Textured nail-polish lovers, you’ll want to perk up your ears (or fingertips)! 😉

Today, I have for you an in-depth review of China Glaze Shell We Dance, which is from the Sea Goddess Collection that I highly anticipated.

As you know, although I have a soft spot for greens, I’m warming up to pinks in a big way.

Combine texture with saturated pigmentation and lots of sparkle, and you can count me in for the polish party!

China Glaze Shell We Dance Pictures

 

China Glaze Shell We Dance Swatches

All swatches have:

• OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener (Used as a base coat)
• 2 coats of China Glaze Shell We Dance
• No top coat!

Natural Light Photos

Flash Photos

Claim: TRUSTED

• Bright rose pink with silver & pink glitter (Yes)

Key Notes

• Name: China Glaze Shell We Dance
• Collection: China Glaze Sea Goddess Collection 2014
• Press Release: Click here to see the China Glaze Sea Goddess Collection press release & prom pictures
• Colours Available in the Collection: Shell We Dance, Sand Dolla Make You Holla, Wish On a Starfish, Tail Me Something, Seahorsin’ Around & Teal the Tide Turns
• Amount: 14 mL (0.5 fl. oz.)
• What I Paid: Nothing! (This was provided by PR.)
• Where to Buy: NailPolishCanada, Sally Beauty Supply website & maybe some Sally Beauty Supply stores (It seems to be out of stock at a lot of nail e-tailers.)

China Glaze Shell We Dance Review

Colour

Rose pinks like Shell We Dance by China Glaze is my cup of iced tea because it isn’t wimpy. It offers great saturation and a good contrast against my skin tone. It’s bold, and totally in my wheelhouse.

It’s a feminine pink that I think would be a cute choice for a prom-inspired manicure. It has sparkle that’s like a party on your nails.

Finish

Here’s where this polish departs from similar pinks – it features an edgy textured finish that you know I’m in love with!

The grittiness is comfortable to wear, but if you like a smooth, glossy finish, you’ll need to use a couple of layers of a shiny top coat. (I prefer to wear textured polishes as-is, though, because I feel like the finish gives a manicure more personality.)

Shell We Dance by China Glaze also has tons of awesome glitter, which adds to the visual interest. There are medium and small pieces of glitter in silver and pink.

This is a textured polish that twinkles a lot. When you move your hand, this lacquer looks very lively like a personal disco ball you can carry everywhere you go! (Who doesn’t want that?)

Due to the texture and glitter, yes, this polish isn’t as easy to remove as a creme one, but I didn’t find it so bad that I had to scrub my fingers raw. With acetone-based polish remover (not even 100% acetone), I was able to get it all off in a decent amount of time.

Application & Formula

Shell We Dance by China Glaze was very pigmented, so although one coat covered very well, I applied a second out of habit. You shouldn’t need more than two coats to achieve full coverage, especially because the pink base is pretty opaque.

The formula was easy for me to control, and it wasn’t overly thick. However, given the nature of this polish, I can see that it has the tendency to thicken over time. For future manicures, I may need to thin out the polish, but right from the get-go, I had zero difficulty with this.

Another upside of textured polishes like this? They tend to dry quickly, and this one was no exception. I especially love how I can zip through a manicure, forego my quick-drying top coat, and still get a manicure ready and dry without having to wait forever.

Pros Pretty rose pink Great pigmentation Cool textured finish (Might be a Con for some) Full opacity with 1 or 2 coats Dries quickly Has silver & pink glitter that’s very lively & fun

Cons Textured finish (May be a Pro for some)

Final Verdict: 8.5/10

I really love this pink polish – there’s a lot going on, but I don’t feel like it’s too busy (just busy enough)!

Although anyone can wear this lacquer, I have a strong feeling that lots of little girls will especially fall in love with this.

Side note: When I was in elementary school, from around grade 2 to 5, I wore pink every single day! Haha, it was my favourite colour, and I tried to wear as much of it as I could. I even had lots of fully-pink outfits! (So, if you would’ve showed me this polish back then, I would’ve went insane over it.)

When you were little, did you wear a lot of a particular colour? How have your colour preferences changed since you were a kid? Would you wear this textured polish as-is or with a shiny top coat?