Nfu-oh 65

So I think my laptop is fried but at least I'm able to use my old PC for now. It's slow but it works!

On to the polish. Finally got my hands on this one! It wasn't even in stock when I was in Korea so I had to wait to order them from fabuloustreet.com.

Nfu-oh 65 is a light blue linear holo. I like it, but it's not as holo as my 61, I wonder if this one is a dud? Still very pretty. The formula was the same as all the linear holos I've tried, a bit liquidy but easy to work with. I wore one coat of Aqua Base, then one coat of polish, then another coat of AB, then another coat of polish (no top coat). I heard this would make the mani last longer but I didn't notice much of a difference. Also, maybe that would account for the polish not being quite as holo as it should be? In any case, still a very pretty color!

My Visit to Korea Part 1: Nfu-oh (The Mothership)

So I hate to admit it but one of the things I was most looking forward to doing on our trip was going to Nfu-oh headquarters. I'm sure you fellow nail polish addicts understand, though! It's a pretty big place, it looks like it used to be an actual salon but now it's mostly a warehouse/showroom. As always, click to enlarge the photos.

*drool*

Holos and flakies (among others)

My haul:

GS14, 39, 51, 52, 59, 60, 61, 66

68, 69, 70, 119, 435, 534, 553, 557, Aqua Base

Here are some quick 'n' dirty swatches:

Thumb to pinky: GS14, 39, 51, 52, 59; one coat of each, no top or base coat

Pinky to thumb: 60, 66, 68, 69, 70; two coats of 66 and 70, one coat of the rest, no base or top coat

Better shot of 66

Thumb to pinky: 119, 435, 534, 553, 557; three coats of 119, two coats each of the rest, no base or top coat

And of course, the famed 61. Even in this picture it looks amazing but the picture really does not do it justice! It's truly amazing IRL.

Here are some swatches of their gel polish line, Gelist, but they are not available for export yet. Please enlarge the pictures, some of them have very pretty shimmer and microglitter finishes.

Whew! So much polish, I hope it doesn't get confiscated!

China Glaze LOL

Whenever I see swatches of the OMG collection I always regret missing out; I wasn't into nail polish back then. I'm hoping to be able to fill my lemming with Nfu-ohs for the most part, but some of them are pretty unique. I really loved LOL and ended up winning it in an ebay auction for a good price! Here's my newest score, China Glaze LOL:

It's a dark purple linear holo. LOVE! This picture is taken with flash so this is what it would look like in bright lighting, but it's more subtle in low lighting. It looks like a metallic dark purple in low lighting, but I still like that color too! I am wearing two coats in the picture. It was a bit watery and hard to control, but I think this is better for applying a linear holo. There's less chance of bald spots which is a fairly common problem with holos, especially since they dry quickly. As with any linear holo, I skipped the base and top coats. This makes the polish easier to apply and maximizes the holo effect, but the wear is pretty bad. I took the picture less than 12 hours after applying and you can already see a bit of tip wear.

I was kind of worried that the holo wouldn't show up against the dark color, but that is not the case. It is a bit more subtle than it might be against a lighter color, but the holo effect is still strong. I actually don't have many purple polishes, but this was a great first step to expanding my purples!

Someone needs to start making colors like this again!

China Glaze GR8

I'm sure most nail polish lovers mourn the loss of the China Glaze OMG collection and I'm no exception. I wasn't into nail polish at the time and I had no idea about holos. I did acquire one a while back, though, without even realizing it was from the collection. GR8 is probably the least popular color, but that means it's easily available on ebay for a reasonable price (around $8 shipped) and there's even still available on head2toebeauty.com (that's where I got mine). Here it is:

It may not be super popular, but I still love it! It's pretty unique, a gold holo, a linear holo at that. I didn't capture the holo effect too well in this photo, it's stronger IRL. This is two coats, no base or top coat. It's pretty watery, but dries quickly. I need more linear holos in my life! Hopefully I will be able to buy lots of Nfu-ohs soon, but they don't make a gold holo so I'm glad to have this one. I might have to look for a few more polishes from the OMG collection now! China Glaze, PLEASE bring these back!

