Quick Review: Spectraflair in Seche Vite

Because no day is complete without a mani, here is a quick shot of something I wore a while back. I used a pink creme (can't remember what one now, maybe Nicole by OPI?) and my homemade spectraflair top coat. I used the tiniest bit of spectraflair because I didn't want that dull grey look that holo powder can give a mani.

how it worked:

I decided to put my spectraflair in an old bottle of Seche Vite thinking that it would be a fast dry top coat, since I always use SV anyway. This however, is not recommended. Seche Vite, even after it has thickened a bit with time/air exposure, is not a suspension base. It will not keep the spectraflair suspended permanently. Sure, it looks promising for a day or so but don't be fooled!

If you have ever had problems with your Seche Vite thickening before, you know that air bubbles become a major problem. Now imagine what would happen if you had to vigorously shake the bottle to re-suspend a pigment...

my opinion:

So should you use Seche Vite as a nail polish base? No, don't do it! Use an actual nail polish suspension base, or a thicker top coat not prone to bubbling that you can shake.

It looks pretty gorgeous though. I picked a good amount of pigment to get a complete linear holo without greying the color completely. Sorry I didn't get any daytime/sunshine photos of this one!

disclaimer:

I used coarse grade spectraflair pigment purchased from Anna's Art Asylum on ebay. I used one or two tiny scoops with a popsicle stick. Be cautious when using spectraflair pigment to avoid inhalation, and with all strange chemicals read the MSDS (material safety data sheet) prior to use to understand the risks.