Autumn 2017 Comparisons - Deborah Lippmann Black Magic Woman (Star Power)

From left to right: Storm (Ornate, Holiday 2012), My Private Jet (Originally Night Brights, Summer 2007, Brown version), Black Magic Woman, Ebony (Dark and Stormy Nights, October 2016), Celine (Celestial Cheer, Holiday 2016), Kristjana (This Way to the Soiree, December 2016), Payton (Zenith, Holiday 2013)

I immediately thought of Ebony when I saw Black Magic Woman, and I’m not far off, Ebony’s darker though and the holo is stronger. The version of My Private Jet I have is also pretty close but the base is more brown.

Update with Julep Brandy:

I just got Brandy the other day and it’s really close to Black Magic Woman. The big difference is Brandy has some blue-green glitter in it as well as the holo, but otherwise they’re almost dead-on. The base color is super close.

Summer 2017 Comparisons - China Glaze I Sea Ponies (My Little Pony)

From left to right: Message in a Bottle (Message in a Bottle, Spring 2017), Angie (Paradise, April 2015), What’s Your Sign? (Halo Hues, Spring 2015), Alicia (Urban Grunge, Autumn 2016), I Sea Ponies, DS Coronation (2008), Mirrorball (Sparkle, Holiday 2014), Galactic Gray (Hologlam, Spring 2013)

I Sea Ponies is pretty dead-on with DS Coronation. I Sea Ponies has finer glitter but you don’t need both. Alicia has a strong gold shimmer in it and everything else is completely different.

Spring 2017 Comparisons - Deborah Lippmann Message in a Bottle (Message in a Bottle)

From left to right: Carrie Ann (Light and Shadow, November 2016), Message in a Bottle, What’s Your Sign? (Halo Hues 2015, Summer 2015), DS Opulence (2008 Designer Series), DS Classic (2008 Designer Series)

Carrie Ann is a similar color, just more beige. The holo is also stronger, but in most lighting it just looks golden. Message in a Bottle is pinker and a subtler, more scattered holo. Given how much of a bubble nightmare Carrie Ann was, even though it’s cheaper I can’t in good faith recommend it to you. Let’s hope Message in a Bottle isn’t the bubbly mess Carrie Ann was! What’s Your Sign is more silvery and has a way stronger and more linear holo.

Mani of the Day - Julep Stephanie (Classic with a Twist)

Good evening everyone! Today I have another mani – Julep’s Stephanie, from last August's Endless Summer collection. I love this so much! Stephanie is a summery strawberry red with holographic glitter. Now, a lot of the holo glitter takes a red tone because it’s underneath some of the base color, but even if it’s not the strongest holo in the world it’s still absolutely awesome! The holo glitter is actually these tiny irregularly shaped shards, but they lie completely flat. Plus Stephanie is completely opaque in two easy coats. Go check this one out!

Julep Blue Holographics Comparison

Good afternoon everyone! Today I’m going to compare Julep’s blue holographic polishes! I’m not certain why it seems like Julep has more blue holos than any other color, but they certainly have quite a few! The only blues holos of theirs I’m missing are Tomi (I’ve been avoiding it because I worry it’s just too close to Hallie, but if I do get it I’ll add it in) and the two blues from last holiday’s mini holographic set, Kinsey and Yvette.

From left to right: Jennye, Tali, Ayonna, Hallie, Tessa, Eliza, Ginny, Delores. Bottom, Cecile.

I decided to throw in Cecile (Lighten Up Collection, March 2016) at the bottom even though it’s more green than any of the rest. The only other one of these with a lot of green in it is Hallie, which is much lighter and bluer. It’s also the only one of these that is a jelly finish (so does Tomi, but it’s also lighter and bluer). Everything else is much more opaque.

Jennye (Spring to It Collection, March 2017) – Jennye, one of the newest of these, is definitely filling a void in Julep’s lineup, that being light blue. The base of this is similar to Jessica, only a bit more purple toned. Jennye is one of the finer, blingier, less silvery, more linear holographics, which gives it a much different look than Tali.

Tali (New Year Fresh Look Collection, January 2016) – Tali has always been the strongest of the Liquid Holographics, but has a distinctly different look than the 2016-7 Holographics like Eliza and Jennye. Tali is a sky blue with a strong but not quite as in your face holo effect. The glitter in Jennye or Eliza jumps off of the polish, while the holo in the Liquid Holographics compliments the base color and is one with it.

Ayonna (Hatch Me If You Can Mystery Box, April 2017) – The new kid, Ayonna is unique in that when not flashing holo, the glitter appears silver against the denim blue background. In fact, when not flashing holo Ayonna quite looks like denim! It’s like a holo pair of jeans! It’s darker than Tali and lighter and less purple than Tessa.

Hallie (Holo Days Mystery Box, July 2015) – Hallie is by far the most teal out of all the blue holographics, but not as green as Cecile. Hallie looks like Caribbean resort water! It has a subtler holo effect that’s hard to see in indirect lighting but visible and quite chic in sunlight or bright light.

Tessa (All is Bright Trio, Holiday 2015) – I don’t think I realized how much purple was in Tessa until I compared it to all these other blue holos! Tessa is a dark blue with a lot of purple, but not so much purple as Delores. It is of the Liquid Holographic formula that is less blingy and more silvery, but in the sunlight is quite beautiful.

Eliza (Endless Summer Collection, August 2016) – Eliza, as mentioned above, is what I’m going to call a 2016-17 Holographic, Julep’s new favored form of holographic shimmer being this less silvery and more linear holographic. Eliza is somehow simultaneously dark and bright blue, Julep calls it an “infinite ocean blue” and I wholeheartedly agree, It’s similar in color, except brighter, to Tessa, but their holographic glitter is quite different.

Ginny (This Way to the Soiree, December 2016) – Ginny is a whole other animal compared to the rest of Julep’s blue holos. The holo in Ginny is incredibly fine and almost hard to see in some lights, and it also has some orange shimmer, which is mostly lost on the nail but it gives the polish a lot of depth. It’s far purpler and darker than Eliza, which has little purple in it.

Delores (Kisses, London Collection, September 2015) – Delores is very violet, but a very blue toned one. This Liquid Holographic is pretty close to Tessa, but putting Delores next to Tessa does really show that Tessa deep down really is blue.