China Glaze Capitol Colours – The Hunger Games Nail Polish Collection Swatches & Review
We’re only seven weeks and two days away from the hotly anticipated opening of The Hunger Games (yes I’m counting) and the only thing more buzzed about than the actual movie is the nail polish collaboration between Lionsgate and China Glaze, The Capitol Colours Collection. Even people who haven’t read the books are exploding with excitement over these polishes.
Between the drama over whether the collection would even come out, the name changes from a character driven theme to a “Capitol” driven theme, that still represents the Districts more than the Capitol, to the debate over whether a book about a dystopian society where children fight to the death for their District’s survival should even be associated with nail polish, every nail lover has been talking about this collection.
All of that aside, it’s the colors alone that drew the majority of us in. Wanting to own a piece of a favorite book series is definitely a part of it but we wouldn’t be rabid to get our hands on the lacquers unless the colors made our pulses race. And that’s exactly what mine did when the collection landed on my doorstep. Let’s dive into the world of Panem, shall we?
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.
The diversity of the finishes in this collection makes it hard to generalize the application as being just one thing. Overall the cremes are thin and workable. The metallics and matte are a bit on the goopy side and take some finesse to apply smoothly. The shimmer, foil and jelly polishes were all a dream to work with. I will comment on any application issues below but all polishes are shown with two coats with the exception of the glitter, Electrify.
China Glaze Agro (District 11 – Agriculture) Is a metallic olive green with flecks of gold. The base isn’t overly warm which makes it very wearable though peeps with uber cool tones may have a hard time pulling it off. Due to the metallic finish, brush strokes are an issue and the formula is kind of clumpy so apply very thin layers. Application tip: Apply to the sides first (strokes 1 & 2) then finish in the middle to blend and smooth the surface.
China Glaze Dress Me Up (District 8 – Textiles) is the color that was originally named for Primrose and given its dusty rose color, that would have been a great fit. It’s creamy with a soft, delicate nature, just like Prim.
China Glaze Electrify (District 5 – Power) is a clear-based packed with yellow gold and red glitter. The gold is the more prevalent color though the photo doesn’t show that. Unfortunately shooting in macro pulls apart the colors that your eye will naturally blend together. The overall effect looks like gold foil peppered with red sparkles. Thanks to the density of the glitter, you can get decent coverage without a ton of coats. I am showing you one, two and three coats of color.
China Glaze Fast Track (District 6 – Transportation) is a cool beige packed with gold micro-flecks. It has a similar finish as Knotty from Anchors Away except the base is cooler and more opaque and the flecks are gold instead of silver. It’s a great twist on your average neutral. I was honestly expecting this one to be pretty sheer so I was pleasantly surprised to find that it gives great coverage.
China Glaze Foie Gras (District 10 – Livestock) is a dark, moody mauve creme. I’m calling it Below Deck After Dark. It’s a member of that whole taupe-y purple family that Chanel Particuliere and SOPI Metro Chic belong to.
China Glaze Harvest Moon (District 9 – Grain) is a burnt copper foil metallic. It had the autumnal, fall feeling that represents the idea of a bountiful harvest really well. Unlike the other metallics in this collection, because it’s a foil, it applies smooth as butter and it packed with pigment.
China Glaze Hook and Line (District 4 – Fishing) is a muddied, pewter metallic. There’s a bit of taupe to its underbelly that makes me think of a fish hook that has a thin layer layer of dried dirt from years of use. It’s definitely unusual. It had the same application issues so see above for my tip to getting a smooth finish.
China Glaze Luxe & Lush (District 1 – Luxury) is the FLAKIE top coat. I know all you flakie fans have been freaking over this and since we’re in the midst of a giant flakie movement I’m sure this color will sell fast. In the bottle you can see flecks of fiery orange, blue and a lilac leaning pink in a milky base. I thought it would pair well with Dress Me Up but I wanted to show you other options so I included a black (ChG Liquid Leather) and pale blue (ChG Sea Spray). I think I expected it to explode over black but it kind of fizzled out like an expired firecracker. I love it over the other two though.
China Glaze Mahogany Magic (District 7 – Lumber) is a rich, yellow-based, brown creme. While it’s meant to have a woody feel, I look at it and see a horse mane. Can’t get that out of my mind. Undoubtedly this will rock on warmer/olive skin tones but on me, it feels wrong. Clearly I can’t wear colors this yellow.
China Glaze Riveting (District 3 – Technology) is a jelly-fied gem. A sister to two classic China Glaze jellies, Orange Marmalade and Orange-Pacific this color has one thing going for it the others lack, pigment. It’s magical. Two coats and it’s on! LOVE!
China Glaze Stone Cold (District 2 – Masonry) surprised me as I wasn’t expecting to see a matte in this collection but it makes total sense to have this graphite glitter dry with a matte finish. It’s so asphalt-esque I can’t stand it. Though very similar to Nubar Matte Midnight. Like most mattes, the formula is a bit thick and goopy so use thin coats and workly quickly since mattes dry fast.
With a top coat the silver sparkles come alive and it resembles graphite. I prefer this look over the flat matte.
China Glaze Smoke & Ashes (District 12 – Mining) is the color I’ve been looking forward to most and it does not disappoint. The love child of Blk-Bila-Bong and Glittering Garland, it has the inky base and blue micro-flecks that made BBB a star. Mix in the emerald fleck from GG and we have a rising star on our hands. It’s so much better in person, trust!
Bottom Line: Even though the association with the Districts is not something that is advertised in association with this collection overall I feel the colors do a great job of representing The Hunger Games. Are there some dupeable shades, no doubt. But are there some legen (wait for it)… DARY must-haves? Abso-frickin-lutely. Smoke & Ashes, Riveting, Luxe & Lush, Agro and Fast Track and Harvest Moon are all keepers. If your budget allows, consider Electrify and Dress Me Up. I know I’m known for my aversion to pinks but there’s something about DMU that attracts me. Plus is looks fab under Luxe & Lush.
The China Glaze Capitol Colours collection releases mid-March 2012 at salons and beauty supply stores nationwide including Sally Beauty and ULTA. Online shoppers can head to Head2ToeBeauty.com, TransDesign.com and ULTA.com. China Glaze nail polishes retail for $3-6.50/ea, depending on the retailer, for a .5oz bottle.
