rooorange

Dirty fingernails are so much classier with nail polish!

These past two weeks I reset a very name brand nail polish section in six stores. That just means I pulled out old colors, installed new colors, and new graphics. There was one new color that I thought was pretty neat but mostly I loved the name. "Rooorange." After six resets I was pretty convinced that I "needed" it. But exhibit number 1.) I don't wear nail polish. And exhibit number 2.) it cost $8.49 plus tax. 

You might ask, "now who in their right mind would spend $9 on nail polish they virtually never wear mostly because it has a cool name?" I'd have to answer, "A good number of people actually. That's the power of good marketing." You pass by a billboard one too many times, watch a commercial just enough that it gets to you, see a sign in front of Starbucks that makes a certain beverage look completely irresistible. As humans we're suckered into purchases of this kind regularly. Sure maybe it was something you would have bought eventually anyhow. Maybe it was something you needed. But somewhere along the line a good deal of purchases we make are because someone marketed those items to us in a savvy way. It's truuue.

I decided in the end not to buy the rooorange. It left me feeling sad (and took a good deal of pep talking myself out of) but I dug my heels in and stuck to my resolve. I had one bottle of this brand nail polish at one point in time but I was pretty sure I gave it away to my sister because, again, I just don't wear nail polish. I happened upon it in our bathroom cupboard about two days ago and was positively giddy. Accidentally finding it felt like a reward for not buying the other bottle. Of course I promptly painted my nails after the discovery and in truth I feel a little rewarded each time I notice the flash of turquoise out of the corner of my eye. It's like a little whisper of, "job well done; way to resist!"

*side note about the photo: I did a ton of yard work today and pulled weeds in the tomato bed.