may the odds be ever in your favor

Lux & Lush:                                     Stone Cold:                                      Riveting:

District 1                                           District 2                                          District 3

Luxury                                              Masonry                                     Technology

                                         

Hook & Line:                                       Electrify:                                       Fast Track:

District 4                                             District 5                                             District 6

Fishing                                                  Power                                               Transport

Mahogany Magic:                                Dress Me Up:                             Harvest Moon:

District 7                                            District 8                                    District 9

Lumber                                            Textiles                                           Grain

 

 Foie Gras:                                          Agro:                                         Smoke & Ashes:

District 10                                     District 11                                            District 12

Livestock                                    Agriculture                                          Coal Mining 

 Welcome, and Happy Hunger Games! In preparation for the release of the first film of the Trilogy (if you haven't read it--x out of my blog right now and start reading!), I decided to do a two part tribute. As you may have guessed by the 12 photos above, China Glaze has recently created a Hunger Games themed set of polishes: one to represent each district (except 13...perhaps nuclear warfare was too challenging to capture in a bottle of polish?). I thought the concept was rather clever, and when I first saw the swatches I was a little disappointed. Looking at all the colors, there were only a few that I felt were really original (Mahogany Magic and Stone Cold) and were worth the purchase. However, after reading some preliminary reviews and finding a fabulous deal on ebay, I decided to purchase the set...and I am so glad I did! Surprisingly many of the colors look much better on the nail, and offered some unique features. For each of the above pictures I used Butter London nail foundation and topcoat for the base and finish respectively. 

Lux & Lush: This color was one of the ones I was least looking forward to, as I had just recently bought a very similar polish (Color Club's Covered in Diamonds--see post Stained Glass Masquerade). The polish is made up of multicolored glitter flakes and does capture the essence of District 1 in being mesmerizing, shiny, and beautiful, especially when applied over a colored coat of polish (I just used foundation under it, so you could see it natural, but it has the same effect as Covered in Diamonds does on black polish, and also looks great over more neutral colors). If you don't already own a polish like this I highly recommend it!

Stone Cold: This is my absolute favorite polish of the set! Not only is it very fitting with the Hunger Games District theme it represents (Masonry) but it had a surprising matte finish to the color (I did not use a topcoat on this one so you could see this effect properly). The polish has a gritty multidimensional texture and that mixed with the lack of shine gives your nails a stunning stone effect. By far the best polish of the set, and definitely worth the buy!

Riveting: Quite bold compared to most of the colors in this China Glaze set, but orange is quite in this season so why not! This color has some golden glitter in it creating a great overall tone. Two coats created a very solid cover and adding topcoat created a very eye catching look. If you are into bright and bold looks, District 3 may be for you. 

Hook & Line: Honestly I was a little disappointed with this particular color. I mean with fishing, I sort of expected/hoped for something blue or green--a nice pop of color to contrast the earthy neutral tones of the rest of the collection. Alas, I did not get what I expected but rather a pretty standard silver metallic. The application of this polish did create some streaks that actually gave the overall look a pretty realistic fish hook effect--like real, warn out metal. Not my favorite, but the beige undertones of the polish were a pleasant surprise. 

Electrify: If any of the polishes in this collection were to be called "Electrify" it would be this one. With dramatic red and gold glitter in a clear base, the polish really does have an electric effect. Two coats of polish gives a reasonable coverage, and of course more or less could be applied based on whether you use a base coat or the overall effect you are trying to achieve. If you have read the Hunger Games, you know not too much is said about District 5 other than mentions of Foxface, so I didn't have a particular set of expectations for this polish other than a red/orange color. The gold as you can tell from the photo is much more prevalent from a distance than the red glitter, which I think successfully tones down the polish a bit. 

Fast Track: This is probably my second favorite polish in the set. Another one that surprised me a bit from the swatches I saw prior to purchase, this beige neutral actually has gold micro glitter flecks in it giving it a soft glow. Though in the bottle it looked like it was going to go on rather sheer, two coats actually provided a fair coverage, and a great neutral look with a bit of a twist. I actually wore this on my nails all last week when I was in California, and it was great because it complimented everything I wore..definitely a must have. 

Mahogany Magic: One of the ones I was looking forward to the most, this polish did not disappoint. The mahogany shade of the polish representing the lumber industry of District 7 was one that I haven't seen before and was eager to add to my collection. While I had expected perhaps a more natural or textured polish for District 7, I think that the look actually is a convincing color for a finished piece of mahogany woodwork. Not sure if it is best for my skin-tone, but I love it all the same. 

Dress Me Up: Definitely one of the greater disappointments of the collection for me. Similar to District 4, I don't know if I had a different interpretation and vision for the District it was meant to emanate, but this polish fell short. The color is a soft, rosy neutral and when applied blended in seriously with my skin tone. With an industry such as textiles as inspiration, the lack of texture and color with this polish was a bit of a let down. The formula however is nice as usual and with two coats of polish provided nice coverage and a clean look. 

Harvest Moon: This really was a beautiful surprise to the collection. The foil metallic formula of the polish created a great texture, and causes the burnt copper color to catch the light in a really pleasant way. This color makes me want to jump ahead to fall and play in the leaves which is an appropriate reaction as this color was meant to represent District 9 and perhaps amber waves of grain?

Foie Gras: For some reason, I adore this polish. When I thought about the concept of having "Capitol Colors" I seriously wondered what a Livestock themed polish would look like, and how that could possibly be glamorous. Well, China Glaze both surprised and satisfied me with Foie Gras. While it doesn't exactly look like the color of your traditional foie gras (more of a liver color), the polish is actually quite striking and glamorous. There is actually more of a mauve/purple tone to it which wasn't justly captured in the picture but c'est la vie. 

Agro: I don't know if it was the formula, or the color, but this one wasn't a favorite. A darker, rich green would have perhaps been a more agreeable color, rather than this poor imitation on Butter London's Dosh. The dark olive green polish had a slight gold glitter in it and when applied resulted in visible brush strokes and thus a rather clumpy appearance. Personally I think Thresh and Rue's district deserved a better color...

Smoke & Ashes: This color does the infamous District 12 proud. The black polish has blue and emerald colored micro glitter in it giving the otherwise endless black a subtle kick. Perfect for the coal mining district, this color definitely gives the haunting effect of smoke and ash. From a distance the polish looks like straight black, but when the light catches the small colored flecks the polish gains a whole new depth and look. Totally worth the buy if you are in need of a black with an edge to it. 

Phew, that was a long one... if you made it this far thanks, and props to you for reading through such an extensive summary. Anyway, this is only part one of my Hunger Games tribute (haha did you catch that pun?). Keep your eyes open for the second tribute of this years Hunger Games and as always, may the odds be ever in your favor.