Lacquer Slacker Liz: Holo Hookup

Showing posts with label Holo Hookup. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Glisten & Glow Kiss My Tulips

Kiss My Tulips was created by Jill of Connecticut-based indie polish maker Glisten & Glow for the April 2018 "Tulips" edition of The Holo Hookup. Described as "an eggplant linear holo with pink shimmers," the base color is a rich, medium-dark, slightly grape-leaning variation of purple along the lines of LSU purple. Abundant metallic pink microflake shimmers brighten and warm the look to more of an eminence purple appearance on the nail and give it a dimensionalizing pink glow along the axis of light with a prominent semi-metallic pink flash. Hints of a linear holographic display can be seen in ambient light, with a full prismatic linear flare in the sun.

Application was a messy affair through no fault of the polish (it was just one of those days), which has a fluid, full-bodied consistency with a medium viscosity and a smooth, even, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is very good, delivering evenly opaque coverage and full bottle color in two medium coats. Luckily for me, clean up is relatively easy with a tiny bit of sticking on the part of the shimmers. Kiss My Tulips dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat enhances the glowy effect of the shimmers.

Photos show two coats of Kiss My Tulips over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Glisten & Glow Kiss My Tulips

This is quite vibrant for a darker shade, and very clean. Sleek and flashy on the nail. Nice!

love,
Liz

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Different Dimension Tulip Mania

Tulip Mania was created by Missi of Indiana-based indie polish maker Different Dimension for the April 2018 "Tulips" edition of The Holo Hookup, a monthly four-lacquer polish box. Officially described as "a bright berry red linear holographic polish with added shimmers," the color is a vibrant, medium-toned, rosy variation of magenta with aspects of Mexican pink, kind of like a cross between Hollywood cerise and rose bonbon.

Finely-milled holographic pigment gives it a lush, floral character on the nail, nuancing the base with dimensionalizing hues of violet, shocking pink and French rose in ambient light and combining with golden particulate shimmers to create a lively, gleaming, semi-metallic underlay of bright pink. In the sun, there's a brilliant linear prismatic display featuring the full retinue of rainbow colors.

Application was luscious. The consistency of Tulip Mania is fluid, dense and smooth with a medium-to-slightly-thicker viscosity and a velvety, even, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is very good to excellent, producing evenly opaque coverage and full bottle color in two coats. Cleanup is easy. Tulip Mania dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat does not interfere with the holographic properties of the polish in any way.

Photos show two coats of Tulip Mania over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Different Dimension Tulip Mania

You can't really tell it from the pics, but the gleaming, semi-metallic underlay is quite prominent and adds considerable sass to the spirited but ladylike sensibility of the strong, clear, cool, floral pink. The look is sleek and deft, bold and exuberant, with a vivacious, purposeful kind of energy. Gorgeous!

love,
Liz

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Cupcake Polish Shut Your Tulips

Shut Your Tulips was created by Sara of Texas-based indie polish maker Cupcake Polish especially for inclusion in the April 2018 "Tulips" edition of The Holo Hookup. Described as "a vibrant orange linear holo packed with super shiny silver shimmers," the color is a luxuriant ambery-orange shade that is similar to orange peel, about halfway between amber and orange on the color wheel. It reminds me of turmeric and Indian gold.

Finely-milled holographic pigment nuances the color with hues of mango and carrot and gives it the delicately-grained visual texture common to holos. Tiny silver microflake shimmers sparkle in shades of gold, amber and orange as light travels over them, adding extra zing and sleekness to the finish and giving the polish a luxurious sensibility. In the sun, there's a linear prismatic flare predominated by spring green and orange, slightly dispersed by the microflake shimmers but extra sparkly because of them also.

Application was fantastic. The consistency of Shut Your Tulips is fluid, full-bodied and smooth with a medium viscosity and a plush, self-leveling glide over the nail. Pigmentation is excellent, very close to a one-coater. Two coats ensures most uniform opacity. Cleanup is straightforward with some scattering of the microflake shimmers. Shut Your Tulips dries naturally in very good time to a silky smooth, slightly flat finish. Topcoat does not in any way interfere with the holographic properties of this polish.

