ESSIE’s new nailpolish collection is a small splurge worth investing in

When I started my quest to become financially fabulous almost 18-months ago, the first thing that I removed from my monthly expenditures was pedicures and manicures. Every three weeks I was paying $80 to refill my gels and every 8 weeks, I was paying another $65 to beautify my toes. No wonder my credit card was charged to the max! In the last year, I’ve only visited the nail salon once as I’ve perfected DIY’ing my nails at home.

Tomorrow I will be leaving for Cancun, Mexico for our National Sales Meeting (la chance!) and fortunately for me, ESSIE is launching a perfect spring-time nailpolish collection and I was given a sneak peak at the shade wardrobe. 

Her new collection, Naviagate Her, is financially savvy so it’s no wonder that I could not resist the pastels and pearl finishes. Essie Weingarten, brand founder of Essie, put together this collection for every woman on a mission and for all the ladies who in both fashion and finance, are willing to strike out and try something new. Who doesn’t love that attitude?

I chose two shades in fun pink hues that are a great way to represent my upcoming beach escape from the dreary Montreal winter. For my nails, I’m wearing a pretty peach A Crewed Interest and on my toes, Tour de Finance, a flirty fuschia.

The colour pay-out is exactly what I’ve come to expect from ESSIE – salon sophisticated and rich-looking. As an avid runner, I have embarrassing deep blue bruises on my toenails, but in one swipe, ESSIE covered those right up. Now my feet feel athletic and pampered! Experience has taught me that a top coat is the key to a successful at home DIY manicure or pedicure so I’m expecting my ESSIE indulged nails to last well beyond my upcoming 5-days of sand and sun.  

ESSIE’s Navigate Her collection is available right now at salons and professional beauty trade stores, but it will be hitting shelves of mass retailers like Shoppers Drug Mart and Wal-Mart at the end of March for about $9. If you’re looking for a hue to reflect the financially fabulously you and a small way to splurge on yourself, then I cannot recommend this collection enough. Shouldn’t your nailpolish colours always reflect your personal mantras?


*Rosie*

A collection made for fashionistas and personal finance bloggers. 

My beach ready choices: A Crewed Interest & Tour de Finance.

Upon posting this, my Eye Candy's reaction was, "Dear, you are definitely not a hand model." None the less, I am all peachy keen for this shade.

I have a theory that women wear the colour they want others to view them like on their fingernails. And on their toes, they reveal their inner divas. In which case, I am definitely a vibrant Tour de Finance!

Finding the "One"

"I think the most important thing a woman can have, next to talent, of course - is her hairdresser." Joan Crawford

I had the chance to be in Toronto for work this Friday & Monday so I am currently enjoying a fun weekend at my parents house in the suburbs - also known as Barbie & Ken's Chateau. In addition to visiting with my family, there was another visit I needed to make... to my hairstylist! A girl's relationship with the man (or woman) who cuts her hair is a complicated one and once you've found the perfect hairstylist, a woman should never let him go. I've spent the last 5 years struggling to find "the one" who would treat my curls with kindness and give me a cut that is stylish & sophisticated. I've had too many one-appointment-stands where I've left the salon looking like Shirley Temple! I work in the beauty & fashion industry so I like the mantra of 'tress to impress'.

My father, however, could not understand why I would wake-up at 7:00 am on a Saturday to drive downtown Toronto for an 8:30 am appointment just to have my hair cut. He asked me why I couldn't find a stylist in Oakville... and then, why I couldn't just get an appointment in a Montreal salon? But the distance or time doesn't matter to me, it is all about my love affair with Eric. He is my One!

Through work, I've come into contact with the fabulous Eric Del Monaco who just opened his own salon on Richmond Street West in Toronto. Del Monaco Hair Studio is an industrial glam salon where you're guaranteed a chic cut whether you're meeting Eric himself or sitting in the chair with the other artists like Justina or Steven. While I no longer colour my hair (I'm loving my natural ombre highlights right now and figure I have my thirties ahead of my to fight greys), I've seen the colours & highlights that have left that salon and they are gorgeous crowns of glory for any lucky lady.

This morning, I spent 45 minutes in a chair chit-chatting about vacations and styles for spring while being pampered. And it wasn't just the luxurious decor and funky jazz vibe that left me feeling relaxed, it was the knowledge that my cut and my hair was in safe hands.

My hair appointments are not as often as they should be (every 5 months) mostly because of distance. But they are part of the 'personal care' expense on my rolling 4wk budgets every now and then. For $85 plus tips, I left the salon feeling like a million-bucks. While my dad will never understand, I know that Eric is an amazing return on investment.

*Rosie*