Fall is my favorite time of year. I love it when it starts to get cold at night and I can smell all the fireplaces and the leaves change... well, maybe the cactus, because I live in the desert.

Anyways, I look forward to all the seasonal polish collections that come out this time of year too. And I always want to buy the whole collection(s). OPI has a new one called the Burlesque that I love.

But, you know, my specialty is pink-and-white acrylics (of which I have meticulously honed through the competition arena) so that is pretty much all my clients want. Until the holidays roll around, then they all want red. So it is not really feasible for me to acquire the whole collection. And as if to confirm my plight, OPI has a “Holiday’s Reds” collection available of their most popular red polishes! Ugh.

Why is it always red?

How about a nice Christmas tree green or ice skating frosty blue? Something...anything but red. Sure red is pretty, but there are other colors out there that are just as or even more pretty than red.

And as long as I’m baggin’ on reds, just what is the reasoning behind the red hands in competitions? Who started this tradition?

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve put such an emphasis on perfect sculpting that the reason for the red polished hand eludes me.

I’ve been told by several people that the reason for the red hand is to show your polish application skills, but surely that can’t be all of it. If you really want to see application skills, choose a color that goes on all streaky like pastel pink or better yet, how about one of those old style champagne frosts? You know, the kind that shows every stroke. Yeah, put that on straight. If it really has to be red, how about Orly’s Crawford Wine? That one shows every stroke too. There must be some reason...

Why is it always red? Let’s paint it black!

— Lynn