Two Helmer Drawers - aka "Red Stash" (Happy 4th!)

I have finally sorted out my reds. I organize by color because it makes sense in my head.
One day, though, I might tear it all apart and organize by brand, it's hard to say, this works and until I feel the need to change, I kind of enjoy tweaking the colors into categories. This might be a little nuts, actually, when I further examine the idea of agonizing if a color should be in the oranges or the reds, etc, I realize it borders on OCD.

Here are a couple of Helmer drawers:

1) Fuschia to pink reds to burgundies. The burgundies are not the darkest of the dark, and they are in a bit of a muddle, but until I get some tried on, it's hard to weed any of these out.

Some highlights, for me:
Nars M. Butterfly
China Glaze Rodeo/Retro Diva collection hither and thither.
All Misas

Things that are feeling like a waste of Dollar Tree madness: Sally Hansen 10 Day No Chips. Every Single One has lasted about One Day. Not Ten.
I might put some aside for the next annual Zoya swap.

(You can click to enlarge this)

2) This drawer is Oranges/corals, DARK maroons/burgundies, Hot pinks, Light pinks, and Roses

Highlights for me:
BB Couture Erotic Night
Misa No Shrinking Violetta
Sally Hansen Jack-o-Lantern
Some China Glaze Kaleidoscopes
Old Sally Hansen vamps.
L'Oreal Jet Dry Future Rose (this is really a great formula!)

Not loving:
The old NYC's  - sheer!
Some of the Essies - sheer!

(You can enlarge this, too)

I've got another drawer of warm and true reds, but it's only 1/3 full. I'm going to put browns/taupes/bronzes/misc neutrals in that drawer.

Photo to come down the pike when that's all done. I have to confess to SO MANY untrieds that it's been a long haul whipping the collection into shape and peeling off those polishes that add nothing to it. I also confess that the red drawers was a bit of a wasteland to me, I am finally seeing the variations instead of an amorphous whole, and still I am seeing a lot of not-so-great polishes, and replacing them with increasingly hard to find older OPIs (they've snuffed out affordable etailers) is looking like a slim future proposition. Well, optimistically, there's always swapping, eBay and sales!



Here are some "outtakes" of me trying to take photos of the drawers on the ground, and Maddie and Jemma decided they ought to supervise the whole operation!

Hmm...what's going on here?

Further examination by Maddie, while Jemma stands buy policing the scene.

Now Jemma had to go in and do a once over.
I have to admit the pug head is about the cutest thing on the planet, and Jemma is an exponentially cute pug!
PS This pair of divas are rescues, I urge you to support rescue and adoption, not irresponsible breeders, petshops or other avenues. Kicks aside soapbox...


Thanks for reading my little nail polish journal!