because I have a huge soft spot for greens and blues--such a vibrant green! As I angle my nail towards me, it shifts from yellow to orange to the red-orange that is most apparent in the first picture.

Although Shine of the Times is intended to be a top coat, I added an extra layer of Seche Vite on top for a super glossy finish and a perfectly smooth surface.

Long picture of the colours changing below the cut!

I have mixed feelings about whether or not the dark blue of First Mate is the best at showing off the flakies. For next time, I'd want to try it on top of a pink or beige/nude, as the Essie website suggests.

Bonus picture! I posted this a while ago on my Instagram. You know you're BFFs when your nails match. Best friend and I totally did not plan this at all; we met up for crepes one afternoon and quickly realized we had identical nails. Our navy polishes are from different brands but we both topped it with Shine of the Times. Best friends forever indeed :'>