The English language has much to thank Tyra Banks for – popularisation of the word ‘fierce’, creation of the phrase ‘booty tooch’, invention of the infamous portmanteau (and excuse for me to use the word portmanteau at least once in my life!) ‘smize’. However, nail polish fans should also be particularly grateful for her coinage of the phrase ‘ugly-pretty’ – simply because it’s the perfect description for so many polishes that have hit the scene over the last few years!
Gone are the times where the only acceptable nail polish colours were pinks, nudes and reds; nowadays, weird shades of greige, decaying purples, mouldy greens, wincing neons and eye-boggling glitter combos rule the roost! Which brings me neatly onto my new favourite nail polish and definite contender for an ugly-pretty award (unless Tyra’s already patented those), Butter London’s Two Fingered Salute.
Two Fingered Salute is a totally unique shade. Butter London describes it as a ‘muted patina-ed green crème with copper micro glitter’ – and for once, a nail polish company has got it totally spot on with their description! This dusty jade with tiny shimmering flecks of coppery pink glitter is almost exactly the shade of green that copper turns to over time after oxidisation, the blooming verdigris of the Statue Of Liberty. And how often do I get to use the word ‘verdigris’ or ‘patina’ in relation to a nail polish?! The aborted linguist in me is doing little jigs of joy right now!
From far away, Two Fingered Salute just looks like any old regular shimmery dusty jade – and some people might even prefer it that way! It’s only up close that you see the gorgeous rusty speckle of the glitter, a shiny dark copper that flickers pink in the sun. I’m still not entirely sure it should work with the green… but I’ve decided that it totally rocks. Pictures just do not do this ugly-pretty justice! (Remember, you can always click on my photos to view them full-size, then start zooming for an even closer inspection!)
The formula was great. It glided on smoothly, easily and drama-free; in case you’ve not used them before, the unwieldy rectangular top of Butter London’s bottles actually click off to reveal a smaller easy-grip round cap, and the brush is short but a pleasant middling size that fans out nicely for application.
I also have to mention how hilarious I am finding the name. Part of the joy of Butter London nail polishes (many of which are based on British slang) is reading all the American bloggers get totally confused and tie themselves in knots trying to work out the meanings! I even read one commenter (hilariously) claim that this polish got ‘banned in the UK’ because of its name – which, in case you didn’t know, is British slang for the rude hand gesture known as ‘flipping the bird’ Stateside. Let me assure said commenter that far worse gets said in the UK without anyone batting an eyelid!
This is a gorgeous unusual nail polish shade that fits any season or occasion – if you’ve decided you love the colour as much as I do, that is. I can only assume Two Fingered Salute is so named because it is exactly the sort of polish you will be wanting to show off to the world – but whether that’s in the form of some very innocent peace signs or some slightly naughtier V ones, it’s up to you!
Looks good with: giving the finger, flicking some Vs (girl power or otherwise!), posing with peace signs
Drying time: 5 mins
Coats required: 2
Chips: 3-5 days
Butter London Two Fingered Salute, US$15 (sent to me by the lovely Justine!)
Through The Looking Glass 