Hunger Games Nail Polish: High Maintenance Heaven

Photo Credit: Sally Beauty Supply

Greetings, from one of the two people on the planet who didn't see Hunger Games this weekend! You know, it's not that I didn't want to, either. Life just got in the way, and I didn't have the opportunity. It's okay, though, because while I might not have made the movie, I did get to try some of the nail polish. I assure you, that's even less exciting than it sounds.

So, I made a trip to Sally's Beauty Supply Friday, and took a gander at the Hunger Games line of China Glaze polishes. Two of the colors on my wish list were in stock, so I snapped them up and gave "Stone Cold" ($5.99) a shot over the weekend. Sadly, the odds aren't always in its favor.

The color is gorgeous. It's a beautiful slate gray that echoes dark wash denim. The polish is infused with silver micro-glitter, and has a (surprise!) nearly matte finish. It's effortlessly edgy, and my pedicure looks fantastic with blue jeans. Of course, my mother did ask me when I'd gone "Goth" on her, so it's not for everyone.

Photo Credit: Nails and Noms

Unfortunately, the stunning color and cool finish is about all this polish has going for it. It's not the easiest polish in the world to apply. Because it's matte, it's a fast dryer, so you have to work quickly and carefully. The thick polish doesn't like to stay in the lines, so to speak, and mistakes are difficult to clean up. Also, because the major appeal of this polish is the matte finish, you don't want to spoil it with a topcoat. That means this polish chips at a practically supersonic speed. My Friday night manicure needed Saturday afternoon touch-ups.

However, if you are willing to put up with the idiosyncracies, it's a really phenomenal look, and one of my favorites for this no-man's land we like to call "Early Spring". My advice: save this for a professional mani-pedi, and carry the bottle in your purse for on-the-go touch-ups. It is a spectacularly fast drying polish, so you'll be good to go in seconds.

Next time: Riveting.