Redefining Red!
Essie Shall We Chalet?
I wanted red... picking one was a bit daunting. Forget Fifty Shades of Grey, we have Fifty Shades Of Red going on at Nailvanna land. Essie Shall We Chalet? was the winner from the line up of reds I was considering for today's manicure because it leans blue. There is nothing more classic than glossy red nails and it can be the perfect finishing touch to just about any outfit. I had someone tell me once that they did not wear red polish because it always gave her lobster hands. She was explaining that it made her skin look way more red than it really was. If you are like her with skin that is yellow pigmented you may want to reach for the reds that pull more towards orange than blue. Once you find a shade that works with your skin tone you will find that wearing red is a lot more appealing. Let's face it none of us really enjoy wearing something that does not make us feel good. Shall We Chalet? is a feel good one for me. I'm a big fan of the vibrant blue reds and thankfully they do not give me crustacean hands! The formula on this is simply great. I applied two coats but one may have been enough if I did not apply it so thin. It's very pigmented and might be fun to try out for stamping as well. It is a bit of the thin side so be careful not to overload the brush, yep I did that because lil miss mini me was bouncing all around me, mouth going a mile a minute about her back to school manicure plans. I was happy to find that Shall We Chalet? is user friendly, meaning my cuticles were not stained, and removal very easy. Stained cuticles are so frustrating but Essie did well on this formula. It's one of the reasons I make a habit of keeping some distance between my polish and my cuticles. I change my polish every day and I would rather not be wearing traces of yesterday's polish. I loved that this polish dried nice and glossy but that was not enough to keep me from applying my customary layer of top coat for the picture.
Sally Hansen Goldi-Flecks
Classic red nails are great, but why not add a bit of bling? Sally Hansen Goldi-Flecks is gold and white hex and bar glitter suspended in a clear base. I am not a big fan of bar glitter on it's own but found that it works nicely in this mixture. I prefer my glitter to be a bit more saturated so I applied two coats but if you prefer less bling one coat will do. I followed it up with a layer of top coat. This is one of those glitters that can take just about any creme polish from serious to fun but isn't blinding. It's been one of my staples for a while now. You know those days where your polish bubbles or smudges and you just don't have the time for a do over? Goldi-Flecks is great at disguising those little imperfections without being too heavy or distracting. I think it looks very nice with Shall We Chalet? Both of these are keepers!
