Five Finger Friday: Warm Reds

Happy Friday, Lab Partners!

It's time for another 5FF, and given that it's the holiday season, I thought it might be a good time to look at some reds. Specifically, warm reds. In today's line-up: Butter London Old Blighty, No Miss Satsumo Salsa, RGB Coral, Zoya Tamsen, and Zoya Carrie Ann. You also get to see my broken nail on my index finger. :(

From L to R: Zoya Carrie Ann (on poor broken nail. Cry with me), Zoya Tamsen, RBG Coral, No Miss Satsumo Salsa

Starting with that broken index fingernail: Zoya Carrie Ann, a gorgeous, metallic one-coater. Yes, that's just one coat! Isn't it gorgeous?! Just on the warm side--not too orangey, for those of you who aren't into orange-reds.

Next, on the middle finger, one of my personal faves, Zoya Tamsen, a cream that applies super-smoothly. You're looking at two coats, but I could've gotten away with one. This warm red has a slightly brown undertone, making it lean toward brick red.

On the ring finger is RGB Coral. There's quite a bit of orange in this one (I love it). It's another super-smooth cream that could be a one-coater. I applied two coats.

On the pink finger is No Miss Satsumo Salsa. A word about No Miss: You can purchase these polishes on the No Miss web site. I buy mine at Whole Foods Market. No Miss is a Florida-based company, so all the polishes are named after cities here in the Sunshine State. I only own a couple of these puppies. My experience with Melbourne Mint (which I featured in another 5FF) was wonderful. It applied like a dream. But would Satsumo Salsa be as impressive? Well, you're looking at one coat. One, gloriously smooth, streak-free, shimmery coat. Actually, this polish is pinker than it appears in the bottle, so once seeing it on, I really wouldn't classify it as a warm red. But it applied so perfectly that I just had to share it with you!

On the thumb, I'm wearing Butter London Old Blightly, a distinctly brown-red. It has that vintage red look that reminds me of Amelia Earhart. Maybe that's a strange association, but there you have it. You're looking at two coats, but I could have gotten away with one. Something interesting about this polish--it applies very smoothly, yet a bit unevenly. It's not that the polish streaks or drags; it's more like the color pools a bit. It's nothing major, though, so don't let me scare you away from this polish. It's still wonderful!

So which is my favorite? Oh, that's a tough decision. I love them all. But I think I'm going to give the slight nod to my old standby, Tamsen. Maybe.

How 'bout you, readers? What are your thoughts on this group of polishes?

11 Week Challenge: Week 3 Mani

Hello Lab Partners,

As you may recall, we're participating in an 11-week mani challenge. This week's theme is a mani based on your favorite polish or a mani featuring hearts and/or stars. I'll tell you now I took the easy way out! No fancy schmancy mani from me this week--just straight-up color! I don't actually have one favorite polish, but the one I picked is in my top ten favorites: Zoya Rica.

Zoya Rica, looking more orange-coral.

Rica is a metallic that applies super smoothly. What I love most about it is the way it appears more of a pink coral in some light, and more of an orange coral in others. I wear a lot of coral clothing, especially in the spring and summer. Please keep in mind I live in Florida, so when I say, "spring and summer," I'm basically talking about eight months out of the year! In general, I'm not terribly concerned with matching my polish to my outfit, but I'll admit that I dislike it when nails and clothes clash, and corals can be tricky in this regard. Put on a pair of salmon pink shorts with orange-coral polish and . . . ouch! Hence, my love for Rica--next to salmon, she appears a pinkish coral; next to warmer colors, more an orangey coral.

Here, Rica looks much pinker.

So there you have it: the reasons Rica is one of my favorites. It makes me happy just to look at it! Each time I apply it, I think, I forgot how much I love this color!







So what do you think of Rica?


Lab Love,

Allison