Essie Great Expectations

3 coats, indirect sunlight

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I've never met an Essie that I truly love. Mostly they fall more on the "loathe" scale in fact. The brushes are way too skinny, and for the most part they are streaky and too sheer.

I've been using random.org to pick my manicures - otherwise I never use some colors, and I've found some favorites that way! Some days it gives me colors I don't want to try, but I always use them anyway. I was not looking forward to this one, which I bought on clearance at Trade secret before I realized I hated Essies.

Great Expectations is a wimpy semi-sheer bone color. It's described as gray, but I don't see enough actual pigment to call it a color. I tested this out before the manicure, and realized that if I wanted it to be opaque I would need a ridge filler first. So this is 3 coats, over a coat of Orly ridge filler. There's still a tiny bit of nail line visible. Honestly, I don't understand this sort of color - it's not a sheer, because it's too streaky, but it never gets opaque either! It was fussy, requiring me standing over the bathroom sink doing the last coat, so that I could clearly see any streaks.

And I totally hate it. I don't work in a conservative office anymore, so I rebel pretty strongly against these "safe" colors that I used to have to wear. But I tried to save it with Konad anyway!

I used Color Club Revvvolution to stamp, and it made a nice subtle (but not too subtle) image. It looks like toile wallpaper. The base color still gives me corpse hands a little (I just can't do grays) but the pattern is pretty! I think it would be nice for an adventurous bride, and I know if I were getting married now I would wear this, maybe over a warmer sheer. I wore OPI Bubble bath at my wedding - the old white version, not the new pink one. No french manicure, because I don't like them on my nail length. So the final tally: I love this konad, but I hate this polish, and probably won't wear it again.