When you work for a demanding, fashion-forward kitty dictator model/boss, you come to really appreciate the extra time that results from only having to apply one coat of nail polish.
When you’re on call 24/7 and have to be ready for anything, every second counts, and NARS Diamond Life Shimmer Nail Polish ($17) fits my hectic lifestyle. One electric, shimmery layer, and I can move on to more pressing matters, like reorganizing Tabs’ toy collection by theme — feathers, strings, catnip-filled, and crinkly balls.
It also helps me meet a requirement of my employment, that I’m always on trend when it comes to the latest nail polish colors. As Tabs puts it, always plan for the paparazzi, and you’ll never be surprised.
For his look this spring, Tabs chose a twist on traditional sweet pastels, a look his stylist describes as, “the cool aunt who wears black to the Easter Egg hunt,” and his polish of choice? — NARS Diamond Life.
A single coat (sans base and top coats) is dry enough in 15 minutes to avoid any major smudges and smears, although I’d probably wait another 15 before typing a memo to Karl Lagerfeld or walking a cat on a leash.
It’s not the quickest drying polish around, but for what it’s worth, I think it dries much quicker than last fall’s Space Odyssey.
As far as its long-term durability, we’ll see how it holds up to heavy typing, opening cans of gravy every night, and daily deep tissue kitty massages over the next few days. For now, though, all signs point to “pretty great.”
PRICE: $17
AVAILABILITY: Available now at NARS counters and also online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-
I love my local post office…
…even though, for reasons unknown, they only play ’80s and ’90s ballads over the loudspeakers.
At times, it’s a welcome trip down memory lane (“Hold on for one more day!”), but at other times, it can be almost unbearable, waiting in line for 30 minutes while Michael Bolton wails about how he doesn’t have the heart to hurt me, because it’s the last thing he wants to do.
(Oh, just man up already, Michael! I can take it. I’m a big girl!)
I’ve gotten pretty good at just zoning out in line and retreating to my safe mental place. And that way it’s not so bad. I actually enjoy the people watching. Like last Friday, while Michael Bolton was trying to figure out how he was supposed to live without me, I noticed that the man waiting in front of me had painted toes.
He looked to be in his fifties, part surfer dude, part biker, and was wearing board shorts, Tevas sandals, and had a graying mullet. The toes on his left foot were painted black, and the toes on his right, bright red.
I thought the Tevas actually showcased the pedi quite nicely, and from where I was standing, it looked like a pretty good nail polish job.
I have heard of guys getting manis and pedis, and I’ve seen dudes rock painted fingers many times before, but I think that was the first time I’ve ever seen a dude with painted toes (well, the first time in a while).
Start of a new trend? Inquiring minds want to know.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Well..at least you learned something on the lastest nail colour trends 😀 😀 😀 😀
That’s one of the advantages of living with a international kitty model. 😉
The color is pretty, however I can’t help but think of China Glaze Harmony (which is much cheaper…)
I love me some China Glaze, but I love NARS just as much. 🙂
Hope you had a lovely Monday!
It sounds like the guy let his daughter practice painting nails on him.
Either that or he was just very fashion forward!
It’s a pretty color, but there are plenty of brands that have top-notch formulas for half of that, so it’d have to be the most unique polish color ever for me to want to fork over what NARS wants. But I feel that way about Lippmann and Butter London polish, too.
Hi Quinctia,
I hear you. I love both high-end and budget polishes alike, but I guess it really depends on what you want to spend. I hit the point of no return a few years back when I plunked down a good chunk of change for Chanel Jade…
What a pretty purple, reminds me of the suede finish!
It is pretty! I love how it feels so happy and springy. 🙂
i sorta love my nearby PO … the 2 people who work there are always nice and cheerful … and the bonus — no piped in music! :the lady plays her radio and its mostly old standards! *** a little frank sinatra while you ship your packages?***
I wish ours was like that. The people who work at ours are nice enough, but the lines are always so long!
Are you feeling better? I hope so!
not really …. couldnt sleep last night so i was online and watching the premiere of Alcatraz. finally nodded off at 11 pm or so ….
wow Karen, lovely color, looks like spring is in the air, purple also happens to be my favorite color.
I actually gasped when I saw this color. I want!
Also, what, may I ask, is that purple sparkly background? It’s mesmerizing!
I am almost 100% sure that the background is the Urban Decay Quinceañera bag. I love that bad boy!!!
Hahahah Karen you notice the strangest things. I was at a local Mexican restaurant and was quite disturbed by the guy sitting at the next table. He was wearing badly fit jeans and a sweater that was a size (or two) too small – so much of his behind was visible. I was close to telling him “Dude, cover up, my eyes hurt!”
It’s such a curse to be an observant person sometimes 🙁
That’s beautiful and not at all what I expected from the promo photos! No worries that it doesn’t dry fast since that’s what fast dry top coats are for. I know a few hippie boys who wear polish on their toes, but they’re usually chipped!
I KNEW THIS ONE WOULD MAKE MY (INCREASINGLY LONG) WISH LIST FROM THIS COLLECTION!!! I’m hopelessly addicted to purple, and this one is delicious (big bonus that one coat achieves this much. Wow)!
I haven’t been blown away by this collection, but I do think I need this polish. It looks like easter and spring in a nail polish and in the middle of January that is a very good thing!
Waouh it looks really gorgeous on you Karen, what a beautiful nail polish ! I’ll get it as soon as possible !
This is a cute purple – looks nice on you! I hardly wear polishes with this type of finish only because I have ridges on my nails, and these kind of finishes exaggerate them. I know you can use ridge-fillers, but…I’m trying to use the bajillion base coats I already have. 😛 (Too many!)
I hope that the dude at the PO is a sign of a new trend… I wouldn’t mind seeing a few more men wearing polish openly, maybe then I wouldn’t need to explain my polished toes so often… 😉
[not that I ever “need” to explain – my toes… my paint… my life……. my business, right?]