China Glaze Up & Away Swatches, Review and Comparisons – Part 2
Sorry for the delay Fanatics! Mother Nature has not been playing nice. The lighting here in the Cleveburg has been atrocious so I’ve been waiting with bated breath to swatch the rest of this collection.
Though over the past few days, I’ve had plenty of time to stare at the polishes all lined up and they keep making me crave ice cream regardless of the freezing cold temperatures. It’s like looking in the Baskin Robbins case trying to decide between a soft, sweet sherbet or multi-colored scoop of Superman. Yum!! Today I have the blues, greens and cheese-stands-alone peach for you. Check out their deliciousness after the jump! |
As I noted in my initial review, the pastels were an issue for me. There were some comments regarding conflicting reviews of the formula amongst the blogs and all I can do is relate my experience. For me, the pastels haven’t been a joy, your mileage may vary. The bolder hues, like the three shown here all have that jelly-like quality. Instead of being creamy, it looks as if you could push down on the polish and have it spring back. Though I wouldn’t recommend trying that unless you want to wreck your mani. The pigmentation was decent though I opted for three thin coats of each color.
Flyin High is an odd bird, in a fabulous way. It’s like a total contradiction in that the color is slightly muted yet it’s a bright. To me it’s more of a true aqua than Aqua Baby, as you’ll see below.
I love Aqua Baby and its doppelganger Shower Together but they never really read as “aqua” to me. Flyin’ High definitely fills that need. And while I thought for sure I’d find a dupe in my stash, there were none to be found. I think of this as the Jan Brady to For Audrey (Cindy) and Illamasqua Muse (Marcia), without all those middle child issues.
You will not find an accurate swatch of Four Leaf Clover on the web! Period. It’s just too hard to capture. It’s not quite neon in that it doesn’t dry matte but it’s so electrified that it just doesn’t translate. I feel I’ve shown the base color to an OK extent but it’s still way more vivid in person. I don’t want to call it a kelly green due to its slight blue undertone. For this one, comparisons are the best descriptor.
If you own Misa The Grass is Greener on my Side then you’ll have a pretty good idea of what Four Leaf Clover’s base color is like. Take away the shimmer, add some jelly-ness to the texture and you’re on! In person, the new Emerald City shade launching this Spring from Sparitual is just a bit more muted even though the image doesn’t show that.
Peachy Keen jellybean! I have to say, this is one of the first true peach shades I’ve found. So many of them lean too pink or too orange. This one is just dead on perfection. Even though the color peach draws up thoughts of poofy, taffeta bridesmaids dresses, this stunner gives it a good name again.
Like I said, most peach polishes lean very pink. As I kept pulling colors from my collection, I realized just HOW pink the majority are. Which led me to Orly Festival Lights and China Glaze V as the only shades I could really compare Peachy Keen to. The Orly is much too orange and V is darker with more pink in its base. If you’ve been wanting a true peach cream, here it is!
Just when I thought I had all the mint greens I’ll ever need, along comes Re-Fresh Mint. I now own 11 mint greens and have no absolute twins. Re-Fresh Mint is probably one of the truest mint hues in that it doesn’t lean blue and it’s not too dark. It does dry a bit brighter than my picture shows but there’s only so much my camera can do.
In my mint green range, Re-Fresh Mint falls somewhere between OPI Hey! Get In Lime! and Essie Mint Candy Apple. And between you and me, I’d take Re-Fresh Mint over both of them even with its application issues. I love the Essie but it’s too blue-based to be mint and the OPI takes FOUR COATS.
The Up & Away collection is set to launch in January 2010 but if it’s ready earlier I’m sure it will start shipping out in December. Keep a watch on your local Sally Beauty and your fave e-tailers to scoop up these colors.
I know you’ve been dying to see the greens so what do you think? Can you take any more mint greens? Who’s fallen for Peachy Keen? I want to hear what you have to say!
Disclosure: A product sample was furnished to me by China Glaze. For further information view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
I’m so in love with this collection. ESPECIALLY the mint green one! I can’t wait for these to hit the shelves so that I can snag some. I think i’ll be getting all of the ones in this post – except the peach. Peachy colors never turn out right on my pale skin :/
no on everything but flying high!
