Last Thursday saw the first ever Nationa Nail Polish Day... and guess what, I missed it! Yes, it was just a totally made up day from Essie but as a HUGE nail polish lovers I did initially "ooo" at the news.
However, it did make me realise that in the past year Makeup Savvy has been sorely lacking on the nail polish front. I of course still paint my nails, bi-weekly in fact, but I just don't ever think to mention the shades I'm wearing/loving! I'm not sure what's changed but hey ho, here I am sharing some nail polish goodness today. Maybe this post will get me back into nail blogging, who knows!
With a nail polish collection ashamedly well into the hundreds I sat down and took the time to look through it, picking out the shades I use most often. Below I've neatly categorised them by shade, which was a tricky thing to do because this girl loves a nude nail polish, not to mention a pretty full on glitter.
Most Used Base Coat & Top Coat
I'm proud to say for the last 2 years I don't think I've skipped using Butter London Nail Foundation Base Coat before a manicure - that's a pretty big deal, right? Well for a nail polish lover like me it is. This has meant my natural nails have zero staining to them and stay in pretty good condition. However, the reason I've wanted to use this base coat without fail is for its ridge filling properties. It's basically like the most amazing pore-filling primer but for the nails instead of the face. This totally conceals the appearance of ridges that can be still seen under nail polish and for that, I can't be without it! Love this stuff! Also still on my 1st bottle of it!
I've tried many a top coat over the years and stayed loyal to Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat for quite some years until I decided I couldn't be dealing with how quickly it dried up. So then I tried Ciate Gelology Top Coat and really couldn't fault it. It gives that gel like glossy finish to a manicure and I'm sure extends the wear time. I'm sure there are more amazing top coats than this but it's a good reliable one for me that like I say, I just can't fault.
Most Worn Nude Nail Polish
Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Lychee (£3.99)
I have to say I'm picky when it comes to picking nude nail polishes as I often find shades to be too warm against my pale skin. So a neutral nude nail polish is what I'm on the constant hunt and is often hard to come by. However, I think I've found the one with Barry M Gelly Lychee. This really is a neutral almond nude shade that flatters my skin tone and applies well without streaks. I love the Barry M Gelly range in general but this is definitely my favourite! (See my nail swatch here)
Most Worn Pink Toned Nail Polish
Nails Inc Gel Effect in Uptown (£15.00)
This dusky pink is one of my most worn nail polishes in my collection and was the nail polish to make me love the Nails Inc Gel Effect range, of which I own quite a few now. This shade is somewhere between a nude and a muted pink shade and is perfect for every day. I can imagine this nail polish looking good against all skin colours! It also applies a dream and looks ultra smooth and glossy on the nails.
Most Worn Pastel Nail Polish
Essie Nail Lacquer in Mint Candy Apple (£7.99)
Essie do pastel shades really well! From nudes to pastel pinks, greens and blues there's a huge range of shades to pick from. Although I love all pastel nail colours I'm mostly drawn to mint shades and find this shade to be spot on. It is fairly new, however, I've already painted my nails with it so much and know it will be a well-used nail polish within my collection. Barry M are another brand that does light pastel shades well but Essie truly are fool proof, opaque in 2 coats and never look streaky!
Most Worn Bright Nail Polish
Nails Inc Gel Effect in Covent Garden Place (£15.00)
Come summer I love a vibrant nail colour and the one for the past year has been this pretty Nail Inc pink that applies a dream and feels like a gel. It also lasts well on the nails and doesn't crack even when the weather is really hot. But for some really bright shades I do own quite a few of the Models Own Polish for Tans nail polishes that are perfect for on the toes and cost only £5 each!
Most Worn Dark Nail Polish
Revlon Parfumerie Nail Polish in Autumn Spice (£5.75 - Amazon)
Annoyingly I'm sharing with you a now discontinued nail polish (though you can get it on the above Amazon link) but this truly is a favourite of mine that I use so much in the cold months. With its duochrome beauty of pink, brown and green flecks it a really unique shade but one that works and looks elegant and vampy on the nails. The bottle design along with the woody caramel scent also help me love it even more. As I can't just share a discontinued nail polish for my most worn dark shade, I'd have to say my next more worn polish would be Essie Bahama Mama which is a deep rich purple and just looks so glossy on the nails, perfect for winter!
Most Worn Glitter Top Coat
Essie Nail Lacquer in Hors D'oeuvres (£6.99 Amazon)
As you may have noticed I do love my Essie nail polishes! Mainly pastel shades but I also can't resist a glitter now and then, which they always do well. Essie describes this as a confection of platinum gold with a touch of iridescent silver glitter and as you can see that combination is pretty stunning. This is unlike any other glitter nail polish I own and just looks so luxurious on the nails. It also has a brightening effect which shows off a tan amazingly well. As glitter polishes are stubborn to remove I generally will just paint one nail as an accent on each hand, however, come Christmas time I do love to give myself a manicure with this!
Let me know your favourites here and also your most worn nail polish EVER! I think mine has to be Barry M Lychee.
Fee xo.