Alright so spill… which colors will make your short list to buy? Which one will you wear to see The Hunger Games? Which colors exceeded your expectations based on previews? Which ones fell short?
Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for China Glaze. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
I NEED all of these! I’m in the middle of Mockingjay at the moment. The books are so good! I can’t wait for the movie and this collection!
All I want to know is if I can pre-order these!
I have my eye on Agro, Fast Track and Smoke and Ashes! Love them!
OMG I think I want them all. Even the orangey one and I don’t normally like that! Thank you for the gorgeous swatches!
In loveeee with Argo, Fast Track and Riveting!
I’m sooooooo happy to see you swatching again! you are the swatch queen. And I LOVE most of these colors! Some of them are so unique…I will definitely be picking up Stone Cold (love the matte finish), Riveting, and Fast Track!
Is it just me, but I haven’t heard anyone say this seem like a Fall/Winter collection?
For me, most of the collection is entirely too dark and too orangey/yellowy for my pink skin tone and the clothing colours coming out this season.
The only two I’d consider are Dress Me Up which is too muted-Winter when I’m craving Spring-clear, and Foie Gras feels like a dupe of a dupe of a colour I already own.
I’m going to pass. Disappointed, but looking forward to the next collection.
Smoke and ashes, harvest moon, and fast track are my must haves! Will definitely wear smoke and ashes to the premiere! District 12 represent!!
I recently finished the series and was initially skeptical of this type of marketing, however after seeing the colors, I really like a lot of these:
Agro–this is unlike any color I’ve seen lately. Beautiful green!
Stone Cold–love the texture
Fast Track–I like that you mentioned that it gives good coverage despite appearing nude.
Your site was the first thing I did when I got home and fired up my laptop. Awesome post as usual but made better with amazing polish.
My definites are Agro (maybe even 2), Fast Track, Harvest Moon, Riveting, Stone Cold and Smoke & Ashes.
I’m surprised I liked Dress Me Up as I’m not usually drawn to those shades. Usually they look a little blah to me but I like it.
I was a little disappointed with Electrify only because it wasn’t what I was expecting but it’s still really cool looking. I’m still getting it.
I thought I’d like Harvest Moon and Mahogany Magic but I’m not sure. Fois Gras is a little iffy. Hook and Line is probably going in my stash too.
My brain does not compute Luxe & Lush. I was so excited to find out it was a flakie but I don’t understand why it looks like that on the nail. I’m used to Essie’s SotT, the Fingerpaints flakies and the Zoya flakies so I’m confused. Do you think you’ll be trying out Luxe & Lush on top of other colors?
Lux and Lush, Foie Gras, Dress Me Up, and Stone Cold are my favorites. Definitely getting Luxe and Lush, no doubt, but I am not sure if I will pick up the others or not.
Oh, who am I kidding, I’ll be getting them all, even though I’m not a huge fan of some of them. Your swatches sold me though…
I am stupidly excited for these. Fast Track and Foie Gras are on my short list. I love so many of the others but already own very similar colors. Thanks so much for the swatches!
Smoke & Ashes and Luxe & Lush are the ones that I’m definitely getting! Thanks for the swatches!
Oh God, these colors are SO FREAKING BEAUTIFUL!
My original list:
ARGO, ARGO, ARGO!
Electrify
Fast Track
Harvest Moon
Smoke & Ashes
Riveting
Luxe & Lush
After this post I’m going to have to add:
Mahogany Magic
Foie Gras
So excited to finally see these shades! I am loving Riveting and Stone Cold. Ooo I want to read the books again now
Beautiful swatches! I want just about every color, minus the cremes, Hook and Line, and Harvest Moon.
On the Capitol Couture tumblr I remember reading something about the colors corresponding to the districts, so it looks like it was what they were going for.
And I’m getting them all, I have to. Love the Hunger Games too much to not.
Thanks for sharing. I follow the Tumblr but must have missed that. The press info I received didn’t mention it so I didn’t want to put words in China Glaze or Liongate’s mouths.
If there was any one set of polishes anticipated this year, this was the one. I like Electrify, Harvest Moon, Luxe and Lush, Riveting, Smoke and Ashes, and Stone Cold. I can’t wait to get these.
Wow, I wasn’t too impressed with the color blobbies or bottle shots, but that certainly changed upon seeing actual swatches. There are some gorgeous ones: Luxe & Lush is so pretty, as is Riveting & Harvest Moon (& I don’t usually go for oranges!). There’s something about Hook & Line, too, although I don’t like brushstrokes. I heard that if you sponge on the last coat, once you put on top coat it blends in & you can’t see the brush marks. Any opinion? Have you tried anything like that? Would maybe make for cool before-&-after shots if your schedule allows!!
PS Thanks for getting these swatches up so quickly! I <3 All Lacquered Up!!
I haven’t tried that technique but it sounds interesting. I’ll have to give it a go, thanks.
i love them all.
I’m probably only going to buy one from this collection and that’s Smoke and Ashes. If my budget allowed it I’d buy the entire collection but sadly, it doesn’t. So I’ll be wearing Smoke and Ashes to the see the movie if it arrives in time
Great swatches! I think I’ll be picking up two MAYBE three of these in March, thanks so much for the post!
Lovely swatches. Dying for Stone Cold, but I am happy to report I probably only want half the collection. Yay to saving a few dollars!
can you compare Stone Cold w/OPI Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees Suede? They seem similar and if so that’ll be a much cheaper version to get
I wasn’t expecting Fast Track to be such a winner, but I love it!
I am really liking Fast Track and I need to see Smoke & Ashes in person, but I’m intrigued. Not into any of the others.
My first thought is, if you have Color Club’s “Covered in Diamonds” you can probably skip Luxe and Lush?
On my must haves: Fast Track and maybe Smoke and Ashes.
Mahogany Magic looks a little too poopy for my liking…although some may say it’s chocolatey…Chocolate has purple in it, this is just poopy.
On my maybe list: Stone Cold, Agro, and Riveting.
Great review and pictures. Thanks!
I want them all!!! but Stone Cold and Smoke & Ashes the most. I know this is in conjunction with the movie but I feel like the colors are very fall-esque
They are more fall feeling but that’s what the Electropop collection is for.
