Happy Hallo-weaksauce

Howdy, friends! I hope those of you scattered across the midwest and the eastern seaboard have been keeping safe and sound in Sandy's wake. I have been bunking in my apartment in central VA and haven't been back to my parents' house since last Saturday, but I've heard tell of snow maybe 30-40 minutes away from there. Where I am, we saw steady rainfall on Monday and Tuesday. Everything has been fine. I've been drinking a lot of tea and beer, re-watching "Bleak House" and trying to teach myself how to cook ...

... which has been fun, albeit a bit difficult with this thing on:

After this, I don't understand how my mom got carpal tunnel surgery on BOTH HANDS AT THE SAME TIME.

Wearing my annual Halloween polish and HG orange, OPI Brights Power! I blogged this polish last year, but if you'd like better pics, I can try sometime next week.

I woke up on Friday with intense pain in my right wrist. It was sort of a nightmare because my right hand is my dominant hand and performing the simplest tasks was just ... painful. Unfortunately, that meant the post I had planned for last Friday fell by the wayside, as I had not yet edited swatch pictures. (I have them now, though. I'll backdate and let you know when it's up.) I pumped gas into my car that night and I swear I felt like my hand was going to fall off. I've been wearing this brace mostly at night since Sunday and I'm okay. I still have to be careful when it comes to making twisting motions, and I think my vigorous whisking on Monday night didn't help matters. However, the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies I made turned out pretty well!

Here's the rest of my Sandy times and kitchen experiments because pics or it didn't happen ...

One of my Twitter pals from ONTD was all, "Is that a wire whisk in a nonstick pan?" Yes ... yes, it is ... but only because I didn't have anything else to work with. A new whisk is on my shopping list anyway so I don't have to keep using my roommate's!

The lasagna was a vegetarian recipe that called for zucchini instead of noodles, and I didn't think to bake/drain the zucchini until AFTER we had put it in the oven. As a result, we got super watery lasagna (more like soup), but it was SO GOOD. And the alfredo sauce only took me three tries to get right, but I'd streamlined the process by the last attempt and had some help from my roommate.

I've also been catching up with ABC's new show, "Nashville." I've been excited ever since Connie Britton's casting announcement, but I'm such a die-hard "Friday Night Lights" fan (I rewatched the entire series a few weeks ago) that I wanted to hold out and give myself time to get used to seeing her in another role. A friend of mine keeps sending me links to the songs from each episode on iTunes, so I figured I'd better check it out. I don't know that I LOVE it yet, but I'll be watching every week because Connie Britton is great. Last week's episode ended on an interesting note for those of us lacquerheads: a certain character shoplifted nail polish at a grocery store -- I'm guessing it was a Revlon, but if you have any ideas, you should share. Anyhoo, here are some random thoughts on the cast:

1. I can't with Hayden Panettiere's character, although she's a hilarious send-up of the Taylor Swift state of country music. I still see HP as Sheryl Yoast from "Remember the Titans," so the sexy stuff is just ... ew.
2. CHIP CHARLES ESTEN, hhhhhnnnnnng. (the only time I will ever be attracted to anyone named "Deacon")
3. Kind of weird to see a Connie Britton character in a "Good Wife"-esque love triangle ... and weirder still to see her on TV and married to someone NOT played by Kyle Chandler
4. Jonathan Jackson really peaked at "Tuck Everlasting." I almost didn't recognize him.
5. The actress who plays Scarlett is Australian, and the actor who plays Gunnar is British. I love Scarlett. She is so QT.
6. Not about the cast, but the songs are honestly not bad. I would listen to all the non-Juliette ones.

Okay, that's all I have for right now because I think it's time for a cup of tea and a "Pushing Daisies" marathon, followed by "Down With Love" (though it's not remotely Halloween-y. BUT I did introduce Tara to "Dead & Breakfast" last night). If you've got any rad Halloween plans tonight, be safe out there and remember that you're probably having more fun than me. --To be fair, watching "Pushing Daisies" and stuffing my face with pumpkin chocolate chip cookies is pretty fun.

