Arms and Armory x Cirque Special Edition Alter Ego Set Swatches and Review

Alter Ego by Cirque is a special edition release that consists of a black holographic Cirque nail polish and a custom art deco-inspired ring by Arms and Armory.  You can view the entire announcement here, but if you just want to see swatches of this gorgeous black holo, take a peek below!

Arms and Armory x Cirque Alter Ego Ring

(image courtesy of Cirque Colors)

Cirque Colors Alter Ego.  An opaque black creme base with heavy holographic flake.  This is has a scattered holographic effect.  In dim lighting it looks like a soft charcoal shimmer with very little hint of holo.  In bright, direct light it loses the grey-ish smoky look and all of that lovely rainbow effect pops out.  In addition to the hologram rainbow, it also seems to have a golden tan shimmer in the base (visible in the two pictures taken with flash).

The formula on this is good.  It's very thin but it doesn't streak or leave bald spots.  It applies very smoothly.  I think it looks best at three coats, and that's what I'm wearing here.  The dry time is quick and the wear of this is very durable compared to a lot of other holographic polishes.  I got a week with only minimal chipping at the corners.  In addition to the durable finish and smooth formula, the polish also features Cirque's signature herbal-floral scent for a little bit of soothing aromatherapy while you're wearing it.

The ring is adjustable- it has a gap in the back.  Cirque states that it fits sizes 4-9.

The polish and the ring are both right up my alley.  Black and silver is my favorite color combination for jewelry, and I absolutely love black holo polishes.  I like the style and shape of the ring a lot.  Despite how much I love the set, I do have a few small critiques on it:

-It's expensive ($42 for the set).
-Arms and Armory doesn't appear to have a webshop and their Etsy store is closed.
-Alter Ego could be a little stronger in the holo department for the price.

The ring is so cool that I'd love to see more of what Arms and Armory has to offer, but the lack of a functioning website is a turn-off for me.  Cirque is on the level, though, no doubt about it.  Their website has all the information you could need, swatches for every color, and great customer service. 

The Arms and Armory x Cirque Alter Ego set retails for $42 and is available directly from Cirque Colors.

(This was sent for review.)