BEAUTY: NAIL POLISH ADDICTS ANONYMOUS: PART 2

Here's part two of Dina's nail polish tips. 

{Dina} So now you know where to buy and how to buy. How about what to buy? For each trend below, there are examples but make sure whatever you choose, it suits your skin tone and the occasion. 

For the Girly Girl In You

Who doesn't love a little pink? Often the easiest color to find, pink adds an instant flirty factor to your personal look. Neon, subtle, or bold - pink is such a versatile color and should be a staple in your budding nail polish collections. 

Go-Tos:

1. Knockout Pout by Essie (neon pink)

2. OMG by Orly (bold fuchsia)

3. Heart Throb by OPI (delicate pastel pink)

Pastel Preppy

Gorgeous pastels can completely change the feel of an outfit. Especially with some of the pastel polishes available, it couldn't be easier. Essie and butter London, in particular, frequently release beautiful sets of pastel polishes so be on the lookout! Go preppy, go pastel, no one cares if you're a sheep! But seriously, is there anything that's just as utterly pretty as pastel nails? 

Go-Tos:

1. Nice is Nice by Essie (the name cracks me up and the gorgeous light purple shade makes me happy)

2. Cheeky Chops by butter London (a beautiful pastel yellow)

3. Mint Candy Apple by Essie (if you managed to somehow get your hands on this color, I envy your cool mint nails so hard right now)

4. Lapis of Luxury by Essie (what looks like a deep blue in the bottle is actually a light dusty blue upon application) 

Taupe is the Word

Mannequin hands are huge right now and for those unfamiliar with the term - it's basically finding a color that is extremely close to your skin tone, thus producing 'mannequin hands' or even better 'Disney princess' hands. Nudes, taupes, and neutrals are my go-to when trying to find a work-appropriate color. I've included grays in here, although with their current popularity, they really should have their own category. Gotta love the trend that created the word 'greige' (gray+beige)! 

Go-Tos:

1. Chinchilly by Essie (the ultimate gray)

2. Barefoot in Barcelona by OPI (earthy red brown)

3. Sand Tropez by Essie (muted gray with brown tones) 

Primary Colors

For the bold among us, nudes and pinks just don't cut it. They want color and they want it loud. Capitalize on this trend by choosing muted or 'dusty' version of primary colors. Avoid matching it your outfit, style can take you only so far if you're still in 'matchy-matchy' zone. My personal favorites are OPI's  Ski Teal We Drop, a gorgeous deep navy blue, and Parlez Vous OPI, a dusty purple. 

Go-Tos:

1. Force by Illamasqua (I call this 'Superman Blue')

2. Brazilliant by Essie

3. Shrek Forever After Collection by OPI (With names like 'Funky Donkey' and 'Who the Shrek are you?', how can you resist?) 

All That Glitters

Shiny is back - with a vengeance. The Minx Manicure, particularly, has inadvertently started a trend for sparkly niles. Not the for the faint of heart, but very sparkly nail polish immediately increases your cool factor! If you're wary of this attention-grabbing trend, go for polishes that have 'micro shimmer' for a more subtle look…either way, sequins, sparkles, and shimmers will always have a place in my heart (and on my nails). 

Go-Tos:

1. Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous by OPI (silvery gray)

2. Kismet [gold] & Silver Odyssey [silver] by NARSl (how gorgeous are these?)

3. Kaleidoscope by Chanel Steeling The Scene by Essie (the name says it all!) 

The 'Alternative' Manicure

In my opinion, the whole nail art movement has a dangerous potential to ease into tacky. If you're doing some nail art, I'd suggest keeping it simple and consistent. The best nail art concepts are those which are accessible, understandable, and more importantly, don't take all day! And while we're on the topic, how cool are matte nails? So effortless and unique,and  although I love me a good topcoat, the matte trend is too cute. 

Go-Tos:

Matte About You by Essie (Matte Finisher)

A high attention span (I made a funny!)  