Also, if you left a comment on the blog this month and I did not respond to it like I usually do, I will be taking care of that today. I AM SO SORRY. My blogging routine got to be pretty touch-and-go in the past few weeks ... it's hard to be consistent when you're shuffling between two cities every week!

Thanks for putting up with me ... I'll see you next month!

Pretty Serious Cosmetics Morning Java

First of all, this is SO MUCH LATER than I wanted to post. I had internet connection issues throughout the day, and when I eventually got it back I spent two hours looking at shoes and job ads before watching TV. I'm a mess. (The good news is that I already wrote tomorrow's post!)

I tried to think of a polish that would work for "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," but until I own something called "Day Man," "Night Man," or "Electric Dream Machine," I'm SOL. Instead, I decided to go with something "Parks and Recreation"-ish today and made the somewhat unoriginal decision to roll with Pretty Serious Cosmetics Morning Java.

See, most everyone is powered by coffee most mornings ... but Leslie Knope REALLY loves breakfast food. Breakfast foods are kind of a big deal on "Parks and Rec," so it would stand to reason that morning coffee (java) is essential. Take a moment to smell the bacon and peruse the hilarious coffee vessels on the show's official shop. --I desperately need a "Ya Heard with Perd" mug -- I swear they used to have one until a few weeks ago! If I had known I was going to have an unofficial TV week on Stuff, I would have ordered it and taken my NOTD shots holding it. Oh, well.

Three coats with SV.

I'm still figuring out how I feel about this polish. It's comprised of a lovely golden brown (bronze?) metallic shimmer base with little specks of microglitter thrown in. I am not totally crazy about the microglitter -- size-wise, I think it's smaller than the microglitters you'd see in a BB Couture polish, for example. For some reason it doesn't pull as warmly on me as it did when I let Tara borrow it. Maybe it's the lighting? IDK.

The formula was a little thick on this one, but quite workable. Two coats are all you need to get this opaque (but three coats are optimal for me), and it dries quickly to a smooth, glossy finish with SV.

I picked up Morning Java during a Pretty Serious sale at the end of September, wherein everything from the Hello World! collection was half-off. Founder Kaz's blog (Pretty Random) was one of the first nail blogs I read back in the day, and following the growth of her own polish brand has been a lot of fun to watch! I have nothing but great things to say about the customer service I received from Kaz, but I'll save that for another post. :) You can snag this polish from Pretty Random HERE for $9.95 AUD. Pretty Serious Cosmetics are B3F, vegan and cruelty-free.

Any thoughts/opinions re: Morning Java? Do you own this polish, or any other Pretty Serious-es? (Seriously, what IS the plural form of that?) Do you also really love breakfast food? (I hate it so much. Well ... I'm okay with breakfast foods, but during breakfast hours, it's just forced feeding as far as I'm concerned. I know eating breakfast is healthier for you but my body cannot tolerate it that early in the morning!) If you are a "Parks and Rec" fan, do you consider yourself a "Perd-vert"? And if you saw the end of tonight's episode, do you think it's sad that I teared up more over it than I would if I saw something like that happen to someone I knew IRL?

I'm running out of fuel and I have an early appointment tomorrow, so (1) catch "Parks and Recreation" on Thursday nights at 9:30/8:30c on NBC, and (2) stay tuned for my last TV post of the week tomorrow. Or don't. It's kind of lame. And a photobomb.

Thanks for reading, and goodnight!

