Layla Flash Black

I mentioned in this post that I had ordered both Ocean Rush and Flash Black, so here's Flash Black. I actually don't have tons to add to that post, so this will be mostly pictures. =D

Gorgeous, right?

I mentioned in my post about Ocean Rush that I had used my GOSH Fix base coat, and that I would try my regular base coat next time I wore one of these to see if an aqua base is really necessary. This polish was really not happy when I tried to apply it over my regular base coat (Pro FX Epoxy Bond). The application was so patchy that I took the polish off the first nail and started over. I actually layered my GOSH Fix over Epoxy Bond, and the polish still wasn't happy - you can't see it in these pics, but I had some odd lumpiness and streaks going on. Now, I have applied a lot of holos without an aqua base. This one probably would have evened out in several coats. But GOSH Fix makes these apply SO much better. I think it's definitely worth putting these over an aqua base.

So there you have it. If you like holos at all, I'm afraid that you need these. They are simply magnificent.

Hope you all have had a lovely weekend. Thanks for reading!

Hits Speciallita Zeus

I've been on a quest for my perfect black holo for a while now, and I think I've finally found it in Hits Speciallita Zeus.

These photos show Zeus at three coats. I don't mind three coats ordinarily, but these Hits polishes come in these teeny tiny bottles, and one 3-coat mani made a noticeable dent in my bottle. I'll layer it over black next time, I think.

The formula is really, really great, and the brush is perfect. I guess maybe it's just the Mari Moon Hits that had issues with the brushes being terrible. 

Yeah. Beautiful. Perfect. I shall be needing more than one bottle of this for sure.

Happy Thursday! Thank you for reading! =D

Butter London The Black Knight

The Black Knight was released as part of Butter London's 2011 holiday collection. It's a pretty singular polish, consisting of very, very fine blue, silver and pink glitter suspended in a black jelly base. Mine was pretty thick and required a few drops of thinner to get it to a better consistency.

I actually wasn't fond of this one the first time I wore it, but I was sick and there was the aforementioned thickness problem. I also wasn't seeing much of the pink or blue glitter, and now I think that was also because of the thickness and because I didn't shake it very well.

I'm really glad that I gave The Black Knight a second chance. It makes me feel like I have a galaxy on my nails. Simply stunning in person.

It does dry super, mega gritty, and it definitely needed some extra top coat. I used two coats of The Black Knight, and followed it with a coat of Gelous plus two coats of my usual top coat, Pro FX quick dry. Next time I wear it, I think I'll try a single coat over black to see if I can get away with using less top coat to smooth it out.

So in the end, The Black Knight took a little work for me to love it, but it was absolutely worth it. =)

Hope you all had a great holiday, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or the Winter Solstice. Hard to believe we're about to bid farewell to 2011!

FingerPaints Black Expressionism - My New Go-To Black

Like most lacquerheads, I felt like I was constantly on a quest for a good one-coater black polish that didn't cost an arm and a leg. I know a lot of people swear by Wet 'n Wild Black Creme, but it just never worked that great for me. It was super thick, even with thinner. It was an uncooperative consistency. Plus, it chipped really badly on me. I was just on the brink of breaking down and getting Illamasqua Boosh, when one of my nail buddies told me that she really likes FingerPaints Black Expressionism. I figured it was worth a $5.00 gamble to see how I liked it.

The verdict? I don't just like it, I LOVE it. Great formula, easy to work with. I could tell it would probably need thinning within a few uses, but meh, I can live with that. Super pigmented, what you see here is one coat.

I found that I was really enjoying having plain black nails, which I hadn't done in a while, so I left it on for about three days as a wear test. No chips, barely any tip wear. And I kept getting compliments on it, which I thought was funny cause it was like, "Thanks... they're just black?" =D

So if you're looking for a good black creme and you have access to FingerPaints, I highly recommend Black Expressionism. Love, love, love!

Nfu Oh GS14

Nfu Oh makes the most crazy amazing polishes, and GS14 is no exception. It's a thicker black jelly that is absolutely PACKED with holographic glitter. I had to take these photos outside because my lightbox simply couldn't capture it. And even being out in full sun, these pics don't do it justice.

Wow, right? I squeed when I took it out of the package.

I did some experimenting before I did the full mani, and it was nice and opaque in two coats. I ended up doing one coat over one coat of Rimmel Black Satin for this mani - I found that it didn't get quite so gritty that way, plus it conserves the awesomeness of the Nfu Oh. =)

I finished it off with a coat of Gelous and a coat of Pro-FX. It's completely smooth, not gritty at all. I love it!

Hope you're having a good Sunday. True Blood premier tonight, wooot!