China Glaze Nail Polish Review + Swatches
Published 2026-03-29. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you. These polishes were gifted as PR samples by China Glaze, but all opinions are my own. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
China Glaze was founded in 1998 by Worldwide Cosmetics and it was acquired by American International Industries in 2005.
Currently headquartered in Los Angeles, China Glaze is still going strong to this day.
Though they paused new releases from Spring 2024 to Spring 2025 to reformulate, rebrand, and update packaging, thankfully for nail polish lovers like us, China Glaze was not discontinued, it was just revamped.
The new formula is designed to be smoother, longer-lasting, more chip-resistant, with more vivid pigments and added Hexanal for nail strength.
If you’re looking for nail strengthening, China Glaze was always a brand that included hardeners in their formula, they simply amplified that offering in the rebrand.
I’ve appreciated their commitment to nail strength over the years and it’s one of the reasons I’ve selected their nail polishes over other brands at times.
The new bottle design is sleeker with an embossed glass logo, the finish written on the cap, and a smoother-surfaced curved cap.
The old bottle design features a more textured, rounded cap, no finish notes on the cap, and a black ink-printed logo on the glass.
Ink printed logos can and do sometimes wipe off the bottle face in the presence of various nail oils and polish removers, so I like the etched glass logo because it’s more resistant to ink degradation over time.
You can see these bottle updates below:
The bottle also has a wide, flat brush - an upgrade from the old skinny one.
The new ingredients are even more non-toxic and eco-friendly - nothing on the labels causes me to pause.
Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Adipic Acid / Neopentyl Glycol / Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Acrylates Copolymer, Silica, Hexanal, Benzophenone-1, Trimethylpentanediyl Dibenzoate, Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Red 7 (CI 15850), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).
The new bottle still contains the same volume of polish as the old - 14mL/0.5oz. No shrink-flation here!
If you’re a fan of nail polish names and will buy a polish just for a cheeky, cute name, I love China Glaze for their fun polish names, I’ve bought some for that alone.
They’re a great brand for a wide shade variety, but I consider them a go-to especially for neon formulas. They do neon shades really well.
So let’s look at a few swatches of the new and updated formula:
China Glaze Light as Lace
Light as Lace is streak-free in 2 coats and it’s the perfect milky pink sheer for bridal nails or the princess nails trend.
China Glaze Shimmer & Bare It
Shown in 2 coats, Shimmer & Bare It is a dreamy lilac holographic. It really brings the sparkle, especially in full, direct sunlight, the pigments appear to dance on your fingertips.
China Glaze Rose Among Thorns
Shown in 2 coats, Rose Among Thorns was already one of my favorite neon pinks, the reformulation only deepened my love for the color.
It appears cool in the bottle, but will pull more warm or more cool depending on the lighting and your skintone.
China Glaze Orange Knockout
Shown in 3 thin coats, this is a bold neon orange cream. It’s really eye-catching and impossible to ignore when wearing it.
Definitely the perfect shade for the heat of summer or for more tropical looks, as it reminds me of the Bird of Paradise.
When I wear it, I make it my signature focal accessory and keep all other visual noise down to really show off the shade.
All in all, China Glaze offers you a lot of polish for your money and a lot of possibilities, as their color range is quite large.
I still consider it one of the affordable brands out there, especially with many brands raising their prices lately, China Glaze polishes continue to be a more price accessible option.
If you’re new to China Glaze, I recommend starting with one of the colors above or choose a shade you normally gravitate towards, and select one of their options for that color or formula group.
Thank you again to China Glaze for sending these shades our way so we could share them with you!
We were already China Glaze customers, and have previously shared our own purchases with you in other blogs, so we were happy to receive these updated formulas when they came out.
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