My Top Ten \ Number Six: Essie — Haute As Hello

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Essie Haute As Hello, you devil, you. What a haute tamale!

I bought her because I'd never seen peachy coral as "look at me!" bright as this. What I couldn't guess was that she'd tiptoe into straight-up neon territory.

Haute As Hello is a little tricksy. I describe the formula as devilish — you need a steady, light hand to make sure Haute As Hello doesn't end up streaky. It dries semi-matte, too, just like a true neon does. And like a chameleon, Haute As Hello changes colors in an instant, going from creamy coral to fluorescent peach without warning. One second she's coy and kittenish, the next she's untamed and on the prowl.

In fact, the color varies so much (depending on the lighting) that I've got to share some other blogger's photos. Click the images to go to the blogs and explore photos of the shapeshifting shade, Haute As Hello.

And I'm not the only one loving this color! Check out these awesome finds that are just so Haute As Hello! Click any photo to explore the item on its native site.

My advice? Take a walk on the wild side and give Haute As Hello a whirl even though it's officially autumn. I think this shade looks smashing with golden caramels and rich browns, and even adds an unexpected pop to denim and olive greens. Who says peach can't be all year 'round color?

Another bright idea — a neon peach pedicure for November, so that when the chill winds blow and the days grow shorter, one look at your toes will call to mind warm breezes and carefree afternoons. Treat your feet to an endless summer.

wellaren'tyouapeach, Francesca

P.S. Missed the first few? No prob.

Manicure Mania, Pt. V: Neon Ombré

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Sometimes you save the best for last.

We love ombré. We love neon. So why not put them together? Like two A-list celebrities who pair up to become an A+ couple, neon and ombre's powers combine to become exponentially more awesome!

My idea came from this ubiquitous Pinterest pin; I'm sure you have seen it.

I wanted to roll with the idea but clean it up a bit; make a more definitive neon spectrum. I tested my neons on a discarded piece of snail mail and developed the perfect order.

I knew I wanted my manicure to be as jaw-droppingly neon as possible, so I painted two coats of OPI Alpine Snow as a base. Then, I painted like so:

Then, I got over eager and was anxious to start my clean-up. And in doing so, I hit my right index finger on the edge of the counter and made a huge scrape. I stared at my nail in horror — what to do, what to do! Start that nail all over again? Or... disguise this boo boo?

I remembered I had some small holographic golden stars lying around in my Stash somewhere. If I arranged them in a charming way, it might work.

I think my mini-constellation added some character!

haveablindinglybrightweekend, Francesca

P.S. Special shout out (and sincere thank you) to Weston for designing my Mani Mania headers this whole week. xx

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EdmHSTwmWY]

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