China Glaze: Fade into Hue

I have to confess that, recently, I totally splurged on nail polish I don't actually need. However, this store I went to had such great discounts and that included some of the more current collections! I was able to get a couple of China Glaze polishes for just $3 a pop. Zoya was only $4 and the Pixie Dust collection was just $0.50 more. I believe OPI was $5, of which I really couldn't help but buy Which is Witch at that price. And, I was finally able to get my hands on Color Club for $2.50 a piece, although their holo polishes were $7, but considering I can't find Color Club anywhere in San Francisco, I picked up a few also.

So moving on from my gushing about the great deals I encountered, I picked up Fade into Hue from the Avant Garden collection from the very same store I've been going on and on about in this post. It's a wonderful hazy periwinkle creme shade. The only other color I've seen that carries the same type haziness of color is Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Delphinium, which is one of my absolute favorites. Personally, I think Fade into Hue is the perfect shade for spring in San Francisco. 

Application was relatively smooth. Most of the time, I was able to get completely even opaque color in two coats. There was one or two nails that needed a third coat though. The overall formula was quite nice. I experienced no streaking and I found the drying time to be quick.  I spent a quiet no fuss evening painting my nails with this shade and the process wasn't driving me up the wall, unlike another Avant Garden shade...ahem, Mimosa's Before Mani's.

If you're looking for different type of pastel than your usual Easter egg kind of shades, I highly recommend Fade into Hue.

China Glaze: Glistening Snow

So here I am, back with a Black Friday purchase that wasn't actually part of any Black Friday deals. The Sally Beauty Supply I visited was actually near a Best Buy, so while my brother visited there, I went to check out the holiday nail polishes and it looks as though holo glitters and such are going to be the next big thing in nail polish from what previews I've been able to glean lately.

China Glaze: Smoke and Ashes + butter LONDON: Tart with a Heart

I am currently obsessed with my new manicure even though it's not very summery at all.

China Glaze: Harvest Moon

So this is the last of my Hunger Games nail polishes. I have really come to like foil finishes and totally have my eye on a few for future purchase. For now, I'll be satisfied with the two I currently own, one of which is Harvest Moon!

Harvest Moon is a dark copper shade. It has more orange to it than an actual penny and definitely makes me think of autumn or sunsets. The foil effect is so beautiful with this polish. As if the color wasn't striking enough, you also have the subtle glistening or glow. Harvest Moon has been quite the eye catching polish for me.

China Glaze: Dress Me Up

This is the second polish of the China Glaze Hunger Games collection that I picked up. I had first seen the swatches online and although this shade wasn't the loudest of the selection, there was a certain charm to it that I couldn't pass up.

This shade makes me think of vintage silk roses, since this is rosy pink with a bit of brown thrown in. Also, depending on the lighting, I've noticed that this polish can end up looking more brown, like hot cocoa that has more milk diluting it. In sunlight, this polish looks more pink and classic. Definitely a more conservative or mature color to wear. Overall, I'm not too impressed with this shade, but there is something about it that I can't help but like and admire.

The formula for this was a bit thick and streaky for me. Even after three coats and a top coat, I couldn't get it to look completely smooth. So this was a bit of draw back for me since the application process was a bit more time consuming than Fast Track and Harvest Moon. I suppose if you're not the type of person to love neutral shades, I suggest passing on this one because it really isn't that unique of a color.

Next up, Harvest Moon! That should be up as soon as I can take pictures of it.

China Glaze: Fast Track

The much hyped about China Glaze Hunger Games collection has released! I had my eye on Fast Track for quite some time but when I went to Sally's Beauty Supply I ended up leaving the store with a total of three polishes from the collection. Eventually I will end up swatching the other two but I prefer to wear my polish for a week at a time...but I will say that the collection is worth seeing in person!

This polish is pretty much in the same vein as China Glaze's Glittering Garland and Midtown Magic. It's a nice beige base with lots of golden micro glitter or fine golden flecks. So I'm quite confident that this will give me no trouble in removal just like Glittering Garland and Midtown Magic.

China Glaze Glittering Garland

I couldn't help but pick up another holiday nail polish from China Glaze. I like glitter, but the chore of removing it has me keeping it at arms length. However, I found that China Glaze's micro glitter nail polishes gives me the best of both worlds. I get to have the sparkle of glitter but removal is just like regular varnish. So when I took a closer look of this one, I had to buy it.

This is a deep forest green with lighter micro glitter. I only needed two coats to get complete opacity. Personally, I think this might be a color I prefer to have on my toes. But for the holidays it's a nice festive color to have in rotation with my other seasonal shades.

China Glaze: Snow Globe

I had heard about the new China Glaze holiday nail polishes since October, however I was unable to find a single one anywhere. My local Sally Beauty Supply suggested that I come back in November to check again, so I waited and when I was able to I dropped by and picked up Snow Globe. I love opalescent or pearly glitter and when I heard about this one I was basically on the hunt for it. Realistically, I wouldn't wear this on bare nails, but I have great plans for layering it over colors.

Here I have on Essie's Smooth Sailing and on top of that I have on China Glaze's Snow Globe. I think this looks quite fun, although not quite fall in spirit. Still, I'd rather satisfy my whims when it comes to my nails than be a slave to seasonal trends.

I will have to give fair warning that this formula is on the thick side, just a bit. Also, even though the formula is thick, the application of glitter isn't. For the photo above, I had to apply two coats for it to look that way. However, I like the hexagonal and smaller round glitter this one has. I had seen that Orly also released a similar polish except it had much smaller glitter and formula was a bit murky while China Glaze was clear. I also hear that Deborah Lippman, Stila, and M.A.C. are also releasing glitter polish along these lines but the price tag packs a wallop. So for price point and appearance, China Glaze won it's place in my collection.

China Glaze: Midtown Magic

Yesterday I picked Midtown Magic from China Glaze's Metro collection.

This is an espresso shade with gold and copper micro glitter. I applied two coats of polish in the photo, so the color certainly looks more black than brown. However in person, you'll definitely notice a warmth to this deep and rich color. Personally, this is a nice sophisticated way to wear a dark shade for fall.