Nfu Oh 66

Collection: Holographic

Linear light green holographic. I bought this in 2011 and it’s my only Nfu Oh holo to date. There was some issue with certain batches but mine turned out fine. Sure it’s not the most holo, but it’s still incredible.

While this might have been my first linear holo, it’s certainly not my last. You’ve seen my favorite Layla here, and I’ve definitely eying some Color Club Halo Hues and China Glaze Hologlams.

Nfu Oh 66 has a fussy formula so I paired it with the aqua base. The trick to using aqua base is to let it dry completely. If you don’t like waiting, I assume Layla’s method of buffing would work here too.

Thanks for looking!

Polish peels:
• Nfu Oh Aqua Base (1 coat)
• Nfu Oh 66 (2 coats)

OPI My Private Jet

Collection: Night Brights (2007 Spring)

Dark brown with silver flakies and holographic glitter. According to this comparison, my version is unfortunately known as the yuk brown. It is actually pretty unique in my stash – it’s just different from the original holo one.

It has a pretty good formula, completely even in three coats. However, I bought this polish thinking that it was the original. No matter how unique or good the formula is, my disappointment has made me dislike it.

Polish peels:
• China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat (1 coat)
• OPI My Private Jet (3 coats)
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (1 coat)

Polish Us Pink – OPI DS Elegance

Collection: Designer Series (2006 Spring)

Rose pink holographic. October is the month well-known for Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA). Susan from The Subtle Shimmer and a few other decided to come together to do BCA posts during this month and opened it up to other bloggers to join them.

BCA is something close to my heart: my mother had a lump found in her breast 13 years ago. Thankfully, with early detection, the lump was safely removed. I don’t remember it too well as I was still young, but the fear and worry left an impression on me that lingers even today.

For more information on Breast Cancer:
• Breast Cancer Foundation (Singapore)
• Singapore Cancer Society
• Pink Ribbon (International)

Layla Ocean Rush

Collection: Hologram Effect (2012 Spring)

Ocean blue linear holographic. I don’t know why I waited so long to put it on! The base color is so bright and eye catching so it doesn’t look boring even in the shade.

Ocean Rush has a finicky formula. You can’t use a normal base coat nor should you go over the same area while painting. These Layla holographics have a buffer that sold separately, but you don’t need buy it. I used a normal buffer that was lying around at home, the kind with a high grit and brings your nails to a shine.

Simply buff your nails shiny before painting your nails, no base coat needed. I found that the buffing gave me an easier application compared to using Nfu Oh’s Aqua Base. I wonder if this method will work for the Nfu Oh holos too?

Polish peels:
• Layla Ocean Rush (3 coats)

Milani Cyberspace

Collection: 3D Holographic

Sky blue scattered holographic. If you don’t already know, I have a big weakness for holographics. This one reminds me of crushed diamonds, rather beautiful but just not my favorite. I have an inkling that I prefer linear to scattered.

It’s a rather sheer polish so don’t be afraid to apply thicker coats. It’s has a thin formula than evens out and dries pretty fast.

Thanks for looking!

Polish peels:
• China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat (1 coat)
• Milani Cyberspace (3 coats)
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (1 coat)

Ozotic 509

Collection: Holographic

Silver linear holographic. I wore this for a holiday a month ago; the beautiful rainbow kept me staring at my nails at all times of the day! It didn't last very long on me as I went snorkeling, the wear will probably be better next time.

The formula was good but a little thick, it just needs a bit of thinner. I was hoping that this would be sheer enough to work as a holographic top coat, but nope, it made my base polish too silvery. I really want it to work though, so I'll give it another go after I thin it.

Thanks for looking!

Polish peels:
• NailTek Foundation II (1 coat)
• Ozotic 509 (3 coats)
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (1 coat)

Happy 47th Singapore!

Singapore celebrates her birthday today! Over here, we always have a parade with lots of marching, performances and fireworks. The fireworks are a real treat as it’s illegal to set them here bar exceptions like these.

I knew that drawing stars and a crescent was out of my league so I didn’t try. I wanted a soft white (instead of stark) and a dark red (instead of bright) so it’s what I used. Then I spied Dorothy and just had to put her on my thumbs!

(Please ignore the retarded claw pose) Did you manage to see the holo? Thanks for looking and have a great National Day!

Polish peels:
• NailTek Foundation II (1 coat)
Index / Middle
• OPI Don’t Touch My Tutu! (4 coats)
• Spectraflair Top Coat (2 coats)
• Cult Nails Wicked Fast (1 coat)
Ring / Little
• Essie Bordeaux (3 coats)
• Ozotic 518 (1 coat)
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (1 coat)
Thumb
• Essie Bordeaux (2 coats)
• NYX Girls Dorothy(1 coat)
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (1 coat)

a england Lady of the Lake

Collection: The Mythicals (2011)

Dark purple scattered holographic. This is the first a-england that I’ve tried and it doesn’t disappoint. The rich purple base has a slightly muted tone that I love!

