essie dresses nails on the 2011 Primetime Emmys red carpet...

if you're like me, you find that award shows are one of the best places to get style inspiration. these days, it's not only for hair and makeup, but nails, too! since i have a special place in my heart for lacquers, i'm always overjoyed to discover what shades are featured in magazines {many mags are now listing what brand and shades the models wear in their fashion and beauty spreads}, on tv, and red carpet events.

at this past weekend's Primetime Emmy awards, some very fabulous essie nail polish shades were seen dressing the nails of tv's leading ladies...

Connie Britton {Friday Night Lights} wore Luxedo, a gorgeous dark mulberry, complementing her stunning scarlet gown.

Laura Linney {The Big C} was spotted wearing Hi Maintenance, a light-pink neutral hue on both hands and feet.

Mireille Enos {The Killing} chose to keep it neutral with Brooch the Subject from the winter 2011 collection.

Maria Bello {Prime Suspect} also went neutral on her fingers and toes with another light-pink classic, Limo-Scene

nail color of the week: Essie Sew Psyched

over the weekend i gave myself a manicure using essie's Sew Psyched, a shade i discovered thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, Daneen, when she shared it first on twitter {and then her blog}.

this color is described as a cashmere-soft sage pewter, and i couldn't agree more. it has a sheen like pewter, but definitely leans on the grey-green end of the spectrum.


in the bottle, Sew Psyched looks lighter, but is darker once it's on the nail. this gem is fabulous and a great color to choose if you're looking to be daring yet still a bit understated.

this one's a keeper. :)