China Glaze Holiday 2010 – Gold, Silver & White Swatches, Review & Comparisons
Celebrate the Holiday Season with Sugar, Spice and Everything In Between
If you missed the first part of my China Glaze ‘Tis The Season To Be Naughty Or Nice review make sure you check it out to see the blue and greens from this collection. Today we’re talking about the Golds, Silver and Whites from the sixteen piece collection. You may remember that my all time favorite white nail polish on the planet is China Glaze White-Kwik-Silvr. It’s white polish perfection. So when I spotted a sparkly white coming out for holiday I hoped I would find a WKS twin. Read on to see if Frosty lived up to my dream and to check out Cheers To You, Jingle Bells, Midnight Kiss and Snow. |
Formula & Application: China Glaze is a 3-Free brand with a round brush that is both medium in length and firmness with enough give to allow for ease of control. The cap is slightly tapered and made of smooth plastic that is comfortable to hold. For the Holiday collection China Glaze brought back the brushed silver caps that were used on the Platinum/Urban Chic & Kaleidoscope collection bottles. It adds a little something special to look.
This section of the collection includes two foil finish polishes, one creme, one metallic and one smooth glitter. With the exception of the two whites they all give full coverage with two coats. The foils and smooth glitter applied phenomenally well, drying to an even finish while the metallic had some brush stroke issues and the creme had problems leveling out.
Cheers To You is a silver foil metallic that dries with a highly reflective, brushed finish. This one along with its gold sister, Midnight Kiss, both have the same look as the Orly Foil FX polishes. It’s chrome without the mirror-like quality.
Of course I had to pull Orly Shine to compare it to and they are pretty much identical even if that doesn’t show in the photo. The shade and finish are pretty dead on. The only major difference I see is that Cheers To You is more pigmented.
Frosty is the girl I was telling you about. The potential WKS twin. It’s a creamy white with smooth glitter that becomes opaque with three coats. The glitter is like a mini version of that flaky glitter we talk about in Nfu Ohs. It lays flat but reflects light extremely well resulting in a high sparkle polish.
Now for the big question… is it a White-Kwik-Silvr dupe? Almost but not quite. The color is not identical plus there’s just something about that glass fleck finish that sets it apart from the herd. While it’s not as noticeable in photos, in person I can see the slight difference. Am I disappointed though? Not really. Frosty is a great substitute for WKS and is getting a permanent home in my collection.
Snow is a basic white creme. Great for layering but hard to pull off on its own. Whites can tend to look like you took correction fluid to your nails (am I dating myself with that reference?). The bonus of Snow is that it’s not chalky but the formula could use some work. It’s pretty streaky and lumpy. I prefer China Glaze White Out over Snow however if you end up getting Snow, I suggest using a thin first layer, thick second layer and thin third layer for the best finish possible. Make sure you wait between coats to avoid bubbles and brush drag.
Jingle Bells is a reddish tinged gold metallic. It’s plagued with brush strokes but I’ve seen worse. It’s not like the Romantiques or anything. The mini flecks of glitter break up what could be a brush mark nightmare giving it a more pounded metal look. I know China Glaze describes this as a champagne color but to me it feels like a cross between champagne and bronze.
In the bottle, I thought Chanel Gold Lamé would surely be a twin but on the nail, it’s much lighter, less bronzey and missing the micro-glitter in Jingle Bells’ finish.
Midnight Kiss is a gold foil metallic like Cheers To You. It’s a pretty pure yellow gold but it’s light enough that it will still work with cool skin tones. It’s a pale, blond version of gold.
Again I went to the Orly Foil FX collection in my dupe search and this time I came up short. Orly Luxe is also a gold foil but Midnight Kiss is a bit more beige.
Bottom Line: If you’re a foil finish fan and you don’t have the Orly Foil FX polishes snap up the China Glaze versions. Frosty is a must if you love whites, especially if you covet my beloved WKS. Jingle Bells gets a pass from me. It’s not my bag and the finish throws me off. If you need a white creme get China Glaze White Out instead.
The China Glaze Holiday 2010 Collection is available now and a limited release so scoop it up while you can. Retail prices vary by store but online pricing is around $3/ea and store pricing is around $6/ea for a .5oz bottle. You can find China Glaze polish online at Head2ToeBeauty.com, 8ty8Beauty.com and TransDesign.com and on shelves at Sally Beauty and ULTA.
You can also find these colors in some of the Holiday 2010 gift sets. Snow & Frosty appear in the Peppermint Kisses with Holiday Wishes set, Midnight Kiss comes in the Cheers To You set (with Cheers To You) and the Dreamin’ of a Green Christmas set and Jingle Bells is included in the Celebrate In Style set.
Are we feeling these? Those of you who own White-Kwik-Silvr do you agree that Frosty is a good substitute if not a dupe? Have you found a WKS twin? Does anyone else agree that all metallics should be foils, like CTY & MK so the brush stroke madness will end?
Disclosure: Product samples were provided by China Glaze. For more info, view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
I really like Frosty! It looks fantastic on you!
So pretty!!! I love Jingle Bells and Midnight Kiss! Love metallics for the holidays and especially on the nails!!!
