Essie Midnight Cami Nail Polish is a metallic navy, with a brighter blue, pearlescent sheen coming through when it catches the light. Subtle, the shimmer is finely milled and not at all tacky looking. Whilst the colour translates as much darker on the nail than in the bottle, it isn't as harsh as a straight-up black. The formula is thick and goes on evenly, with two coats giving a perfect coverage. Thanks to the wide, rounded brush, the application can be speedy and you can get close to the cuticle, without flooding it.

Revlon 485 Artsy Nail Enamel is a blue version of Facets of Fuchsia, which everyone lusted after a couple of years ago. Bright blue, hexagonal glitter of various sizes, plus feathery shards of the same color, are all suspended in a darker, navy base. If you want something a bit more exciting that a plain shade, then this polish will give you that. As the chunks of glitter are so large, the finish is very bumpy and uneven, needing a generous dose of a quality top coat to seal everything in place and prevent scratches. It can be worn alone, but I prefer to wear it over making it's easier to build up an even spread of glitter. The brush is thin and flimsy, but it does pick up a good amount of product, to give the nails a generous, even spread of glitter. To achieve the swatch below, it took three coats over a navy base, which personally, is the only way I like to wear it.

If you favour purple tones over blue, then Orly Oui Nail Varnish is a fun option. Deep, but vivid, the violet shade is shot through with a huge helping of golden shimmer. The sheer formula needs three coats to give fully opaque colour when used alone, but I like to layer it over a darker shade to give it stronger intensity. If used this way, the purple tone is dampened down and the gold shimmer becomes stronger. The finish is ever so slightly gritty-feeling, but a top coat gets rid of that. To achieve a perfect application, it takes a bit more work than other varnishes, but it's worth it and I always receive a tonne of compliments whenever I wear it.

Rimmel 600 Deliciously Dark Nail Polish is exactly as the name suggests. A very dark, shimmer-free aubergine colour, you could be fooled into thinking this was a black shade at a glance. Having a blackberry undertone to it, the shade has a subtle warmth, making it more flattering. If you're in a rush and only have time for one coat, this thick, creme formula will fit the bill. It's pretty much fully opaque in one coat, but two leaves no streaks. 60 second application? You might be exaggerating a bit there, Rimmel.