Tsaketa!: "Bitchin' Kitchen"-inspired skittles

This summer, I became addicted to "Bitchin' Kitchen." It started when a former coworker of mine and BF's recommended watching "The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia" on the Cooking Channel because he (our former coworker) knew some people who had worked on it. (To me, "Baron Ambrosia" is what would happen if "Good Eats" and those other food shows that tour America's best hole-in-the-walls dropped some acid and had a baby.) While waiting for the Baron to air, "Bitchin' Kitchen" happened to be on. Although I don't remember the name of the BK episode airing that night, I do remember the episode that got me hooked a month or so later: "Anxiety Soups." My friend Krysi, BF and I were standing around playing with Sterling Meowlory Archer or something with the TV on when all of a sudden, host Nadia Giosia cracked a joke about using diazepam as a soup ingredient, and we all lost it.

After that, I pretty much begged BF to DVR "Bitchin' Kitchen" for us me. It's since become appointment DVR television at his house.

Some background on "Bitchin' Kitchen": It's a half-hour show that began as a web series before airing on Food Network Canada and now the Cooking Channel. Every episode features dishes (and sometimes cocktails) inspired by a theme. In addition to manning the kitchen in heels, a pristine manicure, wild accessories and her strange accent, Nadia is joined by her three "food correspondents": The Spice Agent (spices), Panos (meat & fish), and Hans (shirtless health buff). BK is part cooking show, part stand-up, and in my eyes, entirely awesome.

Here's a little sample of the show for you:

She's no Giada, that's for damn sure ... but that's totally OK with me!

NOW. I can see how this could grate on one's nerves, especially if one is a legit foodie and has a more refined, Frasier Crane palate and sense of humor than what's seen on the show. I am not a foodie in the least (though I'm very discerning about gas station gourmet and fresh fruit) and it doesn't take much to make me laugh. My first impression of BK was roughly "What is that accent!? It looks like Ed Hardy threw up on the kitchen! What is she wearing AND OH MY GOD IS THAT A BABY DOLL HEAD."  The good news, should you decide to continue watching this show, is that you get used to it. (BTW, her accent? I'm pretty sure that's not real.)

I have yet to try out one of Nadia's recipes. HOWEVER, today I thought I would attempt an approximate recreation of the skittle manicure she wore during the "Depression Desserts" episode. The current season of the BK started a few weeks ago, but as I obviously dropped the ball re: Stuff, this unofficial TV week seemed like a good fit.

Note: While these are the colors Nadia used for her skittle manicure, they're definitely not the exact polishes. I also don't remember whether the middle and ring fingers are correct, but "Depression Desserts" reruns today, so perhaps someone can set me right before I go to BF's house and watch it this weekend. There is a "Rock This Look" section on the BK site, and the polishes are listed as American Apparels, but with my stash being in two cities, I used what I had on hand at my parents' house.

Here's your bitchin' bottle shot.

L-R, here are the polishes I used:

• MAC Obey Me
• Orly Beach Cruiser
• Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Cherry, Cherry, Bang, Bang!
• Zoya Malia
• China Glaze First Mate
  
  
  
  

 

This also got BF's seal of approval -- while completely unnecessary as a BF, it was completely necessary as another lover of "Bitchin' Kitchen." I actually love skittle manicures but I haven't felt like doing one in a long time, and I would wear this combination again!

I apologize if Orly Beach Cruiser is wildly misrepresented in these photos. It's everything I wanted Orly Va Va Voom to be, and right now it's my perfect pink neon. On the other hand, Zoya Malia looks perfect in my photos -- a rarity for any purple shade (confession: that's partially why I haven't shown much purple on Stuff lately). I'm not sure if the pink was a neon, and feel like RBL Chinoise would have been a better pick for red just as OPI Dating a Royal would have been a better blue, but I'm nitpicking at this point.

All of these polishes were really easy to use, and with the exception of Beach Cruiser, nicely opaque in two coats. I used SV on everything except Zoya Malia, and it held up pretty well for a day.

Did you find these skittles to be bitchin'? Would you start watching "Bitchin' Kitchen," or do you think it would be an affront to your eyes, ears and taste buds? I love the show, but again, it was kind of a slow burn for me. All its elements are so ridiculous and yet they work so well together ... just like this manicure. (P.S. I'll let you know when I try one of the show's recipes. I have my eye on the fettuccine with salsiccia and brisket sauce ...) Here in the U.S., "Bitchin' Kitchen" airs on the Cooking Channel on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET.

