Essie: Eternal Optimist

Instead of being a normal flat nude color, Eternal Optimist is the perfect mix of nude with a slight tint of pink.  It's that perfect shade when you want a nude color but don't want your nails to blend into your fingers.  A pretty creamy polish this seems to be one of Essie's more opaque colors.  I like to consider myself an optimist so the cute name just further adds to my affection for this color.  

I actually only needed 2 coats to get this color to reflect the shade in the bottle, and they went on nicely and easily without any streaks or bubbling.  This color is also nice on a lot of different skin tones, I've worn it, my sister is a lot darker than me and she likes the way it looks on her and my friends who are lighter than me have also used this polish.

*natural sunlight, 2 coats, Canon T3.

OPI: Purple with a Purpose

One of my best friends gifted me OPI's Purple with a Purpose as part of my Christmas present in 2010. When I first saw it I thought that it was one of those plasticy metallic looking colors that I wouldn't get much use out of, but I'm so glad I gave it a shot.  This was still during my phase where I shied away from bright colors and stuck to mainly neutral colors so I didn't know where exactly to begin.  I used this polish on my toes first, thought that I could ease myself into it, and I absolutely loved the way that it came out!  Turns out I actually love the way this shade complements my skin tone, and it has just the right amount of metallic-ness to make it a little shimmery without looking like foil.

The only issue with this polish is that it takes 3 coats for me to get it the way that I like it, which again is not much of a problem if you know me.  I normally like to paint an extra coat or so, I don't know why I just like the look of my polish being a little thicker, anyway it isn't that big of an issue.  Overall, I wouldn't say that this color is a necessity in my collection due to the fact that I don't wear it that often however it is one of those great fun colors to have when you feel like taking a bigger risk with your polish.  Every time I put this polish on it makes me wonder why I waited so long to use it again.

*natural sunlight, 3 coats, Canon T3.

Sally Hansen: Midnight in NY

Midnight in NY is a nice black if you don't really want a completely black dark polish.  It's practically black with the tiniest golden shimmers that you have to look closely to spot, however they lighten up the entire polish so that it's a little less dark and more glimmery than a creme black.

It is also one of the Sally Hansen polishes from the 'complete salon manicure' line which boasts the thick square shaped brush that I love.  Aside from the width of the brush the bristles are also short enough making it easy to control all strokes.  Overall I love the bottle and brush that this line has, something about the way that the bottle feels just seems so nice and sturdy to me.

While it goes without saying that you should always use a topcoat, it is extra necessary with this polish. I find that if you don't use a topcoat the golden shimmers don't show up as much which makes it come off as a plain black shade completely losing the magic of this color.  Another plus, I love the name (I'm such a sucker for cute names, I'll buy just about anything).  2 coats is plenty with this color, you could even get away with one pretty thick coat however you may end up with a few light colored patches, so it's always good to add an extra coat for good measure.

*natural lighting, 2 coats, Canon T3.

Urban Outfitters: Orange #6

I've been searching for a good sherbety orange color for a long time.  It's another one of those shades where you have to find the right one for your skin tone.  Of course, I found this shade when I wasn't even shopping for nail polish.  I was window shopping with my friends one day when I saw that Urban Outfitters was having a sale.  Standing in the checkout line I spotted this lovely color, and grabbed it to add to my purchase on a whim.  Boy am I glad that I did.  It's the absolute perfect shade for me!

At first glance I thought that the bottle would be pretty on a shelf but overall difficult to work with, however after a few uses I'm actually fine with it.  It did take a little time to get used to because of the large square shape but once you get the hang of it everything is normal.  Application is smooth, it only takes 2 coats to get an opaque color but of course I painted on 3.  Drying time was average, although I did use a quick dry topcoat due to my impatience.  Another plus, I love the way that this color makes my nails look perfectly shaped and my fingers a little more elongated.

*natural lighting, 3 coats, Canon T3.  

Unfortunately, this polish is not available for purchase on the Urban website and it's kind of a hit or miss with finding certain colors in store.  So if you happen to see it one shopping trip, grab it while you can!

OPI: Lucky Lucky Lavender

Lucky Lucky Lavender debuted in the OPI Spring/Summer Hong Kong Collection of 2010.  I have no words to explain how perfect this color is.  I've gone through countless polishes from multiple brands trying to find this exact shade of lavender.  Most of the time the colors look nice in the bottle but end up coming out too pinky or too purple or just all around wrong.  This color is so nice and creamy that I wore it for almost two months straight when I purchased it last summer (somewhere around May 2011).  I change my polish every couple of days but I loved this color so much that I kept repainting my nails in this shade for what seems like forever, which is extremely rare for me.

This color is straight up creamy with absolutely no shimmer.  The only thing is that I find I like to use 3 or 4 coats of this which seem like a lot considering this color looks like it should be pretty opaque.  However even though I am naming this as a 'con' to this polish it could also be a 'pro' for me because I like the thick almost jelly like coating that it gives my nails.  The staying power of Lucky Lucky Lavender is amazing!  I do use a top coat (like always) but this polish could last a good week or so if you wanted it to without chipping.

*artificial lighting, 3 coats, Canon T3.

Purchased online through Amazon:
Amazon
Beauty Store Depot
Nails & Beyond

Essie: Power Clutch

 Part of Essie's "Brand New Bag" Collection that was released in the Fall of 2011, Power Clutch is one of those greige shades that you never really know what to make of.  In the bottle it looks like a dark grey creme but once you get it on you nails there is a chameleon-like quality.  I personally wasn't sure how this color would look on my skin tone but I absolutely love it!  It's definitely one of those staple winter colors that I believe everyone should have in their collection.  Power Clutch instantly makes your nails look a little more polished and refined, I could see this as a very good color for the workplace.

