Seeing Orange: A Tropical Vaca for Your Nails

What I wouldn't do for a tropical vacation right now... But in this economy, a paradise vaca is a bit far fetched for the budget- conscious fashionista. So what's a girl to do?

1. Continue counting down the days until the first official day of spring (16)

2. Online "window shopping" for warm-weather trends

3. Give myself--or at least my nails--the tropical vacation they so rightfully deserve!

If you're like me and packing your Vuitton carry-on and hopping on your personal jet, express to Saint Barths, is sadly not an option, then I highly recommend option 3.

Nothing says "tropical vaca" quite like a bright orange pop of color on short nails. After searching high and low, I have come up with a list of faves by manicure monopolies, OPI and Essie. The winners, in no particular order, are as follows:

1. Cajun Shrimp: a delicious orange for the island girl eating shrimp skewers in her cabana.

2. Atomic Orange: a pure orange "pow!" for the yachting girl--because orange shouldn't only be reserved for flotation devices!

3. Clambake: a spicy orange for the New England girl dreaming of bonfires on the beaches of ACK.

4. One of a Kind: a flirty pink-infused orange for the girl sipping fruit smoothies poolside.

5. Mini Shorts: a bright citrus for the sun-kissed girl nibbling a creamsicles while reading W from her beach towel.

So now the big question remains: Which of these lovely ladies are you? Once you decide, just a click of the mouse will bring the tropics right to your front door (packing is overrated anyway). So don't waste another moment--shed those winter blues and check out the world through orange-colored glass!

Psst: Sign on to http://www.opi.com/ to "try on" your favorite color. On the OPI homepage, click "try on this color" to see your virtual hand. Then, you can adjust the skin tone and nail length to see how your polish pics look before purchase!

Nail polishes (in order of appearance): Cajun Shrimp and Atomic Orange by OPI (available at http://www.opi.com/); Clambake, One of a Kind, and Mini Shorts by Essie (available at http://www.essie.com/).