The time to shun darker, vampy nails for lighter and brighter tones is fast approaching. Spring is finally in our sights and the weather seems to be taking a turn for the better (touch wood), but my nails are already in predictable pastel mode. Here are the five polishes I've been wearing in rotation, for Spring.
The New White collection from Nails Inc was a big deal last year, but I'm still well and truly head over heels in love with Swan St. A milky, mint shade that's not too green, it's a very fresh, clean colour that looks so flattering on the nails. Some beauty buffs say that the formula is pants, but I find two coats does the trick, with three providing totally even coverage. Thankfully, the fat, curved brush helps to apply the colour quickly and easily and the polish is fairly fast drying, so you don't have to set aside a whole hour to paint your nails.
Essie Fiji is a classic. The soft, ballerina pink is a sophisticate's dream and always looks chic, no matter what you wear it with. Ideal for boosting the look of a tan in sunny weather, I love to wear it for holidays especially, as it's a less harsh alternative to a stark white shade. Notoriously laborious to apply, it does require a high level of patience, though. As the formula is so sheer, it's certainly not a one-coat wonder and can be a streaky nightmare to begin with. If you're rushed for time, you can get away with wearing two coats, but three will ensure a perfect finish.
Another pretty pastel, but another annoying formula, I'm afraid. I absolutely adore this cool-toned, lilac-laced shade and get a lot of wear out of it, so I couldn't possibly exclude the bottle from my line-up. But, being honest, I have to slather it over a white polish first. As the polish is so thin and watery, it streaks like a #$!*&, but that does mean it dries quickly between coats. I'm not really a fan of a light wash of colour on the nails which it is great at creating, so I just cut corners and layer it over a white first. An opaque look can be achieved with four to five coats alone, which leaves nails with the effect you can see in my swatch below (no white base used).
If anyone asks me for high-street, nail recommendations, I always point them in the direction of Barry M's Gelly Nail Paints. Not only is the shade range just beautiful and vast, but the formula takes the effort out of application. Painting nails doesn't have to be a beauty chore, after all! Whenever I want to move away from pastels, but still stay understated, I'll reach for a nude and one of my favourites is Lychee. A nice neutral that doesn't lean too pink or yellow, it's a great colour when I want a subtle nail that doesn't draw attention away from an outfit. The self-levelling, thick lacquer simply smoothes on and provides an opaque finish even in one coat. Just like a gel manicure, the finish is smooth, shiny and has great longevity.
Verging on neon, Cake-Hole from Butter London is one of my favourite hot pinks, despite looking more red/coral in my swatch. An alternative to pastels for Spring, it's the perfect pick-me-up and instantly brightens your mood. The brush isn't anything special, but Butter London's polishes are specially formulated without any toxic nasties, including Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP. Having such a smooth, liquid formula, the varnish applies so well and looks flawless in just two coats, with no lumps or bumps to ruin your manicure. Interestingly, the creme colour looks and feels almost rubbery to the touch when dry (before applying a top coat), which I wasn't expecting when I bought it, but now rather like!
What are your favourite nail colours for Spring?
AGB X
AGB X
41 comments
I love bright colours for Spring so the Butter London one would be my pick from these! I really like the look of Swan St, too <3
ReplyDeleteJess xo | The Indigo Hours
I usually use mostly pastels during Spring, but I do love brights too! :) x
DeleteI think my favourite has to be the Butter London one! Such a bright colour and really makes me want the summer to hurry up! Lovely post and photos as usual x
ReplyDeleteLove, Maia
www.maiacreed.com
I know, I can't wait for the sunshine and warmer, no-jacket-needed weather! Thanks, lovely :) x
DeleteThat lilac shade is absolutely gorgeous
ReplyDeleteBeauty Candy Loves
It's a beauty, isn't it? :) x
DeleteI love the look of that Butter London polish! xx
ReplyDeleteBeautylymin
Go and check it out in person, it's even more beautiful! x
DeleteSuch a gorgeous selection, I can't wait to start wearing pastels :) Nails Inc Swan Street looks so pretty! x
ReplyDeleteAlways, Alice
I couldn't wait any longer so had to start wearing them! x
DeleteThanks :) x
ReplyDeleteI love pastel shades for Spring! That Bourjois lilac shade is so pretty! x
ReplyDeleteMummy’s Beauty Corner
You can't really help but love them really! :) x
DeleteI love the Bourjois Peace and Mauve one but like you find the formula so annoying, who wants to be applying four or five coats to their nails? I've never thought of using a white polish first thought so think I will definitely be giving this a go.
