After viewing my Haul of Shame post, a reader (Lois) asked me about 2 holographic top coats and how they compared.
Since I own both, I pitted them together in a nail-polish war.
Both competitors entered the ring pumped and looking like they meant business. The crowd cheered on their favorite and booed the other.
One polish, Essie Nude Beach, had to be escorted out of the building by The Polish Police for streaking during the event. And some other rowdy fans (including Color Club Pure Energy) were warned to maintain decorum lest they suffer the same fate.
But…back to the stars of the show!
Out The Door Northern Lights Hologram Top Coat (Silver) gave China Glaze Fairy Dust the stink eye as it shook its cap.
China Glaze Fairy Dust heckled, “There’s a reason why you’re called Out The Door – that’s where you’ll be heading with your tail between your legs!”
Nail-polish blood was shed! So who came out on top?
Out the Door Northern Lights Hologram Top Coat (Silver) vs. China Glaze Fairy Dust Pictures
When you don't shake up Northern Lights, the holographic particles settle
Out The Door Northern Lights Silver Hologram Top Coat Swatches vs. China Glaze Fairy Dust Swatches
I layered both over a black nail polish (China Glaze Liquid Leather) so you can better see the holographic particles. All swatches are with flash.
1 Coat
2 Coats
Brush Comparison
Out The Door Northern Lights Holographic Top Coat Brush
China Glaze Fairy Dust Brush
Out the Door Northern Lights Hologram Top Coat (Silver) Ingredients
China Glaze Fairy Dust Ingredients
Out The Door Northern Lights Hologram Top Coat (Silver)
- What I Paid: $7.99 CAD – More expensive than China Glaze
- Amount: 15 mL (0.5 fl. oz.) – Weird, even though both are 0.5 fl. oz, they have different mLs on the bottle!
- Hologram Density: Not as dense as China Glaze & holographic particles settle if not shaken up
- Texture: Very smooth
- Dry Time: Dries fast & dries faster than China Glaze
- Brush: Same brush head, but shorter handle than China Glaze
- Formula: Went on smoother than China Glaze
- Ingredients: Big-3 free
China Glaze Fairy Dust
- What I Paid: $2.60 USD – Cheaper than Out The Door
- Amount: 14 mL (0.5 fl.oz.) – Weird, even though both are 0.5 fl. oz, they have different mLs on the bottle!
- Hologram Density: Denser than Out the Door & polish doesn’t need to be shaken up
- Texture: Very smooth
- Dry Time: Dries fast, but dries slower than Out The Door
- Brush: Same brush head, but longer handle than Out The Door
- Formula: Didn’t go on as smoothly as Out The Door
- Ingredients: Big-3 free
Polish War Champion: China Glaze Fairy Dust
China Glaze is the more affordable choice, has slightly denser holographic glitter, and doesn’t need to be shaken up or the particles will settle. However, Out The Door dries faster and goes on smoother.
They were both strong contenders, but China Glaze’s cheaper price helped it win by a hair.
Don’t worry – in the end, they shook hands and called a truce. There were no hard feelings. Apparently all the smack talk was just for show. Now they’re friends and have been spotted having dinner together.
Did you like one better than the other? Does price or formula hold more weight when deciding between 2 polishes? Have you tried other holographic top coats that you’d recommend?
LOL LOL! This post made me crack up! I do like Fairy Dust more, and the price is a great big bonus!
I also have CG Wireless, that’s the only holo top coat that I have.
Kee recently posted: Youre a Tree Hugger Im Sew Psyched!!
Hey Kee,
Personifying nail polish is so much fun…especially when you pit them against each other and there’s smack talk involved. 😉
Oh yeahhhh! I totally forgot that I also have the China Glaze Wireless Top Coat! Argh! Should’ve compared all three at once. Looks like there’s a new contender in town…
It’ll be Part 2!! Hahahaha!!! CG Wireless vs. Out the Door vs. Fairy dust!!!
Rumble in the nail polish jungle!!!
Kee recently posted: Youre a Tree Hugger Im Sew Psyched!!
Place your bid now!
Oh my gosh, this made me spit out my coffee. This was HILARIOUS! Essie nude beach getting taken out…lol!
