China Glaze Anchors Away: Knotty Nauticals

Hi and hello again folks! I have the second half of the China Glaze Anchors Away collection. The bolder and brighter six of the 12 polishes called the Knotty Nauticals. I love these polishes and did not have a problem with a single one of them. The formulas in this collection are consistent and incredibly pigmented.

Ahoy! is a super gorgeous fuchsia pink with flecked gold shimmer. This polish reminds me of one of my favorite China Glaze polishes, Strawberry Fields. Ahoy is a darker shade with a more subtle sparkle and Strawberry Fields leans more pink and the gold is more obvious. This swatch is two coats and it covers perfectly. I think this will be an instant classic!

Starboard is a nice medium grass green jelly crème. It's exceptionally shiny and bright, very appropo for a spring collection. I used three coats to get full coverage.

Hey Sailor is a bright poppy red jelly crème that is almost perfect in one coat. I used two to get it totally opaque. Fabulous pigmentation, this is a great red to have in your arsenal!

Lighthouse is a sunshine yellow glass fleck polish, a current version of a China Glaze limited edition polish from the days of yore, Yell-O-Neil from the Surf Summer Collection from 2007. Lighthouse has great shine and sparkle and glides across the nail easily contrary to the old glue-like Yell-O-Neil. I also like how the base of this polish is thinner and allows the yellow gold sparkle to really shine. Yellow is heard to be the new "it" color for this upcoming summer! Three coats.

Life Preserver is a spice pumpkin orange jelly crème. The formula of this polish is really spectacular, thin but not watery. Excellent pigment and like Hey Sailor, almost a one-coater, but I used two for consistency.

And rounding out the collection is First Mate, a luxe and deep navy blue. Two coats and presto, magic! I really love this color, it may be my new favorite blue crème!

I hope you enjoyed the review of this great collection, it really is fantastic. You can get China Glaze polishes from Sally Beauty Supply stores, www.chinaglaze.com, and e-tailers like Transdesign.com and Head2ToeBeauty.com. Anchors Away should be in stores soon and is available online now!

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

These were sent for review.

China Glaze Anchors Away: Sand & Sea

China Glaze has put out 12 nautical inspired lacquers for Spring 2011. Anchors Away is the name of the collection and the theme is delightful and entertaining in my opinion. I love the look of maritime fashion and colors so this collection was definitely high on my "must have" list when I first heard about it.

The collection comes in two parts, Sand & Sea carries the more neutral soft shades from the bunch. These were the first ones I tried on so naturally I should tell you about them first.

Pelican Gray is a creamy concrete gray polish that is a bit on the thick side but applies nicely in two coats. I love how this looks on the nail, and who says gray is last season? I think it's still as "in" as ever! There is the teeniest bit of shimmer in this guy too, which makes the color so much more intense.

I knew I would love White Cap, as it is reminiscent of one of my all time favorite China Glazes, White Kwik Slvr. This new guy has way more gold to it though which improves the heck out of it and makes it sparkle like there's no tomorrow. Gold flakes/shimmer and sheer white jelly equals gorgeous! This is two coats by itself, but this polish is also perfect for layering.

Sea Spray is already making its mark as a big hitter in the beauty-sphere online, people are really loving this guy! A pale sky blue with a hidden pearl shine, a finish very similar to Zoya's Marley. Ga ga gorgeous! And the formula on this baby was spectacular, two coats and easy to manipulate on the nail. More thick than thin but, I dare you to find an opaque soft shade that isn't. I have heard this is a dupe for Essie's Sag Harbor so I will try to do a comparison post with the two soon.

I really didn't think that there would be a fault with this collection, but if I were to nit-pick, Knotty just is not doing it for me. I can't imagine who this guy would look good on, but it's not me. Even though the formula is excellent and the polish is very shiny and good in theory, glass flecked beigey-nude, it doesn't work for me. Reminds me of creme soda. I want to like it, but I just look at it and go "whaaa?"

Sunset Sail is a great color, with a less than stellar formula. I had to apply four coats to get rid of the streaks on this, yikes. This was probably the thickest polish in the set too, no likey. However, when I was done applying it, I did like the color and the tiny microshimmer in the polish. This warm light peach won't work on everyone's skin tone but I think it does nicely on me.

And last but certainly not least, is Below Deck. China Glaze is truly an obliging company as they actually care what their customers have to say and try to give them what they want. Channelesque is a much coveted and cult status lacquer from China Glaze that discontinued long ago, of which Below Deck is modeled after. The previous version of this purpley-gray taupe crème maybe was a tad lighter but also not big-3 free. It was also gluey and hard to apply. The 2011 version in Below Deck is a bit dustier and muted and applies like a dream. Almost a one-coater, which is awesome, but I did need two to get full opacity. I LOVE polishes with this consistency, not terribly thick but not so thin that they drip into your cuticles. The perfect happy-medium.

I hope you enjoyed the first six lacquers from the Anchors Away collection from China Glaze and will tune in to see the second half coming soon!

xoxo,
kelliegonzo


These were sent for review.

China Glaze Anchors Away Preview

ALL HANDS ON DECK!

China Glaze Introduces 12 New Glitters And Crèmes For Spring 2011
Los Angeles, CA – (October 2010): Sail away this spring in 12 nautically-inspired colors from China Glaze. These bold and confident brights are reminiscent of a carefree natural getaway, with soft ethereal hues that inspire leisurely thoughts of sand and sea. Colors in this collection include:

· Life Preserver: Highly pigmented and luxurious poppy crème.

· Hey Sailor: Vibrant crème red.

· Ahoy!: Delightfully intense pink that flashes with reflective glass speck.

· First Mate: Sophisticated and rich navy crème.

· Starboard: Hip and playful green crème.

· Lighthouse: Multi-dimensional, bright yellow glass speck.

· White Cap: Whimsical and sparkling multi-dimensional white.

· Pelican Gray: High shine, cool toned grey crème.

· Sea Spray: Calming pale blue crème.

· Below Deck: A flirty mix of taupe and violet.

· Sunset Sail: Delightful peachy pink high shine crème.

· Knotty: Micro-particle beige shimmer.

This spring, take a relaxing trip to the shore and sail away with China Glaze. Stop and smell the sea breeze! The China Glaze Anchors Away collection will be available in two 6 piece acetates, a 12 piece display, a 36 piece rack, and as open stock colors.

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, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

China Glaze is a division of American International Industries. About American International Industries:
For nearly 40 years, AII has been the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of innovative, quality beauty and skin care products for men and women. Our product lines include Ardell, Andrea, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, Jeris-Lustray, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks, Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s, and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com.

I can't wait for this collection!

xoxo,
kelliegonzo