More Nail Time

It seems that the color has been migrating from my face to my finger nails. I'm officially "into" nail polish more than I ever have been. Maybe it's because I love rich colors, and the fall actually allows you to experiment more with them than any other season.

My current pick - Sephora's Pure Plum nail polish. It is a deep, wine-eggplant color. And I mean eggplant. If you layer on enough coats, it can almost look black. I do wish it had a tad bit more purple to it because it borders on burgundy.

Next purple to try - OPI's We'll Always Have Paris (coffee-purple), Louvre Me Louvre Me Not (royal purple), and Yes...I Can Can (jewel eggplant) from the amazing Fall/Winter French Collection (San like some grey polishes from it - read here).

Of course, I'm also a cheapie, and found a bunch of similar shades from Brucci for about $1 (including some cool jewel greens/blues).

Grey Chic

I've been experimenting with grays and taupes lately - on my nails!

This is definitely a fall look, but I think it's very chic and sophisticated without being terribly goth. Here's a photo of two of my recent favorites, swatched side by side.

Index & Pinky: China Glaze Recycle
Middle & Ring: OPI You Don't Know Jacques from the Fall 2008 France collection

China Glaze: $5.99 @ Sally Beauty Supply
OPI: $8.50 @ Ulta or a salon near you.

So It Begins

I'm taking a quick break from packing and panicking to share a fun find.

My Sephora withdrawal has begun, and I haven't even moved yet!

I've alluded to this in the past, but perhaps I haven't shared the magnitude of my addiction. I adore color. I also adore nail polish, because it's the easiest way to incorporate color into my life without being too outré.

So, of course, shortly after I quit my job in the city does Sephora begin to stock a new line of OPI polishes. I knew these were coming based on press releases that I've seen, but it was a low blow for them to begin arriving in stores a mere day or two after I stopped commuting to NYC.


The line has 43 great shades to choose from. And they've got the most adorable names - a hallmark of their OPI lineage, of course.

At first glance, I'm most interested in Never Enough Shoes (black with multi-color glitter), Metro Chic (dark smoke), and Run with It (shimmering dove grey). Some of the cuter names include I'm With Brad (shimmering wine over dark coffee), Mr. Right Now (classic wine), and Ms. Can't Be Wrong (deep mulberry).

These are definitely a little pricey for nail polish at $9 each, especially when you can choose from thousands of OPI shades for $8.50 or less. But I'd definitely like to check them out in person - some of the more unique shades may be worth it.

If you get a chance to take a look at these, let poor little me know how they are - in the meantime, I'll be jealous!

$9 at Sephora

Groomed and Polished

So let's set the record straight here. I'm not a 'put together' kind of gal - contrary to what you may think based on this blog. I'm not always well-coiffed. I don't have an amazing and/or unique fashion sense, and I'd probably walk around in jeans all the time if life would let me.

Even when it comes to makeup, I do make an effort to put some on, but it usually doesn't happen in the morning before I leave for work.  Makeup is applied in stolen moments before meetings, at my desk or in the ladies' room at the office.

But regardless of how un-stylish I may look or feel on a given day, there is one aspect of my routine that I can feel good about - my nails.  I discovered early on in life that a few coats of shiny nail lacquer can make me feel everything from dainty and feminine to super-cool rocker chic.  That little pop of color makes my day just that much brighter.  

You're welcome to disagree, but there's something about well-polished nails that's so very Jackie O. But unlike the pale pinks I imagine her to have worn, I like to branch out a bit when it comes to color. The bolder the better.

Here are a few polishes that I adore from various 2008 nail collections:

Essie Secret Stash from the Summer 2008 collection. This bright blue-based pink is intriguing; I consider it to be the color of a pair of Barbie's shoes. But because it has a jelly quality to it, it has an unusual depth of color. And I can't decide if it's more pink or purple. Very refreshing for the summertime.  

Essie Bermuda Shorts from the Essie Neons collection. I debated myself endlessly on the merits of this one; finally, I just had to have it. It's an amazing neon purple that's a total throwback to the 80's - I love it! The only thing to note about this one is that it dries matte, so make sure you have a shiny topcoat handy if you're not into that sort of thing.

OPI Dating a Royal from the Mod About Brights collection.  Such a gorgeous royal blue creme; I can't stop looking at my hands when I'm wearing it.  But this one will get you a few looks, for sure.