Spring is in the air, and that means I am now reaching for my favorite spring manicure polishes. During the spring months, I find myself wanting to paint my nails mostly soft, pastel colors. The following polishes are all ones I’ve owned for many years, and I come back to over and over again. I would highly recommend them all!
OPI Mod About You is one of my longest owned colors, and I have actually used it all up and repurchased another bottle. This says a lot about how much I love this polish since I’ve collected so many different colors over the years, yet I reach for this one over and over and over again. Mod About You is the most perfect opaque, white, pink. It is spring in a bottle!
Really, what says spring more than bunnies? OPI Funny Bunny is sheer, white perfection. This color is another one I’ve had for many years, and I’ve repurchased. It is the classic, sheer, spring version of OPI Alpine Snow. A must-have, IMO.
OPI You’re Such A BudaPest is the perfect periwinkle color. The photo makes it look mostly purple, but this polish has just the right amount of blue to make it a little extra interesting. It’s a unique and beautiful nail color I wear often during the springtime on both my fingernails and toes!
Essie Go Ginza is another polish in the purple color family; however, this one has no blue tint at all. It is a light lilac shade. It has a slight whitish tint to the hue. It’s the perfect springy, pastel purple.
Peach is another color that reminds me of spring, and Essie’s Van D’ Go is a beautiful light, white, peachy color. It is opaque, yet soft and easy to wear. It almost feels like a neutral on the nails.
These are my go-to spring nail polish colors. Which one is your favorite?
***I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any of the brands included in this post, but I wish I was!***
OPI Lincoln Park After Dark with a snowy background
If you know me, you know winter is not my favorite season of the year. It actually comes in dead last. I truly despise being cold, and I don’t enjoy putting on the gazillion of layers required to stay warm. However, I’ve learned this year I can almost actually appreciate winter as long as I don’t have to go outside! Being cozy at home while watching the snow fall is a rather relaxing experience. I also appreciate being able to hibernate, so to speak, as I have so far this winter.
If you know me, you also know at home manis are like a meditative experience for me. I usually give myself one twice a week. I thoroughly enjoy choosing nail colors and painting my nails. I also just love how having a nice manicure makes me feel. So, today I’ll be sharing my top 5 winter nail polish colors that I come back to over and over again. All five of these colors just happen to be OPI. ***I am not sponsored by OPI, but I wish I was–I just truly love these colors!***
OPI Lincoln Park After Dark
OPI Lincoln Part After Dark is definitely a favorite. I’ve worn this polish for many years and purchased multiple bottles of it. I love a short, squared, dark nailed mani in the winter. This one looks almost black, but not quite, and a little purple. It’s winter nail perfection. https://rb.gy/exvupm
OPI Black Cherry Chutney
OPI Black Cherry Chutney is another one that is almost black, but this one has a hint of dark red, cherry shimmer. It’s deep and rich and beautiful. https://rb.gy/653o5d
OPI Russian Navy
OPI Russian Navy is an easy choice for me. It’s another one I come back to every year. The beautiful, deep, rich, shimmery indigo–is it navy?, is it purple?, is it black?-color is fabulous. (The photo of the bottle doesn’t quite do it justice!) https://rb.gy/b0dstj
OPI Big Apple Red
OPI Big Apple Red is a classic red. I cannot use this color without thinking about my late Grandma Nana and her long, oval, red nails. As a child, I remember watching her paint her nails, and I was always in awe because she was able to leave the white moons of her nails not colored. As skilled as I am at manis, I am still not able to do a half moon manicure like my Grandma! https://rb.gy/w7bjnv
OPI Pompeii Purple
OPI Pompeii Purple may be a bit unexpected for winter, but here’s the thing: I desperately miss all the color during the winter months. Everything is so brown or gray or white. Sometimes, I just want a pop of bright color to look at, and this is it. Pompeii Purple is a gorgeous, shimmery hot pink with purple shifts. (Once again, the photo of the bottle doesn’t do it justice.) It is a must-have, in my opinion!https://rb.gy/i84f8e
Those are my top 5 winter manicure picks! Feel free to comment below and let me know which ones make your list!
