Mani of the Week: China Glaze Emerald Sparkle

Do you ever feel like there are so many nail polishes, so little time? I definitely feel like that. Right now I've got at least 200 unused bottles in my stash, just waiting to be broken out and tested. And that's not counting the 200+ bottles I've already tried, approved and put into my color-coded bins for safekeeping!

I mention this because my influx of nail polishes has meant that, as much as I've been wanting to paint my nails with the gorgeousness that is China Glaze Emerald Sparkle for just about two years now, I never got around to it. I bought this polish back during the holiday season of 2008 when it was part of China Glaze's Sleigh Ride trio. I fell passionately, madly, deeply in love with this aptly named emerald green before I even had the bottle in my possession -- a love affair that quickly deepened once I held it in my hands.

You would think, given my intense feelings, that I would have immediately worn it, wouldn't you? You would be wrong. I let it sit on my vanity for TWO YEARS, taunting me every time I snuck a glance its way. Finally, this week proved to be too much temptation, and I slicked it onto my nails.

Oh. My. God. If a finer sparkly green polish exists in the world, I haven't found it. The jelly base is packed to the veritable GILLS with sparkle so intense, so IMMENSE, it glitters from across the room. The photo seen above was taken with a CAMERA PHONE and it's captured more perfectly than some of the other colors I've tried to photograph as of late.

I applied two coats, which went on cleanly and evenly with next to no trouble. (I did need to do some cleanup after, but that's because my hand wasn't so steady.) I also used Seche Vite to give it a bit of extra gloss, though it really wasn't necessary. So far I've had it on my nails for two days with very minimal tip wear.

One thing is for certain. Never again will I leave a polish this amazing sitting in my stash left unused for two years. Never again.