Favorite Spring Nail Colors Vol. 2

If there's one accessory I don't think I could ever go without, it's nail polish. I love the look of clean, polished nails, especially when I get to use fun, bold hues. While I love a good dark nail, I am more than ready to trade navy for teal and red for pink. Even if you don't use a lot of color in your wardrobe, your nails are the perfect place to add a little rainbow effect. I've been gravitating toward blues and cool tones for my nails this spring, but here are five colors that are for sure going to be making repeat appearances this season.

Zoya lacquer in Jo. The metallic finish on this dusty blue gives it the perfect amount of shine for spring. It's pretty and light and girly, and it goes with just about every other color. I love it when I want something cool and unassuming. It's pretty without drawing too much attention, and I love the Zoya line for it's long-lasting formula.

CND Vinylux in Cream Puff. White will always be a staple in my manicure arsenal now, because it just looks so clean and modern. I like white when I want a minimal look for my nails, and it's always fun to play around with nail art. The CND polish coats well, while other white polishes can leave streaks or need three layers just to stand out.

OPI polish in Miami Beet. I love a good dark pink for spring and summer. Brights are fun, but I like the sophistication of going a little bit deeper with the classic hue. It seems to match everything, and it's never a bad choice for toes, either! Plus, it looks good on all skin tones — even before you've had a chance to work on that tan ;)

Essie mirror metallics in Penny Talk. This rose gold metallic polish is a classic, and it's so fun to use with other colors as an accent nail for an unexpected pop. The bronze finish even reminds me of an elevated take on the classic nude polish. It's a good choice for classic, simple look.

Julep nail color in Dianna. Since I love cool tones, this bluish-green has been a favorite lately. It's pretty and fun without being too "out there" for everyday wear. I love wearing it on my toes because it looks great with sandals; the color pops against both tan and black! And I love the Julep formula — it goes on thick but smooth and lasts for several days.

What are your favorite nail colors for spring? Any recommendations for me to try? I'd love to know!

P.S. Read all my past nail color posts here.

favorite winter nail colors Vol. 2

Time again to share a roundup of some of my favorite winter nail colors. This year's favorites include lots of glitter, because winter needs a little shine while we wait for the days to get longer, in my opinion. I tried a few new polishes for this group, and some left me much happier than others. Spoiler alert: you do, in fact, get what you pay for.

Essie in "Summit of Style" – You gotta love when your friends and family supply you with all the glitter nail polish for Christmas. You just can't go wrong with a chunky gold glitter to top off your manicures, and this one has great staying power. It acts as a top coat to protect the bottom color, and the glitter spreads out so much better than other glitter polishes I've tried. I feel like Essie has really outdone itself in the glitter department (and if there's such a thing as an actual glitter department, how can I get a job there?)

Deborah Lippmann in "Modern Love" – This Deborah Lippmann set was another gift, and I couldn't be happier with it. Deborah Lippmann is a celebrity manicurist and created her own line of polishes that are absolutely amazing. You can immediately tell these are not your average drugstore nail colors. This blush pink is the perfect cross between a rosey pink and nude, for when you want just the slightest bit of color. 

Deborah Lippmann in "Some Enchanted Evening" – Add this rose-colored glitter on top and you've got yourself a match made in manicure heaven. I'm really not much of a pink person, but I love this duo. It's so fresh for winter, and it'll transition perfectly into spring. They are a little on the pricey side, but oh so worth it. 

Essie in "Ignite the Night" – This one was on my Christmas wish list, and I was so happy to see it in one of my presents! (Thanks mom! ;) It's such a beautiful glitter nail polish, and it's perfect for fun nail art and layering. I wore it over a nude polish for a classy but fun New Year's Eve look and got major compliments. This one will definitely move into my favorites pile!

Maybelline Color Show in "Black Matte" – I've been wanting to try a matte nail polish for a long time, and I was in love with the look of this black matte polish as soon as I put it on. The drying effects were pretty cool too, as it turned from glossy to matte almost immediately after applying. But (and this is a big but) the quality is terrible. I guess that's what I get for paying $2, right? It chipped within a few hours and looked terrible by the next day. I put two coats on and didn't use a top coat, so that might have had an impact on it. Word to the wise: try black matte polish, but make sure you buy a good brand. 

Which colors are your favorites? What are your favorite nail colors to wear in the winter? 

