Building The Perfect Nail Wardrobe

Whilst it took me some time to truly build a love for makeup, I have always been a good lover of nail polish. Nail polish was probably my original hoarding problem and it still continues to have a large presence in my beauty collection. I have built up a well loved collection through the years and also discovered those must-have shades and brands that I always go back to. Some people may not like to have every possible colour of the rainbow in nail polish form so I thought I would break it down and look at those essential shades you need in your collection.

THE NUDE

One of my favourite kind of shades, a simple pretty nude shade. If you are looking for something fuss-free then a nude beige/pink shade is the perfect go-to. Simple but chic, it goes with any outfit. A perfect option for weddings or a formal event with a pretty yet luxurious feel.

Favourite shades:  Essie Sand Tropez, Essie Ballet Slippers, Nails Inc x VB Bamboo White

THE CLASSIC RED

A shade that surprisingly took me a while to get a hold of but one that is an essential in everyone’s collection. A classic red will never go out of fashion, it is that fail-safe option you can always rely on. Red nails look uber sleek and add a simple but chic splash of colour to a neutral outfit.

Favourite shades: Essie Fifth Avenue, Illamasqua Aorta, OPI Guy Meets Gal-Veston

THE GLITTER

You either love a bit of glitter or you don’t but c’mon we all need a good glitter nail polish for those festive occasions. I mean it’s not quite Christmas without a layer of something gold and sparkly, right!? It may be a pain to remove but a layer of something sparkly is always worth the effort!

Favourite shades: Essie Summit of Style, Nails Inc x Alice & Olivia Gold Goddess

THE SOPHISTICATED GREY

Now when I say grey I mean those greige/grey-y blue toned shades, yup so not quite full on 50 shades of grey. These are some of my favourite shades, a touch of colour through the blue-y tones yet the grey means it remains fairly cool toned and neutral. Another one of those simple but chic looks.

Favourite shades: Essie Master Plan, Essie Parka Perfect, Essie Maximillian Strasse Her

THE SPRING PASTEL 

After the darkness of Winter, I am sure we all want to inject a little bit of life and colour into our lives. Whilst I may not be the most colourful person, a little pastel shade on the nails won’t hurt nobody. I find a pastel the perfect way to add colour as it’s light and happy yet not too in your face.

Favourite shades: Barry M Rose Hip, Accessorize Heavenly, Nails Inc Mayfair Lane

THE BRIGHT SUMMER SHADE

Speaking of colour, come sun shining Summer time, there is nothing better than a touch of colour to suit a warmer complexion. It doesn’t have to be over the top fluorescent type of shade but a touch of colour adds that summery feel.

Favourite shades: Essie Chillato, Barry M Coral, Essie Roarrrange

THE AUTUMN BERRY

Whilst a pop of colour adds such positive connotations of Summer and great memories, nothing will ever beat the dark shades of Autumn. Those dark berries and deep purples will always hold a dear place in my heart.

Favourite shades:Barry M Matte Crush, Essie Bahama Mama, Nails Inc Grosvenor Crescent

What are your favourite nail shades?

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The Autumn Nails Edit

Without a doubt dark nails are my thing. I always get really excited for this time of year when it’s completely acceptable to start bringing out the deeper and darker shades. It’s not all dark plums and berries though as I do love the neutrals and all of those shades that feel super cosy and warm, if that makes any sense? In line with all my autumnal inspired posts I thought it was about time to share my favourite nail shades for this time of year.

The Neutrals 

Barry M Matte Nail Paint Caramel – Matte nails were never really much my thing but I was so obsessed with this matte range from Barry M a few years back. The collection had the best lineup of fall shades and the shade Caramel is one of my favourites. A beautiful beige nude colour, this shade goes with anything and looks super sophisticated.

Essie Sand Tropez – A new shade in my collection, this nude shade sits more as a grey-ish shade to Caramel, think greige. The sand hued shade fits as a perfect nude and you can always rely on the formula of Essie.

The Warm Browns 

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint Cocoa – The shade name really sums this colour up. Think a deep warm brown that conjuncts images of drinking hot chocolate by a roasting fire. Sheer Bliss. A very autumnal shade in another one of my favourite formulas, expect a great finish with this one.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint Paprika – Same formula, another brown based shade but a different hue. Paprika is such a typical Autumn like colour. An orange-y brown reminiscent of pumpkins and Halloween. I mean just imagine wearing this shade with a Pumpkin Spiced Latte in hand, Autumn goals right there!

The Berries and Plums 

Essie Bahama Mama – Another newbie in my collection, this gorgeous plum purple-y shade is currently chipping it’s way off my nails as we speak. No need to worry though as this has been on my nails for a little too long now! The colour though is gorgeous and pretty different from anything I’ve already got. It falls more into the purple side of things rather than the usual red which I love. A new favourite of mine for sure.

Nails Inc Grosvenor Crescent – I picked up this shade as part of the Nails Inc A/W collection from last year although I actually haven’t tried this shade out yet but I can’t wait to get this on my nails! This is such a perfect Autumn shade, a deep plum-y aubergine shade that appears to be the darkest shade in my lineup. I love a good dark nail and I am currently loving Nails Inc so this one I know I will love!

Essie Shearling Darling – I only have a little mini of this shade but it is one I definitely recommend. A must have fall shade, the perfect deep burgundy that everyone needs in their collection for this time of year. This is definitely one of my favourites.

Barry M Matte Nail Paint Crush – Another one from the matte range, this shade lies more on the red spectrum and is a fail safe deep berry shade. Again I really like the formula of these and the matte finish is a little different than the usual glossy style.

The Winter Blues

Essie Parka Perfect – Since wearing nail polish for many years I’ve took my time in realising the shades I truly love. Grey-ish blues are definitely one of my favourites, pretty specific there I know! Parka Perfect is a gorgeous blue-y grey shade that is slick and looks polished but still offers something more unique than a simple nude.

Essie Maximillian Strasse Her – One of my favourites, a similar shade to Parka Perfect although this runs a little lighter and appears to have a slight green-ish hue running though it. I spoke fully about this shade here but it’s a colour I will forever be coming back to no matter what season.

What are your favourite nail shades for Autumn? 

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