China Glaze ‘Let It Snow’ Collection Holiday 2011 – part 2 (swatches & review)

Wrapping up China Glaze’s ‘Let It Snow’ Collection, this second half of my review (the first six were previously reviewed here) brings you the remaining six holiday-inspired lacquers, made all the more fresh with an unexpected, yet edgy vibe. Once more, there are finishes to satisfy all tastes, and the saturation of colour will not only fill the need of visual warmth for the winter ahead, but carry you well into spring. All swatches are with Deborah Lippmann’s 2-Second Nail Primer and On A Clear Day Top Coat, as well as Seche Clear Base Coat.

‘Icicle’ is Jack Frost at his wintry finest; a white-based silver hue, the formula, while a touch on the thick side, still managed to flow quite well. As the finish may be slightly on the frosty side, I still found that it was relatively easy to avoid any visible brush strokes being left behind. Two coats were all that were needed to reach full opacity, and the foil-like texture leaves behind a beautiful high gleam finish at the end.

When seen in full sun, the mirror-like reflective finish of this hue is impossible to ignore, but somehow still manages to avoid being over the top.

Indirect lighting brings out the white undertones found in ‘Icicle’s’ base, while simultaneously lending it a unique icy grey tinge.

Shaded light not only intensifies the mesmerizing shine of this shade’s core, but imparts a beautiful almost 3-dimensional depth to it as well.

A final view taken with flash almost blinded my camera, but gives an accurate depiction of how brilliant this tinsel hued shade truly is.

‘Ring In The Red’ brings to mind Mrs. Claus –at her naughtiest! A sheer red-pink base absolutely crammed with red micro glitter and larger red glitter sequins, it applies with an almost jelly-like consistency and levels itself out as if by magic. At two coats, you achieve a pretty, but more delicate look; at three coats (as I applied here), you not only reach a deeper opacity, but magnify this shade’s intensity. I am absolutely mesmerized by the fiery shimmer it bears, that seems to be basically emerging from deep within…so stunning! Bonus: very easy removal, and no staining left behind.

Sunlight surrounds this shade with an almost cherry-red like glow, and merges all its scintillating elements into one sparkly landscape.

When seen in indirect light, ‘Ring In The Red’s’ glimmery base acts as the perfect backdrop for the larger and more prominent glitter pieces.

Shaded light does everything right to this shade, by creating the illusion of several layers of differing glow embedded along the nails.

A final view taken with flash lightens the base hue to a more playful red shade, while showcasing the insane amount of glitter it holds.

‘Tinsel Town’ is the mysterious shade of the bunch, yet still fits in with the rest so incredibly well! A pale charcoal-grey sheer base, it is totally filled with pewter-toned micro glitter and larger silver hexagonal sequins, all in a suspension-thick formula. While this shade is fairly easy to apply, I definitely recommend waiting at least a couple of minutes between coats to ensure you avoid any clumping. Two coats are more than sufficient for full opacity, and the gunmetal-like brilliance at the finish will absolutely captivate you. Bonus: removal was quite painless for something so glitter filled!

Sunlight, and ‘Tinsel Town’ is on complete retina-searing display, flashing brilliant shards of diamond-like light in every direction.

Indirect lighting tamps down the almost blinding effect of this shade, while adding a more sooty grey hue to the base colour.

Shaded light not only emphasizes the intense amount of glitter to be found in this varnish, but also considerably darkens the base tone.

A final view taken with flash, and the gleaming pewter sparkle of this lacquer comes at you full throttle — I LOVE this brooding beauty!

‘Holly-Day’ is PERFECTION in a bottle of nail polish. Seriously. A deep, almost pine shade of green, this is what every crème lacquer strives to be: a luxuriously rich formula, completely self-levelling and ULTRA high glossy at the finish, completely reminding me of the almost fake-looking waxy green leaves of the holly bush. Totally opaque with two coats, this was a dream to apply and the best part was that it left absolutely zero staining behind.

Sunlight enhances the almost midnight green depth of this shade, and seems to pick out the faint hints of yellow lurking within its base.

Indirect light brings about a slightly cooler look to ‘Holly-Day’, and serves to really play up its forest green hue.

While shaded light deepens this shade a few degrees, its velvety green tones are still in clear evidence, with its shine practically fathomless.

A final view taken with flash brightens this shade’s base tone, while throwing the emphasis on how verdantly creamy it truly is.

‘Poinsettia’ is the perfect representational hue of that holiday flower. A blue-based cerise red shade, it bears a jelly-ish formula that glides on like silk across the nails, leaving behind not only a superb glassy finish, but gives your tips a cushiony appearance. I found that two coats (as I applied here) were more than enough to give great coverage, although those who prefer a deeper opacity should aim for three. An interesting paradox that I noticed, was that while the first coat showed this to be more of a blue-based and pink tinged colour, the second coat made it more of an orangey tomato red hue…odd! Dry time was amazingly fast and the bonus: NO staining at all.

Sunlight channels a bright & juicy tomato-red colour, and while some nail line may be visible here, it was not apparent to the naked eye at all.

Indirect light seems appears to pull out any honeysuckle tints that may be lurking in ‘Poinsettia’s’ base, and highlights a more playful side of this shade.

Shaded light seems to drape a golden mantle over this colour and gives it a deep tangerine-like hue, yet still maintains its vivid red base.

A final view taken with flash shows what words cannot describe: how incredibly luscious and pillowy ‘Poinsettia’ actually looks…intense!

‘Blue Year’s Eve’ is an exceptionally vivid primary blue colour; a sheer blue jelly-ish base, filled with cerulean glass fleck-like shimmer, it nevertheless applied easily and smoothly, levelling itself out completely. With two coats, the coverage was just right and while the finish itself may not be the glossiest, it compensated by bearing that “lit-from-within” glow that is my absolute favourite. Bonus: no staining at all and very easy removal, so rare for a blue this intense.

Can you possibly look away from this?! Sunlight appears to not only be trapped within this lacquer’s heart, but is reflected right back at you at full volume!

Indirect light certainly calls forth a cooler vibe to ‘Blue Year’s Eve’, and also serves to spotlight the swirling masses of shimmery flakes in its depths.

Shaded light, and you can see how this hue seems to be absolutely burning with an unearthly deep blue glow…hypnotic, I tell you!

A final view taken with flash calls forth this shade’s fun side, and gives clear evidence of it’s scintillating blue shimmer.

Final thoughts: In the event I hadn’t made it clear by now, China Glaze’s entire ‘Let It Snow’ Collection for Holiday 2011, is one big massive HIT for me. Each lacquer’s formula was a pleasure to apply, and the colours themselves, while nothing outrageous, somehow not only managed to convey the spirit of the season, but can translate to everyday wear as well. Feel free to visit the company’s site for more information on this collection, but in the meanwhile, take some time to enjoy all that the holidays have to offer…while indulging in some of these glorious shades, of course!