TurboShift paints are made with tiny glass-like flakes that work like millions of small prisms within the paint. Depending on how the flakes are made, different colors are refracted or reflected in the light. In layman's terms, this means that the paint changes color depending on what light you are viewing it under, and what angle you are holding it to that light. All the TurboShift paints except Mother Lode need to be used over a BLACK basecoat for the true shift to appear.