A quick tip for all those nail polish addicts out there (and I know there must be some!), before buying nail polish, make sure to look for a swatch online first. A swatch is sort of test for the nail polish and answers questions like: does color change on application? Is the brand or specific polish prone to chipping? Swatches are a great way to figure out exactly what a color looks like not only in real life but in different types of light (sunlight, indoor, etc.) My favorite swatch website (yes, there are actual swatch websites), is All Lacquered Up . Swatches are also easily found on Google Images just typing the name of the nail polish + swatch (e.g. Essie Knockout Pout swatch). 

Happy Nail Polish applications! May your nails ever be streak free and your hands steady always.

BEAUTY: NAIL POLISH ADDICTS ANONYMOUS: PART1

I'd like to introduce you to my newest blog contributor Dina who is my personal nail polish expert, she'll be sharing all there is to know about nail polish trends in a few posts. Read more below to get started with part one...

 {Dina} I have a very real and very expensive addiction to nail polish. I'm a sucker for neutrals, a lover of corals, completely gone for fireman reds…I could go on but I'm sure you understand. I do have a tab on my browser simply named 'Nails' (see manic obsessive picture below) and have no shame in admitting to my life-altering addiction of pretty nails. 

I love interesting shades and tend to shy away from traditional reds and pinks…which is all most salons usually have. That's what prompted me to start my collection. Why put yourself at the mercy of the nail salon's paltry selections? Nail trends are often overlooked and they really shouldn't be - it's the easiest way to elevate your look. A great color puts me in a good mood and actually makes me more confident about my appearance. We're quite lucky to have mostly sunny weather in the Middle East (although August weather sometimes doesn't really feel like a blessing) so we have the unique freedom of altering our nail polish whims to our moods rather than season appropriate colors.  Essie & OPI are my go-to favorites.

 As important as the color is, every foundation needs a good base so invest in both base coat and topcoat. I love Essie's First Base base coat but OPI's Start-to-Finish duo top and base coat is perfect to keep in your purse for touch-ups. However… Seche Vite is the ultimate topcoat if you're willing to ignore the strange smell as it's applied. When you've joined the world of Seche Vite nail snobs..it's probably the first sign of your descent into nail polish addiction. 

Must-Haves:

1. Fast-Drying Topcoat by Seche Vite

2. First Base Basecoat by Essie

3. From Start To Finish Dual Topcoat & Basecoat by OPI

4. Matte About You Topcoat Matte Finisher by Essie 

Other more specialized products (which not everyone may need depending on how healthy your nails are) include Essie's Ridge Filler and Dior's Crème Abricot Fortifying Nail Cream.

The world of nail polish addicts is a world unto itself - which is why I'm scarily familiar with common nail jargon. 

Dupes: Nail polish that is extremely similar to that of another brand, thus they are dupes. If your wallet is crying out against buying the entire Dior Vernis collection, then look for dupes from less expensive brands. 

VNL: Another secret…VNL is my pet peeve of life. Standing for 'Visible Nail Line', VNL is a sadly common occurrence to those who prefer sheer polishes (I loathe sheers, if you like sheers then I will likely consider you an alien) . I'm kind of the complete neurotic opposite - I'll apply three or four coats to avoid the dreaded VNL 

Jelly: Certain colors go on more smoothly than others - they're well pigmented and have a flawless finish that sometimes renders top coats unnecessary. Many Essie polishes are jellies - and super easy to apply. 

Sheet Marks: Let this be a lesson to you, future nail polish addict. The cardinal rule of nail polish is to NEVER EVER apply it before going to bed. Unless you want to wake up to what looks like a botched finger print attempt, apply at least two hours before bedtime.  

Matte: Exactly what it sounds like, matte nails are a huge trend currently. It's all about having nails that are 'matte' rather than shiny. Although some brands, such as OPI make special matte nail polishes in certain colors, your best bet is to invest in a matte topcoat (like the one mentioned above) so you can use it with whatever color you like. I'm a bit of a shiny topcoat type of person, but this is something everyone should try once. 

Next time, nail polish trends dominate I will share yet more of my obsession with you guys, including what additions are MANDATORY* to your nail polish collection.** 

*They really are mandatory.

**I assume that everyone has a collection (probably due to my unhealthy fixation on nail polish). If not, then get started! It's the ultimate instant gratification to have oh-so-pretty nails.