While away on vacation this past summer, I finally had the opportunity to try China Glaze nail polishes; after hearing about them for so long but never being able to find a retailer near me, I was happy to pick up three shades: 2 were from their Fall 2010 Vintage Vixen collection (‘Emerald Fitzgerald’ & ‘Jitterbug’) , and the third from their regular lineup, the much talked-about ‘Lubu Heels’….but more on that one another time!
When I returned home, the much anticipated OPI Swiss Collection for Fall 2010 had just been released, and so I hurried over to pick up the 2 colours I had been waiting for: ‘Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous’ & ‘Cuckoo For This Color’. Imagine my surprise when I realized that these shades mirrored each other! I put off swatching them because I was upset at myself for duplicating lacquers, but decided to give them another chance…..that, and the fact that the shades seem somehow appropriate for the Christmas season! All swatches are: pinkie-Emerald Fitzgerald, ring-CFTC, middle-LTLM, index-Jitterbug and all are with base coat and Sèche Vite top coat.
First up we have OPI’s Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous (LTLM) versus China Glaze’s Jitterbug; the formula on both seemed similar, with both of them flowing easily, no visible brush strokes and a beautiful foil finish. The biggest differences are in the tonal qualities; Jitterbug has a blueish tinge to it making it look more like steel, versus LTLM’s slightly greenish undertone, making it more of a gunmetal. The other thing I noticed is that the OPI was significantly glossier & more sparkly, even before a top coat was added.
Next up is OPI’s Cuckoo For This Color (CFTC) versus China Glaze’s Emerald Fitzgerald (EF); once again, the formula was similar but whereas the previous two had a thinner consistency making for an excellent application, these were on the thick side, making them more difficult to apply evenly. Both are stunning true teals, but whereas Emerald Fitzgerald has a deeper finish and more blue in it’s base, CFTC is slightly lighter with greener undertones. Both have delicate shimmer in their depths but CFTC’s seems to be closer to the surface, giving it slightly more vibrancy.
first coat
second coat
third coat
The first coat shows similar application on all & no real differences; by the second coat, they are basically opaque and you can just see the slight variations between them. I applied a third coat, primarily because I like the finished look, but to see them at 100% opacity. The other main difference is the brush; the China Glaze brush is thin & flexible making it easy to get to the edges of your nail whereas the OPI brush is that ‘pro-wide’ brush and slightly more rigid, making it more challenging for those with smaller nail beds. As well, the two teals show the slightest of brushstrokes, which is probably due to the thickness of the formulas themselves.
Final thoughts: obviously, if you have one pair, you certainly don’t need the other as they are basically identical. It probably comes down to what you wish to spend (the OPI tends to run about $4.00 more than the China Glaze), which brush you prefer and the availability of each range. Personally, I love the colour combination of these two shades (might just have to make a ‘statement mani’ to show you…….!!) and they really do put me in Christmas state of mind….picture glittery tinsel on fragrant evergreen trees!
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