Essie Your Hut or Mine

Your Hut or Mine was released by Essie as part of its Resort Collection for Summer 2011. It's a medium-toned warm milky pinkish rose with aspirations to coral and has a dose of golden shimmer that warms the color even further and is not at all secretive (although you wouldn't know it by my photos). I've seen beautiful swatches of this polish looking bright, fresh and rosy, and when I first began applying it I experienced a flood of hope for the result with my skin tone. But as the coats went on, the color lost its initial freshness on my fingers and began to look dingy and dirty somehow. Against my coloring, the milky quality took on a chalkiness and combined with the tones of pink, salmon, and rose reminded me of the orangey pink brick you sometimes see veneering parts of vinyl-sided houses. I was sad.

Application, though, was not sad. The consistency is creamy and fluid. Pigmentation was very good. It was slightly sheer on the first coat but built to opacity in two. I applied a third just to see whether there would be any slight change for the better against my skin tone, but there wasn't. There's a bit of chalkiness to Your Hut or Mine that keeps it from being the best self-leveller, but a good topcoat takes care of that. This polish dries naturally in fairly good time to a smooth shiny finish.

This was an oh dark thirty manicure (couldn't sleep) and I ended up dozing off to Law and Order Criminal Intent during the period of vulnerability. Despite a fast dry topcoat of HK Girl, I had a substantial amount of polish on my nails after three coats and the dent gremlins had at it. My apologies! Bonus chagrin du jour: incomplete cleanup. The light in my bathroom isn't the best at oh dark thirty and beyond that I was in the throes of despair over the color so I missed some obvious swipes.

Photos show three coats of Your Hut or Mine over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of HK Girl.

Essie Your Hut or Mine, with bonus pocket lint!

Essie Your Hut or Mine

Essie Your Hut or Mine

Essie Your Hut or Mine

Essie Your Hut or Mine

Essie Your Hut or Mine

Essie Your Hut or Mine

Essie Your Hut or Mine

Essie Your Hut or Mine

Essie Your Hut or Mine

Ok, can I change my mind about this polish?

In the process of writing this I've worn it for a full day and took a few more photos of it indoors. They don't look THAT much different from the photos above, but they have the benefit of fewer reflections and you can see the golden shimmers swimming in the layers of polish. Plus, despite everything I said above, I like them.

Essie Your Hut or Mine

Essie Your Hut or Mine

Essie Your Hut or Mine

Essie Your Hut or Mine

Essie Your Hut or Mine

I think that all of my photos show Your Hut or Mine as a little brighter and fresher than it looks in person. That said, while I was out today I happened to glance at my nails and, far from recoiling in horror, I got a little thrill of joy. My perception had changed. The dinginess I'd seen earlier had morphed into something that was smooth and floral and pretty. Yes, pretty!

Your Hut or Mine isn't going to be a go color to for me and golden shimmers are never going to be the best against my skin tone. But there is something about the composition of this polish that works really nicely, regardless of any perceived incompatibilities. Perhaps it is that touch of warmth from the gold shimmers that lifts the color from rose to rosy coral. Perhaps it is the deep strong cerise pink in the base color of this polish that acts as a touchstone for the salmon and rose and coral hues and ties everything together. I can't say for sure, but it works.

love,
Liz