Have I stumbled on a topcoat for holographic?

I was polishing my nails with Nfu Oh #66.

As a basecoat I used Sally Hansen Hard as Nails clear. I then did two coats of Nfu Oh, and decided to put a layer of Sally Hansen over the top before putting on the last coat of Nfu Oh.
I had the idea of doing a topcoat sandwich, I ran across this method at The Polish Insomniac here.

It was no suprise when my mani went totally cloudy and dull on application of the clear coat, but what surprised me was that as it dried, it cleared up, there was little loss of the holographic effect.

Here is a pic with Nfu Oh #66 with Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Clear over the top - of all but one nail.

Here is a more obvious shot, the nail that does not have Sally Hansen over the top is the middle finger.

I have also tried this with China Glaxe BFF from the OMG collection, and it seems to work about the same, the holographic effect is a little more subdued, but not lost.

Blush Amour

I have finally swatched the Blush Amour polishes that I have.
Their website can be found here

The place that I found these polishes was Dimmeys. In our shop, they have a cosmetic stand right by the front door of various Blush Amour cosmetics, foundation, concealer, eyeliner, polish remover, and of course polish.
I am not sure if the pricing is consistent throughout their stores, but here the polishes retail for $2, which is the cheapest that I can find .

First up is Blush Amour #14 which is a black creme. 1 coat with top clear.



This is one coat over Nfu Oh #66.
It is extremely pigmented, and absolutely perfect for nail stamping.

Next in line is #2. 3 coats with top clear.


This is a really nice purple, although this seems to flash pink in this lighting, I do not think that the effect is this pronounced in real life. This polish is packed with shimmer and does seem to have a subtle glow.

#4 is a really nice pink. 3-4 coats with top clear.

This also has shimmer, and I have included a close up.


#6 is a very shimmery bronze. 3 coats with top clear.
This is in bright indoor lighting.

And again to show how it changes in different lighting.



#10 is one that I don't really like and hardly wear. 3 coats with top clear.


It is a nice neutral shade, but very brushstrokey.
I find that on me it shows dings quite clearly, so even after doing my nails the night before, then going to work the next morning after it has dried, this on me looks pretty bad after a few hours work.

#15 is a very bright shimmery red. 2 coats with top clear. (maybe 3?)

Another one of those polishes that seem lit from within when the light strikes them.

#46, this was about 4 coats, with no top clear.


This was a sheer neon jelly that would have required a few more coats for opacity. At 4 coast, definite visable nail line. This dried to a satin finish.

#52 3 coats - first picture no top clear, dried dull satin.


This is one of the two backup bottles that I bought of this polish.
The first bottle that I bought, I nearly used up, so I thought that I needed backups.
The backups were unlike the first bottle that I bought in that instead of drying shiny, they dried to a dullish finish.


I am not sure if it is obvious here how much a topcoat brings this polish back up to where it should be. The topcoat definitely brings up the shimmer in this polish.

#66 is a deep charcoal grey with silver shimmer. 3 coats with clear coat.



This one for me applies very well.

#69 is a bright shimmery blue. 3 coats with clear coat.


This one is also highly pigmented, and has nice shimmer.
I have found that when frankening with this polish, a little goes a long, long way.
This also will stain your nails and cuticles, so care in removing this is a must (like #14)

In all the swatches I have just used the Blush Amour clear as a topcoat, although when wearing these polishes, I always try to be sure to use a good base and topcoat to help prevent chipping.

One polish that I just realized that I didn't swatch is Blush Amour #72 which is the best white creme that I own. I will swatch that one, eventually :)