Nail Polish: the Good, the Bad, and the Bubbly of Spring 2011

I have worn lots of nail polish. Pink, yellow, red, blue, purple, I’ve pretty much tried every nail polish in my local stores, and unfortunately, not all of them are up to code. Some just suck. And FYI, yellow nail polish just doesn’t go with anything. We’re rapidly approaching spring, and with that comes the return of open toed shoes and cute, bright outfits. I for one am so sick of seeing jeggings and boots. Please, fashion police, arrest who ever thought jeggings were a good idea. But I digress, this post is not about fashion must-nots, but fashion must-haves! Specifically, what nail polish will go with this seasons hottest trends.

As most of you fashionistas will know, the current must have clothes for spring/summer 2011 are tail hem dresses, biker chic, and 70s glamour. And unfortunately, those awful bell bottoms. But, what everyone seems to under appreciate is the little accessory that can pull a whole look together; the nails! I mean, you wouldn’t wear neon green nail polish with a paisley mini right? It would clash and make the whole outfit look off. Not everyone knows that, though, so it’s my job to help!

First off, never, ever wear black nail polish. It hurts your nails, and other peoples eyes, plus it makes you look suicidal. Sure it was hot a couple years ago, but no more. Royal tones are definitely in now, along with bright, vibrant colors. Polish is just like any accessory, make sure it compliments your outfit. If you’re going to be wearing pale blue capri’s, compliment them with a light pink or blue. White is your best canvas, as it goes with any color wonderfully, plus white is definitely in this spring.

Secondly, who has trouble getting your nail polish to not bubble? Bubbles are the bane of most nail art enthusiasts existence, especially if we don’t have those neat UV polish dryers that the salons use. So, what can we do?

1) DON’T shake! Shaking only causes more air to get trapped in the polish, thus causing even more of those annoying little bubbles to emerge while drying.

2) Not too hot, not too cold. Don’t blow on your nails, hot air is not good for reducing bubbles, use a nail drying machine from the store or set your hair dryer on cool/low.

3) Apply a base coat, this helps protect your nails and provide a smooth work surface.

4) To get your nails to dry quickly, apply 3 thin, even coats, allowing about 5-10 minutes dry time between coats.

5) Apply a top coat, this protects from chipping and whatnot.

6) Finally, storing your nail polish someplace cool, like the refrigerator, can do wonders for the consistency.

Experiment with different nail polishes. I find I really like Pure Ice and Opi. Revlon seems to bubble almost every time I use it, while I’ve never encountered bubbling from Sally Hansan HD line, I especially love their Pixel Pretty color.

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