My Relationship with Nail Polish

I don't know why but through the Summer months i go almost entirely off wearing nail polish, except for if i'm going on holiday. From about March to October last year i almost exclusively wore OPI's Original Nail Envy which really did help make a noticeable difference in the condition of my nails. It helped them strengthen and grow longer, quicker too. Not only did it help the quality of my nails but i also just like the way it looks, simple but glossy. Anyway, but come Christmas i am literally obsessed with nail polish and i can't get enough of it.

During November and December i changed my nail colour every week because i just couldn't wait to try out a new colour. I suppose that by Christmas, thanks to all my Nail Envy wearing, my nails are in really good condition, are long and strong and, lets be honest, nails just look better painted when they're longer. The same things happened the year before too, i only wore nail polish while i was on holiday between the months of probably May-November. Very strange but every time this happens i remember how much i love nail polish, and how much i love my nails looking long and manicured.

As you can probably tell from the image above, my favourite brand of nail polish is OPI simply because they have an amazing colour range and the formula dries so fast. One of my pet peeves, in life, is slow drying nail polish so when i find a brand that gets the job done quickly, i'll buy as many colours as i can. I do also dip into a bit of China Glaze and Essie too as they're both pretty good for drying time, as well as a few of the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine paints because they have seriously improved their dry time. I very rarely ever wear blue on my nails, except if it's an icy, silvery blue or a grey-toned blue and i never used to wear green either but over the last year i've actually added quite a few green shades to my collection from a dark, khaki colour to a grey-green and even a fairly light, shimmery green too. Another colour i never used to wear was pink, but i've actually jumped into that too as i think a lot of berry toned and rosy pinks work as great nudes for me. My all time favourite colour, however, is a classic berry or pink-toned red for the cooler months and i actually wear it all year round too.

I've just bought the Essie Grow Stronger Base Coat and the Essie Super Duper Top Coat to try because everyone says that wearing a top and base coat makes your polish last longer and is better for your manicure but so far i'm actually preferring not using a top coat. I might try, at least, the OPI top coat to see if that makes any difference. I've never used a base coat before now and i've never had a problem but i'd be interested to see if wearing a top coat regularly really does make a difference. Everyone seems to rave about the Seche Vite top coat but i tried it once and didn't like it, so any other recommendations are welcome.

Another chatty post today, which i actually like slipping in every now and again because it just feels like i'm writing to a friend or chatting to a friend over tea. Please do leave any comments with recommendations of any top or base coats you love or how you help your polish last longer!

K|xo