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GOSH – Holographic Hero (swatches, Comparison & review)

I never really understood what it was exactly about holographic lacquers that appeared to incite such a frenzied reaction amongst nail polish aficionados – until I held that first prismatic bottle in my hands (seen here). Then, I stared. And stared some more. Bearing an almost 3-dimensional look, these lacquers are the stuff that myths are created out of – with sightings of them equally legendary.

When I learned that GOSH would be reissuing their highly praised version (and equally condemned – but more on that later on), I was thrilled to come across this unicorn while running errands at my local Pharmaprix (Shopper’s Drug Mart for the rest of Canada), which trip also saw me picking up GOSH’s ‘Galaxy’ (previously reviewed here). Cradling this precious bottle as though it were a newborn, I rushed home with my prize … and prayed to the nail varnish Gods that I wouldn’t be let down, pumped up by so much hype. Read on, my beauties …

#549 Holographic Hero (CAD $7.99 8 ml/0.3 fl.oz) – is basically a silver micro-shimmer base with white leanings, overlain by prismatic particles for that linear holographic effect. The formula is unbelievable; a self-levelling very easy flow with a good balance of being thick enough to cover well by the first coat – no streaking or bald patches, and thin enough to spread out easily without turning runny. While 2 coats will give good coverage, it’s at 3 coats where this baby really comes to life. As it winds down to a satin finish, top coat is essential to bring out its brilliance. Coats applied: 3 (thin) over base coat & finished with top coat.
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The base colour is a strong platinum hue with some pale grey undertones and the holographic effect is one that’s known as “linear”, as opposed to the more scattered type seen in other similar lacquers. Starting with a regular base coat, I then applied 3 thin coats of ‘Holographic Hero’, waiting at least 2 minutes between layers to avoid any potential brush strokes and dragging issues. Even through the satin finish, I was stunned to see its prismatic flashes; when I applied the top coat, the nail surface seemed initially clouded over, but that soon cleared up to enhance every facet of this beauty. Removal was effortless, leaving no residue behind.

*I’ve heard that this shade has basically a wear life span of 1-day, but I haven’t put that to the test – YET. Will update when I do.

GOSH ‘Holographic Hero’

The only other similar varnish I own to ‘Holographic Hero’ is Glitter Gal’s ‘Silver’, and here’s how they compared:

index and pinkie fingers – Glitter Gal ‘Silver’:

a much thinner formula that gives decent coverage by the 3rd coat, but would only have the same density of tone if layered over a solid base first
more pronounced silvery undertone
wider linear bands
prismatic particles seem slightly larger & a touch more vivid
colour rings seem reversed
natural glossy finish

middle & ring fingers – GOSH ‘Holographic Hero’

GOSH ‘Holographic Hero’ vs Glitter Gal ‘Silver’

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Final thoughts: Not much to add that isn’t obvious from the photos; all the talk about this polish is well deserved. That being said, the story was that when GOSH originally launched this shade, it was snapped up & sold out in a blink, but then people began complaining of its less than stellar wear – which in turn led to it being pulled from production. At that point, those who missed out on it, then began clamouring for a bottle and it seems that GOSH decided to comply – albeit with a new & improved formula (which I can’t vouch for, sadly, as I don’t have the original). Seen in person, I can guarantee that the effect is even more impressive, as your eyes try to process all the shifting colours: surreal. I also believe that this type of lacquer has a more sophisticated appeal, able to be easily worn by all age groups – unlike glitter varnishes that can appear too “young”, while its ease of application & removal, make it a total winner for me. With a price point that seems ridiculously low, you have no excuse not to pick up ‘Holographic Hero’ … unless it’s already disappeared, that is.
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*Disclaimer: Some product samples provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

GOSH – Galaxy (swatches, comparisons & review)

December 3, 2012

Other than vampy-hued nail lacquers, I’m a total sucker for anything multi-chromatic, especially if it literally stops me in my tracks the way GOSH’s ‘Galaxy’ did recently while I was running errands at my local Pharmaprix (Shopper’s Drug Mart to all non-Québecers). Ever notice how the cosmetics department is the first section you encounter at a drugstore? Yeah…that’s lethal for a beauty aficionado; you just KNOW you’ll be walking away with something. At least this time is was just this one unique bottle of varnish. Maybe two … but that’s for another post!

#612 Galaxy – (CAD $7.99 8 ml/0.3 fl.oz) is a highly complex shade that almost defies being pinned down in description. A sheer-ish taupe/bronze base colour that is absolutely filled with gold, green, blue, and purple irregularly shaped & finely ground glass-flecked shimmer. Bearing an excellent flow and viscosity to the formula, I found that 2 coats gives decent coverage, although it seems to turn the base colour somewhat browner at this point. With a reflective foil-like finish, there’s definitely an ombré effect seen, where the tips can appear darker and an almost greenish cast seen in some lights that provides that gorgeous duo & multi-chromatic tone. Perfectly self-levelling and with a surprisingly high glossy finish at the end, removal wasn’t too difficult, excepting for some of the more stubborn shimmery bits. Coats applied: 3 (thin)

Alls watches are with base and top coats and I encourage you to click to enlarge the following photos for ‘Galaxy’s’ full impact.
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GOSH ‘Galaxy’ – decorative cap

GOSH ‘Galaxy’

The 2 polishes which bear a similar look & finish and that came to mind, are OPI’s ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ and ‘The World is Not Enough’ (both previously reviewed here) from the brand’s latest ‘Skyfall’ release, but even before swatching, you can clearly note how different they all are:

index finger: OPI ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ – identical sheerness level, greyer based with steel blue undertones, good shine but without ‘Galaxy’s’ high gloss finish
middle & pinkie fingers: GOSH ‘Galaxy’
ring finger: OPI ‘The World is Not Enough’ – the sheerest formula and lightest in tone of the 3, not as glossy as ‘Galaxy’