Fall colors in the midwest are beautiful and make fall one of my favorite seasons. Those who know me know I also love colors on my finger nails, and I enjoy specific colors with each season. I have been giving myself at-home manis for many, many years. I started painting my nails in middle school. In high school, which was the mid-90s, I would even do at home acrylic nails with a french manicure. To me, painting my nails is a meditative experience. I choose a color that sparks joy. I sit down, breath deeply, pay attention, and slowly paint each nail with a base coat, two coats of my color of choice, and a top coat. This process also requires me to sit and relax for at least 20-30 minutes after painting them in order for them to thoroughly dry. While this might seem like a lot of time to some, it is way faster than actually going into a nail salon to get them done and a great deal cheaper, as well!
Today I wanted to share some of my favorite fall nail color go-tos. These should still be available in stores; however, I often use ebay or Amazon if I’m having trouble finding a nail color I’m looking for.
Essie Angora Cardi
Essie Angora Cardi is a beautiful dusty rose mauve. I love this color, and I love the name. Nothing like wrapping up in a warm, soft cardigan during crisp, cool fall weather. This color has been a long time favorite of mine. I find it is universally flattering and have gifted it to others as well. It will transition nicely into the winter and would make a great stocking stuffer!
wet-n-wild Bite the Bullet
Wet-n-Wild Bite the Bullet is a beautiful gray lilac shade. I often think of lilacs as more of a spring or summer color; however, this has just enough gray in it that I tend to reach for it in the fall. It is one I have received compliments on as well.
OPI Linger Over Coffee
Lingering over coffee is another one of my favorite fall activities. Sitting outside with my husband on cool fall mornings with our fire pit burning and a hot cup of coffee in my hand definitely sparks joy. OPI’s Linger Over Coffee is what I would consider the perfect shade of brown. It has just enough pinky mauve in it that it looks rich and pretty rather than dirty or muddy. It is a newer polish of mine, but I am sure I will be using it for years to come!
Essie Off Tropic
This one is perhaps a little unconventional for fall, but there is something about the richness to the shade of green that makes it a fall go-to for me. Essie Off Tropic is beautiful. Green shades on nails can be tricky, but in my opinion, this one works!
Essie School of Hard Rocks
If you like a green nail color with a little more gray and blue to it, Essie School of Hard Rocks is the perfect fall teal. The oily look to my nails in this photo is my favorite nail drying drops which I cannot go without, OPI Drip Dry Drops: https://www.ulta.com/drip-dry-lacquer-drying-drops?productId=xlsImpprod5180213
And, sometimes when I can’t decide on one color, I decide I don’t have to and use them all! This fall mani includes the pinkie finger shade, Essie Topless & Barefoot (this is a must-have nude); ring finger shade, Essie Lady Like; middle finger, Essie Chinchilly; Pointer finger; Essie Cocktail Bling; and thumb color, Essie Maximillian Strass-her. Who says we need to limit ourselves to just one color at a time?
While I obviously really like Essie polishes, my other two favorite nail polish brands are OPI and Zoya. Zoya’s 3 in 1 nail polish remover, Remover+, is hands down, THE BEST. I do not use anything else. https://rb.gy/cobgtm
Throughout the years, I have used a variety of base coats, and although I don’t have a favorite, I do believe they are necessary for the length of the manicure and to help keep your nail beds from yellowing. If you have a favorite base coat, please share. I would love to know! My favorite top coat is Duri’s Rejuvecote1: https://cutt.ly/7ggHUbO It’s not a traditional topcoat, but it helps my polish last while also strengthening my nails. This was recommended to me years ago by my friend, Lisa, and I haven’t strayed from using it since! I put this on after two coats of my polish color and then drip on the OPI Drip Dry Drops. The following day I do another coat of the Duri Rejuvecote1 and the drip dry drops again, and my mani will usually last anywhere from 4-7 days. This is plenty of time for me as I enjoy changing my polish colors regularly.
As for the shape of my nails, you can see I vary from short and square to long and oval. As we transition into the winter months I love a short and square look with a rich, dark wintery nail polish color. However, I don’t want to talk about winter just yet~that post will come at a later time. Let’s enjoy fall. During this time of little activity and a lot of staying at home, I’m appreciating the simple pleasures in life even more than I ever have before. Fall is breathtakingly beautiful. Looking down at a freshly painted manicure with a fall color I love is a simple pleasure that sparks joy.
***This post is not sponsored by any of the brands mentioned above; however, I wish it were. 🙂
Leslie Kersha Living 