Hand-poured in small batches in Portland, Oregon
Around the colour

Essentials

Four products, each made because a shade in the range needed it. None of them are reformulated versions of the same thing.

Underlay

Ridge-filling base coat

Fills and levels the nail plate so pale colours stop pooling in the ridges.

$14 · 15 ml

Glasshouse

Fast-set top coat

Sets touch-dry in about four minutes and stays flexible rather than brittle.

$14 · 15 ml

Nightgarden

Cuticle oil

A jojoba and squalane blend in a brush bottle, made to be used nightly.

$18 · 15 ml

Softwash

Acetone-free remover

Slower than acetone and far kinder to the skin around the nail.

$12 · 15 ml
A pale lacquer bottle beside a glass file
Order of use

The sequence that makes pale colours behave

  • Wipe the nail plate with remover, even on bare nails, to lift oil
  • One thin coat of Underlay, left for two minutes
  • Two thin coats of colour, two minutes apart
  • One coat of Glasshouse, wrapping the free edge
  • Nightgarden at the cuticle once the top coat is hard, not before

Most complaints about streaking come from the second step being skipped. A ridge-filling base is doing structural work; without it a sheer colour sits in the ridges and dries darker there.

Questions we are asked about the care products

Is Nightgarden fragranced?

No. The jojoba carries a faint nutty smell of its own and nothing is added to cover it.

Why is Softwash slower than acetone?

Because it is a mix of ethyl acetate and isopropyl myristate rather than pure acetone. Expect thirty seconds of pressure per nail on a glitter shade, and use a foil wrap for Nightfleck.

Can I use another brand's top coat over your colour?

Yes, with one exception: fast-dry top coats that rely on high solvent content will sometimes shrink the multichromes in Opal Hours at the free edge.