Manicure of the Week

If you've been reading my Manicure of the Week posts since the beginning, this shade might look familiar since it's appeared here previously. Nonetheless, I love it so much it bears repeating! This is Rococo Nail Apparel in Dollar, an opaque, highly metallic silver with shimmer. It goes on easily, lasts decently well, is Big 3 free and a somewhat ridiculous $16.50 (yes, the price has gone up since the line debuted). This shade is in the Molten Lava formula and I think that give s a pretty good indication of how the polish appears in the bottle and on the nails. You can purchase Rococo at SpaceNK in the US and UK. I haven't seen it sold anywhere else and recommend checking it out since the line features many unique shades.

Rococo Nail Apparel R2D2

I purchased Rococo Nail Apparel in Dollar back in December, telling myself that a $17 nail polish was a one-time-only treat. Lo and behold, I found myself buying yet another Rococo polish last week. Space NK was out of the shade I wanted, the brand new R2D2, and offered to ship it to me free of charge from another store. I received it today and along with the polish, they included an adorable little bag full of samples! A very nice touch, especially considering that it was a relatively small purchase and the shipping was free.

R2D2 is part of the line's new Star Wars collection. This shade is a very unusual molten metallic glittery taupey champagne. I've never seen another shade quite like this one--it's absolutely dazzling when the light hits it which unfortunately seems to be impossible to capture with a camera. I love that R2D2 is kind of funky and trendy and yet at the same time perfectly acceptable for work, even in a conservative environment. If this shade lasts as well as Dollar does, I'll be a happy camper! (I also highly recommend the Space NK on the Upper West Side. Fabulous customer service).

There will be no Manicure of the Week this week because...

The Rococo Nail Apparel in Dollar has lasted the full week! Just a little bit of wear on a few of the tips but nothing a quick touch up and fresh application of top coat can't cure! Given how often I wash my hands and that I do not have a dishwasher, this is a minor miracle and despite the high price ($16.50), I'll definitely be looking into more of these. Have you tried them? What's your take?

One week later:

Manicure of the Week (featuring Rococo Nail Apparel)

Rococo Nail Apparel is a "professional" polish range at "ladies who lunch" prices. Regular lacquers are $16.50, while their most publicized item, the Gold Leaf Lacquer, will set you back a whopping $16.50. The only US brick and mortar retail location I've seen for the London-based line thus far is Space NK. You won't find a huge range of colors, and in my opinion the existing shades offer a good balance of wearable everyday hues as well as on-trend, fun colors. I purchased Dollar, which is now on my tips and toes! Dollar looks like mercury--molten dark silver with a strong metallic sheen. The nail polish went on completely opaque with one coat, and was akin to liquid metal with two. A very fun look, especially for the holidays! In my experience, silver polishes tend to go on sheer, dull, or just look cheap and juvenile. There is no Tinkerbell with this color! It's a grown up festive shade that's whole lot more sophisticated than a reindeer sweater! :)

The sales associate at Space NK praised the longevity of her manicure with the polish. I guess time and my dishpan hands will tell!