Thakoon for NARS Nail Polish Collection — Inspired By Indian Spice Markets
Cherry red kumkum powder. Bright yellow turmeric or manjal powder. Bright fuchsia and turquoise tikka powders. Vermillion-colored, ground paprika. The vibrant, electrifying, joyous hues of the powdered herbs and spices arranged into conical towers at Indian spice markets functioned as food for thought when Thakoon designer Thakoon Panichgul pondered the color palette he wanted to develop for very first limited-edition collection of nail lacquers for NARS Cosmetics.
The six-shade Thakoon for NARS Nail Polish Collection is not only consistent with this spice market montage, but also with Thakoon’s Spring 2012 collection, an American-cowboy-meets-Bollywood-starlet mélange of jewel-toned pieces, flamboyant paisley prints, saloon-worthy shirt dresses, lamé finishes and pops of satin, and exotic floral patterns. All six nail lacquers (available for $18 each at NARScosmetics.com) are saturated with color and imbued with mega-watt shine to make a bold and uncensored style statement, and they feature an opaque finish that makes them all the more audacious.
The Thakoon for NARS Nail Polish collection consists of the following shades, most named after Indian spices:
- Anardana — A bright azalea pink named after the Indian word for pomegranate seeds
- Ratin Jot – A vivid, pink-tinged orchid purple named after an alkanet root spice
- Amchoor – A vibrant canary yellow named after sour mango powder
- Kutki – A soft powder blue reminiscent of clear summer skies
- Koliary – An intense, turquoise-meets-cyan blue
- Lal Mirchi – A mandarin red shade named after a chili pepper spice
After the jump, you’ll find photos showing what the Ratin Jot, Amchoor, and Koliary shades look like when brushed onto nails. I’m so smitten with this collection that I’ve been keeping them on my table just so I can stare at them (even though they’re already on my nails, mind you!). Hope you find them as tasty and spicy as I do!
KOLIARY
Out of the three shades I’ve tried thus far, this is easily my favorite. Turquoise, teal, aquamarine, and cyan blue polish shades are a dime a dozen come summertime, and yet there’s something so distinct about this nail lacquer — perhaps it’s the fact that it doesn’t incorporate any cliché sparkles and instead retains a creamy finish, maybe it’s the incredible pigment payoff (two coats and you’ve got full coverage), or perhaps its the crispness of the blue shade, but Koliary is a certified show-stopper. I’ve literally had people chase me down (in the rain, no less!) to ask me what polish I was wearing. The high-shine finish, meanwhile, adds a jewel-like quality to the color that makes it all the more exotic.
AMCHOOR
I haven’t loved a yellow nail polish this much since the release of Zoya’s Pippa lacquer in summer of 2009. Still, this yellow hue is so bright it makes Tweety Bird’s plumage look dull and lackluster. You might go blind if you stare into the sun, but you can look at this glossy nail lacquer all day with no adverse side effects (except, of course, a lack of productivity).
RATIN JOT
The Ratin Jot shade is perhaps less showy than some of its counterparts in the Thakoon for NARS Nail Polish collection, and yet it’s still irresistible. The dark pink lilac shade features cool undertones that make it lean towards the purple family as opposed to anchoring it in the pink realm, thereby giving it more of a berry feel. The creamy texture, meanwhile, makes the nail lacquer appear rich and decadent, as velvety as a flower petal after a light rain shower.
