Weekly nail review: Hello Darling's Trumped

Hello Darling's Trumped

Hello Darling's Trumped isn't without its luster, shine and golden sparkle. Trumped is opaque after two coats, however I did notice brush strokes in the finish. With that said, this is a common occurrence in most metallic formulas. The only thing I cannot comment on is wear, because I had to remove my polish prior to Erin's Nail Art Class. From wearing other Hello Darling shades, I can attest their formula lasts at least seven days.

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Scott and I have been a bit obsessed with the TV show Parks and Recreation, more specifically the character progression throughout its latest season. Recently we've seen a lot of Councilman Jamm, a dentist by trade who manages to screw things up for the main character Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler. Jamm is a bit of an opportunist and usurper -- his hijinx entail bribing Leslie out of her office, fighting to bring Ponch Burger to Pawnee, interrupting Leslie and Ben's wedding, suing Ron for $50 Million and even accepting bribes for votes. Truth be told, he's a bit of a jerk who exclaims stupid things like, "you've been Jammed," "Retro Jammed!," etc. I've likened this character to Donald Trump (this is how I've landed the plane, folks!); they both have bad hair, come up with some lamebrained ideas and don't mind touting the fact they're moneyed up.

You can so see Trump saying, "you've been Trumped" now, admit it.

Essie's Licorice under Shine of the Times - weekly nail review

Sparkly/shimmery top coats are transformative. If you ever decide to give them a miss, stop yourself and look again. Do you have a plethora of colours and formulas and are just plain bored of grabbing for the same colours? Instead of buying several on trend colours each season, purchase a sparkly top coat or two.

It's a budget-friendly solution that can take you from feeling meh to great!

Just when I thought I was getting tired of Essie's Shine of the Times, I gave it another go last week and had Mira paint it over Licorice. Let's just say we created quite the nail combination.

So, what do you think of these "tortoise shell" effect nails?

In other news: have you seen Essie's repstyle collection?  Oh man!

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• Essie Winter Nail Collection

Essie's Flirty Fuchsia - weekly nail review

Fluoro, it's a thing or a fad, you know. And I really don't foresee it going anywhere for the rest of this spring or summer. While I know it's a fleeting moment, I refuse to invest in hot pink or green clothing/accessories, but that doesn't mean my nails can't have a little fun. Mira and Janice of French Pink sweetly obliged and treated me to an oldie (circa 2009 or so) but a goodie, Essie's Flirty Fuchsia -- highlighter magenta pink.  So shocking, it glows.

This creamy pink is no longer sold via Essie, however I managed to find a few notable dupes.

• Seed's Candy - a perfect match
• Chi Chi's Bimbo - cheap, retails for $5.00 AUS
• Illamasqua's Collide - reminds me of Butter London's Primrose Hill Picnic
• Essie's Lights - not as vibrant, but close enough

If Barbie could speak, she'd definitely give this shade her stamp of approval.

Essie's Tour de Finance - weekly nail review

Close your eyes and think to yourself, Barbie pink with sophisticated shimmer. It's sort of like the moment when I spotted the Barbie section inside of FAO Schwartz when I was ten-years-old; they had these illuminated translucent columns filled with water and thousands of Barbie's pink plastic heels which slowly floated up and down with glitter and bubbles. It was probably one of the most magical experiences for a kid my age, that and crossing the gate into Disney World.

Essie's Tour de Finance is the type of colour you want to reach out and touch -- it's like a unicorn floating atop cotton candy and sprinkles. Next to Lovie Dovie and Flirty Fuchsia (review to follow), Tour de Finance is my third most favourite pink from Essie.