Sally Hansen Nail Prisms Purple Diamond LE and Pink Rose Diamond

So I heard about SH Nail Prisms on Scrangie's site, and I was really curious so I did a Google image search. They looked amazing! Of course, when I looked for them on ebay most colors cost an arm and a leg, especially popular ones like Garnet Lapis and Diamond (not LE). The following two colors you can usually find for a reasonable price ($5-7) so I decided to buy them.

First, Purple Diamond Limited Edition:


It's kind of a dusty purple holo. From what I understand, this bottle shape means it's limited edition, but I would recommend looking for the regular bottle (as follows). I believe the polish that comes in the regular bottles have a much stronger holo effect, you can't even tell this is a holo from the bottle alone. That said, under the right lighting it is very pretty. Formula kind of sucked, it was thin, sheer (this is four coats), and never dries. I wonder if all older polishes are like this? Again, I would look for the regular bottle.

Pink Rose Diamond:


This one comes in the regular bottle and the holo effect is pretty strong. It's more of a linear holo whereas the LE is a diffused one. It's a beautiful magenta holo, and even in low lighting it's sparkly. In the right lighting the holo effect is very strong. Same formula problems, but it's such a gorgeous color! I waited about an hour for it to dry before I got frustrated and added a coat of Seche Vite, but it never fully dried (I can still make dents if I press my nail into the polish).

Overall, it's probably better to invest in some Nfu-oh but I thought these were pretty different from their offerings. Why don't they make colors like this anymore??

Sally Hansen Magical Nail Makeup Copper Cauldron

I'm super sick today (I think it's the flu), but I already have some tip wear and wanted to take a pic before I took this off.

Although the name says "Copper," this is actually a pale pink holo, kind of on the peach side. I haven't tried Nfu-oh or the China Glaze OMG collection so I can't compare, but the holo effect on this is very strong. As with many holos, this was a bit difficult to work with. The formula was great, but it was hard to cover up bald spots. I used three coats here, but with better application you could get away with two. I think the key is just to use plenty of polish on the brush and to use as few strokes as possible, kind of like applying a matte polish. I did not use a base coat or top coat.

I hope I'm well enough to do my nails later, I really wanted to get started on some Valentine's Day manis!

Dior Lemon Balm and Color Club Fashion Addict

I do apologize in advance for posting such a HTF color, but I love it so much! Plus, the whole purple/brown/taupe color is such a big trend for this season so you will be able to find something similar. Dior Lemon Balm:

I really don't think this picture does it justice. It looks different in different lights, sometimes more purple, sometimes more brown. It's kind of a mix of all three, with a bronze-brown shimmer. Great fall color! Application was good and there are three coats shown here, but you could get away with two.

Annnd, a holo! Color Club Fashion Addict:



I really love Color Club so far! Application was a dream. The consistency was perfect, not too thick or thin, very easy to work with. Of course the color is really pretty too! This one is a pinkish lavender holo; the holo effect is a bit more obvious than in my pictures. I think it is best seen under moderate indoor lighting.

After this I decided to put in a big Color Club order which should be coming soon! Also, I got my Chanel Khaki Vert but I decided to order the other two which are on their way as well. Whew, I think after this I am done for the season (until the next Rescue Beauty Lounge sale)!

Diamond Cosmetics Chainmail Charm

Hello everyone from Vegas! It's my first time here in maybe 20 years or so, and to celebrate I wanted to do something sparkly. I decided to try out my first holo:








Diamond Cosmetics Chainmail Charm! It's even more sparkly and holographic in the sun, I can't stop looking at it! The base is kind of a dark, brownish gray and in the shade it looks like there is silver microglitter, but of course in the light it has that holographic rainbow effect. Love it!

The formula on this was okay, a bit runny but not too hard to work with. I am wearing three thin coats, but I think a lot of people could do with two.

I cut my nails and I'm still getting used to the length and shape, but I think I like it!