Since I can't seem to promise anything exactly any more, I'll just say that I have another TV-coordinated post at some time tomorrrow. So I'll bid you goodbye as Nadia does at the end of each show and say alla prossima!

Oh my God, Chanel Mimosa

Sorry about the late post today. I deposited my parents off at the airport EARLYYYYY this morning, then waited for my breakfast bacon, egg and cheese biscuit to settle before I passed out again. --Note to self: Don't repeat the mistake of watching the BBC's 2005 production of "Bleak House" before you go to bed or you will dream that Mr. Skimpole (a.k.a. Inspector Lynley) is a vampire demon out to get you and you have to seek Paul Bettany's protection, except Paul Bettany looked exactly like he did in "Legion." That dream was so fucked up. (Dear My Sister, if you are reading this right now, CALL ME.)

ANYWAY.

"Happy Endings" returns tonight for its third season at 9/8c on ABC. I mean, how can you love cheesesteaks as much as I do and NOT love a show with a food truck called Steak Me Home Tonight?

Other reasons to love "Happy Endings":

• the entire cast is awesome. I could not with Elisha Cuthbert on "24," but I LOVE her on this show. Also, this is the best thing to happen to Casey Wilson after her unceremonious dismissal from "SNL"
• I wish I had my own Brad
• seriously awesome guest stars
• random awesome: actor Zachary Knighton attended my alma mater. Now I do not know if he graduated, but still. I'll take it
• it's EXTREMELY quotable (very important for any show purporting to be a sitcom)
• the female characters wear nice polish colors (Jane's are the most interesting)

The show garners the most comparisons to "Friends" (six white people doing "wacky" stuff; Brad is a wild card LOL) but that comparison does nothing for me because I am a ~special flower~ and didn't like "Friends" even back in the '90s when it was a thing (sure I watched it, but I didn't LIKE it). Don't judge me for linking to Vulture, but you NEED to see this chart (judge me when I start linking to Slate). I'm pretty sure none of those other shows are on any more, so now you have an idea which show had lasting power. ;) It had some awkward growing pains in the first season, but it was nothing as awkward as "Parks and Recreation" (which is currently in its prime, thank you).

The gang is often seen at brunch, and if you run a search for .gifs on Tumblr, you can see the mimosas. I love mimosas, but unfortunately the following is not true for me after I've had one too many:

(source: guiltmachine.tumblr.com)

No, when I got drunk I was really into drunk texting and dialing and cleaning kitchens. Now I tend to eat drunk McDonald's, and it's more "buzzed McDonald's" because it's kind of hard to get drunk when you have a drive home ahead of you, whether it's 20 minutes or two hours away.

Bottom line: Is Chanel Mimosa as AH-MAH-ZING as Penny and Alex's drunk powers?

Four coats with Cult Nails Wicked Fast.

At first I thought Mimosa would be a little darker than lemon yellow, but that's only in artificial light. The sun turns it into a classic bright, sparkling mimosa color and you can see the shimmer, which is typical Chanel and therefore very fine and not so visible. It's PERFECT.

Formula- and application-wise, it's a bit of work ... but LBR, isn't every yellow? I didn't think it was THAT bad. Three coats will get it nice and opaque, though I had a few bald spots because I was applying quite hastily, hence four coats. My bottle of Poshe is dying a ded so I had to use Wicked Fast (SV shrinks my Chanels a bit). I only wore Mimosa for one day, so I have no idea how it would have worn with this Chanel -- I'll have to do a wear test and report back to you!