ReplyDeleteKristy | thevioletblonde.com
I know, it's so frustrating! You still have to layer on two coats over the white polish (depending how strong you want the lilac colour to be), but it does cut the application down :) x
DeleteI've definitely been reaching for pastels lately, I love these colors! My favorites are mint green and peach for spring. Swan Street is an amazing color!
ReplyDeletewww.beautyfromkatie.blogspot.com
I love a good peach, too, but I don't actually have one in my collection at the moment! x
DeleteWow do you paint your own nails?! They're so neat! I'm a nail tech and it took me forever to paint this neatly! The shades are gorgeous too, I love how trends change with the season x
ReplyDeleteallthatshimmers.co.uk xo
I do, yeah! Thanks so much, I didn't realise they were particularly neat haha! Me too, I'm always ready for a change when a new season rolls around :) x
DeleteI fell in love with the Nails Inc. and the Butter London ones. All of the were gorgeous and totally spring-worthy tho! XO
ReplyDeleteJune | https://hellolipstick.com
As soon as I spotted the Nails Inc one, I had to have it! I'm so glad you like my picks :) x
DeleteSo many pretty polishes! I love the minty one, I'm all about the pastels for spring
ReplyDeleteEmily x | emilyclairewrites.com
Snap :) x
DeleteEssie Fiji is so gorgeous! Definitely going to try this shade! x
ReplyDeletewhiteshirtchic.blogspot.co.uk/
I hope you love it as much as I do! x
DeleteAll such gorgeous colours for Spring :) I love the Nails Inc and Butter London colours x
ReplyDeletehttp://www.itsjessiejane.com/
So glad you agree! :) x
DeleteI love all of the shades you've chosen, especially the Bourjois Lilac shade - it's so pretty xx
ReplyDeleteGemma ♥ Miss Makeup Magpie
Isn't it just, I only wish the formula wasn't so sheer! x
DeleteFiji is so pretty! Lovely post :) xx
ReplyDeletewww.chasingbelle23.blogspot.co.uk
Thanks, Georgia :) x
DeleteI love a good pastel minty green for spring! Unfortunately these can be a pain to apply, but lucky I've found the perfect one with Zoya Neely. It's never streaky and opaque in 2 coats, I love it!
ReplyDeleteBeaumiroir
I'll have to check that one out then! :) x
DeleteSo many gorgeous shades for spring, I'm loving the pastel ons in particular. Nails Inc Swan Street and Essie Fiji are probably my favourite (btw I love the shape of your nails) x
ReplyDeleteBeauty with charm
Aw, thanks! :) x
DeleteBeautiful color! Hoy do you do your nails? They look absolutely beautiful haha
ReplyDeletehttp://estefaniareviews.blogspot.mx
Thanks so much :) No special way, I just make sure I pay regular attention to my cuticles, buff them smooth, apply lots of cuticle oil and use a good base coat! x
DeleteIt is so rare to find good formulas when it comes to light shades, yet putting a white layer of nail polish before applying the actual one is a great tip!
ReplyDeletehttp://fannyanddailybeauty.com
Hopefully you find it helpful if you give it a try! x
DeleteLove the look of all those! :-)
ReplyDeletemoremindfulyou.blogspot.com
It's hard to pick just one when I've been painting my nails for that reason haha! I'll have to try and incorporate them all into a Spring nail art look, I think! x
DeleteThanks for taking the time to read this post and leave a comment! I try to reply to each and every one of them within 24 hours! x