Nail of the Day: Illamasqua Viridian (+ 100 Followers!)

Hi, everyone! Being New Year's Eve, it's natural to reflect on the year that's passed and assess how it stacks up to other bygone years. 2012 has definitely been filled with hard work, accomplishment, and an incredible amount of fun. One exciting milestone, just recently achieved, is that this little blog has reached 100 followers! I never expected this site to pick up so much steam and I am incredibly grateful for all of my lovely and insightful readers. Couldn't have done it without you! To celebrate the 100 follower mark, I am planning an upcoming giveaway, so keep your eyes out for it in the coming weeks!

Now onto the nail polish! Today's installment features my first ever Illamasqua polish. The brand carries several unique shades, each somewhat unexpected and complex. It was hard to decide! In the end, I opted for Viridian, a deep, multifaceted, shimmer shade. 

As you can see, Viridian is a deep teal-emerald shade with subtle hints of silver and purple. It was mesmerizing to look at in the bottle! On my nails, the purple tones were nearly imperceptible, which was a bit disappointing, however the effect was still quite lovely. On me, it showed up as a deep emerald green with a subtle silvery sheen. The green hue actually made it an unexpectedly festive choice!

Here are a few more views of the polish. It's not the neatest manicure I've ever given myself, but hope you can appreciate the shade regardless!

Overall, even though Viridian didn't show up as expected (a pop of purple would have been nice!), I'm still really happy with this shade. It'll be my go-to when I want vampy nails that don't fall into the typical black-grey-burgundy categories.

Have any of you tried and loved Illamasqua nail polishes? Any favourite shades?

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope all of you have a fun, safe, and festive time tonight! And don't forget to keep an eye out for my upcoming 100 Follower Giveaway! :)