You guys know nail polish is one of my long-time addictions, so when I was contacted to review the new Havana Nights collection from China Glaze, I thought, why not? I was intrigued especially because these are not colours I would normally go for in terms of my mani game. So thanks to Nail Polish Canada for gifting these to me to try!
All polishes were applied over Seche Base Ridge Filling Base Coat and topped with Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. And this review is not sponsored! All opinions are my own.
Tropic Like It’s Hot – This is a neon yellow-green. It applies patchy on the first coat, and is extremely fast drying, to the point where if you don’t finish coating the nail in a few seconds, it’ll create streaks from the first stroke drying. The consistency is very liquid-y, the polish will drip off brush if you’re not watching, but I find that easier to work with ’cause liquidier polish tends to even itself out better on the nail. The colour is fully opaque and smooth in two coats. It started chipping slightly on the third day I had it on. (FYI, I am right-handed and this shade was on my left hand).
Takes Two To Mango – This is a neon orange with fine gold glitter. It applies patchy on the first coat, and is extremely fast drying. The finish without a glossy top coat is a semi-matte. The glitter tends to add more texture than it does shine once applied, unless you look under direct sunlight, then the glitter is more obvious. The consistency of the polish feels thicker than Tropic Like It’s Hot, I imagine, due to the glitter. The colour is fully opaque in two coats. It started chipping on the second day I had it on (FYI, I am right-handed and this shade was on my right hand).
Head To Moji-Toes – This is a slightly blue-toned medium green. This shade was incredibly difficult to photograph so that the colour would show up true-to-life. It kept pulling extremely blue/teal on camera, when in reality, it is a kelly green with a little bit of blue in it. I did my best to capture it as close to the real colour as possible! It applies patchy on the first coat and is fully opaque in two coats. The consistency is super liquid-y and it’s very fast-drying. It started chipping on the third day I had it on (FYI, I am right-handed and this shade was on my left hand).
Cuba Diving – This is a light baby blue. It applies patchy on the first coat and is fully opaque in two coats. The consistency is super liquid-y and it’s very fast-drying. It started chipping on the second day I had it on (FYI, I am right-handed and this shade was on my right hand).
Left My Heart In Havana – This is a light lavender. It applies patchy on the first coat and is fully opaque in two coats. The consistency is super liquid-y and it’s very fast-drying. It started chipping on the second day I had it on (FYI, I am right-handed and this shade was on my left hand).
Guava Mama – This is a neon pink. It applies patchy on the first coat and is fully opaque in two coats. The consistency is super liquid-y and it’s very fast-drying. It started chipping on the second day I had it on (FYI, I am right-handed and this shade was on my right hand).
Overall, here are my thoughts.
Pros:
- fast drying time
- bright colours
- very liquid-y (can create more even coverage)
Cons:
- fast drying time (if you don’t work fast, you’ll create streaks)
- I wish the brush were slightly fatter/thicker, which I find easier to work with
- very liquid-y (could be messier to work with)
I can see very clearly how this collection was inspired by highlighters. No, not the glowy shimmer you put on your cheekbones, but those fat, fluorescent markers you used all over your old textbooks.
Let’s be honest, neon is not really part of my aesthetic! But I found myself not hating how these looked on me. I think sometimes when you try something that’s not really “you,” if you do it in really small, deliberate ways, like to accent a look, it’s less overwhelming and you can take it in more objectively. A small hair accessory, an eyeliner, a shoelace choice, just to name a few more examples.
And what is summer for if not colour and fun?
xoxo