 I used 3 coats, but you could get away with 2 if you wanted to.  I always like to paint on an extra coat or so even if the color is opaque, I don't necessarily know why but I just like to think of it as insurance. The hint of green is so subtle that I didn't even really notice it until I was reading other reviews of this color and figured I better point it out here too.  I only got two of the colors from this collection (the other being 'Carry On')  but I would say that this is the more unique of the two.

*artificial lighting, 3 coats, Canon T3.

I bought mine at Walmart, but you can easily get it at these sites below:
Walmart
Zappos
Nordstrom

Essie: Fifth Avenue

 Fifth Avenue is a color that Essie introduced a few years ago I believe.  This creamy shade is a bright tomato red with a fairly strong orange tint.  In these photographs it looks incredibly orange, I think it might have something to do with the lighting that I used, however when you use it on your nails the orange tint is undeniable.  Perhaps just imagine a pinch more red and you'll reach the color of Fifth Avenue.  I painted on 2 coats but you could absolutely get away with one fairly thick coat if you were in a rush.

 I'll admit, I originally bought this color because of the name (something that I do with all my products...if it has a cute or catchy name I'm 99% guaranteed to purchase) but I really do like the color. I've worn this on my nails a few times now and I find that it's the perfect shade of tomato red for my skin tone.  Sometimes reds can come off too bright or too dark for my taste but since this has that orange sheen it's a great bright color especially for the summertime.

*artificial lighting, 2 coats, Canon Rebel T3.  

This bottle was purchased at CVS, but you can find it practically anywhere with an Essie stand, it's one of the colors in their permanent collection.  It's also available at these links:
 Essie
Amazon

Essie: Damsel in a Dress

 First off, this isn't necessarily a 'new' Essie polish.  It debuted as part of Essie's Winter 2008 collection, I picked it up about 2 years ago I'd say somewhere during the Fall of 2010.  I had just moved to Chicago for college and was shopping at Target to stock my dorm room.  Knowing me, I left with this polish instead of toothpaste.  Oh geez.

This color is absolutely beautiful on as well as in the bottle.  It has that sort of shimmer that gives the color incredible depth and shine making it the perfect winter color. My bottle is currently about half full since I pull this baby out as a 'go-to' color once the weather starts to drop.  Anyway, that pearlescent sheen it has is my favorite part of this polish, it makes it unique amongst the sea of dark purple polishes out there.  I topped it off with one coat of my Sally Hansen top coat just to give a little bit more shine, but this polish doesn't really need it.  Damsel in a Dress has great staying power as well as nice opacity after 2 coats.

 *artificial lighting, 2 coats, Canon Rebel T3.

Like I said above, I bought mine at Target but since it's somewhat of an older color it's pretty readily available at places like Walmart, CVS, etc.  Or online at places like:
Amazon
Nordstrom

NOTD: February 9, 2012 (late post)

My current nail combo is 1 coat of Khloe Had a Little Lam-Lam with 2 coats of Kendall on the Katwalk layered over top, and 1 coat of Seche Vite.  

Khloe Had a Little Lam-Lam I absolutely love.  It’s a nice rich forest green that I can see myself reaching for all year long but especially when fall rolls around.  It was pretty opaque with one coat although I always like to do an extra coat or two just in case.  However in this case I stopped at one coat since the color isn’t even too noticeable with the glitter on top.  

Kendall on the Katwalk is gorgeous as well, a bit different from your typical blue glitter polish.  I was a little hesitant to but this one since I already have Eyes Like Sapphires and Dorothy Who? (both by China Glaze) but this one is so beautifully different.  It is a combination of blue, green, and purple glitters in a medium toned blue jelly base.  The effect it gives on your nails is a bit peacocky which I really like.  The glitter wasn’t too chunky either, it wasn’t too gritty to the touch but I always like to follow up with a top coat just to give my nails that extra sheen.  

You can purchase these two colors here:

http://www.walmart.com

http://www.ulta.com

FYI: They are limited edition so there's no telling how long they'll stick around for sale.  If you like these colors as much as I do I suggest picking them up while you can!

*artificial lighting, 3 coats of color total, Canon T3.

OPI Announces NYCB Collection

My life is complete.  No joke, absolutely complete.  I thought that I was overjoyed when I saw the Urban Ballerina Collection at Sephora last year but this collection looks absolutely amazing.  Don't get me wrong, I still have my favorites from the collection last year but I'm already positive that I'll be buying up every single polish here.

I used to dance when I was younger so my inner ballerina is freaking out.  Not only are the colors wearable and perfect for everyday but the names are also adorable.  This collection is set to be released in March, which means that even if it's only February I have my countdown calendar set.  The NYCB collection is set up as this years wedding collection and I can see why.  Polishes that are inspired by tutus, ballet slippers, and leotards according to Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI’s artistic director, are destined to be great for bridal wear as well as the everyday girl who still dreams of being a ballerina.  

Here is a further breakdown of the collection: (L-R) My Pointe Exactly, Care to Dance?, You Callin' Me a Lyre?, Barre My Soul, Don't Touch My Tutu!, and Pirouette My Whistle. 

By the looks of it, I can already tell that My Pointe Exactly, Barre My Soul, and Pirouette My Whistle are going to be some of my favorites, although I know that I'll be loving them all. Once this collection drops in March you can be sure that I'll have swatches and deeper examinations of each color.  I can't wait!