Nostalgic Raspberry- Essie Big Spender

If you are like me, you are drawn to the same colors over and over during a particular time of year. In the winter I like to wear taupes, sparkly black, hunter green, bold reds... the list goes on. Now that warmer weather has struck, it's time for a little change.

Last weekend I picked up Essie's Big Spender and it immediately struck me in the store because it is literally the same color as every formal dress I wore in high school. Described as a "lush red-violet cream" by Essie, I would say that on my nails it was a very dark raspberry color with more blue in it than red under interior lighting. Outdoors, this definitely yells "purple!"

Big Spender was easy to apply (I used 2 coats and could have gotten away with 1) and I went for even shorter nails this week so that I won't do too much damage in my kickboxing class.

Despite being an emotional throwback to younger years, this color pops for spring and is a refreshing addition to my well worn collection. Move aside green, beige, and red polish- purple is here to stay!

You might note the bubbles. That's due to an unruly top coat which has normally worked just fine- Sally Hanson Salon Manicure Top Coat. I'm looking into finding a cleaner, faster-drying top coat. I've gotten a few suggestions so far- what's your most reliable top coat?

- Christina