I’m getting all of them simply because I love the Hunger Games. I’m saving a Sally’s gift card for that reason
I think I’m feeling Riveting with an Electrify accent nail. Beautiful swatches by the way! I was so excited when you posted that you got them yesterday 
Also fast track seems to look a little Nite Owl by ORly as well…hm
I’m so delighted to see this collection. So many of the Spring collections look alike and just have been leaving me cold. But this has so many beautiful colors. I love Fast Track, Stone Cold, and Harvest Moon.
I might be the only one, but this collection just doesn’t interest me. I don’t think most of the colors would be flattering on me and the others are kinda dupable. Oh well.
I absolutely HAVE TO HAVE stone cold. That is MY kind of color. I’m always on the lookout for the perfect dark gray metallic and this might be it!
I’m in love with Agro!
I neeeeeed to get my hands on these! SO PRETTTTY:)
Short list? My list of MUST HAVES from this collection is not short.
Smoke & Ashes, Stone Cold, and Mahogany Magic were ones I KNEW I wanted before this post.
But after your swatches, I also need Harvest Moon and Fast Track.
I would definitely wear Foie Gras and surprisingly Agro interests me too.
I want Fast Track nowwwwwwww!
I am so excited for this! Thank you so much for your swatches and reviews. I have decided I would get Agro, Fast Track and Smoke & Ashes. Originally I wanted Harvest Moon too but I didn’t realize how coppery it would be.
Ohhhhh that Electrify looks everything I was hoping Twinkle Lights would be… I’m not too fond of the green glitter peppered through it… But this one looks awesome! Thanks for the swatches, you helped me make my mind up :o).
Actually looking at Smoke & Ashes from my monitor, it looks like it’s close to OPI’s Baby it’s “coal” outside or even ChG’s Haunting. Is that the case?
As for my short list, I’ve looked at them all again and I think I will be getting Electrify, Harvest Moon, Luxe and Lush, Riveting and Stone Cold.
Thanks so much for the awesome review and swatches, like always!! My top two choices are Fast Track and Smoke & Ashes… beautiful!
Fast Track is so pretty! I think I want two!
I’m surprised that I don’t want all twelve. YAYY FOR MY WALLET. * indicates “I can’t live without you.”
1. Agro*
2. Dress Me Up*
3. Fast Track
4. Electrify
5. Harvest Moon*
6. Mahogany Magic*
7. Riveting*
8. Smoke and Ashes*
9. Stone Cold*
I love them all but I think I am going to pass on Mahogany Magic and Hook & Line for sure! My wallet is definitely going to hurt after buying the others but I am such a huge fan of the books I have to buy them! To the premier I have decided to wear Smoke and Ashes in support for the District 12 tributes!!
As excited as I was about these, I’m getting the feeling these might be closer to some polishes I already own. I’m hoping some comparison swatches roll around before I splurge.
I’m thinking Harvest Moon might be like Nubar Bronzo/OPI Take the Stage….or maybe Nubar Caramello/OPI Rising Star. Heck, maybe it’s in between the two.
I’d also like to see how Riveting stacks up to Marmalade because that’s the first one that sprung to mind.
Thanks as always for your lovely & helpful swatches!
This whole collection looks so gorgeous, I can’t decide which one I like best. I’m a little disappointed in Luxe & Lush though, I really thought the colors you see so well in the bottle would also show on a black base…
I originally wanted Agro, Electrify, Luxe & Lush, and Smoke & Ashes, but I think my new list is Electrify, Fast Track, Foie Gras, Harvest Moon, Luxe & Lush, Stone Cold, and Smoke & Ashes (ack!). I was honestly expecting to be disappointed with these but they’re so much prettier than I expected!
Still wish there was an Effie-inspired collection, though! I think China Glaze could have produced some really gorgeous pastel and jewel-toned polishes with lots of flash. And speaking of Effie, would you happen to know if Elizabeth Banks will be wearing any of these polishes in the movie?
I was hoping for something Effie inspired a well. Even if that meant pink like her hair, ha! She’s the face of the ads for the collection so that surprised me.
I doubt she wears the colors in the movie since it was shot last spring and summer and I don’t think these were created until after but I could be wrong. I’ll check into it
Oh, duh – I didn’t even consider the timeline! I’m excited to see Effie’s nails nonetheless because any manicure that keeps you from using the restroom on your own MUST be epic, right?
Also, aside from the fun use of alliteration, I still don’t really understand why a collection that is district-centric is called Capitol Colours. District Digits or Polished in Panem would be more fitting, though I’ll admit they don’t sound quite as nice.
These are all SO MUCH BETTER than I expected now that I’ve seen the swatches! I have to admit though, I pre-ordered all of them before seeing real swatches. I am just that Hunger Games obsessed..
I want Luxe and Lush, Electrify, Fast Track, Harvest Moon, Riveting and maybe Smoke and Ashes and Agro.
Smoke and Ashes and Fast Track need to come home with me!
I had my doubts, but now that I actually see the colors, I like them a lot. Thanks!
I’m totally going to get Harvest Moon, Agro, Riveting and Stone Cold. For sure. The others don’t speak to me. But I am CRAZY excited over these four and can’t wait to get my hands on these!
Thanks for the swatches
There are two or three colours that I really really like!
Thank you for great swatches
I think I’ll go for Riveting (YESSSS), Harvest Moon,
Smoke & Ashes and probably Stone Cold. I thought I would have liked the Luxe & Lush, but on these swatches it looks a little disappointing…
Scrangie did Luxe and lush over the top of Riveting and my god that was amazing. In case you hadn’t tried it or seen it yet. I love your swatches though i can see the colour detail more.
I wish i wasn’t in Australia so i could buy these as soon as they come out.
Actually, I’m kinda disappointed by the colors, probably because of the hype which was created right after seeing the first pictures months ago.
When I say disappointed it doesn’t mean that I don’t like the colors, it just means that I don’t like all of them and they don’t creates this “WANT!” feeling (which doesn’t matter anyway since I can’t buy CG in Germany)
Agro is beautiful and somehow I also love Dress Me Up. Stone Cold is also really pretty, but so far matte polishes (or rather using a matte top coat) never really worked for me. Luxe & Lush doesn’t look that good though or rather not as good as I expected.
