Vinatge Post: (Beauty) The Perfect Red Nail Polish
Ladies and...well, ladies...the search for the perfect 40's era red nail polish is officially OVER!
After much searching and even more swearing, I've found it! The end all to end all vintage reds! And how was I to know that it was waiting for me just around the corner at Trade Secret (which, by the way, is running a summer clearance sale with discounts up to 75% off. Why oh why didn't I discover this store years ago? They also offer a VIP program: one buys their VIP card at $9.95 a year and gets 10% off every day of the year as well as a free full size OPI Matienence Nail Envy which I, queen of the brittle nails, can't live without.). The colour is OPI's (Thank God. After the Essie debacle of 2009, I was much relieved) Vodka and Caviar (R55 from their Russian Collection -- I'm also in love with Kreme de la Kremlin when a more subdued shade is required and Absolutely Alice's [from my favourite OPI collection of all time: Alice in Wonderland] smoother, less tempremental cousin, Russian Navy when I feel like a blue). Vodka and Caviar goes on smoother than all get out and dries with a fab shine that lets me skip my much hated top coat. As usual, I use no base coat, and, depending on how deep of a red I want. I almost never go with one coat, which is too fire-engine red for me. Two coats is very nice and 40s red, a bit deeper, and three coats is simply sublime. Three coats are pictured here (ignore the dragon lady nails. Thank goodness they're not mine):
Vodka and Caviar also has amazing chip resistance. I type for several hours a day and have not noticed any chipping at all -- normally, that's my number one issue with a nail polish. On average, my manicure with this colour lasts nine days -- and then I have to repaint because of new growth.
I give OPI's Vodka and Caviar a 10/10 -- it's a great, and reliable, vintage red.