Essie Smokin' Hot  - $8 at essie.com

Part of Essie's Winter 2010 collection, Smokin' Hot is a deep eggplant-tinged grey that is part of that dark and dusky family of colors that is so on-trend right now. It applies pretty well; only slightly sheer. Two coats made it opaque enough to my naked eye to make me happy. It wore exceptionally well, which is usually a big concern for me with Essie polishes. I wore this for three days without a chip under a coat of Seche Vite. The color is pretty unique with a couple exceptions. It is a creme, but it is quite similar to Chanel Paradoxal as far as the base color. I've included a few comparison photos of that after the jump. The color is really rich and neutral, making it a perfect choice for just about any skin tone or depth. I think it's a big winner.

NEWS!! : My blog sale will be up hopefully by the end of the day tomorrow, maybe tonight, depending on how things go. It's for the nail polish portion. I know I told a few of you I was hoping to do it last month but I've been so busy and I figure if I want to get it done before it gets too close to Christmas, I'd better do it now. I've got the photos taken and edited, and all I have to do is post it. Look for a post here to tell you it's up, and then the link will be found at the top right of the link bar at the top of the page.

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Sparitual A World of Compassion - $10 at apothica.com

From Sparitual's new-ish Imagine collection, this is a really unique sort of indescribable shade. It's not quite periwinkle, it's not quite lavender. There's some purple, blue and some sort of beige in the base that makes it sort of earthy and casual while still managing to make a sound. On beigey skin tones this is going to be amazing. I'm a big fan of the periwinkle, friends, and so this sucker is a big fave for me. It applies pretty standard for the handful of Sparituals I've tried in my day. The creme formula are usually slightly streaky on the first coat but are luxuriously even and creamy on the second, and this is on par. The color itself makes this a must-buy for me, and so if you enjoy the shade, I recommend it. I did a couple comparisons with well-known periwinkles and a lavender for what they're worth after the jump, but even though these are the closest shades I think I might have, none come close. If you have an idea for a polish that might be similar, let me know and I'll check the stash and see if I can do a comparison.

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Essie Sew  Psyched - $8 at essieshop.com

Essie Sew Psyched from the brand's collection for the Autumn 2010 season is a big winner. Creamy and pigmented, it's two-coat perfection. I don't normally gush about Essie, but this is such an amazing shade. Some say from photos it seems close to Chanel's new Khaki Vert, but according to Temptalia, it's a bit more blue in comparison. Another difference is that while Khaki Vert is a creme, Sew Psyched has a touch of shimmer. I have to admit, I love the look of Khaki Vert, but I hate hate hate buying Chanel. It's just a tic in my mind that hates it. I love the polish itself, but rationally I know it's not better quality than China Glaze or Color Club which are so much cheaper. Time will tell whether I cave and buy Khaki Vert, like my heart tells me to, but for now I honestly feel like Temptalia's flash photo of KV alone looks like Sew Psyched does on my nails right now. Flash tends to wash out polishes, and I like how it looks in that photo, so perhaps that means I'd end up liking Sew Psyched more than KV? (My mind struggles to justify a purchase). Sure it might look more blue in comparison to Khaki Vert, but alone it's a green-grey perfection. It works with the beige in my skin really well and it's really chic and applies efforlessly. LOVE IT.