China Glaze Velvet Bow from 2011 Let It Snow Collection

I have a swap pal in the Netherlands...we're in the middle of getting polishes together for our 4th swap. She messaged me a week or so ago saying she's been looking for a classy looking brown/red polish...not to lean too red or too brown. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of these colours is my stash as I'm just not a fan of these dark, vampy colours on me....I made a couple suggestions like Essie Mack and Essie Masquerade Belle. Then I remembered I just picked up the China Glaze Let it Snow Collex and thought one of the polishes from it, Velvet Bow, may fit what she's looking for so I swatched it for her.



While this is appropriate for the fall weather we've been having, this isn't a colour I wear on a regular basis, especially on its own, so I started looking through my stash to see what I could layer it with....then I remembered picking up the CND 2011 Fall/Winter set that included 24K Sparkle and thought it may funky up Velvet Bow at bit. This is one coat.



It still looked kinda dark so I decided to stamp over top of it...and this is more my style of what I would wear if I had to wear a dark vampy colour!



Used CND Gold Chrome polish for stamping using fauxnad IP's SdP B10 (trailing rose and french tip roses) and SdP D19 (single rose on pinky and index). I funkied it up (is funkied a word? lol!) by placing the rose image upside down and right side up....I think if I was to redo this, I would place all images right side up like the thumb but don't mind how this looks at all. I shortened my nails recently and filed them more square than I usually do as I'm wanting to try some more funky french mani's so did a french tip with a band of roses on IP SdP B10 to practise my french tipped placement.



I so adore the old English roses feel of the cascading of the leaves on the image on the thumb. This pix you also get a better look at how the CND 24K Sparkle looks as it doesn't seem terribly noticeable in some of these pix. I wonder what it looks like on lighter colours? (Plots another mani!)



Do you think China Glaze Velvet Bow fits the description of a classy brown/red, not leaning too red or brown? If not, do you have another suggestion for my swap pal? Nothing too htf as I have to go searching for it!



Thanks in advance for your thoughts and thanks too for looking!

PS: I haven't forgotten that my Birthday Giveaway has ended....I've been busy verifying the number of eligible votes and everything else that goes along with hosting a give way and will announce the results soon!