Fri-Yay Nails – China Glaze Don’t Get Elfed Up

China Glaze Holiday 2015 – Don’t Get Elfed Up

I can’t take it anymore, you guys. My nails have been naked for far too long, and while I’m in a better place with sight of bare nails, I NEED SOME COLOR. Especially since this is my last week of regular classes and I have a big speech to give tomorrow morning. I’m not the best public speaker, so I’m hoping that a festive manicure will give me confidence to get through it and ready for some weekend fun!

Choosing a color wasn’t hard. You know how I’ve been begging China Glaze to #BringBackGlassFleck, so when the Cheers! Holiday 2015 collection showed up, I immediately zeroed in on Don’t Get Elfed Up’s sparkly flecks. Could this be the glass-fleck I’ve been dreaming of?

Formula & Application

China Glaze nail polish is 3-Free (Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP). The tapered cylindrical bottle has a similarly tapered cap made of textured plastic that is comfortable to hold though not easy to grip if your cap gets stuck. If that happens, grab a rubber band.

The thin, round brush is both medium in length and firmness with enough give to allow for ease of control. Given my love of thin brushes, it’s no wonder China Glaze is on my list of Top 10 Nail Polish Brushes.

Don’t Get Elfed Up has a squishy, jelly-like base, that flows smoothly on the nail, allowing for a lot of control. It goes on a bit sheer during the first coat, but builds to opaque. I used 2-3 coats, depending on the nail. For most part, I only needed two coats, but a couple nails needed a third layer to cover some bald patches. It dries super glossy, but I added top coat for protection and longer wear.

China Glaze Don’t Get Elfed Up Swatch

Now for the big question, is China Glaze Don’t Get Elfed Up a glass-fleck wonder? That’s a hard one. It reminds me of Blk-Billa-Bong, which is definitely a glass-fleck, but China Glaze describes this one as an emerald shimmer, so I’m torn. Traditionally glass-fleck is made up of crystal clear particles that make it look like shattered glass. This is more of a metallic fleck, though not in a foil metallic way. And I’d describe the color as more of a teal with a blue and purple flashes, than emerald.

China Glaze Don’t Get Elfed Up – Holiday 2015

China Glaze Holiday 2015 – Don’t Get Elfed Up

I really wanted to capture the purple flash, because it adds a cool duo-chrome effect to the finish, but it was hiding from my camera lens. She’s a shy gal, apparently. Regardless, it’s a really special color combination.

China Glaze Don’t Get Elfed Up – Holiday 2015

China Glaze Don’t Get Elfed Up – Holiday 2015

China Glaze Don’t Get Elfed Up – Holiday 2015

Bottom Line: I’m over-the-moon for this shade. It’s rich, decadent and utterly gorgeous. The shimmer is eye-catching yet understated. It adds dimension and interest without being all, “LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME!”  I promise I’ll do a full comparison in my Cheers! review, but know that it’s unlike my other China Glaze glass-flecks. In short, get it, get it now!

China Glaze Don’t Get Elfed Up is available now as part of the Cheers! Holiday 2015 collection. You can find it online at Amazon.com, and ULTA.com.

What’s on your nails for the weekend? Have you snagged Don’t Get Elfed Up yet? Do you plan to? Would you call this a glass-fleck?