Aly Loves Lacquer

Hello, again!

As promised, here is another beauty from Avon's Cosmic collection. Avon Galaxy is a gorgeous rich medium blue scattered holographic polish. What really makes this shade stand out is the brightness. This is a very pigmented blue, not the same baby blue holographic shade we've all seen again and again. Avon Galaxy is unique and really commands attention!

Here I am wearing 2 coats of Avon Galaxy. As with Avon Aurora, you have to be patient between coats. If you aren't, you'll definitely encounter some dragging. But, it's pretty easy to be patient when the outcome is such a gorgeous look!

And the blogger rises from the dead!

Hello, everybody! Ready for a gorgeous holographic polish? As you know, I love a good holographic lacquer, and this is no exception. Avon set out to make a full holo collection, and they did it in style. All of the Avon Cosmic Collection polishes feature a lovely scattered holographic effect.

Because purple is my favorite color, I had to try out Aurora first. Avon Aurora is a medium red-leaning purple with a scattered holographic effect. It applied pretty easily, but I did experience slight dragging on the second coat. I recommend being patient between coats. Otherwise, Aurora is just perfect. I think this is a super flattering shade of purple, too!




Hope you like my "comeback" post! Expect another beautiful Avon holo very soon :) And I am still planning to show off my European haul in just a few days.

Thanks for sticking around,

Aly

So, guess what! I AM IN FRANCE :) I am here until the end of July. Besides all the awesome cultural experiences and language immersion, I am also having a great time checking out the foreign polish brands here.

Last weekend, I ventured over to the Italian Riviera for a day and happened upon a huge Layla display!  I couldn't believe how big it was. It was so so exciting! They had all the Hologram and Mirror Effect polishes, as well as the Ceramic Effects. I picked up 3 polishes: Jade Groove, Metal Chrome, and CE 54 Green Galaxy.

Today I have Layla Hologram Effect Jade Groove. This polish is drop dead gorgeous. Absolutely incredible. I can't describe it with words, and frankly my pictures don't do Jade Groove justice either. It's impossible to capture how stunning the holographic effect is paired with a slight seafoam base color... I just love it; what more can I say?

It's Wednesday again, and that means it's time for another ABC Challenge post. This week we have "F" and I chose to do nail foils. Transfer foils are one of my favorite nail art options. They create such a gorgeous look, but aren't hard to do at all!

The best way to apply foils is to paint a matching base color first, so if the foil doesn't transfer perfectly you have something under it. My base color today is butter LONDON Come to Bed Red. Then I applied foil adhesive, and waited a few minutes. Finally, I cut the foil into little strips -- one for each nail. I apply them by pressing them down with a Q-Tip and then peeling off the foils. If you are interested in a tutorial, let me know!

This foil is from Dollar Nail Art and it's called Lava Tides. It's gorgeous! Red and shiny with holographic waves. I really love how this looks, and it is perfect for Valentine's Day! Trust me, this looks way prettier in person!

Hey, guys! I am back. I am all settled in at school and a couple weeks into my junior year. Sorority recruitment just ended at SLU, so I finally have the time to blog again. Plus, I have 50-something awesome new sorority sisters!

Anyway, today I have a really special polish for you. Dodgy Barnett is part of butter LONDON's Fall 2012 offering. Dodgy Barnett is a silver holographic polish. In true butter LONDON fashion, the formula is awesome! Holographic polishes are notorious for finicky application, but I had no issues. I used my normal base coat plus 3 coats of Dodgy Barnett. On top, I have a coat of Seche Vite, which did not seem to dull the holographic effect at all.

Hi there! Today's polish is an extra special one. I received this as a gift from my mom last holiday season, and was wholly surprised that she picked such a unique shade for me.

Glitter Gal is famous for holographic polishes that are out of this world. They are crazy holographic and come in a wide range of colors. I only own a couple, and Not Another Red is the one I'll be showing off today. Not Another Red lives up to its name -- it's so much more beautiful than all the plain reds out there. It's an orange-leaning red with lots and lots of holo. Take a look at 2 coats of Glitter Gal Not Another Red.

It's Day 3 of the 30 Day Challenge already! I have a feeling this whole thing is going to fly by pretty quickly. Now yellow is another color I only have a few of in my stash. It's a pretty color, but most yellows don't do much for my skin tone. I think yellow looks beautiful on dark skin, but on mine I think it often makes me look sallow.

However, Kleancolor Holo Yellow looks alright. Kleancolor has a whole bunch of these Holo polishes, and I have them all! They are really pretty base colors filled with holographic glitters. I was really worried that Holo Yellow would be crazy sheer, but it was incredibly opaque! It only took 2 coats to look lovely. I was quite happily surprised.


All in all, I like this polish. I am not completely sure yet if I will end up keeping it. Like I said, I don't wear a lot of yellow. Then again, it might be good for nail art purposes. What do you think?

Remember to take a look at some of my fellow bloggers' takes on the challenge at  Never Unpolished, Nails and Noms, The Nailasaurus and Ash-Lilly's Lacquer Lust!

- Aly

Today I have another Kleancolor for everyone. This one is part of the Holo polishes Kleancolor offers, and is called Holo Pink. I wish that the name were more exciting, but the lacquer is beautiful nonetheless. Holo Pink has that same gel-like consistency as Born to the Purple, which I reviewed recently. I'm not sure if that is just how all Kleancolor polishes are, or if it's just these two. Either way, it was easy to apply and two coats was enough for a nice even finish.

