Financial Responsibility, Pt. 2: Essie Parka Perfect

Hey everybody!  How has your weekend been?  Mine has been nice, especially because yesterday was cloudy and windy and 50-something.  That's like a vacation for me! :)

Today I am continuing my post series on never-worns, and today's star of my irresponsibility is Essie.  Parka Perfect was released for Winter 2013, and that was a collection that I really liked a lot.  As an added bonus, imagine my surprise when Parka Perfect turned out to be not typically Essie-tastically runny! 

Parka Perfect is a dusty blue-grey-green color that has a slight shimmer in the bottle.  Unfortunately, I never could see any shimmer on my nails.  However, that didn't stop me from loving this polish.  The formula is pretty great.  I used two coats for opacity.  Oh, and never mind the tip wear in the pics.  I took these a whole DAY after application, and frankly, I'm surprised there wasn't MORE tip wear. *sigh*

Did you pick up Parka Perfect last year?   I love shades like this one...you know, when you don't really know what to call it, but it seems to look good with about anything. :)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! <3

The Cheapskate Files: Essie All Tied Up

Hey everybody!  It's a pretty exciting day for me...we are actually getting to experience a little part of the massive cold front that's currently affecting the country.  I'm not sweating!! :)

When I was on vacation last month, I managed to snag several bottles of my favorite type of polish:  cheap. :D  Oh...I shouldn't say "cheap"...it sounds so...cheap.  How about calling it "polishes I found at an excellent price"?  Yes...much better.  I found a bottle of Essie All Tied Up, from their Summer 2012 collection, for something like $3 at TJ Maxx.  I can honestly say that I don't own anything even close to this color!

Essie's website describes All Tied Up like this:  "this rustic bronze with subtle golden shimmer glistens with a restrained, yet warm and sensuous charm that will leave him totally tongue-tied."  Well now that's different.  Not only would I not call this color "bronze", but for some reason I'm never thinking of how I can render some guy speechless with my manicure.  For somebody who loves vampy shades, I'm more like Goldilocks. :D

I would personally describe All Tied Up as a medium rosy terracotta.  How's that for a description?  Hey, it's better than bronze! :)  It does have a lovely golden shimmer.  I love shimmer! <3

I used 2 coats of All Tied Up for the photos...then my camera got all upset upon seeing me wearing a color that hailed from the Orange-esque Dynasty and paid me back by portraying me as Wilbur the Pig.  You'll have to trust me when I say that I still look my regular color in person. :)

Let's talk formula...oh Essie, WHY can't you make everything like this one?  It was just perfect...creamy and easy to apply.  And it really is a lovely color.  It's just that my camera and I aren't used to seeing me like this.  It's a sort of "not-very-me" neutral. 

Bonus Points if you can spot what's wrong with this pic!!! :)

So...how about that?  I'm wearing ALL kinds of new things!:)  Do you have a color like this one?  What color does it turn your skin?  And most importantly, SHOULD nail polish be considered a lethal weapon against a man?? :)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! <3

Nail of the Day: Essie It's Genius

Hey everybody!  I hope everything is going well in your world. :)  I have been plagued with problematic polishes lately, but I finally got some decent photos today.  Today I'm showing It's Genius by Essie, a polish that proves you can be pretty AND smart! 

It's Genius is from the 2008 winter collection.  It's described by Essie as a "violet quartz shimmer polish with beige undertones", but I wouldn't call this color violet.  It's a pinky-purple much along the lines of my beloved (yet dearly departed) My Big Break by OPI.

Please forgive the uneven application around the cuticles...It's Genius is runnier than a 3-minute egg pronounced "well done" at 20 seconds.  It made application as unpalatable as aforementioned egg.  I found that one thin coat followed by one thick coat seemed to be the best way to control this.

But enough of the bad stuff about It's Genius...just look at that lovely color!  The shimmer is quite strong too, which gives it an elegant, velvety appearance.

My verdict:  I love the color of It's Genius and strongly dislike the formula.  BUT, if you're not going to be taking macro photos of your nails whilst wearing it, I recommend it. :)  I found my It's Genius from the Ulta clearance shelf, but I think it's still a part of the core line.

So...I will leave you all with a burning question:  Had you rather be pretty or smart? :D

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! 

The Cheapskate Files: You CAN Fix Ugly

Hey everybody!  Today I have another frugal episode of the Cheapskate Files, my own humble way of making you feel better about spending way too much money on your out-of-control habit. :)  

Sometimes when you see a good bargain, you know it's an amazing find.  But other times, you realize pretty quickly why a particular polish was on the clearance shelf in the first place.  Today's post is both!  On one of my recent Ulta clearance shelf treasure hunts, I spotted OPI Where's My Bikini Top?, a rather peculiar-looking, grayish-green pastel creme, for the low, low price of $1.99.  

OPI Where's My Bikini Top?

Where's My Bikini Top? is actually a renamed Stranger Tides, from the 2011 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Collection.  Perhaps in its original incarnation, this was possibly a bit better...but now, with a silly new name and no charming Capt. Jack Sparrow association, this baby is HIDEOUS.

OPI Where's My Bikini Top?

I'm not talking about the color...it's a little dirty-looking, but it's a nice antique fern green.  But the formula is the issue here.  Just look at that bottle...the polish was permanently separating and runny as anything.  I even tried Seche Restore, which could fix 152 year old paint, and nothing helped.  It was streaky and the wateriest mess I ever used.  My official scientific term is blech.

Now enter the AWESOME clearance find:

Essie Luxeffects Pure Pearlfection!!  I have to say that I have no idea why in the world this was on clearance...this stuff is wonderful!  Described by Essie as a "multi dimension top coat", it gives your blech polish a whole new lease on life with its effortless pearly glaze.

Oh my.  That's so much better.

One coat of Pure Pearlfection, and the streaks are gone.  It applies evenly and smoothly and is quite honestly the best Essie product I own.

Pearls + Blech = Gorgeous!

I cannot recommend Pure Pearlfection enough.  If this stuff doesn't fix your ugliest polish, nothing will.  I've even convinced Where's My Bikini Top? to back away from the ledge and enjoy life for once.

I just noticed I have 3 paper cuts on this hand.

I love a happy ending like this one!  And a CHEAP happy ending is always better! :)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day!