Taking a Shine to China Glaze

Following on from my Essie nail polish collection, I thought I'd dedicate a post to my smallish stash of China Glaze polishes. To the best of my knowledge, I don't even think China Glaze is stocked in any major Australian stores or chemists. I personally have only purchased my polishes online (Luxe and Lush, IV, It's a Trap-eze!), from Paddy's Markets (Stellar, Snow Globe, Techno), or random discounted pro nail stores (Swing Baby, For Audrey). If they weren't so hard to find and buy, no doubt I'd have a lot more.

l-r: Techno, For Audrey, Luxe and Lush, Swing Baby

Techno
This was one of the first crazy glitter polishes I bought, so back then when the concept was still fairly novel, it was absolutely irresistible to me. Techno glimmers and dazzles like a billion-faceted disco ball in the bottle. On the nail however, it's a bit less exciting. Pedestrian, even. It's basically small holographic, hexagonal glitter, with holographic normal glitter in a clear base. I've previously paired it with Revlon Blue Lagoon, and while the density of the glitter grabs your attention, it's all a bit too much. With Techno, I think less is more. I'd be more inclined now to paint just one coat over a creme base for added festivity.

For Audrey
Probably among the best known China Glaze shades (if not the best known), and a polish on my wishlist for a considerable length of time before I managed to get my hands on it. I already have an entire post on For Audrey here, and my thoughts haven't changed much since. If you like the idea of wearing the iconic Tiffany & Co. blue on your nails, this is the polish for you.

Luxe and Lush
When swatches of the The Hunger Games Capitol Colors Collection started popping up, the only must-have for me was Luxe and Lush. At the time, the idea of a shredded flakie was completely new to me, so it opened my eyes up to a whole new world of layering possibilities. I tried it with a black base but the shards of glitter appeared predominately yellow, green and orange, which I didn't particularly like. I much prefer glitter/flakies that flash more pink, purple and opalescent, or at least a mix of everything. I think I might try it over a light blue base like Sinful Colors Cinderella next, as demonstrated by Jen. I find the glitter in Luxe and Lush to be very dense, almost to its detriment as it can get slightly lumpy and chunky, especially with its thicker formula.

Swing Baby
Back when I was obsessing (literally, not figuratively) over Orly Rage, I looked up reviews online and read that Swing Baby was similar. Naturally, if I frustratingly couldn't source Rage anywhere, I needed the next closest thing (because, you know, Revlon Crème Brûlée, Chi Chi Go Go Girl and Ulta3 Envy didn't cut it). Now that I have both Rage and Swing Baby, I can say that Swing Baby isn't even that close. Rage is lighter, more of a warm gold, with rose gold tones. Swing Baby is darker, more taupe and pewter, with a distinct greenish tinge to my eyes. It's not really the kind of colour I normally go for, so it now just sits in the nail polish category "Failed Polishes I Bought to Fill the Orly Rage Void".

l-r: Snow Globe, Stellar, IV, It's a Trap-eze!

Snow Globe
One of the most delicate and whimsical glitter concoctions I've encountered and very aptly named. Undoubtedly one of my favourite nail polishes ever. Snow Globe can simply be described as beautiful, though I summed up the colours I see in it before: "turquoise, peridot, amber, peach, cornflower blue, lavender". The base isn't completely clear, it's more slightly milky and white, which makes it even more reminiscent of an actual snow globe.

Stellar
I picked this up on a whim almost two years ago along with Techno and Snow Globe, and to be honest, I think I've only worn it once since. This is a nude/beige shimmer with a silver fairy dust overlay. It's not super reflective though, the overall effect is more subdued despite the metallic sparkle. I like how it looks next to IV, so I think I might incorporate the two polishes next time, perhaps in an attempt to replicate this gorgeous manicure by Ashley.

IV
I saw this on a colleague's nails one day, asked her what polish she was wearing, and pretty much ordered it off BeautyBay right after. IV is a soft pinky coral that I find really complements my skin tone. It's described as a carnation pink creme, but it leans quite peachy on my nails. According to Reika, it's very close to Chanel Morning Rose (IV is just missing the gold shimmer). A shade that I genuinely look forward to wearing and one that I'm happy found its way into my collection.

It's a Trap-eze!
Featured recently in my March Favourites and with a whole post dedicated to it here, there's not much further I have to say except that there's been no dip in enthusiasm. I'm lamenting I didn't receive this as a full bottle, because the prospect of running out is already giving me anxiety. A unique, playful and incredibly well-executed glitter that I never want to be without.