It's Raining Red Hot Nails Up In Here

We all need a red nail polish. Some of need more red nail polishes than others. Because, as you likely know if you are reading this, every red is different. Some lean towards the orange end of the spectrum. Some are more blue. Some are dark, dramatic & vampy, and some are sheer and yummy jellies. Somehow, Deborah Lippmann It's Raining Men manages to straddle all of these categories and make itself The Perfect Red. Don't get me wrong. It's not The Only Red, as I don't believe that exists. There are many Perfect Reds, and quite often how a particular shade of red works on one depends on skin tone and personal style.

Check out the geranium in the background...glowing red!

These days, I am enjoying a cheery red. A nice yummy bright red, with a little orange to brighten it up for warmer weather, but with enough blue in it that it doesn't wash me out. Pure orange is not a good colour for me, but a rich Chinese red or vermillion has just enough orange to make the red pop and give it a glow. The closest dupe for this colour would be OPI Red My Fortune Cookie but Lippmann It's Raining Men is just a wee bit bluer. A base of Lippmann Rehydrating Base coat, two coats of It's Raining Men and finish off the mani with a coat of Lippmann Addicted To Speed and voila! A shiny juicy red! 

What is sexier than a red mani or red pedi? A deep vampy shade comes close I suppose, but for now, I am vamping around in my deliciously bright red It's Raining Men...

I'm Tripping Over This Nail Polish

Deborah Lippmann knows the way into my wallet heart. Her perfect formulas, amazing brushes and fantastic colours always speak to me. They basically say "buy me". So I do! One of her brights is quickly becoming a favourite of mine for a perfect retro red-coral shade that is worthy of a Mad Men manicure. Megan Draper has been sporting some gorgeous corals lately and I am happy to emulate that gorgeous woman. We can dream, right?

Indirect light...

In direct sunlight- super bright!

Coral is fun and punchy, and a nice light version of the classic red nail. Red works year round but after a long winter, I feel the need to really lighten things up. This is one of those hard to photograph colours. On her website, the bottle pictured makes the colour look pink. Some online photos make it look hot pink or red. So I will stick with my photos and let you be the judge when you see it in real life.  The formula is a cream/jelly hybrid, as you can see in the photo, two coats allow a bit of VNL (visible nail line) to peek through. Verdict? Love. Daytripper is going to get a lot of love from me this summer. Zou Bisou Bisou!

Beautiful True Red- Essie Fishnet Stockings

My daughter Emilie and I are constantly searching out nail polish. We love the new collections and the myriad of “it” colours that come out each season. We love cool and interesting colours, and colours that compliment our skin tone. And then there is the search for The Perfect__________. You know what I mean. We always want The Perfect Mauve,  Greige, Pink, Teal- you name it. She told me ages ago that she wanted to try Essie Fishnet Stockings, that it was allegedly The Perfect Red. Apparently it is Dita Von Teese's signature red and if anyone knows a classic feminine red nail, it's Ms. Von Teese. Not too brown, not too blue, that it works with all skin tones and was a the perfect classic red and that “we” simply had to get it! She is a pretty smart girl and is usually right about these things. 

Lo and behold, months later, we are shopping at Canada’s favourite drugstore, Shoppers Drug Mart (one of my beauty Meccas, but that is another post…), and find a little stash of Essie nail polishes in the nail section. Not only that, but they were $6.99. And much to our surprise, there was one lone bottle of Fishnet Stockings! Of course we grabbed it and Emilie loves it. Seeing as how the 4 bottles of Red I already have, while lovely, haven’t been Perfect, I figure I need Fishnet Stockings. Happily, I stumbled upon another $6.99 bottle at yet another Shoppers.

From left: OPI Red My Fortune Cookie, OPI The Thrill of Brazil, Essie Fishnet Stockings, OPI  Manicurist of Seville,  OPI Quarter of a Cent-Cherry

I’m wearing it now on fingers and toes, and can attest to Emilie’s expert opinion. It is a clear clean red, application is flawless and looks pretty amazing with two coats, although I went for broke and applied three. Along with my Lippmann Hard Rock to protect it, of course. It IS The Perfect Red.