When it comes to nail polishes, I’m pretty much only loyal to one brand - Essie. I’ve got a couple Sephora Formula X polishes and some Nails Inc in my collection too, but Essie is just my favorite. There are so many colors to choose from, new shades coming out every season, and most of the shades I’ve tried have an excellent formula. On me, with a base coat and top coat, they don’t chip for days. I thought I’d run through my top favorites, and it turns out they’re all in the same kind of color family - very neutral, of course.
The palest of my favorites is Ballet Slippers. It’s a milky pale pink that is a little sheer, so it takes about three coats if you want a pure opaque color. But this is one of those super pretty “my nails but better” colors when worn more sheer-ly, so I really like that it’s versatile. This is probably my most-worn shade because I just find it so pretty. If you’ve been wanting to try a while manicure but are worried about it looking too stark, try this one - the soft pink hue won’t leave you looking like you’ve painted your nails with Wite-out.
My next favorite is the only one that’s not a typical creamy finish - it’s a metallic. It’s called Buy Me a Cameo, and it’s a beautiful rose gold. This one applies really evenly despite metallics being notoriously streaky. I really like using this color as an accent nail with Ballet Slippers on my other nails.
The perfect neutral shade for me is Ladylike. It’s like a mix of rose, beige, and gray, with maybe a little bit of lavender thrown in the mix too. It’s incredibly flattering on my pink-toned skin and adds a little something-something without being too attention-grabbing. This is reminding me I need to break this one out for my next manicure.
If you took Ladylike and deepened it by a few shades, you’d have Merino Cool. Like Ladylike, it just adds a nice definition to the nails without being a crazy color. But since it is darker, it makes a bit more of a statement. This is a perfect color to wear as the weather starts cooling down.
Lastly is the newest of the favorites, and it’s Angora Cardi. This one is another perfect color for fall because it’s got a berry tone to it, but it’s not dark and vampy like some other Essie loves (Sole Mate being the one that didn’t quite make it into the top 5). It seems like it has a bit of gray in it to tone down the color and make it seem like a neutral. This would be a good one if you normally like red nails but are looking for something a little more toned-down.
What’s your favorite nail polish?