Essie — Poppy-Razzi Collection

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Neon is back in a big way — and has been for a while. In fact, Essie had a fantastic neon collection a couple summers ago that was a daring dip into neon years before the trend exploded. I can't blame them for wanting to continue capitalizing on the fluorescent fad while they can! Here's a snapshot of Essie's new collection for Summer 2012: Poppy-Razzi.

I love the entire collection... but I have enough neon pinks, already have a neon red I love (Orly Hot Shot), neon oranges are a piece of cake to find, and that Essie Action is looking remarkably similar to China Glaze Sun Worshiper. I'm eager to see some swatches and comparisons for this set.

That said, the tip of painting your nails a creamy white as a base to make your neons really glow is a good note to take.

Which colors are you guys loving from this new set?

xxo, Francesca

The Paige Pastel Manicure (& Happy Easter!)

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Spring is here, and with it: a rainbow of color. In addition to ubiquitous (but welcome!) pastels, we're seeing neon accents popping up in unexpected places — nails! jewelry! totes! t-shirts! — and color being infused into what are typically uninspired wardrobe staples... like your favorite jeans.

Forget the simple spectrum of pale boyfriend jeans to crisp, dark denim. Now you're faced with mint green... or kelly green? Nantucket red, or candy apple red? Decisions, decisions!

When I saw this email from Paige Denim in my inbox, it wasn't just the jeans that caught my eye. It was, simply put, a beautiful array of color. So inspiring, in fact, that I made it my manicure.

This manicure was as simple as can be; the hardest part was rounding up the colors! It was well-received by my pals at the office, and even has a bit of holiday flair. If you're looking for a cheerful way to usher in spring, or a subtle nod to Easter without drawing actual eggs on your nails, then maybe you'll give this a whirl.

xxo, GLOSS

[And here are some pictures of a few Easter eggs to get y'all in the mood!]

Nubar — Orange Cream

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Polishment posted on Chanel's new shades for Spring 2012 back in January. Since then, I've noticed that readers find Polishment on a regular basis thanks to googling Chanel June. Seems like everyone finds it to be as peachy keen as I do!

If only we could all have Chanel June in our Stashes! It's a pretty one, but it's not a color I'd wear often enough to justify the $26 price tag.

I saw a Nubar color recently that was reminiscent of June enough to give it a whirl. May I present Nubar Orange Cream!

And for comparison, some shots of Chanel June...

They are far from dupes, that's for sure! Nubar Orange Cream is, as you'd probably guess, a cream formula, whereas Chanel June appears to be slightly sheer. Orange Cream is much brighter than I'd anticipated and has very yellow undertones; June, on the other hand, is pinky-peachy.

If you're in the mood for a wild peach, may I suggest Essie Haute As Hello. It's one of my all-time favorite shades! I haven't taken my own pictures of it, but will probably slap some on this summer and share with y'all. In the meantime, here are some great swatches from a blog called Short 'n Chic.

xxo, GLOSS

Zoya Promotion!!!

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I don't know if this fabulous information graced your email inbox this morning, but it did mine!

The coming of spring means warmer weather, budding flowers and color, color, COLOR! To help you transition from winter to spring, we’re making it easier to freshen up your Zoya Nail Polish wardrobe.
With the purchase of at least 3 Zoya Nail Polish colors of your choice, you will receive any 3 FREE*.
Now through Wednesday, March 14th 2012 11:59pm EST, ONLY.  
Instructions:
  1. Add at least six (6) Zoya Nail Polish colors of your choice to your shopping cart.
  2. Enter code: SPRING3 into the coupon code field in your cart and press "Apply Code".
  3. Complete Check-Out Process, Review, Submit Order and watch your Zoya Collection Blossom!

If you remember their last promotion and the fiasco that ensued the following month with my order, as I waited for my two free polishes to arrive.

I am hoping the same doesn't happen again this time around, but given the offer one can only expect the worst as crowds of women make a mad dash to zoya.com to claim their three free bottles!

Alas, I am an eternal pessimist.

This, however, did not stop me from joining in the madness.  I purchased:

Zoya Trixie

Zoya Nova

Zoya Paz

.....getting ready for spring and summer, obviously.

And the promotional colors I chose are:

Zoya Shawn

Zoya Mitzi

Zoya Adina

So much color.

So much shine.

So much obsession.

What did you ladies get????

XOXO, Varnish

Excusez-MOI?!

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I check Yahoo! on the reg because I like to know what America is reading. It also thrills me to see things on Yahoo!'s front page that I've read about two weeks ago. /snarky /smug Let's just say Yahoo!'s content and the stories that they link to are typically bottom of the barrel. So let's take anything they say with a grain of salt.

That said... imagine my disappointment to see THIS in an article titled "Beauty Mistakes That Turn Men Off."

And from Allure, no less! I love Allure! And they hype "neon, dark and patterned" manicures in like, every issue, so... whatever.

I really wish they'd cite their source on this. Was it one guy at a bar who made an insulting comment? Did a roving frat party descend on a nail salon and start throwing bottles they deemed "intimidating" (?) to the floor like so many grenades?

The guys I know dig nail polish and love to see what creative manicures my friends and I come up with next, and I hope my dear readers enjoy the same admiration from the men they know, too.

xxo, GLOSS