Pretty in Pink Polishes
Apr 11, 2012
I like nail polish, but I get impatient when it’s not perfect, so I usually save it for my toes. What can I say? I hate chips, and I type too much to keep a manicure perfect for more than two days.
But I digress…
While I’ll try an emerald green, a greige, a bright orange or a traditional red, I almost always reach for some shade of pink. And this season, there are some fantastic pinky hues on the market.
From the Left, Essie Sure Shot ($8), Chanel April ($25), Butter Trout Pout ($14), Essie A Cut Above Top Coat ($8), Dior Lucky ($23)
My favorite in this bunch is a tie. I love Essie Sure Shot for the deep jewel tones, but the melon-hued Trout Pout is also quite fantastic. Luckily, at less than $15 a bottle, I can have both.
Oh, and if you’ll remember, a few months ago yours truly won the Birchbox contest to design her own nail polish. So for all of you who took the time to vote for me (thanks again, by the way), the shade will be for sale at the end of this month. I’ll keep you posted on when, and I’ve been informed that I’ll have a few bottles to give away, so be on the lookout for a giveaway.
I second the Butter London Trout Pout. I love it! I'm already on my 2nd bottle, and I have never in the history of my life finished a bottle of nail polish before.
You should try gel polish! I never even made it two days before, but now I get OPI gel manicures at my local nail place and it lasts at least two weeks, depending on what color you get. Right now I'm wearing Bubble Bath (a very light pink) and it's been 16 days without one single chip. I don't recommend Shellac or Gellish because they don't last as long, but if you find a place with the OPI gels, give it a shot!
Be careful with gel polish. I loved it for a couple of months, but then my nails got so thin (removing the polish takes off the top layer of your nail) that my fingernails actually hurt when they removed the polish for the next coat. I finally just filed off the polish on my own. My nails under the polish were a rough mess. I'm still patiently waiting for the white spots and ragged surface to grow out.
I actually think the Shellac is the longest lasting and least damaging to the nails of all the gel polishes. Granted, none of them are good for your nails, but I thought the OPI gel was the most abrasive on my nails when removed. But to each her own!
I was a big gel advocate (only tried OPI, not Shellac) but have the same problem as KC. My normally flawless nails look like I dragged them over gravel. It's back to standard polish for me, but the difference has been Butter London's “top and tails” topcoat/nail foundation set – I've found I can get a complete workweek out of a manicure now, even with typing, scraping labels off things, and other normal nail-unfriendly activities. I definitely recommend, especially if you're using “3-free” polishes like Butter or Zoya – those tend to chip easily if you use a non-3 free topcoat.
I've got that glittery Essie topcoat, and I love how it looks. But it is a BEAR to get off, even when I have three coats of regular polish (basecoat and two of a color) under it. Same goes for a great Butter glitter polish I have. Any tips for getting removing glitter polishes?
I'm so glad you won the contest! Your creation was truly my favorite. I look forward to trying it out. 😉
Sarah: google “how to remove nail polish with aluminum foil.” that should do the trick.