[Paid PR – Post Disclosure Page]
Hey nail friends! Today’s blog post is for the Lite Mode collection by Holo Taco. I have 5 beautiful shifty shimmers in the brand’s multichromatic formula. For all of the swatch photos, I used the Holo Taco Super Glossy Taco, Matte Taco, and the Smoothing base coat.
These polishes are available right now on the Holo Taco website. For a limited. time a special edition collector’s box will be available. As always links and full sale details can be found at the end of the post.
Live Swatch Video
Holo Taco is a US based nail polish brand. Their polishes are in 12ml bottles, 5 free, cruelty free and vegan.
Encryption Key
Description: a bright multichromatic formula that shifts between reddish-pink and orange
Price: $14
Encryption Key had a fantastic formula. The base didn’t feel overly thick or thin and I didn’t have any application issues. It applied really smoothly and I didn’t see any brush strokes through the shimmer.
To my eye the base was a coral/red base with a shimmer that shifts between a pink, gold, yellow, and green at extreme angles. It is a very glowy shimmer. Depending on lighting, this polish will look anywhere from a coral to red to orange and even pink.
My photos show Encryption Key in 3 coats plus both glossy and matte top coat. I also swatched it in 1 coat over a black creme polish (Heather’s Hues Shadow). It is slightly on the more sheer side so you will want to build it up for the most opacity.
Under bright direct lighting, I could see some hints of VNL but in most lighting, I didn’t have visible nail line. Removal won’t be difficult and I didn’t experience any staining.
Flash Drive
Description: a bright multichromatic formula that shifts between purple and magenta.
Price: $14
Flash Drive had a really great formula. It felt a little thinner than Encryption Key, it did seem to run down the stem of my brush a bit. I wouldn’t say that made the application difficult but did end up doing slightly thicker coats before I realized the cause.
The base color to me eye was a medium toned purple. The shimmer effect to my eye was a pink, gold to green color shift. I didn’t see any brush strokes through it.
My photos show Flash Drive in 3 coats plus both glossy and matte top coat. I also swatched in 1 coat over a black creme. This polish is also on the more sheer side so building it up for opacity is needed.
Like the other polishes in this release, you will potentially have some VNL under very bright direct lighting. Removal will be easily and I didn’t experience any staining.
Lite Link
Description: a bright multichromatic formula that shifts between teal and green.
Price: $14
Lite Link had a really great formula. Like Flash Drive, I did find that it ran down the stem of the brush a little bit but I didn’t have any issues with the application.
To my eye, this is a teal (maybe turquoise?) base with a strong gold to green shimmer. Once again, no brush strokes through that shimmer.
My photos show Lite Link in 3 coats plus both glossy and mate top coat. I think people without much of a free edge could potentially get away with using 2 coats.
Since this polish was a bit more opaque than the others, I didn’t also swatch it over a black base. You definitely could though!
Sunset Simulation
Description: a bright multichromatic formula that shifts between rose-pink and amber.
Price: $14
Sunset Simulation also had a (surprise) great formula. The base didn’t feel overly thick or thin and I didn’t have any application issues.
I feel the like base color on this polish is hard to pinpoint, it’s kind of like a rose gold, maybe copper or maybe even a champagne? The shimmer was a gold to pink color shift.
This polish vaguely reminded me of Touch Of Magic by Orly (Winter 2021 collection). Side by side they aren’t dupes or even *that* similar, but it was similar enough that I pulled it out to check how close they actually were. I’ll tuck a side by side swatch comparison lower in the post.
My photos show Sunset Simulation in 3 coats plus both glossy and matte top coat. This polish was also on the sheer side so you will want to build it up for opacity. I also swatched it in 1 coat over black (Heather’s Hues Shadow).
Wireless Mode
Description: a bright multichromatic formula that shifts between cobalt blue and turquoise
Price: $14
Wireless Mode had a wonderful formula. The base didn’t feel overly thick or thin and I didn’t have any application issues. This polish was one of the more color shifty polishes in the release as well as being a little bit sheer. In person, I was seeing a cyan, purple to pink color shift.
My photos show Wireless Mode in 3 coats plus top coat. I think this polish will be a solid 3 coater. It applies very evenly but to get the most opcity, I would say use 3 coats.
Due to the sheerness, this will work really well as a topper. I found over black, I could see a green, blue, purple to pink color shift.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I thought the collection was gorgeous! The color story was really appealing to me but to be real, if a collection makes a rainbow I am highly inclined to like it. I appreciate the brand doing a formula more like the indie brand style.
While the polishes were on the more sheer side, I found in most lighting around my house they looked opaque on me. My favorite from the release is going to be Sunset Simulation.
Finally, I do want to mention that due to the nature of the color shiftiness on these polishes, they will all like very different depending on your lighting. I have some natural light shots in my YouTube video in case anyone wants to see what they look like in “normal” lighting.
I also did a skittle mani featuring the polishes. Y’all would not believe how many takes it took for me to get a photo that I liked that included my thumb in it.
Collection box
For a limited time, the full collection will also come with a very nifty collector’s box!
Comparison
Sunset Simulation and Orly’s Touch Of Magic aren’t dupes by any means. But I feel like they do have similar looks to them, color wise.
Holo Taco
12ml, 10 Free, Vegan & Cruelty-Free
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Sale Information
The Lite Mode collection is available right now on the Holo Taco website. Each polish is priced at $14 for 12ml bottles. The full collection is available for $70.
Holo Taco ships from the US and has worldwide shipping.
