KO for KO.
I took me and my red lips (see below! loved it!) on a stroll through Henri Bendel yesterday. I don't usually frequent such tawny shopping spots, but every once in a while I like to look with my eyes and not my wallet-- it gives me great ideas for stuff I can sleuth for less cash in less fancy digs. Yesterday the product that sparked my interest was an exciting nail polish, a matte top coat from Knock Out Cosmetics. First of all, I've always wanted a matte top coat for my shiny nail polish colors. I had no idea that it was such a rare and highly sought after item. Apparently the matte top coat has yet to be done right and is just now emerging on the market as a coveted, effective, product. So, it's special because it's newly done right. Also, KO's (short for Knock Out) campaign star is Karen O (KO)! The Yeah Yeah Yeah's frontwoman who I love a little more that life itself. How hot does she look in their ad above?
The bottle on the Bendel shelf was $19 and even though that's pretty much a tenth of what most of their inventory goes for, I'm such a cheapy and a twenty spot for a nail polish is a lot more than I would feel comfortable paying. But, it was surprisingly hard to put it down. I loved it. I mean loved it. My friend Jenny astutely observed that it made my red nails look like they belonged to the fingertips of an old timey doll. And it's a top coat so the uses are endless. I was immediately picturing all of my glossy polish colors suddenly dimmed. It was really hard to put it down.
The bottle on the Bendel shelf was $19 and even though that's pretty much a tenth of what most of their inventory goes for, I'm such a cheapy and a twenty spot for a nail polish is a lot more than I would feel comfortable paying. But, it was surprisingly hard to put it down. I loved it. I mean loved it. My friend Jenny astutely observed that it made my red nails look like they belonged to the fingertips of an old timey doll. And it's a top coat so the uses are endless. I was immediately picturing all of my glossy polish colors suddenly dimmed. It was really hard to put it down.
Me showing my KO Flatte matte top coat to my geisha lamp. She liked it!
I stuck to my guns though, and followed my tried and true shopping rule: Unless there is some ridiculous one day sales event, limited (super limited, one of a kind) stock, a less than $10 price tag, or any other extremely compelling reason for an immediate purchase...leave it for 24 hours. You can go back. So, I left the KO with the Bendel's staff and went on an internet search for what possible alternatives there are out there.
Essie's Matte About You (l) and V For Men Matte Finish Top Coat by Nubar (r).
It's slim pickin's! Essie has come out with a bottle of matte topper for a ten spot. It doesn't come with the cool factor of a Karen O endorsement, but it's nearly half of what that added cool costs. And it's called Matte About You, which conjures fond memories of Helen Hunt. The only other matte finish top coat I could find is one for...men! This makes it infinitely more cool than any of the others. It's V For Men Matte Finish Top Coat from Nubar. It clocks in at $8.99. I love the idea of the gender bending; the male element dulling out the shiny feminine glisten of my girlie red nails! It's all so theoretically exciting! But, both the Essie and V For Men are, as far as I can tell, only available for order online at this point. The Essie matte can be purchased through Amazon.com and the V For Men through the Nubar site. So the decision becomes instant gratification vs. penny pinching with an added element of cool factor tipping the scales just a bit. Or! Or! I could just make more frequent visits to Henri Bendel's and use the tester until I'm over the matte anyways...hmmm. Decisions, decisions.
Essie's Matte About You (l) and V For Men Matte Finish Top Coat by Nubar (r).
It's slim pickin's! Essie has come out with a bottle of matte topper for a ten spot. It doesn't come with the cool factor of a Karen O endorsement, but it's nearly half of what that added cool costs. And it's called Matte About You, which conjures fond memories of Helen Hunt. The only other matte finish top coat I could find is one for...men! This makes it infinitely more cool than any of the others. It's V For Men Matte Finish Top Coat from Nubar. It clocks in at $8.99. I love the idea of the gender bending; the male element dulling out the shiny feminine glisten of my girlie red nails! It's all so theoretically exciting! But, both the Essie and V For Men are, as far as I can tell, only available for order online at this point. The Essie matte can be purchased through Amazon.com and the V For Men through the Nubar site. So the decision becomes instant gratification vs. penny pinching with an added element of cool factor tipping the scales just a bit. Or! Or! I could just make more frequent visits to Henri Bendel's and use the tester until I'm over the matte anyways...hmmm. Decisions, decisions.
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