China Glaze Angel Wings

I hope everyone had--or is still having--a fantastic Valentine's Day! I have to confess to being really surprised at the lack of V-Day nail art that happened on my hands. The day itself isn't a huge deal to me, but I'm such a sucker for cute hearts and things all year 'round that I'm surprised I didn't at least get into the spirit when it came to my nails. But I'm pretty much always up for something sparkly, so I decided it was a good time to enjoy wearing China Glaze Angel Wings, from the Winter 2012 Holiday Joy Collection.

Angel Wings is a very finely milled, golden glitter. Like Winter Holly, it applies matte and dries to a soft, sandy finish that can either be worn as-is or smoothed with a generous helping of top coat.

For some reason, Angel Wings lobstered my fingertips a bit, which usually only happens with pale blues or mint, but as is often the case, the polish is just so pretty that I really wasn't fussed. Also like Winter Holly, there are holographic particles among the glitter that add a subtle but eye-catching bit of extra dazzle to Angel Wings, an effect that can be seen whether you wear it matte or glossy. Here's a slightly blurred, close up shot for a better look at that sparkle.

Before I top coated my nails I enjoyed the matte texture for a little while and was impressed that while it's not a finish I'd want to run over a nice pair of stockings, the "rough" version was still pleasantly smooth and sandy to the touch. If the upcoming Texture Collection feels anything like these holiday glitters, I expect to have several of them on my list!

The formula was great again with this glitter as well. Easy to control with nice, even coverage. I'm wearing 3 coats here, and even my stubborn, photo-bombing nail line was nowhere to be seen.