Photos show two coats of Shut Your Tulips over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Cupcake Polish Shut Your Tulips

Wow, this color is amazing, so vibrant and rich! Sometimes orange polish can feel a little forced or exaggerated or synthetic, but this one has a gorgeous organic quality that's both earthy and ornamental, natural and high-end. I adore the addition of the sparkling microflake shimmers, they add a touch of extra reflectivity and glamor to the presentation of this polish on the nail that is entirely in keeping with the glowing, opulent nature of the color. Gorgeous with earthtones and jeweltones as well. Really special!

love,
Liz

Monday, April 2, 2018

Lacquester Tulipazuli

Tulipazuli was created by Caroline of Dutch-based indie polish maker Lacquester especially for inclusion in the April 2018 "Tulips" edition of The Holo Hookup. The Holo Hookup is a collaborative monthly polish box featuring creations from Cupcake Polish, Different Dimension and Glisten & Glow along with a contributing guest polish maker that changes each month. Lacquester is the guest maker for April.

Described as a blue jelly-based linear holo with color-shifting pigment and multichrome flakies, the color is translucent medium-dark variation of sapphire with aspects of cornflower and iris, similar to Kelly-Moore's Evening in Paris or hex color #314d8c, a clear, early evening sky kind of blue with a softened, gently faded sensibility. Finely-milled holographic pigment generates nuanced hues of azure and violet with hints of aqua in ambient light, while abundant pink/gold/green color-shifting shimmer reads predominantly as pink within the base, mixing with it to give it a lavender-esque quality and creating a luminous coppery pink mist along the axis of light. Equally abundant multichrome flakies speckle the finish in a beautifully-coordinated reddish copper/pink/salmon/flame colorway, glowing in sunset hues as light travels over them. In the sun, there's a slightly dispersed but recognizably linear and prismatic flare with lots of pink sparkle that surrounds a glittery lick of bright pink.

Application was lovely. The consistency of Tulipazuli is fluid, light and smooth with a medium viscosity and a fluent, easy, self-leveling slip over the nail that is a pleasure to manipulate with Lacquester's flexible, paddle-style brush. The multichrome flakies disperse evenly and lay flat to the nail. Pigmentation is sheer and requires three coats for wearable opacity. Cleanup is straightforward with a bit of stickiness on the part of the flakies. Tulipazuli dries naturally in very good time to a smooth shiny finish. Topcoat accentuates the presence and effects of the components.

Photos show three coats of Tulipazuli over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Lacquester Tulipazuli

Delightful! On the nail, this polish is complex, luminous and packed with indie flair. The native translucence of the base gives the beautiful blue color a soft, airy, dimensional quality and allows all of the components to shine, which they do! This is my first experience with Lacquester and I'm impressed.

In the US, you can purchase Lacquester at Color4Nails.

love,
Liz

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Darling Diva Vivien

Vivien was created by Minnesota-based indie polish maker Darling Diva Polish exclusively for inclusion in the December 2016 edition of The Holo Hookup collaborative polish box, released for pre-order in November. Darling Diva was the special guest polish maker for this box, entitled Hollywood Bombshells, which also featured creations from regular contributors Cupcake Polish, Different Dimension and Glisten & Glow.

Inspired by British actress Vivien Leigh, Vivien is a dark red linear holographic polish with gold sparks in a jelly formula. The color is a deep, complex variation of ruby, less purple and cleaner than I usually think of for burgundy but similarly full-bodied. It is warmed to something along the lines of firebrick by abundant minute gold microflake shimmers, which appear as floating red-gold sparks and give it a handsome glowing semi-metallic underlay. Finely-milled holographic pigment generates a flare of translucent violet in ambient light, and in the sun there's a bright linear display, spangled and slightly diffused by the golden microflakes and predominated by arcs of violet, azure and red, surrounding a sparkly slender lick of semi-metallic dark red.

Application was great! The consistency of Vivien is fluid, smooth and slightly sticky with a medium-to-thicker consistency and a plush, self-leveling glide over the nail that sets up fairly quickly. Pigmentation is very good, delivering evenly opaque coverage in two coats. Cleanup is easy. Vivien dries naturally in very good time to a smooth, shiny finish. Topcoat serves to emphasize the presence and effects of the microflake shimmers and does not alter the holographic effects in any way.

Photos show two coats of Vivien over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Darling Diva Vivien

Another marvelous bombshell polish from this box! The color is rich and dimensional on the nail, and the twinkle from those floating red-gold sparks adds an especially glamorous touch. Vivien is one of those polishes that stealthily becomes more and more luxurious and beautiful the closer you get to it, a phenomenon that I identify with precise, careful craftsmanship. This polish has it in spades!

love,
Liz