GOSH ‘Galaxy’ & comparisons

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Final thoughts: As I’m not up on GOSH’s releases, I couldn’t tell you if this particular shade was from a specific collection or not, although with “special edition” printed on the bottle along with the stars decorating the cap, I’m going to guess that this was probably a limited edition colour. The formula, as with several other GOSH lacquers that I’ve tried, was quite good and if 3 coats of polish seems like a lot, then I imagine one layer over a black base would probably achieve the same depth of tone, although you may lose some of its unique complexity. Definitely a varnish that will be conversation-starting, ‘Galaxy’ is so worth hunting down, in my opinion … in particular if you also happen to be a sci-fi buff like me!
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*Disclaimer: Some products provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

Gosh Cosmetics – nail polish haul!

January 13, 2011

Gosh Cosmetics is a Danish brand that’s relatively new to me. Even though I have seen this brand at my local drugstore for a few years now, I hadn’t given any of their lacquers a try, until the other day when I happened on a major sale! So of course, I picked up a few (or 6!) to add to the 1 I already owned but had never tried on. All swatches are with Sèche Natural base coat and Sèche Vite top coat.

#555 Silver is a white based über-shiny metallic silver foil. It has tiny densely-packed sparkling shimmer throughout which gives off that ‘minx’ nail look, but at a fraction of the cost. The formula was on the thin side and happily, I barely noticed any brush strokes after I applied 3 thin coats of lacquer and used Sèche Vite on top to enhance the mirror-like effect. You may find it useful to wait 1-2 minutes between coats, to keep any brush strokes from appearing.

#550 Purple Heart is a deep purple duochrome with flashes of green iridescence. In the bottle, the colour reminds me of pools of gasoline on concrete (same effect) but applied, the green doesn’t really show much except for hints of it around the nail edges. The formula on this one was much thicker but it seemed to smooth out well, and so I found that I only needed 2 coats of polish for full opacity. I noticed that the finish is more satin than gloss, so I definitely recommend a high-shine top coat. Even in shade, it still looks like a deep amethyst and never takes on a black hue.

#554 Gold is an airy & delicate pale lemon-yellow gold. This is another metallic foil, sister to #555 Silver, but without that crazy shine. Because my brush had some splayed hairs, application was a little tricky but the formula itself was on the thinner side, and flowed very well, leaving hardly any noticeable brush strokes behind. Although I’m not usually a ‘gold’ fan, I really liked how this colour looked on me and found it can suit a variety of skin tones with ease. Dry time was good, however I felt that it needed a top coat to really bring out the shine. This was 3 coats in total.

Because I can’t leave well enough alone, I pulled out Dior’s ‘Timeless Gold’ which I reviewed here, to compare. You can immediately see that whereas #554 Gold is more yellow based, Timeless Gold pulls slightly whitish/grey beside it, making it look more platinum and suitable for cooler skin tones. The formula on Timeless Gold was significantly thicker and I applied 3 coats here to be equitable, although it was fully opaque by the 2nd. Top Coat added more depth to the final shine.

#541 Gasoline is one of those hard to describe and equally harder to photograph type of polish; this is an electric violet, infused with pink, silver & blue micro shimmer and has iridescent flashes of blue that you can see with the slightest movement. It’s so pretty! Among my stash, this one stands totally unique and I find it rather mesmerizing. The formula was excellent on this one as well, on the thinner side & flowed easily. Because it is somewhat sheer, however, even at 3 coats like I applied here, you never reach full bottle colour depth…but who cares; just look at it!

#564 Golden dragon is another one that’s as elusive to capture, both in pictures and in description, as a mythical dragon itself! This shade is clover-leaf green with teal undertones and infused with golden shimmer, lending it the same iridescence of a dragonfly’s wings. The formula was slightly thicker that #541 Gasoline and although it was fairly opaque with 2 coats, I applied 3 to achieve the true bottle colour. Top coat was also used to bring out the shine even further.

#572 Golden Bronze is a bit misleading in the name; this shade is actually a rich, deep copper like that of a newly minted penny. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I do, but…I love it! The shimmer is rich and almost blinding in the sun, but thankfully does not pull orange, making it so versatile for a variety of skin tones. The formula was of medium consistency, flowed well and I saw no visible brush strokes at all. Unlike #555 Silver and #554 Gold, the finish on this shade was nice and glossy.

#594 Miss Grey is one of the most amazing creme polishes I have tried to date. This shade, from their Winter 2010/2011 Collection, is a sleek-looking dolphin grey, super-sophisticated and creamy with what looks to me like deep blueish undertones, intense depth and a mirror-like glossy finish. With 2 coats it was fully opaque and the only reason I added a top coat was for protection…it certainly did not need any extra shine! I absolutely love all grey shades, but this one had me staring at my nails the whole day. The pictures do not do this lacquer justice!

Final thoughts: I have to say how impressed I was with all of these polishes. The colour range I’ve seen thus far is diverse and unique, the application and formulas are amazing and the prices, even without finding them on sale, seem to be far below the value of the product. The range is free from harmful toxins, containing no DBP, toluene, formaldehyde, camphor or pthalic acid and they dry fairly quickly with minimal fumes. Here in Canada, they are available through Shopper’s Drugmart (or Pharmaprix in Quebec). If you can get your hands ( and nails!) on these, I highly recommend them! I’m always thrilled when price and quality meet like this!