Emily de Molly Nevermore polish: a black holo with blue shimmer
Emily de Molly has been one of my most-watched Australian indie brands for years. I've ordered bottles from Brisbane-based operations, chatted with the maker at conventions held in Melbourne, and watched the catalogue shift from simple cremes to the layered, complex multichromes and holos the brand is now loved for. When a bottle of Nevermore crossed my desk, it felt like the right polish to swatch in detail, photograph and test under a few different conditions for this review.
The bottle sits in that middle ground of the Emily de Molly range, where the colours lean moody and atmospheric. Black with a hidden blue shimmer and a scattered holo flame is a description that sounds dramatic on paper, and it certainly delivers in practice. My expectations going in were high, because the brand has built a reputation for finishes that perform well without needing three coats of top coat to look finished. The polish comes in a 12 mL bottle with the standard glossy black cap and a wide, flat brush that has become a hallmark of the brand.
Australian polish lovers have a soft spot for locally made indies, partly because shipping is fast and the customs process is essentially invisible when ordering from a Melbourne-based stockist. There's also the appeal of supporting a maker who understands the way local sunlight in places like Adelaide or Perth differs from the softer overcast light in Hobart. A polish like Nevermore, with a strong holo and shimmer shift, rewards the kind of bright winter sun that comes through kitchen windows in the southern states during a clear July morning.
What follows is a full breakdown of the colour, the formula, the application, the wear, and how it photographs in different lighting. I've also done a quick comparison against four other well-loved black holos from the archive so readers can see how it stacks up against similar shades. If you've been on the fence about this one, this should give you enough information to make a confident call.
About Emily de Molly as a Brand
Emily de Molly began as a small project and grew into one of the most recognised Australian indie polish names, stocked in salons from Sydney's inner west to regional Queensland. The brand releases new shades in small themed collections throughout the year, often on a tight schedule that sells out within hours. The current catalogue includes everything from sheer toppers to dense pigmented multichromes, and the maker often experiments with magnetic particles, flakies and thermal effects.
The polish prices sit in the typical indie range, usually between $14 and $18 AUD for a full-size bottle, and minis are offered for a few dollars less. The brand ships from within Australia, which means parcel tracking usually works smoothly and domestic postage rarely breaks the bank. Many Australian nail bloggers have built extensive archives of Emily de Molly swatches because of that combination of accessibility, originality and quality.
Bottle, Brush and First Impressions
The packaging is a tall rectangular glass bottle with rounded shoulders, a glossy black cap, and a wide flat brush that fans across the nail. The label is clean white with the brand name printed in a confident serif, and the shade name handwritten in the corner. Nevermore sits on the label in a flowing italic, with the small descriptor underneath reading "Black linear holo with blue shimmer."
In the bottle, the polish looks almost like a vat of liquid night sky. The blue shimmer is visible even before the bottle is tilted, and the holo glints in tiny pinprick flashes when light hits the glass. There's no separation in the bottle after several weeks of sitting still, showing the pigment and shimmer are well suspended. The first coat on a swatch stick looked dense, dark and full of depth, with the blue shimmer already making itself known at the edges of the streak.
Formula, Consistency and Application
The formula is a touch on the thicker side, which I personally prefer for a black holo because it means fewer coats are needed to build opacity. It flows from the brush in a controlled ribbon and self-levels within a few seconds, leaving a smooth surface without flooding the cuticles. On my first attempt I used two thin coats over a ridge-filling base coat, and that was enough to reach full opacity without any visible nail line peeking through.
The brush picks up a generous amount of product, so wiping against the neck of the bottle is essential to avoid flooding. Once the amount is right, the polish glides across the nail with minimal resistance, and the wide flat shape covers the nail in two or three strokes. There is no need to chase the polish around the cuticle, and clean-up with a small angled brush is straightforward because the formula does not run into the surrounding skin.
I did notice a very faint blue tint transfer on the surrounding skin during clean-up, which is common with shimmery dark polishes. A bit of pure acetone on a cotton pad took care of it without staining the actual nail. Drying time between coats was around three minutes in a warm room, and the surface was touch-dry within ten minutes of the second coat.
