Essie Penny Talk - $8 Walmart and other retailers
Owing largely to the fact that I've been utterly distracted from my nails for the last month, I completely missed that Essie had a new collection of chrome-finish polishes out and only when I saw them hiding on a back shelf near the lotions did I finally realize! There are five colors, I believe. Or at least there were five colors available when I found these. In this collection you'll find a silver, a gold, a steely blue, a rose, and this bright brushed-copper shade. I passed on all but Penny Talk mainly because I already have China Glaze Millenium and 2030 which are spectacular silver and gold chromes respectively. I also passed on the blue and the rose because I have other similar China Glaze polishes from the Romantique collection. That left this copper, and while I've already got a copper chrome, CND Copper Chrome, this is very different and even more beautiful in my opinion.
While CND Copper Chrome is very metallic as well, it's a lot more warm and orangey whereas the more rosy Penny Talk is like a bright, newly-minted penny, or the glowing brushed copper of a new copper-bottom pot. You need to be careful to avoid brushstrokes in the finish, but as long as it's applied evenly and vertically, and as long as you give the first coat a couple minutes to fully dry before applying the second, you'll notice that most of the strokes disappear as the polish dried. Topcoat will make them reappear for a bit until it dries, but then the finish will be extremely metallic. I really recommend this polish. You may take or leave the other four, but this one is a must-see.
