The second I first laid eyes on China Glaze Party Hearty, I knew it would be my Christmas Day manicure. But little did I know how much I would love it. This top coat puts that festive touch on any base color.

If you’ve done some browsing on the internet, you’ll find lots of Party Hearty swatches over Jolly Holly, a rich evergreen polish from the same China Glaze ‘Tis The Season Collection.

So instead of showing you the same combinations you’ve seen a bazillion times, I decided to show you Party Hearty layered over a different color. Tell me what you think!

Want to know what base color I used? There’s only one way to find out.

China Glaze Party Hearty Pictures

China Glaze Party Hearty Swatches

(All swatches are with Nail Tek Foundation III Base Coat, 2 Coats of Nubar Reclaim & Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat)

Update: Below is what I wore for my Christmas day manicure. There’s 1 coat of Nail Tek Foundation III Base Coat, 2 thin coats of Orly Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, 1 thick coat of China Glaze Party Hearty & 1 coat of Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

To read my review & see swatches of Orly Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, click here!

Claims: TRUSTED

√ Contains China Clay, which acts as a nail hardener & shine enhancer to improve polish wear & appearance

Key Notes

• Name: China Glaze Party Hearty
• Collection: ‘Tis The Season
• Amount: 14 mL
• What I Paid: $2.99 USD (from Trans Design – not available there anymore)
• Colors Available in China Glaze ‘Tis the Season Collection: Peace On Earth, Party Hearty, Mistletoe Kisses, Jolly Holly, Little Drummer Boy, Jingle Bells, Naughty and Nice, Mommy Kissing Santa, Phat Santa, Ruby Deer, Mrs. Claus, Midnight Kiss, Cheers to You, Frosty, Snow & Sugar Plums
• Where to Buy: Sally Beauty Supply & some beauty-supply stores

China Glaze Party Hearty Review

China Glaze Party Hearty is a clear top coat with glitter including large red hexagons, small dark-green hexagons, and small gold squares. It dries smoother than most glitter top coats, and it dries extremely fast. By the time I finished painting my nails and taking photographs, my nails were already dry to the touch!

Some people like to wear this as is without a base color, but I’m not one of them. I really feel that this polish looks best when accented with a color underneath and used as a final layer rather than a solo performer.

Since I’ve seen many China Glaze Party Hearty swatches over Jolly Holly and other colors from the China Glaze ‘Tis The Season Collection, I decided to experiment with a different base color – Nubar Reclaim (a strong green holo that I recently reviewed and swatched). I figure that if you’re going to go with festive glitter, you may as well get all blinged out with a holo, too.

One layer of Party Hearty was fun and provided enough glitter all over the nail to look good. But I prefer the way 2 thin coats (or 1 thick coat) looks – I feel that’s when the polish truly comes to life! A third coat would probably be too dense.

China Glaze Party Hearty layered over Nubar Reclaim reminded me of a decked-out Christmas tree.

I knew I’d like this combination, but when I finished painting all the nails on my left hand, I was surprised that I fell in love with it. This is a layered look that makes me happy when I see my nails.

But be warned – because this is a glitter formula, that means removal will require a little extra work. On the positive side, glitters usually have better manicure mileage (at least for me).

Pros Easy-to-apply formula Good coverage with 1 coat Inexpensive Glitter is smoother than traditional glitter Fun way to add holiday cheer to your nails Free of DBP, Toluene & added Formaldehyde

Cons China Glaze is a brand that may be difficult for Canadians to get hold of if you don’t like ordering online & don’t have a Sally Beauty Supply nearby Glitter takes more effort to remove

Final Verdict: 9/10

If you want to rock a special manicure that’s also as easy as a wink to apply, I suggest China Glaze Party Hearty. It goes on smoothly and dries quick. Plus it lets you easily transform any of your existing nail polishes into festive ones when layered.

What are your favorite glitter nail polishes? Will you be sporting a festive manicure this holiday season?

Edit: I reviewed and photographed Party Hearty again in 2012. Click here to see my revised China Glaze Party Hearty Swatches & Review!