That’s not exactly right, you can buy CG in Germany. I ordered Glittering Garland at Amber Beauty, a German online-shop… But I don’t know if they get all the other collections.
Omg thanks for these. Two big lives in my life are reading and nail polish so of course I need the whole collection.
The four polishes that stand out to me most are Fast Track, Harvest Moon, Stone Cold, and Smoke and Ashes. Agro is running close behind them. I can’t wait for these to come out. I have a feeling I’m going to be stalking my Sally’s waiting for them.
I’m in the minority, but I am underwhelmed. I expected more from the swatches, had a good 6 of them on my “probably gonna want this” list, but the only thing that really speaks to me is, oddly enough, Fast Track. Odd for me, because I do not wear anything resembling a nude/beige, and not really a gold person either, but for some reason that one is really piquing my interest.
Riveting is probably the only other one that interests me enough to keep an eye out for it.
Riveting, Stone cold and Harvest moon are my love at first sight! I want Fast track and Luxe and lush too!
Some and ashes too..arrgh, my wallet will not be liking this :S
I feel like the only one I won’t get too much wear out of is Mahogany Magic, but I’ve been needing a better brown for nail art, haha. I’m so glad I preordered the entire collection!
I love Fast Track! I thought Knotty was too sheer, Fast Track is so much better! I really like Stone Cold, I had no idea it was a matte. I’ll definitely get Fast Track and Stone Cold. Probably Smoke and Ashes too. Agro is pretty, but I have a TON of green nail polish.
How does Luxe and Lush compare to the Zoya flakies?
Oh my… March is sooo far away and I want MOST of these!! I don’t normally go for orange, but I love Riveting and Harvest Moon.. Based on the swatch, I have to let Hook & Line go, though I thought that I would like it.. Thanks for swatching!! Can’t wait to get Agro, Smoke&Ashes, Luxe & Lush Harvest Moon and Riveting on my greedy little fingers!
i immediately fell in love with foie gras! i love that shade and it goes so well with my casper the friendly ghost skin!
I like these the best:
Agro
Fast Track
Harvest Moon
Riveting
Stone Cold with top coat
You’re right – Foie Gras looks totally like something from a previous collection. It looks very familiar.
I haven’t read the Hunger Games series before, but now I want to!
Beautiful swatches! My list is Riveting (whoa, I love this color), Harvest Moon, Fast Track and Smoke & Ashes. I would have expected Fast Track to be sheer, but the opacity plus the color makes it a must buy! Hate to admit this, but I’m just not into Agro. It reads a fall/winter color to me, and yeah, harvest moon does too, but for some reason (Pantone?) I can get behind it more than Agro. And no, I haven’t read The Hunger Games. Shame on me.
Electrify and Fast Track are great :):) Thank You for swatch them
Love these! I just pre-ordered them from amazingbeautysupply[dot]com! Can’t wait till they come out!
My “must haves”
Smoke & ashes
Stone cold
Riveting
Luxe & Lush
Harvest Moon
Fast Track
Electrify
Agro
I love Harvest Moon and Fast Track!
I haven’t read the books yet….but I think I like the whole collection! Definitely some winners there!
I’m really loving Riveting and Harvest Moon. They really fit in with the “girl on fire” motif. Can’t wait!
I am loving Smoke & Ashes, just like I thought I would. This will be the one I buy if I can get to Sally’s fast enough.
I also really like Foie Gras, Agro, and Fast Track.
Thanks for the great swatches!!
I honestly don’t really like any of them. Too much of an orange undertone in some of them which does not suit me at all and the rest I just don’t really like.
I’ve been staring at your gorgeous swatches for so long, trying to figure out if I really need all of them or not. The Hunger Games fan in me says in no uncertain terms that they must all be mine. But the practical side of me says some of them won’t even look good on me (I’m looking at you, Mahogany Magic) or I have something very similar that it doesn’t make sense. In the end, I think the Hunger Games fan will win, anyway. Also, I didn’t expect Fast Track to be so pretty! Already trying to decide between Harvest Moon and Riveting for the premiere. Or maybe I’ll just wear them as skittles, who knows?
OMG I need Riveting!!!!!! Ugh, it’s so gorgeous I can’t stand it!
Beautiful swatches but I’m really disappointed with this collection. Almost all of these colors are too warm-toned to be flattering on me, and overall it feels more like a fall collection.
Foie Gras for me. don’t know why this stands out so much, but i die. LOVE LOVE LOVE this color.
Wow, these are gorgeous! I want almost all of them! Thanks so much for the review!
To me, Fast Track, Harvest Moon, Riveting are absolute must-haves. Thinking on Agro, Dress Me Up, Mahogany Magic, and Luxe and Lush.
Thank you so much for the swatches, detailed descriptions, and application tips. Theses are ALWAYS so helpful. I’m looking forward to these!!!
Suddenly I realise that these will come out just in time for the Dutch Queensday (our queens birthday and a major holiday) and Riveting will be the perfect orange nail to wear for the celebration!
-orange is our country’s royal colour…
Love these! I plan to buy Agro, Dress Me Up, Fast Track, Harvest Moon, Riveting, and Smoke and Ashes. So excited for these to come out!
Mahogany Magic looks so much like Brownstone. There are so many that I like and I can’t wait to get my hands on Stone Cold.
I’m especially excited about Agro (that one took me by surprise… I didn’t expect to like it from the ad or the bottle shots), Harvest Moon, Riveting, Electrifying, Fast Track, and Stone Cold.
Would it be possible to see some comparisons? I would particularly be interested in All Dressed Up compared to Essie’s Eternal Optimist and Luxe & Lush compared to Essie’s Shine of the Times and Finger Paints’ Flashy so I know if I need those, too, or if they’re pretty much dupes of polishes I already have.
Whoops! That would be Dress Me Up, not All Dressed Up.
wow, this is great!! cant wait to get my nails (pun intended
in some of these!!
love K
I’m totally in love! Great collection, but the colors made my heart beat were Agro, Dress Me Up, Fast Track, Foie Gras and Riveting. I definitely will get them as asoon as arrive out to stores.
Imagine a thin coat of Electrify over Fast Track? Heaven!
