Totally Unsolicited Product Endorsement - Volume 1

Ok, so I'm like a giant nerd about my health and beauty products. I tend to be perfectionistic about these things (what? me?) and often try lots of different brands looking for the magic potion that does exactly what I need it to do - hold my hair in place without being sticky, get my nails dry in 5 minutes, make my wrinkles disappear instantly, whatever. Furthermore, while I once thought nothing of popping over to the Nordstrom beauty counter to check out the latest and greatest designer beauty technology, I am no longer the shopaholic "dink" (double-income-no-kids) I used to be. As we've discussed here before, I'm cheap. And cheap and perfectionistic, as you might imagine, can be a deadly combination when it comes to health and beauty products.

All of that said, I occasionally come across something that fulfills both my desire to be thrifty and my need to be fabulous, and when I do, I'm positively ecstatic. Often, after extolling the virtues of some amazing new thing or other, I'll proclaim to a friend that "I love it so much, I should write a product review!"

Well, it has suddenly occurred to me that I have a blog. And what better place than your blog to share glowing reviews of all the amazing and incredible new products that come into your life?! So, welcome to the first installment of my new Totally Unsolicited Product Endorsement series. These entries will have nothing, I repeat, nothing to do with my Etsy shop, crafts, cards, politics, or really anything of substance. So I won't be insulted should you choose to ignore these particular posts. But at least I'll feel that I've done my duty by shouting from the virtual rooftops that "I love ......!!!"

By the way, expect future TUPE installments to be much shorter as I will not feel the need to justify my slightly out-of-character obsession with the superficial after this initial post.

I had a difficult time determining which product to endorse this morning, as there are several things I've recently discovered that I absolutely cannot live without. But I've settled on the Incoco Dry Nail Applique Complete Manicure Kit, available for $4.99 at Walgreens, for the sheer wow! factor.


While they look like those horrible press-on nails, these little strips are actually partially-dried nail polish that you simply peel off its backing and press onto your nails. Smooth across the nail, stretch and tear off the extra, and your nails are completely dry instantly. Seriously!

Now, I had seen these things in a magazine months before I tried them and was absolutely convinced there was no way they could possibly work and look as good as regular nail polish. I only brought them home because I thought they might travel well to my sister's wedding next weekend. I fully expected to feel as though I'd wasted $4.99 and end up with a lumpy, thick, amateurish mess on then ends of my fingers. In a moment of uncharacteristic beauty bravery, I whipped them out last weekend just a few minutes in advance of a friend's dinner/pool party, when my nails were a disaster and time didn't permit the usual manicure routine. The result was truly astounding - completely dry nails in literally three minutes that look exactly as though you've painted them, with no liquids to spill, no mistakes to correct around the nail bed, no bubbles, basically no drawbacks. I've since done my toes with the same great success. In short, much to my suprise and amazement, they actually work as advertised. And, therefore, you should buy them.

And there ya go! We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.