Nails: Serum No.5 - Flashing Lights - Swatches and Review

So today I have a more-exciting-than-average nail polish to show y'all. It's had quite a lot of hype on Instagram so when I saw it for pre-order on Rainbow Connection I didn't hesitate to purchase it. It's billed as a Reflective Top Coat and comes with the recommendation that you wear it only on bare nails (or over a matte polish) and use no top coat.

The official description from Serum No.5's shop:

"This shimmering, silver top coat will protect you from those Flashing Lights or get you noticed in the dark. Please note that although this top coat does dry to a slightly textured finish, due to the reflective quality of this top coat, it is recommended that youdo not use top coat."

Sounds like a lot of work, eh? This is my second Serum No.5 polish (I have Atomic Peach and find the formula tricky to work with). I'm happy to report that Flashing Lights' formula is a breeze and it dries super-quickly. It did drag a tiny bit on the first coat so I applied a second to even it out and also just because I was curious. Let's have a look at some photos - all show 2 coats on bare nails unless stated otherwise. First up, here's how it looks in direct sunlight:

And now what you're all really curious to see, in the dark with a flash!

Pretty cool! I was entertained by this although I did feel a little foolish standing in a dark room taking photos of my nails. The things we do for nail polish huh? 

As stated in the description, Flashing Lights dries slightly textured. To use a common staple, it's like a finer version of Sally Hansen's Sugar Coat. Here's a macro shot to give you an idea of the texture:

I love how it looks in macro, it reminds me of the surface of the moon for some reason! In some lights it seems to pick up a little color shimmer but it's a true silver-gray glitter (if you can really call it glitter).

When I was done taking photos of the reflective glory in the dark, I tried a little experiment with topcoat. I wanted to see what happens to it in the dark with top coat and you can see my results below. Index and ring fingers are with 1 coat of Glisten and Glow HK Girl top coat.

Dramatic difference! I think it still looks pretty and if you're planning to wear this polish for a few days, applying a top coat isn't going to ruin how it looks. How many photos are you really going to take of it in the dark?! The one coat I applied to those 2 nails was unnoticeable in any other light and there was still a textured feel to the polish; I think it would take 2-3 coats to get it really smooth. 

So is it worth the hype? Maybe. I admit when I first put it on I was underwhelmed by how it looked and also by the restrictions of how you're supposed to wear it for best effect. I wore it for a couple of days during which I took no other photos of it in the dark (no chips or tip wear, by the way). Ignoring the novelty side, this polish really grew on me. I really like how it looks, it's completely different from anything I've seen as it's glitter but barely sparkles except in bright sunlight. Surprisingly, I can see myself reaching for this quite a lot to wear on its' own or using it for nail vinyl/tape manis. Plus the formula is fantastic so that helps.

I think if you're a polish collector (cough... hoarder) then you're going to want to pick this up. If you love gray or silver polish you'll probably want it also. However, If you're looking for something super sparkly that people will notice and comment on, this probably isn't for you. I'm really glad I bought it - stay tuned for some nail art coming up in the near future!


Where:
US & Canada - Serum No.5 - $14.50 
UK - Rainbow Connection - £11