So. I'm treating this like the Addicts Anonymous meeting that I would attend if I
a) thought anyone made a group for my addiction, or
b) had any true desire to kick the habit.
Hello. My name is Emily, and I am addicted to nail polish. It's been maybe six hours since I bought my last bottle. Really, I should say bottles, since I bought four. I'm rationalizing this, because one of them is a gift. That totally makes the three for me acceptable, right? Probably not, but I'm going with it because I want to, and, as I said, I don't really want to kick this habit. At all. I LOVE nail polish.
Some may laugh. They'll be within their rights to, but I'm willing to bet that there are others with the same addiction out there. There is just so much variety, and they don't really harm you (except in the wallet), so I just keep buying more. In my mind, they're a necessity. Some of them really are.
I've tried many different brands in my 31 years. I graduated from Wet 'N' Wild to Sally Hansen when I was in junior high. Manic Panic and Urban Decay were discovered in high school. I rotated between whatever looked decent and was on sale when I was in college. I have to forgive myself for that. Revlon, Maybelline, and Cover Girl were awesome for a student with no cash flow. I still tried Sally Hansen, but it always chipped super quickly and left me sad. It wasn't until the last three years or so that I learned the joys of the actual made-for-professional brands like OPI and Essie. Then, it was all over for my financial stability.
I love the idea of OPI, with their thematic collections based on movies and pop icons. I went particularly nuts with the collections for The Muppets. Seriously. The Rainbow Connection. Amazing song, and an amazing and cheerful glittery goodness. It didn't end there...not by a long shot. I currently have all but one of the Couture de Minnie collection, and really went into their "Liquid Sand" polishes.
Essie was a brand I saw at CVS, and didn't really give much thought to, until I had a manicure as a bridesmaid at my brother's wedding. I wore Essie's Madmoiselle, and it was so classy and simply stunning that I started buying up anything that struck my fancy.
I fancy a lot. I think I own all of their nail treatments (top coats, strengtheners, base coats), and a substantial number of their colors. I'd have more if I found them more recently than a year ago.
It was actually my mother that pointed me to my most recent obsession. She saw a piece on the Today Show that talked about the Pixie Dust polishes by Zoya. A textured polish? Win. A NATURAL nail polish? Amazing. Zoya is "Big 5 Free," which trumps OPI and Essie's freedom from the "Big 3." I tried it because I was intrigued, and bought Miranda, a Pixie Dust, as well as Zuza and Tinsley, two of their traditional nail polishes. Once I tried them, I was hooked. Amazing colors, great formula, and spectacular wear. The first order was placed on June 5th. I have made three subsequent orders. It is the first and only nail polish company that produces nail polishes that I get bored of wearing. It's not because they don't have incredible and beautiful colors, because they're all stunning. They all just wear so long without any chipping that I have the OPPORTUNITY to become bored. I view that as the highest compliment to Zoya. That being said, I have found that simply adding another polish on top produces the most incredible solution to that "problem." Instant new looking nails, and a happy Emily. Their base coat and top coats are, I'm completely convinced, made out of magic and joy.
It's a sickness. I know it is. I have the Art Bin full of polish to back this up. Part of the problem is that I'm artistic by nature. I know I am. I sing, draw, write, quilt, act, and dance. Some of them rather well. For the last few years, I've been ill--recovering from a wicked bout of viral meningitis that gave me seizures and wouldn't leave my system. Eventually, I found out that I have a genetic immune deficiency, that makes me super prone to bacterial infections, as well as viruses. I'm one step away from moving into that bubble. I take amusement when I can. If my exciting trip is to a fabric store, or even a grocery store, then I need to provide fun that can be done solo. I learned German. I took up figure drawing. I buy nail polish.
With all that said, I'll come to the purpose of this blog. My Art Bin is loaded, and I'm trying to cut myself off from more purchases (for a little while, at least. I cut myself off two or three weeks ago and placed two orders since that time.) Sometimes, I can't get out and run to the store to buy polish, due to my health conditions. I rely on the postings of others to help guide my online purchases. I figure, I have a ton of polish just sitting here... why not offer my own thoughts to help others choose? I may not be a bona fide expert on nail polishes, but I have a brain, eyes, a camera, and a computer. Any advice is better than no advice. I'll go through my stash, interjecting purchases from new collections as they come, and offer up my thoughts.
First up is what I put on two days ago: Zoya's Grace. Look for the review and pictures tomorrow (Friday, July 12).
Until next time,
Emily
Manic Paintress and nail polish addict extraordinaire.
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