Showing posts with label Enchanted Polish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Enchanted Polish. Show all posts

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Polish Holographic Top Coat Comparisons and Reviews [SUPER PIC HEAVY!!!]

I think it may be safe to say this post will be my largest and grandest so far. The magnitude of this post might overwhelm your computer, so beware. There are over 45 pictures here in every angle and light so that you can see the best comparisons my camera can capture.
Over the year I have been collecting polish, I have acquired eight (8!) holographic top coats for comparison. I'm sure I will have others in the future, but I think this may be all I can fit in one shot!
Please bear in mind that cameras still can't capture everything you will see in person, so it still might be wise to try a few polishes yourself.
All top coats are one coat, over 2 coats of Wet N' Wild "Black Creme". 

Abbreviation KEY:

GREYING: the amount the top coat "greys" the base color. "1" is the least greying, "10" is most.
INTENSITY: how bright the rainbow spectrum appears. "1" is least, "10" is most.

Direct sunlight:

Bubble Gum Fairy Dust has yet to be released. It is meant to be a softer holo, for just a touch of sparkle.
Holo type: scattered
Greying: 0.5
Intensity: 2.5

Imagine If is more of a flakie micro glitter top coat, so the greying is very strong.
Holo type: scattered
Greying: 8
Intensity: 0.5

Mentality's holo top coat has a slight yellow tint.
Holo type: scattered & linear (or weak linear)
Greying: 6.5
Intensity: 5

My version of It's Always Sunny is reformulated, so it has more holo than the original formula.
Holo type: scattered
Greying: 2.5
Intensity: 3.5
I'm not sure if Polish Addict's top coat can be purchased since I received mine as an extra.
Holo type: linear
Greying: 7
Intensity: 8

As many of you already know, Djinn is very hard to obtain, so it might be wise to keep an eye out for this one in multiple places.
Holo type: weak linear
Greying: 3
Intensity: 6
Leather & Lace is perhaps one of the most greying of the bunch, but the holo payoff is amazing.
Holo type: linear
Greying: 8.5
Intensity: 8.5

This is Aly's original holo top coat. Although the holo isn't strong, it's one of my favorites.
Holo type: scattered
Greying: 1.5
Intensity: 2.5

"Shaded" indoor yellow-tint lighting:

Indoor blue-tint "natural" lighting:

Indoor blue tint lighting with flash:

EP, PA, CbL

FD, ADP, PLL

I wanted to take a few more shots of Bubble Gum Fairy Dust since this is a yet-to-be released polish, and I really wanted to show off the holo. Cameras make it hard to capture holo, but I really like the spectrum in this one. The colors make me think of those LED Christmas lights, they are so vivid!

If you look closely in some of these shots, you can see different color tints and ranges in the spectrum of colors:

I included this as a quick reference, but remember comparing scattered and linear holos can sometimes amount to comparing apples to oranges. I highly advise taking another look through all of the photos, and trying a few brands yourself before making any final judgments.
Most holo: CbL
Least holo: OPI
Most greying: CbL
Least greying: FD

I was very pleased with application with all of these polishes. I haven't worn all of them out and about yet, so I am not sure about how they wear. So far, I've had no issues with removal with any of them either. I hope these pictures help answer some questions that have been lingering in your minds when it comes to choosing a top coat. If you have any questions for me or other top coats you would like me to review, please leave them below, or send me a message on my Facebook page where I will respond faster :)
Thanks again for all your support!!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Comparison: Holographic Top Coat Reviews


Hey y'all! This is the review and comparison I have been so excited for! I know when I first started buying polishes, I was in love with everything holographic, and I still am. Today I wanted to show which holographic top coats are best, and if it's worth it to buy holographic polishes once you've obtained a top coat. 
Also, from what I've heard, Philly Loves Laquer's "It's Always Sunny" is another beautiful holographic top coat. Since I don't currently own it, I cannot compare. Hopefully I'll have it soon, and I can update this review for all of you.
The three top coats (let's see how many times I say that and "holographic" in this post) I will be reviewing are  Aly's Dream Polish, Mentality, and Enchanted Polish (theirs is also known as "Djinn in a Bottle").

Left to right: ADP, EP, Mentality
all are layered over a coat of black polish





As I (and many others before me) have discovered, it is extremely difficult to capture with a camera what the eye sees in person. For some reason ADP's holo was camera shy. However, I would consider it the least holographic.
Something to note with topcoats- although you can add coats to build the holo effect, the more you add, the more opaque the top coat becomes, and thus the more "greyed" or "muted" your base color or "undie" will become.
That being said, I would choose ADP and EP over Mentality because Mentality's coats are thick to begin with, and immediately dull the base color. Each brand also has its own overtone color in it's holo. I felt like Aly's had a pretty even holo, while Enchanted leaned more blue and orange, and Mentality was more yellow. For me, that was another reason why I liked Mentality the least.
In my opinion, the winner was:

Enchanted Polish "Djinn in a Bottle"
Before I leave you to explore and find your own favorite holo top coat, I wanted to show you an example and comparison of an already made holo polish, and it's base color-with-top coat rival.

Left: Aly's Dream Polish "Tiffanytea", Right: Julep Robin with ADP's holo top coat

I have found that no matter what holo top coat I use, I can never get the same effect and beauty that comes from an already-made holographic polish. The pre-made polishes sparkle and shine so much more. Not to mention the reasons I spoke of above concerning muting and opacity.
So, in a pinch, and if you can't find the holo polish color you're looking for, top coats are great. When it really comes down to it, I'm still going to buy the original beauties like Tiffanytea!

Thanks for reading! Come back often!

*I am not affiliated with any polish brands mentioned in this post. All opinions are my own. "Aly's" and "ADP" are references to the "Aly's Dream Polish" brand. "EP" and "Enchanted" are references to the "Enchanted Polish" brand.