Lovely swatches. These picture just make me want this collection even more. Everyone except for Grape Pop is amazing.
I’m not normally a huge fan of colors like these. At least they aren’t what I reach for. Something about your swatches makes them all look really appealing.
Whoa!!!
I am so getting peachy keen. Not so sure how it will look on me but i have nothing else like it in my collection. Almost 200 polishes no peach?!
When i see refresh mint online, i’ll snag it just because i love ChG.
But the other green and blue?… Nah, i’ll pass on those. (i think)
they are stunning! Love this collection!X
Just the two I’ve been interested in! I love them both and can’t wait to buy the whole collection. I’m excited to start seeing these being swatched more. They both look fabulous on you. Thanks for always having a comparison to show us.
Every time I see new swatches for this collection I get more and more excited! I hope they come out soon, I’ll be ordering every single one!
I do LOVE a creme finish… I’m intrigued by peachy keen and totally confused about flyin high – the other swatch I’ve seen is SO blue compared to this one, which looks much more teal. I might just order it anyway, since both “versions” are so pretty, I’d be happy if it fell anywhere along the spectrum. I’ll probably get grape pop, too. Purples are my absolute favorite.
Your swatch photos always look like no one else’s, but I’ve usually found that they show the best color accuracy. I was waffling over whether or not to get Four Leaf Clover, since on some blogs it looked more yellow, and on others it looked more blue* (yellow-based greens or any green that leans more yellow than blue always give me that “alien hands syndrome”). After seeing your photo of it, I’ve decided to pass. I am, however, really looking forward to getting my hands on Grape Pop, Refresh-mint and Flyin’ High!
*Case in point: I had a lemming for Orly’s Mint Mojito after seeing a swatch photo of it on another blog, but upon seeing your photo felt that it might be too yellow-green for me. I bought it anyway, but I should have trusted your photo because I hated how it looked on me!
Thank you so much for the mint green comparison pictures! I am so excited to get Refresh Mint!! I was really looking forward to Four Leaf Clover, but it looks brighter than I was expecting. Thanks so much for the great swatches and comparison pictures!
I like these but unlike my lacquerholic tendencies to scoop up every brown or vampy purple regardless of how similar they are, I’ve got one mint green and I think that’s enough for me.
Thanks for these swatches. I’m wondering if Flying High is a match at all for Sephora OPI’s Ocean Love Potion.
I have a feeling the yellows will end up in my hands. Possibly Flyin High and Peachy Keen. =] I love pastels.
Dang it again! I’m just going to have to buy this entire collection. I love them all! These are totally my kind of colors!
For sure, I’ll break my no/low buy for Peachy Keen. I like some of the others, but I *need* PK. After I fell in love with Elephantastic Pink, I decided I needed a peach version of it and have hunted high and low. I have great hope that this one might be it!
Wow..when I first saw the promo pictures I wasn’t really all that interested in this collection but after seeing swatches I’m sold!! =] The greens make me especially happy. I’ve been craving green nail polish so much lately but I don’t have the money to spend right now.
i want them all…sorry pocketbook!
I must of Flying High and Four Leaf Clover!
I have been fighting against all the mint greens out there for a while but then I see this Mint and now I feel like I need to have it because it’s most likely my very favorite thus far.
Flyin High is really pretty!
I must have all of these because of u I have become a fanatic!! Thank you for taking the time to swatch!!
Thank you so much for taking the time not only swatching this collection, but also making comparisons to similar colors. This is especially helpful for those of us who order our polishes online.
I’m actually thinking about ordering the whole collection, which I have never done before. o.O
This collection makes me sooo excited for spring! I can’t wait to get my hands on some of these, especially Four Leaf Clover and Peachy Keen!! Gorgeous!!!
Thanks for the swatches! I love pastel-y colours ( like the mint – LOVE) but I always get turned off by the application issues
Does anyone know why pastels are tricky?
I’m absolutely smitten with Peachy Keen and Re-freshment. Another mint green, prob not necessary for me, but I can’t resist. I also plan to purchase Grape Pop because it’s a beautiful purple. Thanks for swatching these!
Does anyone know how you get your pic to show up next to your comment like some of the other comment-ers? Thanks
OOOOH! love these greens! I’m especially drawn to Flyin High and 4-Leaf Clover. The Refresh Mint may be my only mint green, since mostly they don’t speak to me. That may be the perfect spring green!