I’m ordering Frosty right now – I don’t own anything like it and your “must-have” stamp always seals the deal!
Wow, I like Frosty on you! I didn’t buy it but maybe I still should b/c it’s so pretty on you. I’ve never heard of White-Kwik-Silvr before, but it’s gorgeous; so creamy looking. I don’t even own a single white shimmer… but maybe I should?
I just want to say I love your site! I came across it a few months ago and it has made me rediscover my love for nail polish.
I was wondering how Jingle Bells compares to Ginger and Liz Swagger? I have been coveting that shade for a while but cannot bring myself to order it. Would it make do until I can get myself to order it?
Thanks!
I managed to snag a bottle of WKS from 8ty8beauty.com last month, so I don’t need Frosty, but I was going to get Snow until you said White Out applies better. I knew I should wait for your review!
Of all those, I like Frosty the most. Pretty!
Great swatches
I was wondering how you think Glitzerland compares to Midnight kiss, I have Glitzerland but want Midnight Kiss also!I know you have both, do you think it’s worth having both?
I did a comparison of your swatches and Midnight Kiss looks shinier to me, is this true?
Thanks!
Hmm. I’d like to see a Glitzerland comparison too! I was considering it at Sally’s today.
Ack, I meant Orly’s Glitz and Glamour.
I totally agree. I think glitzerland would be a sort of match. Maybe a little less cheerful or bright, but glitzerland is good for people with cool skin. Some golds look gross and sickly on us pale people, but I think glitzerland has just enough of a cool undertone.
Thanks Grace
I agree, if you don’t have WKS (and can’t find it), then Frosty is definitely a good substitute. I’d say that in person WKS is a bit ivory and Frosty more of a real white. Their thickness seemed a bit different to me as well. Not dupes, but very close siblings.
I think WKS and Frosty are very similar as well, but can definitely tell the difference. I did a comparison on my blog as well and found that the more coats of each, the more they stand apart.
My bottle of Frosty just got here today along with my other purchases from the holiday collection! I never wear white polish because they’re almost always either too sheer, too chalky, or too frosty (lol, you know what I mean!), but CG Frosty is just perfect! Still would’ve loved to have WKS though!
Can I ask, does everyone hate brush strokes but me? They really don’t bother me at all.
I like Frosty a lot… is there any chance of doing a side by side comparison between it and the white polish from the Orly xmas collection (I think it’s Winter Wonderland?)
Hey, also… I rarely see you review OPI for Sephora, but I really think you should check out “It Looks Like Rain, Dear.” It is my xmas polish of choice this year! I can’t stop wearing it… and I rarely wear gold polish, so it’s a huge deal.
Love(10000000)!
I was actually thinking that Frosty reminds me of Sephora by OPI’s “Fancy Schmancy” (not so much in the bottle, but on the nail…not twins, but similar…
I’ve already got the greens and party hearty, but I’m actually thinking of going back for jingle bells, just for layering under party hearty. I was really disappointed in the opacity of it. I’ve swatched it over swing baby, but I think jingle bells might be a better base.
I’ve been eyeing Luxe, but keep talking myself out of it since I own Midnight Kiss. This comparison makes me rethink my argument!
Thanks so much for the incredibly informative info and comparisons — you are so meticulous and it is much appreciated! Also, like Sara, I recently got White Kwik-Silvr at 8ty8 Beauty and it looks like it’s still there. Is it bad that I want Frosty, too?
I must get my hands on that collection! Beautiful colors.
Dating yourself with correction fluid? Next you’ll be telling us they don’t use blackboards in classrooms anymore!
When did I get this old?!
Frosty is gorgeous! It reminds me a bit of the MAC Vanilla pigment. Too bad I look like death in that color!
I like these! Thanks for the comparisons
I just got Frosty in the mail yesterday, I ordered it after seeing swatches on another nail blog and I was NOT disappointed. Now I just have to wait a couple of days after taking an extremely dark and saturated color off my nails so it looks white and sparkly clean like its supposed to.
cheers to you!!! i think i am in love!
Frosty would have been the perfect white to add red glitter to like you did for the Frankenpolish for “ALice in Wonderland”. It’s the first thing I thought of when I saw it. LOVE your write ups and comparisons as always. You ROCK girl! : )
Now I REALLY CAN’T WAIT for the red’s review! I could wear (and want) every singe shade in this collection! Thanks for the online retailer links… now I can afford the entire collection haha.
Please do Red & Vampy next!
Do you find “Naughty & Nice” a pain in terms of staining?
I just bought a gift set with a green, glitter and red yesterday. Jolly Holly and the glitter (forget the name) are great, so I am anxious to see the red swatches to see if it’s a keeper or a gifter.
Waar kan ik de bovenstaande nagellakken halen??
If you are looking outside the USA, I’m not sure. I don’t have a list of international suppliers.
Hey there,
I am looking for a shimmery white like frosty, however I am in New Zealand, and as far as I know, China Glaze is not a retail item here. Do you know of a similar shade that I might be able to look for? The inspiration for this is actually The Face Shop’s WH003 (there seems to be two very different colours with the same name), and I just havent been able to find a white shimmer that isn’t insanely sheer. The Face Shop’s one is so shimmery it is bordeline glitter!