Valerie (left) and Jem (right) - $8 each at zoya.com

I recently placed a Zoya order and because I love vampy berry shades, I ordered both Valerie and Jem. I didn't think to look up to see how close these two polishes are to one another, so I ended up with two very similar polishes. This isn't such a bad thing, because they are a beautiful shade of purple shot with berry shimmer, but I do prefer one to the other. Read on to see which one, and why.

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Incoco Dry Nail Applique - available at incoco.com and at your local Walgreens

At one point many moons ago I tried those stick-on nail polish things from Avon. I thought the idea was killer, but the actual product fell way short of where I thought it would. Though as a nail junkie I love the routine of nail care, and over many years of painting them several times weekly, not to mention hundreds of swatches, I've gotten down my nail routine to about 10 minutes, I still love nail innovations and was so excited to try this brand of nail appliques. The application is simple and easy, and a little fun actually. They remind me of Minx, (read about my Minx experience here) only easier, which makes me like it even more. I recently received a few sets of these Incoco polish strips, and Berry Rich was the first one I tried. It's what you'd expect from the name; a super-rich berry with lots of shine and some glowy shimmer. The beautiful colors and finishes are a luxury I didn't expect to see in a convenience product like this. In the package you get everything you could possibly need to have a gorgeous manicure, from a file and cuticle pusher to a little sticker to seal the leftover appliques up in the package, not to mention the strips which contain your base, top, and color coats all in one.

There are several different finishes ranging from cream to glitter, so there's something for everyone. I'm wondering if they'll ever make patterns.... ? I hope so. My mind is reeling with the nail art possibilities of this product.

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