Grab your favorite sandals and manicure-highlighting midi rings because China Glaze has launched their new summer collection and you need to put some sunlight spotlight on the mani-pedi you’re sure to be coveting! The Summer 2018 “Shades of Paradise” Collection is filled with vibrant seasonal favorites including juicy orange, vibrant pink, wavy blues, and punches of purple. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this new line and scooped it up the first chance I could–all 12 colors!
Check out my review below, and let me know which is first on your tip-to-toe list!
CABANA FEVER Cabana Fever – A bright white matte shade. Honestly, I was excited to see such a stark white in the collection, but I was really bummed that it was matte–even more so that it was VERY difficult to apply. I must have re-done this swatch about four times before giving up as I just could not get it even. It feels more chalky than matte and dries super fast, almost like Wite-Out.
A top coat didn’t even help, but here’s two coats with and without the top coat.
I'LL SAND BY YOU I’ll Sand By You – A beige with gold shimmer that is subtle but beautiful. Unfortunately, you can’t see the gold shimmer in the swatch photos without squinting very hard. I promise it’s a bit noticeable on the nail, but not as much as in the bottle. Just two coats plus top coat for this swatch.
WATER-FALLING IN LOVE Water-Falling in Love – A light sky blue cream that surprisingly was opaque and smooth in two coats. Normally with light colors it takes me at least three coats to smooth everything out, but this one was a tiny bit uneven on the first coat. Luckily, after two (and some top coat) all was good.
CAN'T SANDAL THIS Can’t Sandal This – A pretty salmon pink cream–great formula and color. Though it’s not really *my* kind of color, I would still recommend it.
KIKI IN OUR TIKI Kiki in Our Tiki – A beautiful orange toned red creme. I love when a color applies so smoothly that you really don’t have to do much work … add in that it’s super glossy and covers in ONE coat, and that’s just perfection! I did do two coats, just because I like to, but no top coat. Shades like this are always a little difficult to capture just right, so it’s a bit more red in person than the swatch photos.
TROPIC OF CONVERSATION Tropic of Conversation – Coral matte with gold shimmer–and the shimmer transfers to the nail well. Formula-wise, it’s surprisingly easier to work with being another matte shade. It does dry quickly and looks more dull than matte, so I prefer it with a glossy top coat as pictured.
ALL SUN AND GAMES All Sun & Games – Bright orange creamsicle with gold shimmer. I love this color and how shimmery it is! Formula-wise it’s pretty close to Tropic of Conversation …only a little thinner; it needed three coats for coverage instead of two. Again, the matte finish really just looks dull and not matte, so I prefer top coat. Plus, it makes the shimmer stand out more.
DONT BE SEA-SALTY Don’t Be Sea Salty – A hot neon pink with pink shimmer that’s a fantastic color for the summer! Once again, the formula is pretty consistent with the previous two shades: Dull “matte” finish? Check. Dries quickly? Check. Two coats with a top coat finish? Check.
MA-HOLO AT ME Ma-holo at Me – A light blue holographic bottle of amazing-ness! This was the stand-out color of the collection that I was looking forward to and it did not disappoint. The formula was wonderful–two easy coats and top coat is all you need. I absolutely love the name too!
STOP BEACHFRONTIN' Stop Beachfrontin’ – A great purple creme color with smooth formula. This is a tiny bit darker in person than the photos, but two coats + a top coat = I was good to go!
MER-MADE FOR BLUER WATERS Mer-made for Bluer Waters – Now, this is a gorgeous pearl blue that definitely reminds me of the ocean water. The awesome formula went on smoothly in just two coats with no top coat. I would be cautious of brush strokes; they weren’t much of an issue for me, but I can still see them creeping up a bit.
BOUJEE BOARD Boujee Board – I’m gonna call this a mystical magenta matte because I really don’t know what color to classify it as. When applying the color it appears more pink and then, as it dries, it becomes more purple. Formula-wise it applies okay and builds up well, but it’s still that funky matte finish that doesn’t really seem matte at all. I used two coats and topcoat, but it’s possible you may need three coats for full coverage.
VERDICT: I think this collection includes a great assortment of summer colors, but may not be worth all the hassle of tricky matte finishes and borderline problematic application for some. My picks that I suggest checking out and giving a try are I’ll Sand By You, Kiki in Our Tiki, Ma-holo at Me, Stop Beachfrontin’, All Sun & Games and Don’t Be Sea Salty.
China Glaze® Shades of Paradise nail polish collection is available at beauty supply stores nationwide including Sally Beauty and Ulta stores. Individual shades retail for $7.50 MSRP.
China Glaze® is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde. China Glaze® nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, please visit www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze® on Facebook (@ChinaGlaze), Instagram (@ChinaGlazeOfficial), Twitter (@ChinaGlaze) and Pinterest (pinterest.com/chinaglaze).
