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Scent: The first thing I noticed about my first Essie polish purchase — the smell was much stronger than OPI. I can stand OPI quite well but this I actually had to take a breather from. It actually smelled worse than my nail polish remover, which I thought always smelled worse than actual polish!

Application: The formula is watery, which actually has many benefits but caught me off guard. It took me three coats to get an average opacity on the white and I didn’t want to do more because I was afraid it would be too heavy. I should’ve gone for four or even five coats. I’m used to OPI, which has a thick consistency and therefore dries slower and tends to absorb imprints easily. This goes on thinly, dries fast, and allows itself to build up. It also makes for easy cleaning around the nail after painting, because the coats were so thin there were no big globs on my cuticles. Now that I know how to use it right, I can get a more opaque effect next time!

Color: This is the perfect white, just as I thought. It’s not in your face, white-out color like my White Tip by Sally Hansen but it still makes a statement without pink undertones. Unlike most whites I’ve tried it’s not thick and hard to paint on — it’s watery. The white is more of a natural finish that you could use for a more realistic french tip. With a top coat it looks classy.

Price: At around $8, I was kind of put off by the price. I usually invest in OPI for the same price, which isn’t sold in drug stores. I always thought Essie a drug store brand, so when I saw it was the same price as OPI I kind of cringed. While I ended up loving it and can justify the price in my mind, I still think they should knock a dollar or two off. By the way, I was able to purchase this on eBay for a price I felt better about. I’d check out eBay before buying in-store!

Final Thoughts

Aside from the strong smell and price tag, I’m loving Marshmallow by Essie. It’s the perfect shade for a french manicure and a white statement nail. It goes on thin, which makes for easy cleaning, drying, and building of its opacity. Definitely a staple in my collection!

Fall is officially here! I’m incredibly excited, because fall has always been my favorite season. I was also born in the fall. Coincidence?

Everyone who has a favorite season can also agree that one of the best parts of your season arriving is the scents that come with it. Spring has floral scents, winter has candy and pine, summer has ocean, and fall has earthy scents along with some sweets. When I went on the Bath and Body Works website last week and saw they were having a two for $20 candle sale, I was over there in the blink of an eye. So many amazing new fall scents to fill my place with! And the price can’t be beat. It’s usually $19.99 for one of those huge candles. I ended up buying three, because each additional candle was only $10. If I had more money I probably would’ve gotten a large amount and saved them. Unfortunately I don’t have much to spend, and I totally blew it all on these candles. Worth it.

Here is one of my favorites, Marshmallow Fireside:

Josh actually doesn’t care for this scent, but he hates anything that smells sweet. (It’s hard for me to buy candles and/or perfumes!) Marshmallow Fireside reminds me of when I was in elementary school and my girl scout troop had our monthly camping opportunity. We would all gather around a huge open fire roasting marshmallows, making smores, and telling stories. The scent of it smells like burning oak with a hint of that sweet toasty marshmallow. It smells delicious.

I have a weird relationship with this candle because I’m a vegetarian and haven’t eaten marshmallows since I was a kid. (They contain animal parts/gelatin.) So I told Josh, maybe that’s why I’m obsessed with the smell of this candle. It’s like my guilt-free indulgence into marshmallows. You can already tell it’s been well used over the past week when Josh is at work. I’ll probably buy more for decoration as the weeks go by.

I also got excited when I went to my local grocery and saw squash everywhere. I bought a few for decoration (which I’ll probably eat somehow) and a few to stuff my face with.

Those candles are fake. Don't judge me.

My favorite at the moment is acorn squash, which I had for the first time with coconut curry in a New Orleans cafe and it blew me away. Delicious!

My oven is probably the world's smallest.

Slice in half, take the seeds out, and lather it in cinnamon sugar. Bake it 25 minutes at 375. So simple. It tastes like apple pie, but you’re actually eating a big vegetable. Score! (I also bake the seeds in oil and salt, I love them.) I find these are best cooked and eaten fresh. And of course I love my pumpkin, but there’s no way I’m attempting to cut a big one on my own. I’ll stick to pre-made pumpkin dishes and my favorite Starbucks treat, the infamous (seasonal) Pumpkin Spice Latte.

And finally, fall wouldn’t be here without the fashion either. My favorite nail polishes are finally in season! Dark reds, white, and browns are all in right now and I’m going to celebrate by picking some up when I can. It’s also time for dark or red lipsticks, which are showing up all over the runway. I personally stick to neutral eyes during the time. I’m actually still on my blushing eyes palette!

Marshmallow by Essie, Linkin Park After Dark by OPI, Los Angeles Latte by OPI