Now when?!…..
Peachy Keen will be joining my collection. I’m vacillating on Flyin High.
Flyin High looks to be falling toward the warmer side of aqua coloration. It will be a great pedi color once the air outside begins to warm.
Kira
Peachy Keen was the color that jumped at me when I first heard about this collection. That is the one I am definitely getting. I’ve been looking for a color like that forever!
*LOVE*
I already have a list of these I can’t wait to get my hands on.
I’m so glad to see that ChG is offering a more accessible version of that Spa Ritual green I’ve seen pop up all over for spring. (And thank you for swatching those together!)
Yay!
I will definitely be purchasing Peachy Keen and and Re-fresh Mint. The Essie MCA was way too blue and I was so disappointed bc I really wanted a true mint. Can’t wait!
The flying high is really pretty but it reminds me of the crayola color “robins egg” do u not agree?
how does flyin’ high stack up against essie’s greenport? close enough to pass on flying high? as always, thanks for the great swatches!!
I’m LOVING Peachy Keen.
I also love Flyin’ High – but how close is it to Illamasqua Muse? That one I have and I LOVE it.
As I mentioned in the review, it’s lighter than Muse. It has the same tone, it’s just not as deep. You would never mistake them as dupes.
I wanted a mint green and got Essie’s mint candle apple- it’s jsut what u said, too blue! it almost reminded me of a retro blender from 1965 lol
PS Do you have a post about how you take care of your cuticles? ur nails are soooo healthy looking! if you could point me in the right direction or tell me your secret I would be much obliged!
I have such dry cuticles and mine only look like yours right after i apply cuticle oil.
You’re so sweet. I don’t have a post on cuticle care but thanks for the idea. I touch on it a bit on my FAQ page but the key is moisture. I keep cuticle oil pens, like the ones from Sephora in my makeup bag so I have one in my purse wherever I go. I also keep one by my desk. At night, I slather on a rich hand cream. I can’t stand the heavy ones during the day because I feel like I”m leaving a mark on everything but at night, bring it on. The more you get in the habit, the healthier your hands/cuticles will be. I hit my cuticles with the pen while I’m sitting at a red light in my car.
Awesome post/swatches Michelle! I am really feeling these colors for spring. I am anxious to try them!
That Peachy Keen is going to be the big hit. I love creams and don’t have enough off them. Between this and last year’s Kicks collection, my clients are gonna go crazy. I just ordered the whole dang collection!!!
Peachy Keen looks like the perfect coordinate to Pantone’s fashion color of the year, turquoise :). I have yellow undertone so usually give a big stink eye to anything even slightly orange tinted but I am going to try this on the tips with For Audrey on the main part of my long-ish acrylics with square tips and keep it from the direct contrast with my skin..PK looks as luscious as a Creamsicle! Great blog, the in depth coverage and real nail side-by-side compares are wonderful! Hope 2010 brings you all the good!
Is Mac Peppermint Patti similar (Not low cost, obviously) to Re-Fresh Mint?
To my eye Peppermint Patti is deeper than Re-Fresh Mint
Ulta had the collection in store in Louisville this weekend.
I love the swatch shown for Aqua Baby. Does anyone know the brand? Is it another China Glaze shade? LOVE this collection.
I would love to see China Glaze Peachy Keen next to Essie Van D’Go.
Do you know what the difference between these two is?
I LOVE peachy keen and re-fresh mint! i just bought them today at Sally Beauty for $5 a piece! I don’t have a ton of nail polish in my collection, so these are definitely worth having in any collection in my opinion. Keep the awesome reviews and swatches coming our way! =]
i just ordered flyin’ high… it’s my first foray into the world of blues and i’m so excited!!!
love love love your blog!
I had a pedicure last weekend and chose a China Glaze color. I can’t quite recall which one it was and wondered if you or any of your readers could help figure it out.
Here’s my photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hol410/4839045602/
Flyin High?
Custom Kicks?
I really like the color and would love to buy it.
Thanks!
Hi Hol! As you know I replied on Facebook but just in case anyone else is curious my guess is Turned Up Turquoise. Though if the color is from the Kicks collection, Custom Kicks is the only one that would fit.