P.S. Favorite Winter Nail Colors Vol. 1, Fall Nail Colors Vol. 1 and Summer Nail Colors Vol. 1

Favorite Fall Nail Colors Vol. 1

I finally broke out the dark shades for my most recent manicure, so I thought it was time to do a post with my favorite fall nail colors. Plus, now that it's finally September(!), my brain is consumed with all things fall. So, here are the nail polishes I'll be wearing on repeat for the next few months.

OPI Infinite Shine 2 in Get Ryd-of-thym Blues. I have been looking for a navy nail polish for more than a year, and I finally found one. The closest color I had before was a blue that looked basically black, so I'm excited to have a genuine navy polish, as it's one of the most popular fall colors.

OPI in Schnapps Out of It! First of all, how adorable is this name? Oh, to be the person who thinks up the names of nail polish. Anyway, I bought this burnt orange a few years back and I always like to break it out in the fall to celebrate pumpkin season. It also has a slight shimmer to it, so the orange isn't too overwhelming.

New York Color in Lexington Lilac. Even though this one is a lighter hue, its rich tones make it a perfect fall color. Sometimes lighter purples can wash out pale skin, but I think this one looks great on every skin tone — even my pasty hands!

OPI Infinite Shine 2 in Steel Waters Run Deep. A good gray nail polish is almost as hard to find as the elusive perfect pair of jeans. Sometimes they're too light and look like a bad white, others are too dark and make nails look sickly. This one is perfect. I love the neutral nail going into fall this year because I plan on wearing lots of reds and greens and blues!

OPI in Cajun Shrimp. This has to be my favorite nail polish buy in recent memory. I had been wanting a red-orange color for the longest time, and when I finally found this one I threw it in my cart immediately. It's gorgeous on nails, with just the right balance between bright summer tones and rich fall tones. I don't love it quite as much on my toes because it looks a little too orange, but I think it would make a good summer pedicure for next year.

What nail colors are you wearing this fall? 

P.S. Favorite summer, spring and winter nail colors

Favorite summer nail colors Vol. 1

Since it feels like I've been painting my nails about every other day lately, I thought it was time to do a post about my favorite summer nail polish colors, which range from brights to neutrals to pastels. If you remember, I hit the dark shades pretty hard during the winter months, so come summertime, I'm all about the lighter hues. They look so fun and fresh — especially with a tan! (Not that I have one yet, thanks to this weather and a full-time job!) So, finally, here are the colors I've been wearing lately:

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in fuchsia power. This was a sort-of impulse buy that I picked up last weekend while I was traveling because my nail polish was coming off (badly) and I didn't bring any backups with me (rookie mistake!). I'd been wanting a fun summer pink though, and this has turned out to be just that. It's bold and bright without looking Barbie-ish.

OPI in what's with the cattitude (similar). Unfortunately, this OPI shade is pretty much impossible to find anymore. I've had it for a long time — it was actually part of the Shrek collection back when I was in high school. But it's a tried and true favorite that I use all throughout the year. It's a beautiful icy blue that does wonders for brightening up your pedicure without looking too funky or young.

NYC in Nolita's lavender. This is another color I picked up on a whim. I wore this dress on a date with Adam and I wanted to do my nails to match, so I went to Target hunting for a darker purple than the two pastel shades I had. It turned out to be beautiful. But the best part was the quality for the cost. It only costs a couple bucks but it lasted about a week before it started chipping — a solid purchase in my book!

OPI in gargantuan green grape. For an unexpected yet subtle pop of color, I like to use this light green shade. It's sort of a lime-mint combo that looks more white than green from a distance, but looks absolutely stunning in the summer sun.

OPI in samoan sand. And finally, the classic nude. So versatile, yet so classic. This one is perfect for light skin tones (like mine!), and it would look beautiful for wedding season. There are so many fun nail art designs you can do with a nude base, so don't be afraid to experiment!

What are your favorite nail polish colors for summertime? 

P.S. Favorite spring nail colors and favorite winter nail colors

Favorite spring nail colors Vol. 1

If you've been following my Instagram, you know that my nails have been brightening up big time in the last few weeks. With spring comes soft pastels and bright neons, and after months of dark winter hues I can't get enough! That's why I decided to share a few of my top favorites for the spring and summer months.