Hey Mary,
Glad you got a kick out of it. 😉
That’s a fun read. 🙂 I never thought of comparing these two even though I do have them both. I have to say the density factor wins for me.
I wonder what they dined on?
Kimberly recently posted: Zoya Orange BlowsMe Away
Hey Kimberly,
I never thought of comparing those 2, either. Thanks to Lois for asking me about it. I had a lot of fun writing this post! 🙂
A reliable inside source reported that China Glaze dined on meat lasagna and that Out The Door enjoyed a plate of vegetarian chili. Onlookers told Swatch And Learn that the 2 looked chummy, and Out The Door took care of the tab.
Hysterical!!! Thank you for the effort and hard work. Now I don’t have to worry about purchasing Out The Door because based on your description, the cost and denser quality makes Fairy Dust and probaby Golden Enchantment, IMO, the better product.
Again, thanks for such a quick and fun response to my question.Thanks again.
Lois recently posted: Charged and Busted!!!
You’re most welcome, Lois! It made for a very interesting comparison post that I’m sure others will find helpful in choosing one over the other. Plus I had a blast writing it. 😀
Hey Mary!
This post was HILARIOUS!! Love the intro, especially the part about Essie Nude Beach! 😀
This was so helpful! I was looking at Northern Lights last time I went to Sally’s and almost got it, but this post totally showed that Fairy Dust is way better.
Thanks for the great and entertaining review! 😀
Hi Ruthe!
😀 Glad that I could be of service. It’s so much fun bringing nail polishes to life!
Great post! I have been looking for a polish like this, but didn’t know which one. I’ll be getting the CG now. Thanks! 😀
Hey Bailey!
Great choice – Fairy Dust is a good investment. Spruces up an existing manicure in a jiffy and the holographic particles are so pretty, especially when the light hits it! 🙂
Each time I’ve been to Sally’s Beauty, I would always see these and was torn about which one to get. I was also debating whether or not I really needed it in the first place, but after a few visits to the store, I went with Fairy Dust and I’m glad I did. It’s really pretty and sparkly. My only problem with it is that it that it has a thick, stringy consistency, which I hope is normal for all the bottles, and it applied weird, but it wasn’t terrible. It adds something special to a boring nail color, so I’m okay with the little flaws it has. I still want to try the Northern Lights one because it looks so much! I actually didn’t see this comparison post until after I bought mine, but I think I made a pretty good choice. Thanks for taking the time to compare the two!
Hey Melissa!
You can add some nail-polish thinner (not nail-polish remover) if you find that your bottle is getting really thick and hard to work with. That usually does the trick.
Northern Lights is also a good option – it goes on really smooth and dries fast.
You’re very welcome. 🙂 It was fun for me to compare these two holographic top coats.
Hey Mary!
I found the Northern Lights topcoat for cheap on TransDesign so I was wondering if both the polishes were the same price, would you still pick Fairy Dust?
-Candy
Hey Candy!
If both polishes were the same price, hmm…it would depend on the look I want. Fairy Dust is slightly more dense than Northern Lights. Northern Lights goes on smoother and seems to dry a touch faster. If I had to choose, I think I’d still go with Fairy Dust because you don’t have to shake up the bottle. But it’s a tight race.
Which one do you think you’ll opt for?
I’m still deciding, I’m leaning a bit towards to Northern Lights topcoat though.
-Candy
They’re both really pretty, so whichever one you end up getting will still be a good choice.
I just bought fairy dust and I really love it, I layered it over liquid leather and laughed when I saw that was your base coat too haha I did have Luxe & Lush on over it but decided to swap for the fairy dust, less chunky so hopefully less tendency to chip while I’m at work.
But the fl oz vs mL thing, really a mL is so tiny they most likely just rounded the fl oz up to .5 despite there being a technical difference of an entire mL
Hey Chell!
Yeah, I guess it depends on the look you’re going for. Fairy Dust is way more versatile, I think. 🙂 But you have to be in the mood for something like Luxe & Lush.
I have the Northern Lights and LOVE it. I ordered the CG from Amazon yesterday…sooooo can’t wait to get it. Where did you purchase the CG so cheap??? I paid $4.50 which was the cheapest I could find between Amazon and Ebay.
