Lost and (almost) Found

I'm not going to try counting the number of nail polish bottles that I have in various drawers and boxes. I buy and wear many of the new colors of each season. I seem to collect Essies, OPIS and Lippmans, limited edition Chanel and the occasional Lauder or Lancome. I used to love the Anna Sui polish when it was sold in Sephora. I'm also prone to purchasing many of the drugstore brands, if a specific color catches my eye.

In such a collection, it is rare that any bottle is used till it's finished, and even less likely that I get to actually repurchase a color.

Except for two.

I 've gone through several bottles of As Time Goes By from the Lippman Collection before it was discontinued. It was simple labeled "true beige" but was more of a cafe au lait color. A perfect nude as far as I was concerned, and I was very disappointed when they stopped making it. A good alternative from this (excellent) line is Fashion, a new taupish color, pretty, sophisticated and neutral.

My other all-time favorite comes from the other end of the price scale. I have no idea how many bottles of Sally Hansen Maximum Growth in Pure Putty I've used in recent years. This is another nude, but on the pink-mauve side of things. I loved it equally on my hands as on my toes, and the quality and lasting power is impressive for a product that costs less than $4.

A while back it vanished from the stores around here. I searched Target and every drugstore and discount store in the area, and was ready to mourn another beloved color that was unjustly retired to the pink and glossy pastures. Suddenly last month I found it again, and it seems to be back in production. However, they changed it a little. Pure Putty is more pink and less mauve now. It's still quite neutral and appropriate, but just a tad sweeter. I can live with the change.