My birthday’s in March, so I’m hoping I get birthday money to buy these with
I want the ‘Dress Me Up’ one, at least.
I like you a lot more just because you said “wait for it” and legendary (=
Riviting has may name all over it – cannot wait for this to release!
Love these~!
i really love riveting! definalty going to buy iy
stone cold looks cool too, but i’m not sure if it’s something i want to buy
Great review! I like all of these but Track and Smoke & Ashes are #1 & #2 on my list.
I already preorder all of them .. it was a no thinking kind of thing but i dont regret buying $50 of nailpolish #hungergames!
Where did you preorder??
With smoke and ashes on four nails, and riveting (with electrify on top) as an accent color on one nail, you could totally have girl on fire-themed nails!
good idea i Sooooo have to try it.
cant wait!!!! :-D:-p
Is Fast Track similar to Butter London’s All Hail (Mc)Queen? They seem similar but I don’t own either so I can’t tell.
Great question. They aren’t similar. The bL has more of a sandy tan base and the holographic glitter sets it apart.
This was my thought too. Thanks for the info.
this post made me excited for some colors that I wasn’t expecting to like! I want almost every single one of these.
Can’t tell you how jealous I am that you have these. I have been excited since I saw the original pictures and now actually seeing them makes me even more exciting. You can bet I’ll be on the China Glaze website March 1st waiting for this release!
Mahogany Magic looks great to me. I think it’d be really flattering with my skin tone.
I’ve never had a moment with a collection when I’ve actually wanted every single one. This collection is IT. I don’t know if I can go that crazy but definitely Dress Me Up, Stone Cold, Fast Track, Electrify & Smoke and Ashes will be mine! Thanks for the swatches!
those are the same exact ones i want too!
They’re sooooo fabulous ! The best one is Luxe and Lush (it’s more special, like the novel), it’s very beautiful with blue or black !! XOXO
Gurrrls. This collection is FIERCE!!! I’m loving stone cold. But overall the colors are all pretty unique,which is rare for an entire collection, there is usually 2 or 3 dupes. Luv and the movie trailer has peeked my interest in the movie.
Amazinggg Colors! As a total fan, I find these a-must-buy…if only my parents would let me get the whole set
Electrify, Riveting (the colors remind me of Chinese New Year) & Harvest Moon — I usualy stay away from brown polishes. But this is gorgeous!! Thanks for swatching!
Dear God, I hope I will be able to get my hands on some of these here… I fell in love with “fast track”!
I want every single one of these. (but I’ll pass on Dress me up and Foie Grass since I have dupes). I have been so excited for this collection since I first saw the original swatches… The two things I love the most, china glaze and the hunger games, coming together to form nail polish. YUM.
I did a reservation on Fast Track and Dress me up only based on the first pics that showed up and now feel like I chose right. Those are the two most beautiful colors!
Electrify, Stone Cold, and Fast Track are the ones that jump out at me the most. Fast Track is just…gah! I need it!
Luxe & Lush doesn’t look like a very good flakie to me, though. I dunno, it looks…chunky?
Foie Gras and Dress Me Up! love love love.
I absolutely adore Stone Cold!
If you’re from Canada – you’ll also be able to purchase at Spa Boutique and Nail Polish Canada.
Both on-line retailers will have it.
Personally I can’t wait for Stone Cold -must have for my March pedi!!
I find it funny how the two main colors I wanted were the two you said not to get. Haha:P thanks sooo much for this! Its one thing to see the bottle, but to see actual pics is amazing! Im so sad because my favorite- electrify- is sold out! Or at least it is online Hot Topic. Does anyone know where I could still get it??? I also LOVED Dress Me Up. The others were good too and I really want to buy them all but… Lets be honest: 12×7=$84 (and thats not including tax!!!!) oh well… At least I know what to tell my friends an family to get me as gifts!
I hope I can get these!! My four favourites are Riveting, Fast Track, Harvest Moon and Dress Me Up.
thanks for the awesome swatches!! ughhhh i seriously want all of these!! i am absolutely in love with the books as well! you can pre-order some from hottopic.com! 4 have already sold out…i ordered Foie Gras, Dress Me Up, and Fast Track! i’m going to be stalking other online sellers and ulta because i still want riveting, smoke and ashes, and luxe & lush!
apparently another website (www.amazingbeautysupply.com) has the collection for presale as well. anyone have experience ordering from them? i couldnt find reviews, so i am a bit skeptical.
I haven’t ordered from them but hopefully someone who has will comment.
Great swatches as always! Is Riveting that much different than Orange Marmalade (I think Riveting is gorg, but I’m trying to cut back on nail polish spending so I won’t buy Riveting if it’s really similar)? Thanks!
It’s different but it’s hard to say if it’s “that different” you know what I mean? Riveting isn’t as orange and it’s more intense. It’s got some pink in its base which makes it a cross between Orange Marmalade and the more reddish Orange-Pacific. To the average person, they probably aren’t that different but when you swatch all three side by side you can see it. I know your wallet is going to hate me for saying this but I prefer Riveting for its intensity and higher pigment level.
Ha I had a feeling you would say that! Oh well, most of these colors aren’t really my thing, so buying just one is a pretty refreshing change. Thanks!
I like just about every single one of these. Saw a couple of them at my local Sally’s & that reminded me to come back here to see what they all looked like. Def going to add many of these to my polish collection.
Are these out yet? I thought they weren’t out ’til March, but I hope I’m wrong. I love Harvest Moon and Agro even though they aren’t my usual shades.
One thing I like about Luxe and Lush is that it seems to be a flakie that looks good on light-colored polishes, unlike most flakies that seem to show up only over black or very dark colors.
I am in love with all the colors! Hopefully getting them all
I can’t wait to buy “agro”, “electrify”, “harvest moon”, “hook and line”, “luxe and lush”, “riveting”, “stone cold”, “smoke and ashes”, and kind of “fast track”! Does anyone know where to buy them and when the will be realeased?
i pre-ordered mine from hottopic.com (being released tomorrow! yay!) but now you can get them from sally beauty online as well
Thanks I’ll check Sally’s cause there’s one near me.
Hello, is Agro anything like Sephora OPI Leaf him at the Altar?
I have a huge collection of greens but this one seems pretty similar so maybe is not worth buying it, what do you think?
