Quick! Nailing it for Spring

Here's something unusual for me -- lately I've been wearing nail polish on my fingers but not my toes.

I'm actually much more likely to wear polish on my toes at all times, even when it's winter and I only get to see my toes in the morning and when I'm getting ready for bed. It actually weirds me out to not have nail polish on my toes at all.

But because I've been pretty hard on my feet so much lately (I'm now thinking of running a *second* 5K this summer -- one in June, one in July), I have to be really on top of maintaining my toes, and with my lack of time, that means the polish isn't happening.

And yet, I've been managing to find the time to paint my fingernails -- which, for me, is really unusual, because if I don't have enough time to sit around with my bare feet idle, I *really* don't have the time to sit around not doing anything with my hands.

So here's what I've been picking up and putting on lately...

- This past weekend, I found myself back in the Pacific Northwest. Specifically, I found myself back in my beloved Fred Meyer. I loved Fred Meyer in college, I really did. It was always a big deal to get to go to "Freddy's", and I always wound up coming home with something random, like potting soil, pots, seeds, and the plan to grow plants in my dorm room. (I grew sweet peas and mint.)

Anyway, I found myself in the beauty section, as you do, and while there was OPI and all sorts of other polish goodies to be had, I found myself drawn to the L.A. Girl displays -- what's this? A large variety of matte nail polishes? And black light reactive nail polish? Hell yes, those were coming home with me.

I picked up the Matte nail polish in "Matte Alpine Green", a dark hunter green (and my St. Patrick's Day manicure!), and the Disco nail polish in "Turntable", a totally hot turquoise-y mint-y color that will look awesome in or out of black light. "Matte Alpine Green" is my first matte mani, and I have to say -- it's pretty cool!

(Kati, I may need to send you on a mission. To Fred Meyer. Just FYI.)

- I had seen the Sally Hansen Complete Manicure bottles pop up in my local Walgreens, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to make the jump. I mean, I already have so many colors. And top coats. And base coats. Would I really want an all-in-one? After reading Michelle's review of the formula and wear -- check out her photos of what her nails looked like after five days!! -- I was convinced.

Since I was feeling a little down and dark at the time and wanted a "don't mess with me" nail, I went as goth-y dark and tough as I could find. I picked up Black Platinum, which is more of a hematite color. I put on two coats before heading out to the dentist, and immediately the assistant commented on my nails. My twenty-minute mani wounded up lasting two weeks. Definitely worth it.

- As I mentioned, I was up in the PacNW, specifically in the Seattle area, and while I knew that Butter London had an airport presence *somewhere*, I didn't realize that their salon was actually in SeaTac. But I arrived, checked in, and spent some time wandering around the airport, as you do, until I saw the Butter London sign and immediately charged right to it. (I also took a picture of the salon with my iPhone, as you can see. Click for bigger, if you like!)

While I didn't have time or money to sit down and get my nails done (sigh!), they have an entire wall of all of their polishes to play with, along with nail polish remover. I must have tried seven different colors, from glitters to neon cremes to pretty pinks, but the first color I tried on is the one I want to wear all spring long -- I'm dying for the bright teal "Artful Dodger". Alas, according to Butter London, they are out of stock online until April... but it *is* in stock at drugstore.com. Yes, I'd have to do the whole base coat/top coat thing, and I'd have to sit and wait for it to dry, but man. That color is so worth it.

What new polishes are you trying out this spring? Are you branching out into different types, like matte? Any new brands or formulas you're curious to try?

images from lagirlusa.com and periodicstyle.blogspot.com