"Zah goggulls, zey do noszingk!"
I think its safe say that this nail polish would probably cause Rainier Wolfcastle (pictured above) to break out in a cold sweat, recalling his fateful run-in with a nuclear spill years ago while filming Radioactive Man (yes, that was a long and winding Simpsons reference).
The most straightforward way to describe China Glaze “In The Lime Light” is classic cartoon radioactive green. The color is a blue-primary green neon with a satisfyingly fluorescent glow. This mix also has a very subtle cyan shimmer that is only visible at the most precise combinations of lighting and viewing angle. This shimmer is visible (slightly) in the macro shot in the gallery down below.
As far as I can tell, this shade belongs to the core China Glaze line-up, meaning that its available indefinitely from retailers who carry China Glaze.
Aside from reminding me of cartoon radioactive waste, it also made me think of glowing radioactive watermelons. Don’t ask me where I get these thoughts…they just present themselves to me. Photoshop helps me make them into fun images for you all to see.
Though this is quite a vibrant and fun color once on the nails, getting it applied is another story.
The application of this color was trying to say the least. It was quite streaky and watery, requiring three coats to get to an acceptable level of opacity.
Additionally, the brush on this China Glaze seemed less adequate than other China Glaze lacquers I’ve tried in the past. The bristles felt sort of flimsy and refused to fan out as one would prefer. This only exacerbated the streaking issues associated with this formula.
Finally, fluid feed was another issue. It always seemed there was too much or too little lacquer on the brush, and it was quite difficult to arrive at a happy medium.
As a result of the above issues, this color falls at the lower end of my recommendations. While application was less than perfect, it was possible to get good results with a little skill, so I didn’t completely torpedo In The Lime Light.
5 comments
Brandy says:
Apr 27, 2012
I think it’d be worth the trouble….Question is-would you buy it again? And do you think it was just a bad batch?
Scott Gents says:
Apr 27, 2012
Hey, that’s a great question. Considering I bought it for $4.50 (including shipping), I probably would buy it again, mostly because of how cool, vibrant, and different this color is.
Shannon says:
Apr 28, 2012
Love the reference! Cracked me up. I know I’ve said it before, but I LOVE your reviews! So detailed, answering all the questions I’d have about a polish. Thanks so much!
Anonymous says:
Apr 29, 2012
Every bright green polish I’ve used has had the same problem with lack of opacity. Perhaps it’s inherent to the colour, that there is no better way to formulate a good, highly pigmented green. Do you know anything about that, or is it too chemist-y to ask a nail polish enthusiast?
Scott Gents says:
Apr 30, 2012
You know, I really have no idea why bright greens have that tendency. It must have something to do with the pigments that are required to create shades in that color range.