Mimosa was from Summer 2011's Les Fleurs D'été collection and is still available for $26.00 USD on the Chanel site. I remember buying this at my Nordstrom counter last year maybe a month or so after it was released, and I asked some local friends on the MUA nail board if it would be HTF at that point. One girl (hi, Jennie!) said our counter had plenty left -- in our area, a Chanel yellow was not nearly as sought after as Morning Rose and Beige Petale ... but what can you expect from an OPI town? (My friend Lizzard pointed out that it would be nice for us to be an Essie town ... OPI was my first love but Essie is just as worthy of adoration, if not more.) Revlon Top Speed Electric is supposed to be a close dupe, so keep that in mind if you're not into buying polishes for names or buying Chanel.

Mimosa: Great on the nails, or only for Sunday brunch? Did you snag any of the other two Les Fleurs polishes? If you're a fellow "Happy Endings" fan, are you excited for this new season (DRAMAAAAAAA)? Who's your favorite character? I can't wait. I was planning to have taco salad, but I think I might need to go get a cheesesteak for dinner ...

Tomorrow, I'll have yet another TV-related post! It WILL be on time, I swear.

¡ECHA PA'LANTE!: Zoya Yara

As Craig Ferguson often says, today is a great day for America. But why today?


RUPAUL'S ALL STARS DRAG RACE, HUNTIES!

(click the sparkle text to go to the LOGO site)
(yes, I HAD to use sparkle text just this once today)

To say that I am excited is an understatement. I just want these fierce mamas to TAKE IT and I will be enjoying every. blessed. minute. of this miniseries.

I chose to wear Zoya Yara today in honor of Yara Sofia, one of my favorite contestants from Season 3 and Miss Congeniality (I loooooved Alexis Mateo but at the time, homegirl could not pad to save her life. Yara's look was more put together):

(source: fuckyeahdragrace)

Yara may not be as fishy as Season 4's Kenya Michaels, but she is SO GOOD at this "freaky Miami glam" drag look. (Is there an ~official~ term for that? Because I would like to know what it is.) Yara's catch phrase is "Echa Pa'lante," which translates to "work it out," according to the hispanohablante I consulted (a.k.a. my sister).

SO PERFECT. Does this assessment apply to this polish? Let's see.

Three coats with Cult Nails Wicked Fast.

OH YES IT DOES. This is one of those "ugly pretty" colors that is more pretty than it's ugly, though it truly depends on how olive colors look on you. I happen to think it looks great, but I'm not sure if I'm 100% in love with it yet -- I haven't worn a true olive polish in a really long time so I have to get used to it. The golden glass fleck shimmer is a fantastic twist and makes Yara one of the most unique polishes I've got! The formula was great; it applied well and dried quickly to a smooth finish with Cult Nails Wicked Fast (which I never tire of saying has worked wonders with my Zoyas, so if you're having Zoya troubles, I suggest you go get some).

Yara was one of the stunners in Zoya's Mirrors collection, released last fall. It retails for $8 on the Art of Beauty site, but Zoya frequently runs promotions and you can get a good deal on this if you buy a bunch of other polishes, too. Maybe you can make up your own little RPDR collection ... they have Pandora, Raven, Nina, Bebe ... well, you get the idea.

Since I don't have anything else original to say re: Zoya Yara, let me pimp RPDR All Stars one more time: It begins tonight on LOGO at 9/8c, and if you're in the U.S., I'm sure you'll be able to catch the episodes online at the network's site. I hope the lip syncs, the team ups, the costumes, and the wig snatching will be everything I dreamed of AND MOAR.

Thanks for reading! Come back tomorrow to see how I'm celebrating the return of another favorite show. :)

Feel like I'm falling: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Concrete

Oh, I've fallen all right ... behind with posting, that is. This NOTD is the 2nd one I'm playing catch up with for you guys! I had the pictures ready to go but the written stuff, not so much. Remember when my blog posts used to NOT be a short essay? Sometimes I miss those days. Sometimes I even wish I could dash off a quick "THIS IS TWO COATS, BYE," but you can read that anywhere. Somewhere along the way, Stuff stopped being a polish swatch blog and morphed into a full-on nail diary, complete with (unnecessary) pop culture and real life asides.

