Here are the last three of my picks from the Spring 2013 Avant Garden collection!
First, is China Glaze- Dandy Lyin' Around:
Dandy Lyin' Around is a creamy off-white infused with silver shimmer. It's not harsh or stark against the skin like a true white would be, but quite a bit softer and wearable.
I kept wanting to pass on this one, since it supposedly was sheer, but kept seeing really tempting swatches. In fact, it is sheer. This should give you some idea:
There is more of a difference between the two coats and three coats in person. Anyway, swatches-
Artificial light, four coats:
Unfortunately, my swatches aren't as pretty as some I've seen (and I apologize for the messy edges), since I really had trouble applying this one. The shimmer in it is really pretty though!
Window-filtered daylight:
Outside, shade:
Formula: The consistency is thick, but the polish itself is very sheer, a combination that's very annoying to me. Additionally, it's very gummy...yuck.
This is definitely a tricky polish to apply; the first coat is very streaky, and the second does self-level a bit, but only if you don't use too many brushstrokes. I found it impossible to use thin coats, as that led to cuticle drag; so, the thick coats I used created bubbles, since the formula is so goopy.
I needed four coats, but it's still not perfectly streak-free as you can see.
You'll want to allow ample drying time between coats. Alternatively, you could probably layer this one over another white or off-white, which is probably what I'll do next time (after adding thinner). I don't think you could wear it as a sheer very easily, since it's so streaky.
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Next, is China Glaze- Keep Calm, Paint On:
Keep Calm, Paint On is a pastel mint green with slight blue undertones. The base color is noticeably bluer than China Glaze- Refresh-mint, for example. It has ultra-fine light green shimmer.
Artificial light, two coats:
Although it doesn't look fantastic on my skin, this is a rare mint that does not give me lobster hands.
Window-filtered daylight:
Outside, shade:
I did want to show this one in the sun, but there wasn't any!
Formula: It's thinner than Dandy Lyin' Around, but still a bit stringy/gooey when you pull the brush from the bottle. Although slightly less sheer, the first coat is streaky. The second coat is almost opaque and fixes streakiness, so I left it there, although some people will prefer another coat.
Overall, a much better formula than Dandy Lyin' Around, but still not my favorite to work with.
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Last is a gorgeous blue, China Glaze- Sunday Funday:
Sunday Funday is a bright, saturated, sky blue creme. Well, it's maybe a shade darker than what most people think of as 'sky blue', but it's still in that family. It's almost a turquoise.
Artificial light, two coats:
Dries slightly darker than bottle color, but the difference is not too noticeable.
Window-filtered daylight:
Outside, shade:
This is a tasty blue!
Formula: Thick, and almost a one-coater, with just the barest hint of VNL after the first layer. I did two for swatches, but the formula is almost flawless. Not gummy or difficult to work with; just creamy good color.
This one has the best formula by far out of all the Avant Garden polishes that I tried!
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What's your favorite China Glaze Avant Garden shade?
Tasty blue indeed! Your photos are gorgeous <3
ReplyI could use a decent white,like Dandy-lyin Around.
ReplyI need keep clam, paint on!
Reply