When I was perusing inks for potential holiday card candidates this year, I came across Diamine Blue Edition Happy Holidays Shimmer & Sheen ink. (50mL for $22) Originally developed for Diamine’s 2019 Inkvent, this color was popular enough to join the permanent collection. The ink is supposed be a “medium velvety blue fountain pen ink with medium shading, high red sheen and aqua blue-green shimmer.”
I have to say, this is the first ink from Diamine that I’m sort of underwhelmed by. It is a gorgeous dark blue, and in certain lights I get the reddish pink sheen. However, I shook my bottle well and there was nary any shimmer to be seen?
In terms of color, this one is quite like Dromgoole’s special Colorverse NASA Blue ink, right down to the red sheen. The blue is also similar, though not quite as dark as, Diamine’s 150th Anniversary Blue Velvet.
I’m having a hard time with this one. In the sample swatches it looks to be a gorgeous shimmery, sheeny blue, perfect for my non-denominational holiday needs. But the real ink just isn’t as exciting, and so given the bottle I got, I’d give this one a pass.
- Paper: Crossfield Journal ($24)
- Pen: Delike Glass Signature Pen ($37.80)
- Swatches: Col-o-Dex Rotary Cards ($15)
- Inks: Diamine Blue Edition Happy Holidays Shimmer & Sheen ink (50mL for $22)
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Is it wrong that it’s the bottle that I want?
Nope. Not even a little bit.
I believe I’ll stick with my Polar Glow.
Try Diamine Polar Glow for amazing sheen, or Colorverse Cat for really lovely shimmer. I used both on my holiday cards this year. I wonder if the sheen in Happy Holidays would become more pronounced if you let it sit in the pen for a couple of days before using? Diamine All the Best and Holly both improve greatly after a few days.