Thursday, July 25, 2013

Import Post - Layla Cosmetics Hologram Effects Swatch-A-Thon

Hey hey peeps! Please accept my apologies for the lack of blog posts lately. I've been super busy preparing to launch my indie polish line, The Devil Wears Polish. Now that the blog and FB pages are switched over, all I've got left to do is create more pretties and get the shop done! If all goes as planned, I aim to open the first week of August. In the meantime, I've fallen even farther behind on swatches so lets check out this long over due review of Layla Cosmetics Hologram Effects nail polish. I won a giveaway from SFR Beauty, prize being a $100 gift certificate! Very awesome. SFR Beauty focuses on organic, high-end cosmetics, skin care, etc, and they are one of Ebay's premiere beauty suppliers. I recommend following them on Facebook and Twitter to stay utd on their sales, giveaways, and more. You can check out the shop here too. Now back to polish.

 It was very simple for me to decide what I wanted to use the gift card on. I've lusted after the Layla Hologram Effects since seeing them in Ulta about a year ago. So winning the $100 gift card was sorta like hitting the lottery for me, I got 6 Laylas! I will say the holo is spectacular in each bottle I ordered, but I was disappointed in the formulas for a few reasons... I've spoken with several other bloggers, and we all seem to have the same complaints. The application of the Layla Hologram Effects is SUPER tricky, and they seem to chip almost instantly. If you try to apply these like any other polish, you'll end up slapping on a good 5-7 coats. That probably has a lot to do with the chipping too. The formula is thin and uber touchy, you'll have patches and drag marks that are loads of fun to cover up if you're not extremely gentle and take care to avoid using the brush tip. After a lot of experimenting and chatting with other bloggers, I've finally figured out the best way to apply Layla Hologram Effects. Flat brush painting. When applying, use thick coats, spread it by gently moving the flat part of the brush down the nail. It also helps build up opaqueness and increase staying power when you layer these things over other polishes, but I didn't do it with all of my swatches today. Now I feel like a jackass to complain so much about a product, so I must say these things look friggin amazing. I'm very happy with the look of them, not so much with application and wear. Now I'll stop pissing & moaning and show you Jade Groove.
Jade Groove is light green, I'm assuming. I can't really distinguish whether it looks more green, silver, or blue but I'll go with green because of the name. I applied 3 THICK coats in my swatch. Here's a wonky-angled shot of Jade Groove, just because it's awesome...
Gorgeous right? It almost makes the shit-tastic formula forgivable. Now let's have a look-see at Gold Idol...
For this swatch, I again used 3 thick coats, but opted for Zoya Goldie as my undies. Gold Idol is the prettiest gold polish I've ever seen. Oh! One good thing about the Laylas formula is the dry time. It's so thin, it dries almost instantly. I thought I should mention that since I haven't already. Here's another Gold Idol shot for your viewing pleasure ...
 Very pretty! Next up I've got Mercury Twilight...
 I used 3 thick coats over Zoya Trixie, undies seem to help the holo bond a bit better. Here's another shot at yet another wonky angle...
All bitching aside, I LOVE the way these things sparkle! It doesn't matter if you're outside in the sun or sitting beside a reading lamp, these Layla's are spectacular for lack of a better description. Ready for some Emerald Divine? Me thinks you are...
I'm in love with that green. I was able to get away with 2 thick coats and no undies by using the flat brush technique. That be awesome! Here's another look...
 Gorgeous. I understand why it was on back order. But wait, they get even better. Next up is Purple Illusion.
 It leans more towards magenta than purple, but it's gorgeous anyway. I used two thick coats for my swatch, no undies. And here's a second look for ya...
Apologies for the super wonky angle. It's still pretty, but I saved my favorite for last. Feast your eyes upon Mermaid Spell...
 LOVE! I used 3 thick coats, no undies for this swatch. Can you see why it's my favorite? How 'bout I show you Mermaid Spell in a different angle?
 It's so holo-y and pretty, I've used it several times since I got it. Yeah, this one I love so much I'm willing to forgive the nit-picky formula. I have the urge to show you another shot to ensure you understand how awesome it is. You're welcome.

Now for my verdict on Layla Hologram Effects nail polish. They're difficult to work with, they chip easily, and being imported from italy - they aren't widely available here in the US. They're quite pricey too at $16 a pop. Although I've heard recently Ulta has lots of them on clearance. All issues aside, I am very happy with the finished holographic effect they produce. In my opinion, the only other company that's released holos comparative to Layla is Color Club with their magnificent Halo Hues. Unfortunately I don't own any CCs to compare them to, I'm just going by swatches I've seen. I haven't heard of any application issues with the Halo Hues either, and they're quite a bit cheaper. I'll grab a few more Laylas when I find them on sale, just because they amaze me and I'll use them for special occasions. I'm still very happy to add them to my small stash of imported polish, but I'm pretty sure Color Club would be the more reasonable choice if you're looking to get your holo fix. So, what's your opinion? Do you own any Hologram Effects? Is yours a love-hate relationship as well? Leave some comment love if you wish. Btw, don't foget to check out The Polish Diva's 100 FB likes giveaway that I'm taking part in. Click here to get to it. Until next time peeps... 



6 comments:

  1. These make me mad. I bought them when they were $16 each and totally regret it considering how shitastic the formula is. I wouldn't have minded as much if they were cheaper. All that aside, they really are gorgeous and you did a great job of showcasing them.

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    1. Thanks Cynthia! Buyers remorse is understandable. For the price I feel they should be easier to use. I'm super impressed with the finished look though, so I'm going to keep an eye out for sales.

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  2. Those are soooooooo nice. I only have the Color Club holos but I have been keeping my eye out for these!

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    1. Oooh, I know SFR Beauty ships to Canada ;) And I'm fairly certain you can get these all day long on Amazon. I would LOVE to see a comparison post!

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  3. Replies
    1. They really are gorgeous, even if they're hard to work with :)

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