The Maze is a remarkable thermal nail polish that is opaque black below 31°C (88° F) and changes at that temperature to clear/transparent. the colour shift is further brought out with the inclusion of copper holographic glitter in different sizes that contrasts beautifully with the gradient. in the photo above, i had applied two coats of The Maze over the brand's standard base coat and with one layer of their top coat over it all.
(behind the scenes, there were multiple failed attempts at landing this shot because the only way to capture this gradient was to dip the tips of my fingernails in ice water, which gave me only about ten seconds to arrange everything and snap the shot. it was a good reason for me to finally invest in a tripod though was glad how everything turned out in the end!)
inspired by Westworld, The Maze reminds us of life, our choices and dreams, and what it means to really be conscious, be human.
so it was, to me, a fitting match for the Dimension of Imagination release, which is described to be "as vast as space and as timeless as infinity ... the middle ground between perfume and experience, between scent and memory, and it lies between the pit of [a] person's nose and the summit of their brain".
first up in this twilight scent zone, Eye of the Beholder (soft white musk, ace bandages, rosewood, tears and bindweed) which is a very subtle perfume-that-doesn't-smell-like-perfume. in the bottle, this is extremely light, with mainly the musk coming through over a sprinkling of soft herbs and wood in the background. on application, there's an almost sterile note from the bandages and salt that comes through in a clinical way. this smells like the essence of a lab researcher or nurse's day to day work, distilled in a little vial. a very interesting scent experience, though not something i would foresee myself wearing regularly going forward. 2.5/10.
next up, Perchance to Dream (blue amber, lute strings, dark patchouli, black cardamom seeds, mace and hourglass sand) was the opposite, leaping straight out of the vial with a strong and sweet resinous spice. i really like the combination of the amber and patchouli in this one, which comes across smelling not unlike an earthy, musky cola. the cardamom seeds pack quite a welcome punch in this one, though the spice thankfully fades away a bit more after application. this feels like a great scent to wear as a confidence-booster, a perfume that's pleasant on its own but still throws strong "don't mess with me" vibes. 7/10.
last but not least, Mirror Image (true moss, twinflower, freesia, tweed, crepe myrtle and fear) perfectly rounds off the trio by taking this scent in the direction of subtle sinister floral. in the bottle, this is a really lovely sweet floral with a well-blended combination of the twinflower, freesia and crepe myrtle, though after application there's an undercurrent of something a little more unsettling that begins to emerge, revealing this perfume to be more than just a typical 'floral scent'. it's a great perspective on a soft floral and ended up being my favourite of the collection; definitely something to add to the shopping list for my next Stereoplasm order. 8.5/10.
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this review is of a nail polish that i had purchased at regular price with my own money, and perfume samples that were received with purchase. i wasn’t asked to review these as a condition of receipt and didn’t receive any incentives for writing this. i’m not affiliated with Fanchromatic Nails or Stereoplasm and as always, all opinions remain my own.
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