Hey Kellie!
You can find China Glaze for lower-than-retail prices at etailers like Trans Design, Nailsupplies, Head2Toe Beauty, 8ty8Beauty, Victoria Nail Supply, etc. 🙂
OMG!!!! That was the funniest polish battle ever, but love the the happy ending!
Personally i love and am a huge fan of Northern Lights i love how smooth it goes on and that it allows me to be in control of how much of the glitter is on the nail. It also makes ANY color POP!!!!!
Much Love,
George
Hey George Gonzales!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it so much AND that you read it all the way to the end! 😀
Do you have a favourite base polish that you love wearing under it, or do you love them all?
I found your site when I was looking for an iridescent microglitter top coat to replace some in an OPI set. I love your post & did buy the china glaze fairy dust.
Your site is now my gospel!
Hey Manda!
Aww, you’re so sweet! Thank you very much for taking the time to leave me such a thoughtful comment. And, I’m flattered that you’re really enjoying the blog! I’m having fun doing this, and even though it’s a lot of work, it’s very rewarding when readers like you leave comments like this. 🙂 THANK YOU!
Hope you’re loving China Glaze Fairy Dust. What have you been layering it over?
do you recommend a top coat that drys as well as seche vite?? im a professional beautician and tutor in the uk. just wondering what products rate high over your way 🙂
Hey Katie!
Nubar Diamont is a great top coat that dries just as well as Seche Vite, and it’s Big-3-Free. It’s a little tricky getting hold of Nubar in Canada, though. I usually have to buy it on eBay since the official Nubar website doesn’t ship here.
I have always preferred Northern Lights over any other brand silver Holo topcoat. I like the shorter handle, the fast smooth dry and that you can add 2-3 layers atop a basecoat and 2 coats polish w/out looking goopy gloppy globby. Now, clear topcoat? POSHE’ (available at Sally’s) THE only clear topcoat I use. My sisters, cousins all use it & Stickey by CND as our base. I don’t know retail pricing as I am pro & get at cost. NL looks really hot over ZOYA SONG. Song is too damn gorgeous alone. Best blue hands down next to OPI Blue My Mind. I like NL atop all blue, pink, red, purple color high shine polish w/out shimmer. I love your blogpost! I LOVE the Black Leather base too. NL looks real good on the dark fall/winter colors that people think are too heavy for spring/summer. It brightens any of them up!
Hey Dora!
Oh, yeah, I’ll bet Northern Lights would look incredible over Zoya Song – great layering idea! 🙂
This post was SO helpful and hilarious! Love the pictures you included. The close ups are perfect. Where did you find Fairy Dust so cheap though? It’s a standard $6ish at the Sally I go to, so I think I’ll opt for OTD for dry time.
Hey Kiersten!
Glad that you got a laugh from this post! 🙂 I had soooo much fun writing it! Hehe, it’s always fun to imagine what nail polish may say if it was alive.
I bought Fairy Dust online. It might have been Trans Design or Head2Toe. They have lots of nail polish for sale at prices that are lower than the retail price!
Fantastic fun review! Was so glad to find your article because I was confused which one to get – the CG or the INM! Great comparisons, thanks for sharing this!
Hey Lynette!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post and to leave me an encouraging comment! 🙂
this really helped my make the choice.. I was on look out for a good holo top coat. thanks!
Madhu recently posted: Thanksgiving Nail Art
Hey Madhu!
Glad that you found my post helpful – that always makes my day! 🙂
I was going to go head to bed but you woke me up a little lmfao! Hilarious! I love your article! I now want to try fairy dust. I have northern lights and I like it and it is very subtle. I love that you have to shake it up because sometimes I don’t want the glitter and I use out the door as a top coat alone…works great since you have a choice =]
Hey Kim!
Hehe, so happy to hear that you got a laugh out of my post. Although it’s been a while since I wrote it, I still remember having a blast when I worked on it. It’s so nice to know that even now, readers like you are enjoying it. Makes it worth the effort. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
I love how u pitted them against each other it made the review so fun to read!
Hey Jasmin!
That makes me so happy to hear that you enjoyed reading this post! 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave me a comment on here! Stop by again soon.