OPI and Essie are two of my favorite nail brands, but I've got several of these Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear colors because they have a great variety of colors and they're only about $2 a bottle. Plus, they typically last about a week before chipping, and you've gotta love that! Here's the run-down:

Essie polish in limo-scene. I talked about this color in my last nail polish post because I had just bought it, and I am glad I did. This color is so pretty and feminine. It's a warmer version of white with a slight pink coloring, which makes it the perfect spring shade when you want a classy manicure.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in lacey lilac. This one has been in my polish library (is that a thing?) for a several years, and last year I felt so-so about it. But when I put it on for the first time this season, I was like: WHOA, BEST COLOR EVER! Ok, that was cheesy, but I really, really love this pastel purple and the way it looks on my hands. I think it would look great with all skin tones.

OPI in dim sum plum. I borrowed this pink from my mom because I don't have much for pink in my closet (including nail polish), but this shade is just gorgeous. It's sophisticated but fun at the same time. It's one of my favorites for my toes in the summertime.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in coral reef. I just picked this one up a few weeks ago on a whim, and I am completely obsessed. I put it on my nails immediately (loved) and it's currently on my toes (love x2). It's really bright, but the color seems to change depending on the light so it always looks just a little bit different. I think this one will be showing up in a lot of my Instagrams this year, for sure ;)

What are your favorite nail colors right now? 

P.S. My favorite winter nail colors and a trick to remove dark nail polish stains

Favorite winter nail colors Vol. 1

Ever since I discovered black nails could be chic back in my teen years, I've had a thing for dark shades on my nails for the winter. I don't use black on my nails anymore, but two of my favorite polishes are very dark blue and green, and people often mistake them for black. There's just something so classy about a dark, shiny manicure in the colder months.

I feel naked if I'm not wearing nail polish, so it's extremely rare that you'll find me without it. And right now, there's a 90 percent chance you'll find me wearing one of these colors. The darks are my tried and true favorites, and the white is a new one I just tried and (surprisingly) fell head over heels for. It seems like all the fashion bloggers are wearing white or some similar shade on their nails, so I decided to give it a try. I couldn't believe how much I liked it. It even caused me to go out and buy a new pinkish-white color (limo-scene by Essie).

Santa Baby... My own wish list

1. Cheek to Cheek (Amazon) 2. Rose gold midi ring set (Forever 21) 3. Matching pajama set (Aerie) 4. Suede pumps (No longer available — similar style) 5. Monogram coffee mug (Target) 6. MAC lipstick in Heroine (MAC Cosmetics) 7. Blue and gold clutch (Francesca's) 8. Metallic eye mask (kate spade new york) 9. Red shimmer nail polish (Nordstrom) 10. Gold ear cuffs (Shop Bop) 11. Perfect tea steeper (Teavana)

Picking out everything for my gift guide and looking at all the other blogger guides out there gave me some great ideas for my own wish list, so I thought I'd share some of the other things I'm loving right now. It seems like Christmas will be here in a flash, so I need to start getting on top of my own present shopping — but I'm secretly hoping some of these will show up under the tree for me this year, too ;)

Wish List: Fall accessories

As you already know, I love fall — especially the chilly weather fashions (I've got a whole Pinterest board dedicated to exactly that). So I thought I'd share some of the accessories on my wish list this season.

1. Statement necklace: Style this up or down with an elegant dress or a graphic tee for multiple looks  2. Headphones  3. Statement ring  4. Knit scarf  5. Oxblood lipstick: I love the deep red color of this NARS Audacious lipstick in Jeanne for the holiday season...very festive and sexy  6. Stacking rings  7. Sunglasses  8. Tiered necklace: This one from Gucci is WAY out of my budget, but I still love it  9. Black ankle boots: The gold detail and the open design on this style are so versatile  10. Purple infinity scarf  11. Layered necklace  12. Nail polish: These navy blue, dark cherry and nude colors are absolutely gorgeous for fall  13. Tan booties  14. Berry lipstick  15. Clutch: The soft leather and shape make this a perfect accessory for any outfit, from cozy sweaters to date-night dresses

What's on your wish list this season? Anything like mine? :)

Fall nail polish

I've been looking for some new dark colors for fall and winter, and when I saw this green I couldn't resist. It's called Stylenomics from the 2012 fall collection, and I can't wait to try it. 

Also... I'm dying to try out a navy blue if I can find a good one. I really like this one.