Stuff's pop culture/real life aside for today is brought to you by the Beth Orton show I attended last month with my sister in Charlottesville, VA. (Can I say that I've enjoyed having my sister as my 2012 concert buddy? Because I really have.) Beth Orton is currently touring to promote her first album release in six years, and given that lapse in time, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see her perform. I am happy to report that it was well worth it!

Fun fact: Concrete is the second polish I've used in my apartment. What's scary is the fact that ever since I signed the lease, I've slept there FIVE times, showered twice, and have yet to make a meal there. (Sigh.) This weekend, my high school bestie will do me the honor of being my first overnight, out of town guest, so that's something.

Three coats with SV.

Oh mah gah, this polish is TDF. It's a greige with mauve/lilac tones, but very neutral ones -- most nudes with mauve/lilac tones have a zombifying effect on me, so this one was a pleasant surprise. This polish is definitely a greige on me, though it pulls more purple on my lovely albino friends. Once again, it's all about your skin tone.

The formula on this one was perfect. I used to hate the Xtreme Wear brushes and long stems, but the more I use them, the more my tune changes! Concrete was so easy to apply. I wore it with no chips and minimal tip wear for about 3-4 days. I didn't want to take it off.

Concrete came from the limited edition Xtreme Wear collection from Fall 2010, the collection that gave us fan favorites Mystic Lilac and Fireberry Red. I'd say Concrete is fairly HTF after two years, but if you're lucky, you'll see it pop up on blog sales from time to time. This information makes me incredibly happy I have a back-up (this was purchased with the intention of becoming a swap item, but my potential swap partner ended up caving like a bad tent and buying it, so yay for me).

And now we've arrived at the part of the post where I tell you why I picked Concrete.

Simply, it is this:

Opinion Fact: No matter how melancholy it may be, anything involving Ryan Adams can't be bad. (Does that mean I have to like Mandy Moore now?)

Beth Orton has been releasing albums since the '90s, but she didn't come to my attention until I watched "Vanilla Sky" and heard her on the Chemical Brothers track "Where Do I Begin?" which was used in the movie. (I don't think I'll ever stan so hard for a Tom Cruise or Cameron Crowe movie again.) Unbeknownst to me, her sound was more electronic before her third album, "Daybreaker" (2002), the album that made me a fan; "Comfort of Strangers" (2006) solidified that.

I tend to favor more upbeat music, so Beth Orton isn't an all the time thing for me, but that doesn't lessen the impact her work has had on me or how beautiful it is. Like I said earlier, her new album is the first one she's put out in six years. I'm no artist but I understand that a lot can change in that time -- circumstances, attitudes -- and she seems to have gone through a bit of a metamorphosis after having two children, getting dropped by her record label, re-learning to play the guitar, and meeting and marrying her husband, who opened the show.

Beth Orton performing "Concrete Sky" with her husband, U.S. folk singer Sam Amidon

All of these changes are reflected in "Sugaring Season." I had to look up what the term meant, and this profile spelled out its significance for me: it's "the time of the year when maple trees are tapped for syrup." So basically, a long and arduous process yields something wonderfully sweet.

DEEP, right? NGL, sometimes I have moments of excitement-slash-temporary insanity wherein I think I should have been an English major (and then I stop being excited because my mom was an English major before she went to med school). The moment when the title of "Sugaring Season" clicked for me = one of those moments.

The show was wonderful, a great mix of old favorites and new songs. Catch her on tour if you can! If I were to pimp some more Beth Orton to you, I would start with some basic faves:

1. "Where Do I Begin?" w/ the Chemical Brothers
2. "Conceived" (from "Comfort of Strangers." The music video is one of my faves.)
3. "Call Me the Breeze" (from "Sugaring Season")

Were you able to snag Concrete? Do you wish you had? Do you think I'm going to OD on nude polish shades? Any Beth fans out there? Is my super white taste in music showing too much? (Too bad! There'll be more!)