This little lady is opaque in two thin even coats. If only all polishes had formulas like this! It also wears pretty well on me, no chips during the week I had it on.

Thanks for reading!

Polish peels:
• China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat (1 coat)
• a england Lady of the Lake (2 coats)
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (1 coat)

The Face Shop BK901

Collection: Hologram

Charcoal holographic. It’s a bit more holographic than my pictures are showing here. Although it’s not true black, the grey base makes it rather unique among holos.

The formula is also lovely! Two easy coats with little fuss, no special base coat needed. I did put on Seche Vite as it didn’t seem to negate any of the holoness. Here's a bonus shot of the holo goodness in the bottle (please ignore my awkward hand):

Thanks for looking!
Polish sandwich:
• China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat (1 coat)
• The Face Shop BK901 (2 coats)
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (1 coat)

Rainbow 09

Light blue holographic. Like the others, the holo here is scattered. While the effect is subtle in the shade, the rainbow is easily seen under direct sunlight.

I apologize for how dark my hand looks in the sunlight shots; it was the best I could do to show the rainbow. The base was a little sheer so three coats were needed. But that doesn’t stop it from being one of my favorites! Thanks for looking!

Polish sandwich:
• Rainbow 09 (3 coats)

Rainbow 03

Golden beige holographic. Previously, I mentioned that there were two versions of 03 and 05 floating around. This is one of them, which can be labeled as either number.

I found this to have a weaker holographic effect as compared to the previous two shades. But I would still recommend it to any holo lover as it's cheap and easy to apply.

Thanks for looking!

Polish sandwich:
• Rainbow 03 (3 coats)

Nubar Reclaim

Collection: Going Green (2009 Summer)

Grass green holographic. This is a much loved shade from Nubar as it’s every green lover’s dream. Usually green holos are light silver-green but this is far from it. I really love how rich this color is!

Thanks for reading!

Polish sandwich:
• Michelle Base (1 coat)
• Nubar Reclaim (2 coats)

Rainbow 05

Light mauve holographic. Here’s another of the Rainbow holographics! I really love these as they’re beautiful and really easy to apply! No patchiness like the Nfu Oh holos (I can’t wait to try out my new babies 66 and 51!).

I’ve noticed that there are two colors of 05 and 03 floating around. I’ve seen this color labeled as both numbers. The other color has a golden beige base, also labeled as both numbers. A batch or two was probably mislabeled.

I know I haven’t been updating much this month. I change my nail polish every week and I also try to swatch at least once. However, it’s monsoon season in South-East Asia now. It's sunny one moment and rainy the next, so please bear with me. Also, I'd rather show a fresh manicure than one with tip wear so I usually don't take photos after the second or third day (there are exceptions though!).

Thanks for dropping by!

Polish sandwich:
• Rainbow 05 (3 coats)

Rainbow 02

Medium pink holographic. Since I was only bitten by the holographic bug this year, I missed out many great polishes that are now discontinued and hard-to-find (HTF). But this is not one of those at all. It’s from Daiso and is $2 for 5ml. It might not seem like a lot but it’s still cheaper per ml compared to China Glaze, Color Club or OPI.

The formula gave me no problems and it dries rather shiny. I added Seche Vite on my other fingers and I’m happy to report that it didn’t dull the holo.

I’m not usually into pink but I’d take a pink holographic over a cream any day. I will definitely be buying backups of this because the bottle is so small I’ll probably finish it in five manicures. Plus, it’s affordable.

Thanks for looking!

Polish sandwich:
• China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat (1 coat)
• Rainbow 02 (2 coats)

Nubar Spark

Collection: Prism (2010 Spring)

Warm holographic tan. I've been hit by the holographic bug recently and have been keeping a lookout for more to try. I really like the idea of a holographic nude. Though nude polishes are safe and understated, holographics can be rather loud and stunning. So a combination of both seems rather like an oxymoron.

In terms of holographic goodness, I would say this is between Revvvolution and Worth The Risque (at least my bottles of them). The base color is rather tan and has a brownish cast to it. In the shade, its very work appropriate but still noticeable; I got complements when I wore this to a wedding over the weekend. But as with all holographics, the best part is when the sun came out.

The formula is on the sheer side so I did three thin coats. Each thin layer dries quickly so there was hardly any wait time. In short, the application was a breeze. However, I got quite a bit of tip wear within two days, so a top coat should make it last longer. Feel free to click on the pictures to enlarge them! Thanks for looking!

Polish sandwich:
• China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat (1 coat)
• Nubar Spark (3 coats)