Nail polish is a great accessory that you can use to express your individuality. People like to use specific colors during particular times of the year. For example, people like to use pastels for the spring/summer or red for the holidays. Personally, I paint my nails whatever color I feel like wearing
during any time of the year. To me, beauty is another way to express yourself and set yourself apart from everyone else. After going thru my nail polish collection, I have selected eight nail polishes that are my favorite for this winter season.
When applying nail polish, you want to make sure that you use two thin coats of polish to avoid early breakage. When you apply thicker coats or too many coats of polish, the chances of your nails chipping increase. A good way to tell if you have purchased a good quality nail polish is to see how
many coats of polish it takes you to achieve a flawless nail application. Again, the average amount of coats you want to use is around two. Using a bottom and top coat will help the longevity of your nail polish as well. The best bottom and top coats I have found are the OPI bottom and top coat as well as the Sally Hansen Gel Shine 3D Top Coat. The only drawback I have found with the Sally Hansen top coat is that it can take a little longer to dry. To help with this, I love using the OPI Rapidry Nail Polish Dryer Spray. After painting your nails and applying a top coat, you can spray your nails with the OPI Rapidry spray and it will help speed up the drying process.
The first nail polish I want to talk about is Essie Blanc (10). This is an opaque white nail polish. It has a bit of shine to it without it being shimmery or glittery. Essie Blanc takes about two coats of polish for it to be a nice finish. If you add any more layers than two or three, Essie polishes tend to chip more easily than others so I would be consious for this when applying. White nail polish is a great color to wear because it does with every outfit and every look. I would consider white more of a neutral color, but it is still gives you a pop against your skin especially if you have any kind of tan.
Essie Blanc: $8.50
Where can you buy this: Ulta, Target, essie.com
http://www.essie.com/Colors/Sheers/blanc.aspx
The next nail polish I want to talk about is Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Sweet Talker (340). Sweet Talker is a beautiful peachy nude polish that is slightly on the sheer side. It definitely gives enough color pay off but is not too opaque. I absolutely love the Sally Hansen Complete Salon
Manicure nail polishes. The longevity of the nail polish is amazing and the color pay off is always great. They are a little expensive for a drug store nail polish, but Ulta usually has some kind of deal or a $3.50 off coupon you can use. A nude nail polish is always a great choice and one of my favorite
colors for all year because like the white color, it goes with eveything. The trick is finding the nude color that suits your skintone the best.
Sally Hansen Sweet Talker: $7.99
Where can you buy this: CVS, Ulta, Walgreens, Walmart
http://www.cvs.com/shop/beauty/makeup/nails/sally-hansen-complete-salon-manicure-nail-color-sweet-talker-skuid-901518
The next polish I am loving right now is MAC Cosmetic Quick Million. This is a gorgeous glittery gold polish with baby pink sparkles in it. MAC Cosmetic nail polishes can tend to chip quickly so using a good top coat is super important when wearing a MAC polish. However, I think this color is well worth the chipping just for the color. It is so unique and can even be used as a nail polish topper with one thin coat over another polish. This is one of the few nail polishes I would recommend using three coat (but no more than that.) Since the formula is so sheer, you will need to use about three coats to get a good color payoff. Glittery nail polish is usually a big trend during the holidays, but I love glitter all year because who doesn't want a little sparkle in your life.
MAC Cosmetic Quick Million: $12.00
Where can you buy this: MAC Cosmetics, Macy's, Nordstom
http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/13855/31461/Products/Makeup/Nails/Lacquer/MAC-Studio-Nail-Lacquer#/shade/Quick_Million
Another MAC Cosmetics nail polish that I have really been enjoying lately is Girl Trouble. Girl Trouble is an extremely light lilac color with shimmer running through it. Again, MAC nail polishes tend to chip more easily so you will want to top it off with your favorite top coat. This nail polish is
a great color when you are looking for a shimmery nail polish that does not have chunks of glitter in it. Also, I have been loving the light lilac color because it gives you some color without drawing too much attention to your nails.
MAC Cosmetics Girl Trouble: $12.00
Where can you find this: MAC Cosmetics, Macy's, Nordstrom
http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/13855/31461/Products/Makeup/Nails/Lacquer/MAC-Studio-Nail-Lacquer#/shade/Girl_Trouble
If you don't mind drawing some attention to your nails, L'Oreal Violet Vixen (500) would be a great color choice. I would consider Violet Vixen to be a deep violet/magenta shade. This is such a beautiful deep nail polish for winter while still adding a bit of brightness. I am in love with the L'Oreal nail polishes! They are so well made and are not too expensive. This is one of the few nail polish brands (especially in the drugstore) that barely ever chip. I have applied two thin coats of the L'Oreal nail polish and it has lasted a week and a half without chipping. That's amazing! The formula is consistent with almost all of the colors.
L'Oreal Violet Vixen: $5.99
Where can you buy this at: Walmart, Walgreens, Target
http://www.lorealparisusa.com/en/products/makeup/nail-color/nail-polish/colour-riche-nail.aspx?shade=AfterHours
You can never go wrong with a classic red. One of my favorite reds is OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress. This is a classic deep red with shimmer. The color red always reminds me of the winter, but wearing a red nail is so classic and feminine that you can never go wrong. When I can't figure out a good nail polish to wear, I usually go from a red or a nude. Red adds a pop of color, yet has become a staple nail polish color for most people so it doesn't come off as too much. OPI is also one of my favorite nail polish brands. Being on the more expensive side, you are paying for what you get. OPI polishes tend to be one of the few brands that last a long time without chipping. Again, you can find OPI at Ulta and use one of their coupons to get money off your purchase. Even with the price, I think they are well worth it!
OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress: $9.50
Where can you buy this: Ulta, OPI.com
http://opi.com/color/im-not-really-waitress-2#JlxgX3sYSkrCKpqF.97
If you want to add a true pop of color to your collection, I suggest getting Julie G nail polish in Kickin' It. This is a metallic electric blue color. It is truly a vibrant pop of color that goes with all skintones. You cannot go wrong with purchasing Julie G nail polish because they are so cheap! You can buy multiple polishes for the price of one top nail polish brand. I have a bunch of the Julie G polishes and I have found that they are very pigmented and a good quality formula. Blue is one of my favorite pops of color to wear on my nails because it is so unusual, so if you are looking for a metallic blue, you should definitley check out Kickin' It by Jule G.
Julie G Kickin' It: $3.99
Where can you buy it: jessiegirlcosmetics.com
https://www.jessesgirlcosmetics.com/product/julieg-nail-color-2012/kickin-it-341
Lastly, I love going for dark colors during the winter time. One of my favorite dark colors is L'Oreal Stroke of Midnight. Again, L'Oreal is one of my favorite nail polish brands and this color in particular is one of my favorite from the brand. It is such a beautiful deep gunmetal grey with a slight shimmer. If you do not like to wear black nail polish, but you want the same effect, you should try this polish out. It gives the vibe of a dark blackish grey but it has the shimmer running through it so it doesn't appear flat like some blacks can.
L'Oreal Storke of Midnight: $5.99
Where can you buy this: Walmart, Walgreens, Target
http://www.lorealparisusa.com/en/products/makeup/nail-color/nail-polish/colour-riche-nail.aspx?shade=AfterHours
All Photo Credits to: Becky Schutten
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