Andrea advises that topcoat alters both the color and holographic effects, and that it does. I'm of the camp that never, ever goes without topcoat, so that the topcoated version is what you will see in my photos. However, I can tell you that without topcoat it has a perfect linear prismatic flare in rainbow colors that floats over a gleaming semi-metallic flash of red-brown. With topcoat, the base color becomes exponentially more intense. It deepens and develops a rich igneous glow. The holographic effects are somewhat internalized and do more to shade the base color with varying tones of auburn, rust and deep cordovan. Direct sunlight generates a slender flame-shaped band of deep glowing indigo with a corona of red sparks that perfectly complements the deep rich red-brown of the base color.
Application was sweet! The consistency of Synonym Bun is fluid, light and very smooth, with an easy, self-leveling flow over the nail. This is a user-friendly polish that is a pleasure to work with, amenable to thin to medium coats and not in the least bit finicky. There's a degree of translucence to the formula, so the first coat is somewhat sheer. But opacity builds quite quickly with wearable coverage after two coats. Andrea suggests using three coats for fullest color, so that's what I did. Cleanup is easy and straightforward. I experienced very little pigment travel with a bit of accompanying trace staining.
Synonym Bun dries naturally in very good time to a beautiful glossy finish, so if you wished to forgo topcoat you would still have the glossy look that topcoat brings to a manicure. If you do use topcoat, especially a quick-dry topcoat, be aware that it will transform both the appearance of the base color and the holographic effects. This polish seems to have a particularly intimate symbiosis with topcoat that is difficult to describe. In any case, I did apply a quick-dry topcoat to this manicure.
Photos show three coats of Synonym Bun over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
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| Indigo Bananas Synonym Bun |
Synonym Bun has the kind of lush dimensionality that I associate with silk velvet, and it's a match made in heaven for the sultry, glowing cordovan coloring the polish takes on with topcoat. With its blush of sparkling russet, it's the epitome of a fall polish. In low incandescent light, it reads as a deep burgundy and has a gleaming pink flash. Some would call it... sexy!
I think it would be the bees knees presiding over a fall feast. Thanksgiving, perhaps?
love,
Liz
Staaahhhppp, I can't handle any more! JK, of course! Bring on these liquid jewels. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is an incredibly beautiful polish! From your photos, on my monitor, it looks like it has that glows within thing going for it. The macro pic of your thumb is gor-jus! The polish looks magical!
This look is VERY glowy, it reminds me of the way some deep red holos seem to swallow or internalize all that holo power, allowing it to operate within bounds set by the color pigment. Colors by LLarowe Red Baron is like that. It's a different kind of holo look that what we usually see, with the holo effects floating over the color. Here it's kind of a Tardis effect, bigger on the inside!
DeleteThis is fabulous!! It looks practically edible. It really does look like the yumsy goodie inside the swirls of a cinnamon bun. <3 This is really spectacular, especially in this holo form. Fall polishes are my favorites. They almost always remind me of food. :/ And YES Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteI saw the name of the polish and thought, what the smack is a synonym bun? Is it anything like an antonym chignon??
Melissa, I thought of you and your syrup polish description when I wore this because it reminds me so much of maple syrup. I found myself constantly observing it on my nails, such an interesting polish. Remember, it has a totally different and more typical holo look without the topcoat. But I think it really comes into its own with the topcoat.
DeleteThe Indigo Banans Fall Holo collection is a really nice group of polishes. There's another one like Synonym Bun that I got, where adding topcoat changes the look. It's called Volcanic Corruption, looks to be a red-orange -- another great fall color. I have it in my swatching chute waiting for the right moment.
I think you'd call the name of this polish a homophonic pun. What the smack is an antonym chignon?