pearlescent
Like nacre's glow
Pearlescent describes a surface that has a soft, lustrous sheen resembling the inside of an oyster shell—iridescent with subtle shifts of color as light hits from different angles.
The effect appears in nail polish, car paint, fabric, and cosmetics: pearlescent eyeshadow, a pearlescent finish on the guitar.
Less dramatic than iridescent, pearlescent suggests delicate, milky luminosity.
Tremulous, wavering light
- nacreIridescent shell coating
- holographicMade of light interference patterns
- rainbowRefracted light arc
- prismLight-splitting optical element
spectrum · opalescent · nacreous · dichroic · aurora · kaleidoscopic · refraction · multicolored
Reflecting light brightly
- glossySmooth and shiny
- radiantEmitting light or joy
- polishedSmooth, refined, accomplished
- reflectiveCasting back light
shiny · luminous · glowing · bright · sleek · buffed · glinting · brilliant
shimmer
Tremulous, wavering light
- nacreIridescent shell coating
- holographicMade of light interference patterns
- rainbowRefracted light arc
prism · spectrum · opalescent · nacreous · dichroic · aurora · kaleidoscopic · refraction · multicolored · prismatic
gleaming
Reflecting light brightly
reflective · shiny · luminous · glowing · bright · sleek · buffed · glinting · brilliant · mirror-like
silky
Smooth and lustrous
velvety · soft · delicate · milky · translucent · gossamer · fine · ethereal · diaphanous
elegant
Gracefully refined, tasteful
bridal · cosmetic · eyeshadow · jewelry · ceramic · glaze · finish · coating · pigment · powder
- finishespainted, polished, varnish, paint, matte silver
- light effectsshine, glow, gleam, shimmer, glitter
- sheenluster, shine, gloss, sheen, gleam
- visual qualitiescolor, hue, saturation, brightness, lightness
- shellsseashells, sea shells, shell, clam, oyster
- iridescenceoil slick, soap bubble, nacre, opal, peacock feather
pearlescentmatte
Non-reflective surface finish
dull · flat · lusterless · non-reflective · unreflective