I don’t think they’re similar. Agro is darker and not as metallic shimmery. Plus it’s warmer in tone, especially with the gold. I think of the SOPI as being somewhat silvery.
Oh and dress me up reminds me of OPI’S kreme de la kremlin or Zoya Penelope, what do you think can you compare them?
I have just ordered the entire collection! It’s only mahogany magic that I’m not too keen on but a friend loves it so I’m planning on giving it to her. I prefer this collection ten fold to OPI’s last few collections which have just disapointed me beyond belief. Well done China Glaze, well done
Thank you!
I ordered Riveting, Agro, Luxe and Lush, and Smoke and Ashes from Sally. You have no idea how excited I am!
i love the dress me up!! i need it!
This collection looks amazing, however I were wondering if you could tell me if most of these colors would suit pl with darker skin tones. Like a NC30-40 or indian skintones. I really wanna get this collection, but siting here in Denmark I have no chances to check them out when out:) Hope someone can help me out:)
BTW great review…
Unfortunately, i don’t have darker skin tone or anyone with a darker skin tone to test them on so there’s no real way for me to know.
My ENTIRE collection just came in last night and I am so happy! After swatching them myself I realized that your pictures were right on! Supperrr acurate:)!
This is a very fantastic collection! I ordered four of them (Dress Me Up, Luxe & Lush, Electrify, and Fast Track) from eBay, and they look great on me! I can’t wait for the movie, because I just pre-ordered tickets from them. Thank you for the swatches!
Thank you so much for this!! The colors that made my list are Hook & Line, Stone Cold, Dress Me Up, and Smoke & Ashes. The others are too bright for me!
Girl, you wrote your behind off in this post – lol! I love it… I’ve never heard of the book, haven’t seen any trailers for the movie but have seen swatches of this collection and you make me want to go watch the movie and buy the entire collection. I’ve already picked up Hook and Line & Smoke and Ashes but I now want Stone Cold, Havest Moon and Fast Track because of this post.
Oh, and I absolutely ? the way you correlated the polish names to the Districts which tie back to the movie. Sounds like it’s gonna be a Sci-Fi box office hit… Going of to google the movie for more info now. (See what you started? LOL)
I pre-ordered the entire collection! The colors I am looking forward to most have changed now that I’ve seen some swatches! I am looking forward to Dress Me Up, Fast Track, and Smoke&Ashes! Fast Track will be going on my nails as soon as I get it and I will be wearing Smoke&Ashes to the Midnight showing! Can’t wait!
i don’t think the riveting one has very much to do with technology maybe a blue would be better but i am not saying riveting is not a nice color…
I’m so excited, I found these in a Hot Topic store today. Their site’s pre-order even says it’ll ship Feb. 29th. I don’t know if they were put out early, but I picked up Agro and Smoke & Ashes. I can’t wait to try them on!
I am definitely looking the most forward to Stone Cold. If I had to buy only one, I would get that one. The next on my list is Luxe and Lush. I don’t have any flakie nail polishes and I think now is the time to start. Also, I really like Dress Me Up and Riveting. I think those are all I am going to get.
EK! Awesome colors! I have to say, the stone cold looks really good
I think they should have a color later on for district 13!!:)
OMG! I want these all! They’re so pretty
Thanks for reviewing each of them; I am in love!
I just bought Dress Me Up, Foie Gras, Fast Track, Stone Cold, Smoke and Ashes, Harvest Moon, Electrify, and Luxe & Lush!! Been excited about this collection for awhile, and I’m glad to see for the most part it won’t dissapoint! I also want Riveting, but Head2Toe has it listed as “sold out” already! Boo!
Is fast track the one that was originally nammed Catnip?
I also pre-ordered from Amazing Beauty and I am anxiously awaiting for the order to come in. I am a tiny bit concerned about the legit-ness of the business….has anyone successfully ordered from them before?
I really shouldn’t have, but I bought the entire collection online as a birthday gift to myself. I just love them all. Thank you for this informative post!
Riveting has to be mine. I’m so surprised Luxe doesn’t work on a black. It does look kind of cool on blue.
I have got to get Stone Cold, Harvest Moon, Dress Me Up and Smoke and Ashes
Cannot wait to get my hands of these x
Got them today at Sally’s. they have the entire collection and should be pretty well stocked in the back. plus if you have a store card they’re only $5 each. So far I’ve only tried Luxe & Lush and it is fabulous.
@ Lauren: I totally agree with a future release of a district 13 polish. I would want maybe a purple like the schedules they get inked in their arms every day.
ALL OF THEM! I think I’m in love. China Glaze is by far my favorite polish brand. And I would just like to say that I love the “How I Met Your Mother” reference to Barney that you made in the last little bit there…
Omg!!!!!! i really want Dress Me up, Fast Track, Harvest Moon, Hook and Line, and Smoke and Ashes but Smoke and Ashes would be too dark on my nails but soooo pretty
Just bought 7 of the colours
but I was a little dissappionted in the dress me up as it dried darker than the in the swatch 
But they are such beautiful colours none the less 
I just finished getting all 12 from Sally’s Beauty Supply. They have a promo going on right now that if you buy 11 you get the last free with a free display! Unfortunately, they are flying off the shelves FAST and I had to go to two separate stores. Well worth it, happy to have the whole collection! (Fast track was my original favorite but I have fallen in love with Riveting…for now!)
i wish there was one called im in love with peeta
i’d buy it
I bought Smoke and Ashes, Electrify, Luxe and Lush, and Riveting!!! I absolutely LOVE them!
I’ve noticed that on warmer colors Luxe & Lush shows more orange. Even on Smoke & Ashes is shows more; maybe you just had the wrong black to mix with L&L to make the color pop.
I need Electrify!!!!! That is so cool!!!!
I also love Riveting, especially because if I could be in a District, District 3 would be it.
Luxe and Lush, Smoke and Ashes, and Harvest Moon are also some of my favorites.
I totally agree with Lauren. They need a color for District 13 AND the Capitol.
i know, i said that exact same thing.. there should be one for district 13 !!
Oh goodie! 12 colors- 12 months of the year! I’ll wear one for each month- In order! That means I’ll be using Agro for my birthday.
I wonder if it’s possible to find these in the UK too… I love them!