Comparing Nevermore to Similar Black Holos
I pulled four other black-based holos from the archive and put them side by side on swatch sticks for this comparison. All five were photographed under the same indoor daylight lamp at the same angle, with the same two-coat application and the same top coat.
| Polish | Brand | Holo Type | Shimmer Colour | Coat Count | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevermore | Emily de Molly | Linear | Blue | 2 | Smooth, glossy |
| Black Holo | Femme Fatale | Scattered | None | 2-3 | Subtle sparkle |
| In The Navy | Glitter Gal | Strong linear | Pink/violet | 2 | Intense flame |
| Black Tie | Emily de Molly | Subtle scattered | None | 2 | Soft holo |
| Black Diamond | Hits Speciallita | Bold linear | None | 2 | High shine |
The standout difference is the blue shimmer running through Nevermore, because most black holos in the archive lean on the rainbow flame alone for visual interest. Femme Fatale's Black Holo is a starker, more minimalist take, while In The Navy from Glitter Gal has a stronger pink shift in its flame. Black Tie from the same brand is the closest sibling, but it lacks the extra shimmer that makes Nevermore feel dimensional.
The Blue Shimmer and Holo Magic in Different Light
This is where the polish earns its place in any collection. The base is a true deep black, but layered into it is a soft blue shimmer that becomes more visible at the edges of the nail and along the curves of the cuticle. In low light the shimmer whispers rather than shouts, giving the polish an almost velvety look. Under direct indoor lighting it picks up a stronger blue flash that reads like a clear night sky.
The holo effect is a soft linear flame rather than a scattered rainbow. The rainbow bands stretch out across the nail in long parallel lines that move as the hand tilts. It's not a blinding, full-spectrum holographic, but it doesn't feel muted either. The combination of the blue shimmer and the holo creates an effect that feels layered and intentional, almost like a piece of fabric with a subtle woven pattern running through it.
In strong direct sunlight, the polish comes alive. I tested it at a window around midday in Brisbane, and the rainbow flame spread across the whole nail with the blue shimmer pulling out into a bright cerulean glow at the edges. Outdoors on an overcast Melbourne afternoon the shimmer was softer and the holo more subtle, which is exactly the kind of chameleon behaviour that makes a polish like this worth photographing in different conditions.
Wear Time and Removal
Wear was tested on my dominant hand without a top coat for the first day to see how the surface held up to daily wear, and then with a glossy top coat for the rest of the week. Without top coat, the surface picked up tiny scratches by the end of the second day. With two coats of a standard quick-dry top coat, the surface stayed glossy and unmarked for the full week.
Removal was straightforward, with the polish breaking down in small flakes under a cotton pad soaked in acetone. There was no significant staining on the nail bed, which is a real plus for a deeply pigmented dark polish. A short buff with a soft nail buffer left the nails clean and ready for the next colour without needing to wait for any residual tint to fade.
Stamping, Nail Art and Pairing Ideas
Nevermore works beautifully as a base for nail art, particularly for anything that uses a contrasting silver, gold or holographic topper. I tested it with a stamped image and the smooth dark surface made fine lines pop without colour interference. A scatter of blue or aqua glitter over the top creates a galaxy effect that fits the polish's name and atmosphere.
If you're looking for inspiration, the archive has a glitter placement tutorial that builds a starry night design over a similar dark base. It pairs well with Nevermore because both share that deep-night-with-stars mood. For readers who enjoy a side-quest during a long swatching session, there's also an Uptown Pokies review tucked into the older archive.
Here are a few ways I'd suggest wearing it:
- A single accent nail in Nevermore over a sky-blue creme
- Nevermore as a base with silver holographic glitter on the tips
- A matte top coat over Nevermore to soften the holo and let the blue shimmer do the work
- Stamped silver spider webs for a Halloween-ready look
A few combinations to avoid if you want the polish to shine:
- Pairing with another dark shade that has its own shimmer, which can muddy the blue flash
- Skipping base coat, which makes removal harder on already weak nails
- Using a matte top coat that hasn't been tested first, since some matteners can dull the holo flame
If you're ready to add Nevermore to your collection, Emily de Molly releases new shades on the brand's own site and through a small network of Australian stockists. Keep an eye on the brand's social channels for restock announcements, because popular shades like this one tend to disappear quickly once the release window closes.