I used three coats, no top coat. I was evidently having an awkward posing day, since no two fingers in that photo above are at the same angle and my pinky nail looks strangely long but no matter, the polish is a pretty color.
On its own, no top coat as here, it dries to a nearly satin finish, which is most evident in the photo below, taken at a bit more distance from the lights above my light box.
The second polish I picked up from the display was After Party, the black packed with blue and pink shimmer. Not a typical summer polish, for sure. I decided this should be used for a ruffian; it seemed pigmented enough to only need one coat, so there wouldn't be a big step up from the base color, and I thought a bright peeking out above it on the nail would look quite striking. So, despite never having done a ruffian before and having not so stellar freehand skills, I decided to freehand a ruffian with After Party. This worked out about as well as could be expected, meaning it's a semi-fail. The concept is solid, I still believe, but my execution leaves something to be desired, especially in the areas of making a smooth curve, leaving a consistent gap, and covering the sides adequately. I didn't think top coat was going to fix any of those things, so you get to see it without and After Party looks just a bit bumpy.
It doesn't look too bad out of focus, I guess. Next time, I'm gonna use guides. Or work more slowly. Or something. Still, I like both of these polishes and am happy I have them.
