Versailles Gold

I've been eyeing up Essie's Penny Talk nail varnish for a while.  I'm a bit late to the rose gold bandwagon but it is an extremely pretty shade that works well with my skin tone and in a varnish it is work appropriate (unlike my neon green).  I just can't justify spending £10 on a nail varnish though so I have been looking for a good dupe for it for a couple of months now.

I popped into Boots yesterday to pick some bits and pieces up for Steve as well as a couple of bits that I *needed* myself.  I may have used my Boots points to get the Real Techniques Core Collection (something else that I have been eyeing up for a while, even more so since I got the stippling brush which is seriously good) and the Eco Tools Smudge Eyeliner brush as well as a crystal nail file.  I am so sick and tired of continuously purchasing standard ones I figured this would save money in the long term.  At the till they gave me a voucher for £2 off Max Factor foundation and as my day to day staple is the Max Factor Facefinity compact I stocked up.

While perusing the shelves I spotted the L'Oreal Colour Riche nail vanishes.  Normally £4.99 each, these were on offer for 2 for £7 and they had the Versailles Gold (106) in stock.  This is the closest dupe for Essie Penny Talk I have ever seen.

I am wearing two coats, with no base or top coat and no nail preparation before hand (I was very impatient and just wanted to see what it looked like).  It went on incredibly easily, even for someone as cack handed with nail varnish as I am and dried to a beautiful finish very quickly.  The pictures don't really do it justice; it is a very pale metallic gold with a subtle rose shimmer through it - very wearable.  I absolutely love it.  I also picked up another L'Oreal shade in Babydoll (207) but have yet to try it.  So far it has been on for 24 hours and it hasn't cracked or chipped or bubbled or peeled.  Which for me is impressive as my nail varnish never lasts particularly long.

I also picked up some dry shampoo.  I wasn't going to mention this but used it last night before I went to rehearsal as my hair was a mess, came downstairs and Steve commented on how nice my hair was looking.  Not bad for a dry shampoo!  The one I picked up was Lee Stafford Dark for oily roots.  It smells quite nice and is easy to use (spray and rub with your fingers) and had the bonus effect of providing lift, texture and volume.  It did leave a little bit of grey residue which I had to work out but it did the job.