These swatches look just like the real thing. I picked up 8 of them at Sally’s while they had them in special for February. I also got a magnetic polish and the horseshoe magnet w 3 designs. I’ve worn Agro and Smoke and Ashes so far. I was so excited to find the HG polishes in stock, I walked out without buying what I went in for (wax strips) and had to go back in. =]~
I got ‘Riveting’ today! Such a gorgeous orange, can’t wait to paint my nails. The sales lady at Sally Beauty Supply said this collection was selling like crazy.
Hi! You said that the collection releases mid-March but I’m pretty sure it actually released on March 1st. I went to the Sally Beauty near me and found it on March 2nd. Anywho, I got Smoke and Ashes, Riveting and Luxe and Lush. Which I thought was funny since you listed those as your first three must-haves and I read this post after buying them. I’m still really attracted to Harvest Moon and Fast Track so I’m probably going to pick those up for sure since I have a 15% off coupon. I may have to get Stone Cold as well–it just screams Hunger Games to me. I’m not really into green-green nail polishes so I’m not sure about Agro.. I like it but then I feel like I shouldn’t buy it. I’ve seen colors too similar to Dress Me Up and Foie Gras before–nothing special. I just plain don’t like Mahogany Magic.. it reminds me of you-know-what, and no, not a horse mane. I would buy Hook and Line if it applied well but I’ve heard so many complaints about it’s application that I’ve been turned off from it. I like the color and look of it but because of it’s problems it’s a no-go. I don’t like Electrify because it’s a chunky glitter and I just don’t like chunky glitters–plus, it reminds me of Christmas. And Christmas doesn’t remind me of the Hunger Games.
Those look great! Especially liking Fast Track, Dress Me Up, and Foie Gras. Great reviews, BTW! Very in-depth and helpful.
Just got them in the mail today! Super excited. I bought all except the brown one. I am currently wearing Stone Cold on my toes (LOVE) and Fast Track on my hands (also LOVE). Super excited to wear the rest!!!
i want these so bad were can i buy them!?
I need 2 get these!!! Where can i get them???
sally beauty has them now.
And they have them for so much cheaper than everywhere else! Hot topic wants $7 a bottle. Sally with beauty card = $4.99
I have Stone Cold ,Agro , Electrify ,Fast Track , and Harvest Moon and they are all amazing. I love putting Stone Cold under Electrify, it looks so awesome.
Already ordered Luxe and Lush, Dress Me Up and Riveting.
But this review has also made me consider Smoke and Ashes, Harvest Moon and Fast Track. c:
would you say that Hook and Line is similar to CG Avalanche? Because I have avalanche and I don’t want to buy it unless they are really different.
gosh, i wish i could help but i gave away avalanche a long time ago. the finish and streaking were always a bother for me. though if i remember correctly, avalanche had a touch of lavender to it making it a cooler gray whereas this has a dirtier, muddier undertone.
I really liked Luxe and Lush over Fast Track. It’s toned down over a nude but the flakes are still really highlighted and you get a lot of bright orange, yellow, and green.
Thank you so much for showing these. I’ve been worrying my lip over which ones to buy. I’ve decided on Fast Track, Stone Cold, Foie Gras, Hook & Line, Luxe and Lush, and Dress Me Up. I absolutely love them. The others are great too, but I’m uber pale and don’t think I can pull them off, especially those with the yellow undertones.
First thing I’m doing: Fast Track with a Stone Cold tip. and maybe some Dress Me Up toes!
Thanks!
Fast track w/ stone cold, sounds pretty!
Heyy
I love this series so much. Can’t wait to get my hands on them. Mentioned this post on my blog!!
http://tsukiko-chan.blogspot.com/2012/02/hunger-games.html
OMG! I bought all of them a few nights ago on sallybeauty.com!! I have to wait until like Wednesday to get them all but I am soooooo EXCITED! I love ALL of the colors! But the last two swatches look the same to me… Hopefully they look different in person!But at Sally’s, they had this deal where if you bought this card thing — lol i am new to sally’s — you would get all of the polishes for 3.50! so i bought the card got all the polishes… and thought to myself, i wonder if they have any promo codes out? so i searched it up, and found this one where it was $5 off any purchase of over $25. So I got the $5 off (so I got that card thing freee), and realized I didn’t qualify for free shipping… So I went back got THREE MORE BOTTLES of ChG, and now I have all of the colors from this collection, and a few more!! TOTES DOPE!!!!
That’s a great deal. Glad to hear it. When you say the last two swatches look the same do you mean the last two pictures? Because I posted two pics of Stone Cold, one with top coat and one without since it’s a matte finish. Smoke & Ashes looks nothing like Stone Cold in person.
Ya it was Stone Cold and Smoke & Ashes that look similar on my computer. I saw the topcoat thing but the two colors just look the same. Thanks though
I love your website!
I just got my box in the mail today!! (fast shipping) Stone Cold and Smoke & Ashes look TOTALLY different! I didn’t realize even think about the blue glitter! They are AMAZING colors! Thanks for your help
Thanks for the swatches! I’m definitely going to pick up a few.
(And HIMYM reference! <3)
I WANT ALL OF THEM!!!!
For any of you looking to get a variety of the polishes without paying a fortune, Ulta (the one near me, at least) has a cute packaged deal that contains Agro, Fast Track, Smoke and Ashes, and Luxe and Lush for a little over $13. They’re 9.6mL/.325 Fl Oz bottles instead of the standard 14mL/.5 Fl Oz bottles, but still a pretty good deal and a nice combination of colors!
Plus, they come in a really cute package!
Thanks so muc for the review and swatches !!! It helped me alot to pick up my favourites and find where to buy them =) I linked your blog on my blog post about the collection =)
xxx Vee
I have fast track and luxe and lush. Love them, but need to find smoke and ashes! Love the hunt as much as the polish…
Picked up Foie Gras, Dress Me Up, and Fast Track thanks to this post. They aren’t usually color’s I’d go for, but I love them!
My Foie Gras looks nothing like your swatch. It’s darker and more browny…
Courtney, I was thinking the same thing about Foie Gras…mine is a completely different color. I love it, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.
My favorite color is electrify! picked it up at sally. It’s so perfect for the metallic that is trending right now.