Holo Pink is a creamy pink polish with lots of scattered holographic glitter. The glitter looks really great indoors, but when you go outside it becomes outstanding! It isn't a linear holo, but it is beautiful as it is. The glitter adds a uniqueness to this lacquer.

These pictures are 2 coats of Kleancolor Holo Pink and 1 coat   Seche Vite.


What do you think of Holo Pink? I am really liking it. It is girly but it has something extra due to the pretty glitter.

Also, I just received 2 grams of Spectraflair pigment in the mail yesterday. Tonight I played mad scientist and mixed up a holographic topcoat and my first ever Spectraflair franken. I can't wait to show it off!

- Aly

It's Wednesday again, and today we have Sally Hansen Nail Prisms Pink Rose Diamond. The Nail Prisms line is long discontinued, but also loved my many of us in the blogosphere. I bought mine from an ebay seller, cassiecosmetics, and highly recommend them. The customer service was great. Pink Rose Diamond is a beautiful pink holographic polish, and the holo shows both indoors and out.

I had no application trouble at all, and with 2 coats Sally Hansen Nail Prisms Pink Rose Diamond looked beautiful. I do have Seche Vite on top in these pictures.

Hi everyone! It has been a few days since my last post, and it feels weird to have such a break in between. Sorry about that -- I was super busy with work and social stuff. But I am back! Today you're looking at my first Tronica by China Glaze, Gamer Glam. I LOVE the name of this polish. I like video games, though I am not particularly good, and the name really put a smile on my face. The color is a lovely light purple with a subtle scattered holographic effect.

Take a look at 2 coats of China Glaze Gamer Glam, without Seche Vite on top.



And, for those who are curious, here it is indoors.

It's Wednesday again, and this week I have one of my favorite polishes for you: OPI DS Reserve. I purchased this one from transdesign on a whim, and I am really happy I picked it up. DS Reserve is a soft pink polish with a weak scattered holographic effect. Though this polish isn't a linear holo, I love the way the holo particles look. It looks like there are mini diamonds in the polish.

Application was great, typical of OPI DS formulas. It also wore really well. I know some may consider this color to be a little boring or grandmotherly, but I think the sparkles really add to the color itself. It is work appropriate, but with a nice twist.

These pictures are 2 coats OPI DS Reserve.

What do you think? I like how the sparkles really add a lot to an otherwise very dupable color. OPI DS Reserve is definitely one of my favorite DS polishes. Which one is your favorite?

- Aly

 Now here are the pictures I took indoors. It is crazy how holographic He's Going in Circles is even when inside. It was just as stunning in real life.





Sorry that was so picture-heavy! I really couldn't choose just a couple. It seems like a different facet of the polish shows up in every picture I take. This is quickly going straight into my top 20. China Glaze He's Going in Circles is absolutely lovely.

What's your favorite Kaleidoscope polish?

- Aly

Golden Rose is a Turkish company that makes a lot of great holos at reasonable prices. I bought this and the other polishes in my haul from their US website. They offer free shipping over $20, and it is pretty fast too. I really recommend buying some Golden Rose holos. They aren't the strongest out there, but they are cheaper and still very beautiful.




Golden Rose 109 is described as lilac on the website, and I think that is a good description. In fact, the color is remarkably close to OPI DS Diamond, and could be considered a dupe. I'll be doing a comparison post soon. These pictures are 3 coats Golden Rose Paris Holographic 109 and 1 coat Seche Vite.

Once again, I seriously recommend this brand. They have some great polishes and prices.

- Aly

April is Autism Awareness Month, and today is World Autism Awareness Day. Yesterday night and tonight, many buildings are lighting up their buildings with blue lights to bring awareness to autism. In honor of the  cause, I'll be swatching all my blue polishes this month. I have a little cousin with autism, so this topic is near and dear to me. Please go to this website if you'd like to learn more: Autism Speaks.

Okay, on to the polish! :)

OPI DS polishes are always great, and OPI DS Sapphire is no exception. I have yet to be disappointed by one of them. I picked up DS Sapphire on sale in my hometown last summer. That was my first true linear holographic polish. Every time I wear DS Sapphire, I feel like I've got little holographic stickers on my nails. It's very pretty.

OPI DS Sapphire is a light blue holographic polish, with a pretty linear holo effect. It's beautiful in the sun. The application wasn't the best, but I think that that is specific to my bottle. It's getting about halfway used up and is a little older, so I think the formula needs thinning. It took me 3 coats to get even coverage. Once again, I didn't wear any top coat with this so as not to diminish the holo effect.

Color Club Revvvolution is amazing! It's the first holographic polish I've tried, and I love it. Plus it has an adorable name :) I don't want to take it off! The application was quite easy, especially considering holo polishes can be difficult to apply. It took only one coat for full coverage, which is pretty awesome. I'm not wearing any top coat today, since that can diminish the holographic effect.

Look how gorgeous these pictures are :)





Sadly, I didn't catch any pictures of this baby outside. I'll try to get some tomorrow, because you guys need to see how great this holo looks in the sunshine. Still, it looks great in these indoor pictures too. Color Club Revvvolution is a winner.

- Aly

P.S. Happy birthday to my friend Tiffany! You'll be getting some brand new OPI as a gift as soon as I see you :)