SWATCH & REVIEW: Color Club Halo Jewels Fall 2020
Hey guys! Color Club is probably my most used drugstore brand of nail polish and I always get really excited about their new collections, particularly the ones they release for fall since those are my favorite types of shades in general. So, of course, as soon as I saw the brand spankin' Halo Jewels Collection for Fall 2020, I was intrigued, but once I saw the rich, holographic shades in person there was absolutely no question that it was coming home with me and I was getting it on my nails immediately. I think a lot of people will be really excited by this launch, so I really wanted to get my review and swatches out there right away.
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I own pretty much all of the Color Club holographic polishes - I think - and they've never failed to impress me with the quality of the formula, but I've definitely wished for some richer, more saturated shades, and that's definitely what this 6 piece collection brings to the table. Like most of the holos from Color Club, these are linear holo polishes with really strong pigmentation and just... a ton of a holo flash. I actually feel like there's sort of two distinctly different finishes in this collection, one that's a little bit more shimmery and one that's more of a traditional linear holo like their original Halo Hues, which is really interesting to me but I'll get into that more at the end of my review.
Diamond In The Rough
Color Club Halo Jewels Collection Fall 2020
If we're thinking about this collection in terms of gemstones, which I think is the pretty obvious intention, I would say that this is a sort of Peridot type of shade or a green sapphire. When I was making my notes as I was swatching, I called this a sort of sage green. I would say that it leans more towards a yellow/brown tone of green, but remains quite neutral. There's also a hint of a rose gold/antique gold flash in this polish that feels really surprising. What I find really striking about this shade is the uniqueness of it - not only is it unlike anything in my collection personally, I also couldn't find anything online that I think would be a dupe.
On the first coat, this has pretty good coverage but still has a bit of sheerness to it. The application and coverage are really smooth and even. On the second coat, I got that full coverage I was looking for and the colour really became quite saturated and rich even though it is the softest shade in this collection. Honestly, I can't say anything negative about the application of this shade, it was just a pleasure to apply with smooth, even coats that dried down quickly.
This shade has probably the strongest visible shimmeriness out of all of the polishes in this collection and really, really explodes with both shimmer and intense holo when you take it out in the sun. Obviously as a huge fan of green polish, this one really, really appeals to me, but I think that this is actually just a really wearable green overall that a lot of people will love.
Rock On
Color Club Halo Jewels Collection Fall 2020
In the bottle, this looks quite similar to Diamond In The Rough, but on the nails it's actually quite a bit different. To compare this to a gemstone, I'd say that it's more like a dark green sapphire. It doesn't have that brightness of an emerald and comes off much smokier, but still really maintains the green hue even with the strong holo through it. I would say the undertone for this is probably a little bit cooler and more blue based, but the holo and that smokiness keeps it feeling quite neutral. I think this is another really unique shade in the collection, one that I definitely don't have a dupe for in my collection and couldn't find an exact shade dupe for online.
I think the pigmentation of this shade is dense enough that you can get full coverage on one coat, but I think you need a second coat to really make the most of the richness of this shade - something that I think is true across a lot of the shades in this collection. Application of this polish is really amazing, with even, smooth coverage and a formula that dries down quite quickly and easily. That second coat really does build up that richness and give you that density of colour that really makes the holo pop.
What I think really surprised me about this shade is the balance of that depth and richness of that smoky green with the really strong holo. I mean, really, these swatch photos were taken under lights that aren't really ideal for really capturing holo, but it really did show up and when you take this polish out into the sun it's just gleams. I would say that this finish is the more shimmery of the two in this collection, really amping up that glow. I honestly can't wait to use this in Christmas nail art, because I feel like it's going to be a great base for festive manis.
That's Rich
Color Club Halo Jewels Collection Fall 2020
Again, I'd say that this is a shade that you could get away with only one coat of, but to get the most richness and punch from it you're going to want to go with two coats. Application was amazing with really smooth, even pigmentation and coverage, and a quick drying formula so you don't have to wait so long between those two coats. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about this formula as far as application is concerned, it's just kinda dreamy.
In the bottle, this is definitely the most brilliant and bold shade in this collection and I really think it's beautiful, even though this sort of pink isn't generally my thing. One thing I will say about this one though is that it does have a tendency to look a little bit dull in the center of that prism even in really intense light, sort of like pretty much any linear holo will look in dead light. It's not a dealbreaker for me at all with this shade, but it bore mentioning because I think it's the only shade in this collection that did that for me. Still, gorgeous, do recommend.
