My Top Ten \ Number Five: Orly — Hot Shot

Love red polish but want to kick it up a notch? Look no further than Orly Hot Shot. Neon red.

When I chose Orly Hot Shot for a manicure back in 2010,  I had no idea how addicted I would become. I wore that mani until it was hideously chipped. I thought about going back to the salon for a fresh coat, but I realized that wasn't the answer. I needed a bottle of my own.

Like I said, this was 2010. I loved nail polish, but I was not immersed in the world as I am now. I spent weeks — literally, weeks — stopping by random beauty supply stores in Los Angeles, praying and hoping that they would have Hot Shot. I left empty-handed every single time. What can I say? Total noob.

Oddly, Orly can be a tough brand to find! Drugstores carry about a dozen bottles, but none of the colors you typically see there are very cool. I needed to find a place that had the entire collection!

In retrospect, it's ridiculous that I didn't think of the obvious solution sooner: dahhh, just had to Google it, boss. I saw Hot Shot for sale on Amazon; a great place to find fantastic deals on polish. Problem was, I needed Hot Shot right away. I wanted it NOW! Luckily, Google had revealed more key information...

Turns out, Sally Beauty Supply carries all of Orly! Who knew? And there was a Sally's less than a mile away from my apartment. At the time, I was really, really sick with some sort of vile summer influenza. I was unshowered, feverish, disgusting... but obsessed. Walking like an extra from the Thriller video, I stumbled to the bathroom, made an honest attempt to brush my hair and teeth, and careened my way to Sally's.

I bought three bottles.

So why is Orly Hot Shot so awesome? The neon red is great because it's a less obvious neon color choice. I loved the neon pinks that were so popular this summer, but there's something about neon red that's a little more indie, a little more sophisticated... a little less Barbie.

The coverage is so-so; it has an almost jelly transparency, so I do about three coats. On this post, I painted my nails white prior to putting on neon and it really made all of my colors pop, though they also looked a bit lighter than usual. I have yet to do that with Orly Hot Shot on all 10 fingers but, when I do, I'll be sure to share! Like most neons, Orly Hot Shot dries semi-matte, so be sure you put on a nice shiny top coat.

ineedmyneon, Francesca

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

Manicure Mania, Pt. V: Neon Ombré

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]

There Ain't No Party Like a Nail Polish Party

The Polishment Polish Party this past Friday was a blast! My friend Kim, aka "FancyPants" really outdid herself with the decor.

The point of the polish party was technically to try out some new Texture Coats I've been meaning to experiment with, but we got a little sidetracked.

It was a little nerve-wracking to paint other people's hands, I have to admit! I do a lot of my own painting by feel, so to work on someone else's fingers was tough for me! I also didn't get to drink much wine, since I needed steady hands, lol.

I would love to do another Polishment Polish Party again, so if I get any new victims, I'll be sure to share.

In other news, I'm working on this week's nails even as I type this. I'll give you a clue: "Sweet Pea."

getreadyforsomeglitter, Francesca