2007-2008 Top 20: #19-#16 Vignettes

#19: Zoya Yasmeen

This color is purple perfection. If there is a certain shade of purple that is associated with royalty, Yasmeen nails it along with its subtle gold shimmer. This is great for people looking for a dark purple without heading into the near-black category (i.e., Lincoln Park After Dark or Chanel Vendetta).


#18: Essie Short Shorts


Essie Short Shorts was the first pink neon I have liked. My sister is a huge fan of pink neons but I never liked any of the ones she had, but I was also still in my vamp stage. I bought my other sister the Essie Neons mini set as an early birthday present and took a liking to neons, especially Short Shorts. Between the three of us, that mini bottle of Short Shorts was quickly depleted. Since then, I have searched in vain for a dupe and ended up with a bunch of neon pinks that are close, but no cigar. My sister has happily taken them off my hands. I finally ordered a full bottle of Short Shorts that came in with my China Glaze Summer Days collection from Transdesign.

EDIT: This picture was taken indoors and required about 5-6 coats because I doused the final remnants of the mini-bottle with nail polish thinner; it really looks nothing like it does in RL. I'll try to get an updated pic now that I have a full bottle.


#17: OPI Have You Seen My Limo?

Have You Seen My Limo is to duochromes the way My Private Jet was to holographics for me. I was thoroughly impressed the first time I applied it. I was shocked by the duochrome, which changes from purple to brown to this blue-green sheen at different angles. Since then, I can't get enough of duochromes (yet I'm holding out on Nubar for financial reasons). I spent a whole morning at work trying to photograph the different sides of HYSML which is why of all my nail polish colors, it has the most pictures saved on my computer.


#16: Chanel Nuit de Russie

I graduated from university on December 13, 2008. I say this because that's how I rationalized dropping $90 for 3 bottles of nail polish: a graduation gift to myself. I seriously flipped the moment I saw the Moscou collection. A few select colors have had the distinction of an instant must-have the moment I see it; what makes the Moscou collection unique is that I didn't even see it swatched yet, but I had to have it due to what I saw on the promos. The moment it allowed me to order online, I was there with credit card in tow. I do think $30 is steep for any polish, but I don't regret it one bit. Of the three, my favorite is Nuit de Russie (followed closely by Feu de Russie). Or de Russie is last only because of a future Nail vs. Nail post. My picture does not do it justice: it has a lit-from-within blue sparkle. On my thumbnail was my very first (and partially scratched off) Konad experiment in China Glaze OMG and Konad plate m63.

Today (well, technically yesterday) I received my China Glaze Summer Days collection...wow! I really like China Glaze. I've heard complaints of their formula, but I love their collections; it marches to a different beat rather than Essie or OPI *glares* I have managed to more than double my collection within the first 2 months of 2009, from 103 at the end of 2008 to the current 212. *gulps* I think I may have a serious problem...that and my family is starting to notice the frequent packages sent to me...