Minx Mani: Meh? Uniqlo: Go!

Last night, after kind of a crappy day, I headed down to the Madewell store for an event they were having: 20 percent off jeans (and their jeans are pretty cool, I must say), other unmentionable sale stuff, and, most important: a free Minx manicure. I got there right at 7 and placed my name on the list, calculating that I had at least an hour to check out the Costello Tagliapetra collection at Uniqlo. Excuse me while I digress....



There was only a couple of racks left of the stuff, but quite a number of different dresses. I tried on almost all of them, so attractive is the drapiness. However. The material on most of these dresses (the cutest ones) is paper-thin. If you have any bumps or bulges at all, fuhgeddaboudit. I did get the chartreuse dress above, in olive green, for $29.95. It's a thicker cotton, almost sweatshirt material. Win! Also got a flouncy T-shirt dress—Uniqlo is pretty much ground zero for T-shirt dresses. Also pretty much my new favorite store.

I made it back to Madewell just in time for my name to be called. You could get the Minx, a metallic gold or silver foil, on one nail per hand, and the rest polish. I weirdly chose my index finger (shoulda gone with the ring finger, I think) and selected a dark purple for the polish. It looked pretty cool, I think. I would have loved to have had the thumb Minxed as well. So supershiny and durable-looking.



HOWEVER. The manicurist told me the Minx would last four days, because (according to a commenter) they weren't putting a coating or cap on it because it was a freebie. Now, I don't know if my manicurist was particularly unskilled at Minx application or what, but this shit was chipping after TWO HOURS. All I did was go home and eat sushi and go to bed! This should not happen! This morning? The Minx nails are totally chipped and dinged up, and lustre-free. What the hell? I'm REALLY glad I didn't pay the usual $60 for a full Minx manicure. I'd be pissed. Those of you who a) don't believe me and b) like crazy/stupid patterns can now get a Minx kit at Sephora. (Why the hell not in gold and silver and, uh, solid colors?)

Anyway, some cute stuff I didn't buy at Madewell:


Canon messenger bag, $128. So effin' cute. Want.


Bensimon elastic sneakers, $55. Cute. Easy. Summer. I decided to stick with my $17 Urban Outfitters slip-ons, though. LOVE THOSE.



Legere cardigan, $68. I don't know why this picture makes it look so garish. It's much softer-looking than it appears here (though still a bold color), but I loved the subtle contrast in colors between the body of the sweater and the trim.



Brunch shorts, $59.