Unbreakable
Color Club Halo Jewels Collection Fall 2020
Honestly, in terms of gemstones, I couldn't really place where this sort of raisin-y mauve shade would fall for me, so I did a little bit of googling and what I found was - mauve spinel, which I think is a pretty solid match for this shade. I actually love that they included this shade in the collection because it's so unique and so gorgeous and, very selfishly, so completely up my alley. Honestly, I can't find a better way to describe it than "raisin-y mauve" because it has that smoky, pinky-purple tone, but it has those sort of brown undertones that just make is super unique. It also has a little bit of a rose gold flash in it, which was unexpected and also so pretty.
Like Diamond In The Rough, I think that this shade is a solid two coater. It doesn't have quite full coverage on that first coat, so you'll definitely need a second to get full opacity as well as the intensity and richness that you're going to want from this shade. Again, application was a dream with really smooth, even coverage and formula that dries down quite quickly to make that two coat application go really fast and easy. I honestly feel like a broken record at this point, but these polishes are just really consistent when it comes to the formula.
Also like Diamond In The Rough, I think this shade is amongst the shimmeriest in the collection. Actually, now that I think about it, I think it's the addition of that rose gold flash that really brings both of these shades to life in a way that is different from the rest of the collection. It doesn't just have that strong linear holo in it, it has that flash that really bumps up the glow. I'm in love with this shade and I think it'll probably be my most reached for from this collection, especially to be worn on its own without being a base for nail art.
Under Pressure
Color Club Halo Jewels Collection Fall 2020
The gemstone connection with this shade is pretty obvious, I think, in that it's straight up Amethyst. Of all of the polishes in this collection, this one actually looked the closest in the bottle to another Color Club Holo, which is Eternal Beauty, but it's actually really solidly different. This shade is really, really richly saturated and is a true purple that leans maybe just a hint more towards blue than red - but still, really, really balanced and true amethyst purple.
This is another shade where you could absolutely get away with one coat for coverage, but I definitely recommend two to really get that richness and depth. Application, yet again, was absolutely dreamy with really smooth, even coverage. I also really like the brush that Color Club polishes has, which is a wide (but not too wide) flat brush that really forms nicely at the cuticle to give a crisp, smooth line, which really adds to the ease of application of these polishes for me.
Along with That's Rich, I'd say this is the more traditional linear holo type of finish and doesn't have added shimmer that the other finish seems to have. It's a beautiful, beautiful shade and I think purple lovers are really going to be drawn to this. What I love most is really that richness and how it stays a true purple while still being rich and a little bit deeper than maybe we're used to without skewing towards a more blackened or wine type of shade.
What A Gem
Color Club Halo Jewels Collection Fall 2020
I really, really, really think that they hit the nail on the head with the sapphire shade in this collection, especially because I think it's hard to do, and since it's my birthstone I have a special place for sapphire in my heart. I think it would have been really easy to go deeper with this shade, which still would have kept it sapphire but would have lost some of that brilliance. This is just a true primary blue that's really brilliant, perfect for a gemstone themed collection.
I'm trying to think of more unique things to say about this application, but again this is a polish that I think you could get away with one coat of but lives its best life at two coats. The application was really smooth and easy, dries down well, really even and just gorgeous. If there's one takeaway from this review post, I really hope that it's that applying all 6 of these polishes was an absolute dream.
I would put this finish in the more traditional linear holo category along with That's Rich and Under Pressure. It's just a stunner, what more can I say? I really appreciate that they didn't take this to a teal place, which I think a lot of people wouldn't have batted an eye at because it still would have felt jewel toned, but keeping this really primary, true blue shade keeps it very much sapphire for me - and again, I'm birthstone biased.
What I actually find really interesting about this collection - and what I really think has to have been intentional - is those two different finishes and the shades represented in them. I think the more traditional jewel toned shades are also in the more traditional linear holo finish. On the flip side, the shades that feel a little bit more like modern, earthy jeweltones that I think could also be associated with crystals, are still linear but in a much shimmerier, shiftier sort of finish. It's really interesting to me and I think it was actually a really smart curation choice that sets this collection apart.
Honestly, couldn't be happier that I picked up this collection and will absolutely be reaching for it often, especially with winter coming up since I think all of these shades will really work well for fall and through the winter months. Highly, highly recommend!
The Color Club Halo Jewels Collection is launching today, October 15th.
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