P.S. My interview is tomorrow morning at 11. I have no idea what I'll be wearing for that and it's very unlikely that I would nab the position, but as it's my first interview in over two years, I'd like to NOT bomb it. Please cross your pretty fingers for me and send me good juju and positive vibes. Goat sacrifices are appreciated, as always.

Skinny Dipping (With Friends): A bit of bridal

Welcome to the third Skinny Dipping (With Friends)!

Originally I'd planned to show you my new favorite nude polish for fall, but my stash is split between my parents' house and my apartment and I cannot find said polish to save my life. Perhaps it will be unearthed once my room at my parents' gets a thorough cleaning, which would be nice, because I'd also really like to find my copy of "Toy Story 3." Until then, however, I had to find inspiration elsewhere.

Last month, Anna blogged one of the best nudes I've ever seen on her, Essie Topless & Barefoot from Essie's French Affair collection. She wrote that she would consider going down the proverbial aisle wearing Topless & Barefoot on her nails. I didn't remember this detail until halfway through a recent Sunday afternoon trying on bridesmaid gowns for my friend Krysi's big day (which takes place next year -- I am especially looking forward to the bachelorette weekend road trip to Kentucky for wedding bourbon). Then I started wondering about what I would do about my nails if *I* were going for a clean bridal look, French tips being entirely out of the question, bien sûr. For me, Nicole by OPI Others Pale by Kim-parison is a good compromise between Topless & Barefoot and bridal extravaganza eleganza. (I do think I would be more likely to go red or purple on my nails -- I do what I want.)

Pardon the pictures. I was in a RUSH when I took these. I felt like I was going to throw up partly because of the bad migraine I had that day and partly because I had just scheduled my first job interview in over two years. (It's on Thursday.)

Four coats with SV.

Those darn Kardashians win again. I generally cannot with anything Kardashian -- I'm pretty sure one of my journalism professors would give me an earful solely for buying this polish, as she hates all things Kardashian -- but I truly enjoy their NOPI collaborations. This is an off-white nude, with a slight tinge of peachy pink beige that really pops in the sun. I think it's more flattering on me than Topless & Barefoot would be. It's stark, but not startlingly so.

I was expecting the formula to be horrendous, but it actually wasn't. Yes, the first coat was a minor streakfest but I figured out how to work this one: Use two thin coats to start, and then use an additional 1-2 medium-thick coats for complete opacity. Wait in between coats, of course. I had a few bald spots on my left hand (my swatching hand) but not on my right, and the cuticles on my right hand are more jacked up than my left, which explains these photos. This polish didn't dry as quickly as some cremes I have, but I think it dried more quickly than NOPI Nothing Kim-pares to Blue. I wore this for three days with no chips and minimal tip wear.

Others Pale by Kim-parison was part of this spring's Nicole by OPI's Wel-Kim to My World collection. Though it was limited edition and is long gone from stores, I've been seeing these polishes and some NOPI Biebers pop up in duos at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Two weeks ago when I bought a Le Creuset at Marshalls, I even saw this polish in a NOPI duo with Nothing Kim-pares to Blue. I bought this bottle over the summer when I saw it in the clearance section at Ulta.

I don't remember Others Pale by Kim-parison getting too much love from the nail blogging community, but I really like it and I'm glad I have it. What do you think? Would it pass for something bridal? I think more about marriages rather than weddings, let alone a hypothetical one of my own -- all I know is that IF I HAD TO, I would have an open bar and karaoke at the reception because I will sing before I dance, even if properly lubricated. My college journo friends and I would sing "Afternoon Delight" and it would be amazing.

Thanks for reading, and go check out Anna's pick for today! Man, I seriously hope I find my new favorite nude by next month's installment. GRRRRR. (Argh.)