Picked up Agro, Foie Gras, Dress Me Up, and Fast Track. I absolutely love Fast Track. Beautiful. Sporting Agro right now for St. Patties day. Love the Blog.. definitely helped me in picking the colors. So Thank you!
OMG, I love these colours! Can’t wait to pick some up when I am in America next month, particularly Luxe and Lush…Love those flakes!
I bought L+L, Riveting, Electrify, Dress Me Up, Agro, and Harvest Moon. DMO is SO much darker than on the swatch. Harvest Moon dries in a heartbeat so you literally have to work quickly or else the polish turns gooey. But on the upside, it is truly stunning in the light and really is packed with pigment. Agro is really dark. Like camo green. L+L shows up on some shades of black but on some it doesn’t show up at all. You also have to kind of scoop out the pieces of glitter. Riveting is amazing, it goes on well and is super bright. Electrify turned out to be my favorite. I have always loved the way that Deborah Lippmann
Just got Stone Cold and Argo!! Gorgie!!
My Dress Me Up doesn’t look anything like yours. It’s a brown instead of a pink.
Luxe and Lush are such a disappointment in comparison to the Nails Inc Donmar collection. I was hoping for a less expensive near-dupe… oh well.
I absolutely am obsessed with smoke and ashes, they didn’t have Riveting where I went so instead I bought four other colors! I love the unique look of Hook and Line as well as Luxe and Lush. I love experimenting with glitter, so electrify was a must have. And I definitely agree with you statement about Fast Track, it’s a nice twist to a classic neutral! I’m probably going to end up going back and getting more tomorrow!
I have 8 of the 12 and hoping to add Argo to my collection soon. I love them all. I might collect them all just to have them all. Right now I’m wearing Smoke and Ashes in honor of the film coming out, and at the midnight premier I wore Riveting to resemble Katniss’s nail polish Cinna put on her in the book.
I have stone cold and electrify!!! My favorites are riveting, harvest moon, fast track, hook and line, and Argo! I want all my favs!!!
Thanks so much for this wonderfully in-depth review! Sally’s is having a buy 2 get 1 free promo for all their nail colors, including the Hunger Games collection! I went in hoping to buy just Fast Track, but walked out with Fast Track AND Agro (beautiful green that I put on for a mani!) AND Smoke and Ashes (gorgeous black with hints of navy and green glitter for a pedi).
I have Riveting, Electrify, Dress Me Up and Stone Cold. Riveting + a top coat of Electrify = very “girl on fire.” I can’t wait to try the rest of them.
I bought all 12… lolz
I LOVE these I got six of them and I am thinking of buying three more so far my list is (in order of how much I wanted and got them) Electrify, Dress me Up, Luxe & Lush, Smoke and Ashes, Riveting, and Agro. I have yet to try on Riveting and Agro Yet all have pleased me so far so I trust they will be JUST as amazing. I am in an internal debate on wether I should buy Stone Cold, Fast Track, and Harvest Moon. The hook and line one looks to streaky but I would love it if it didn’t look that way. To anyone reading this comment if you have the ones I am debating on getting do you think they are worth it? or should I just be happy with what I have? Also if you have a Sally Beauty Supply store near you I highly suggest getting these nail polishes now since there is a buy 2 get 1 free thing just a heads up. All in all LOVE these polishes, wanting more and great product.
I love these colors! Was actually thinking of buying them all since I’m a huge Hunger Games fan and I’ve been wanting new polishes since forever.
I know this just came out because of the first movie, so it’s understandable that they don’t have a District 13, but maybe a bright magenta-pink color (like Effie’s makeup in the movie) could represent the Capitol.
Thank you so much for the swatches, as well as tips on how to apply these! Have a nice day!
Emma
ok i dont see any in stores! i live in canada they HAVE to have em’ HAVE TO or ill get em myself
i wish i could get the whole collection :)x 12000
Yeah, I was completely disappointed with Dress Me Up. I had the same problem as Jessica – when it dried, it came out as a much darker/more brown color. Sadddd day.
That was the one I was looking forward to the most.
thank you so much for this great review! your photos and descriptions convinced me to buy almost all of the collection!!! great job with this blog…and may the odds be ever in your favor (i’m still geeking out on hg!)!
Love to put district 5(elecrify) over district 11(agro) or disrtict 1(lux and lush) over district 11
Love Hunger games
I get to wear one color for each month!!! Yes district 12 for my birthday!!!!!!!!
My Fast Track was all gold and no pink undertone like the swatch shown here…Is this a lighting issue? Do I need to use a base coat with a pink tint? Are there any suggestions on how to get the same effect as the swatch?
I have Electrify and Luxe and Lush. I got Electrify tonight and I absolutely love it. It’s like you put glue on your nails then sprinkled glitter all over them. 2 coats covered my toenails. Luxe and Lush is pretty also and I love pairing it with China Glaze For Audrey. Love this nail polish line.
I got Smoke & Ashes, Luxe & Lush, and Electrify right after this collection came out. I went to my local ULTA and saw this collection sitting in the clearance bin. Yay! This entire collection is a home run.
I have Harvest Moon, Riveting, and Agro and they’re are all GORGEOUS! My lil sis, who isn’t into nail polish, Gasp! I know! :O, is crazy about Agro and hordes it in her room! Lol
We may yet turn her into the dark side….MUAHAHAHAHA!!! >:D Anyways thanks ALU for another great swatch, my heart is all fluterry again
Stone Cold totally reminds me of the OPI Suede polishes. So gorgeous!!!
Stone Cold and Smoke & Ashes looks almost the same when stone cold is topped with a glossy top coat.. i love this collection
I’ve in love with Harvest Moon, it’s really good quality and I adore the colour. I’ve also got Stone Cold but find that it chips VERY easily, even with a top coat. However, I love the matte effect as its the only matte lacquer that I own.
Can’t wait to buy the rest of the Collection!
i really need agro for my panda design. ive been looking for a shimmeryish nice green for a while now!! harvest moon also looks awesome
Thanks so much for this post! I bought the collection and am soooo glad I did!
Such a great collection. I’m curious to see what the partnership between CoverGirl and Catching Fire will bring.
I’ve only tried fast track so far but I will definitely be trying more, I loved it!
I like it but then I feel like I shouldn
i have them all