I Like Pretty Colors

Back in my teenage years, I experimented with drugstore nail polish.  A dollar or two was enough to acquire fun colors like metallic silver, bright cobalt, and shimmery pink.  During college, my roomies and I upgraded to French manicures, which we spent many nights perfecting while watching The O.C. and Smallville (back when it was awesome).  Post-college, I discovered OPI and Essie…and kind of fell in love.

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Let’s talk Essie.  Why am I so drawn to the pristine rows of Essie polishes at my Ulta store?  Is it the adorably creative names?  The excitement of seeing the new colors each season?  Or is it simply the pretty, feminine colors?  Even the bold colors are softer and creamier than you’d expect—like colorful cupcake frosting!  (I’m going through Magnolia Bakery withdrawal—bear with me and my cupcake similes.)

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I wish I discovered the resort collection before our honeymoon, but I did pick up Lapis of Luxury and Turquoise & Caicos once we returned home!  In fact, my collection doubled this summer with these new picks:

Lilacism is a current fav. Adam even gave me a scarf that matches it perfectly!

I’m wearing Tart and Button. They’re bright and perfect for the beach!

And this is my old standby, the color I planned to wear on my wedding day:

It is so pretty.  You have no idea.  Try it.

In fact, Essie has a whole bunch of lovely, wedding-inspired colors!  I know this, because on the night that Adam and I got engaged, my BFF came over and gave me a set of Essie minis.  Upon closer inspection (through a photoshoot with my new ring and the nail polish bottles, natch) I saw that it was a wedding collection!  She had purchased it while Adam and I were dating and waited for our engagement date to give it to me.  I get little happy tears just thinking about it.

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Sigh, j’adore les jolies couleurs.

Although I have many fond memories of French manicures and Sugar Daddy and pretty wedding collections, I ended up with $2 drugstore nail polish on my wedding day.  And I was happy, because my nails looked decent, and, more importantly, I was about to marry my favorite person.  What more could a girl ask for?

Is there a beauty product or product line that you admire?  What beautifying items do you plan to use on your wedding day?