First a tiny bit of housekeeping. Let me start by saying that my nails are in horrendous shape – you’ll see it! They are peeling something awful and I’m working on improving their condition, but for these polish swatches, my nails are a hot mess. Some polishes show it more than others, which may actually be beneficial if you too have damaged nails and are trying to disguise it. J And on a similar note, I slapped these polishes on quickly one right after the other, so messy paint jobs and some staining will be visible. The point is to show you how the colors look applied, not just in the bottle and I don’t have weeks to do proper painting and photographing. To save the annoyance of repeating myself, all of these shades covered well in 2 coats (unless noted) and that is what I’ve photographed. So, now that we’ve gotten the disclaimers out of the way, let’s get into the colors already! J
I’m going to start out with the neutrals. My first neutral pick is from Nails Inc. and it is the shade "Porchester Square." This color has been around for ages in varying formulas. I happen to have used the Gel Effect because it is currently available at Sephora. It’s a beautiful light grey crème that is not so cool that it looks cold and unwelcoming. It’s really a year-round staple, but I especially enjoy it in the Fall and Winter months.
For a slightly warmer and deeper neutral, we have "My Lodge Or Yours?" from China Glaze. This is from their most recent “The Great Outdoors” Collection and should still be readily available. I love this color! It’s a beautiful warm medium brown-y beige with a touch of gray in a creme finish. It reminds me of hot chocolate that’s had whipped cream melted in. It’s a lovely shade, though perhaps not that unusual (Nails Inc.’s “Windsor Mews” is nearly identical).
Nails Inc. "Porchester Square" vs China Glaze "Your Lodge Or Mine?"
Sticking in the brownish family, we have another shade from China Glaze. This is also from “The Great Outdoors” Collection and it is called "Cabin Fever". This polish is stunning and totally unique. It is a rosy-burgundy-chestnut-gold shifting duochrome metallic. Absolutely stunning and I don’t think I’ve ever seen another polish quite like it! I would say you need this polish for Fall! It encompasses all the beautiful shades of autumn leaves.
An alternative to “Cabin Fever” and more of a traditional chestnut-mahogany brown is one of my perennial favs. It is “Root Beer Gloat” from theBalm. You don’t hear this polish mentioned much, but it’s stunning…especially for a brown! It has a lovely metallic finish with minimal brush strokes.
China Glaze "Cabin Fever" vs theBalm "Root Beer Gloat"
Every Fall / Autumn needs a gold, right? My choice this year is from Julie G and it is called “YOU-niverse.” Yet another duochrome metallic. It is more of an almost brassy antiqued gold that has that green-blue shift as your nails move. I had trouble capturing it well in pictures, but you can kind of see the shift. A lovely shade and a great formula as well!
I guess next we’ll move into a muted color. This one I posted about recently in a Mani Monday. It is Zoya’s “Gemma.” Obviously I love this shade. J It’s sort of a softer, but more intense khaki green with a gorgeous subtle blue-fuchsia shimmer that shows up nicely when the light hits it just right. It’s one of those ugly colors that looks so nice on the nails. It really complements my skin tone. This polish did take 3 coats to build up to fully opaque, but it’s totally worth it! J
A much deeper green is one of my absolute favorite greens! It is “Echo” from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC). This is probably best described as a chalkboard green creme. It’s a deep green with just a hint of blue and I love it so much because it doesn’t ever look black! It’s a beautiful shade and I can’t think of a better time to wear it.
This next shade is rather bright, but somehow still dark blue creme. Another shade that I love because you’re not going to confuse it for black. It is “Oceanic” from Formula X. It looks a bit brighter in the photos, but it definitely is a bright blue that is somehow still quite deep. It’s the blue that I spent my entire teenage life searching for! I guess I’d say it’s a vibrant deep blue – not navy by any means, but not royal either. Just perfect! J
Heading to the opposite end of the color wheel, we have the perfect autumnal pumpkin spice orange. It’s actually a matte finish polish and I have shown it with and without a top coat. It becomes a metallic with the top coat. It’s called “Motivated” and is another one from Formula X. This one shows the nail damage really well, but it is such a perfect autumn shade. I really can’t imagine a more perfect Fall orange. Absolutely love this shade!!!
For a purple, because what are nails without purple options? J I have chosen Zoya’s “Hope.” This is yet another metallic (I must have a thing for metallic this Fall!) with no brushstroke issues. It’s a deep, warm-leaning purple that, you guessed it, won’t be mistaken for black. J
Finally we get to the reds. I always love berry, burgundy, wine and red shades in the Fall. I feel it’s really their time to shine. J The first one is the most basic of reds. Beautiful, mind you, but it’s the most traditional red. It is the shade “Salsa” from China Glaze. Perfect slightly blue-based middle of the road red crème. Not too warm, not too cool. Not too bright, not too dark. It should be called "Red Riding Hood Meets Goldilocks" or something! J
Moving on to a slightly more berry-toned red that looks practically identical in the photos (I did my best to get it accurate, but nothing worked). It is “Cherry Ripe” from Priti NYC. This is just a gorgeous wine crème that is so perfect for Fall. Not too vampy, not straight red, and it doesn’t look black! J Perhaps not terribly unique, but I love this shade.
China Glaze "Salsa" vs Priti NYC "Cherry Picking" ("Cherry Picking" is noticeably more berry-toned in person)
The last opaque polish is probably the least expensive! It is one of the “Wild Shine” polishes from Wet n Wild and it is called “Burgundy Frost.” Very accurate name! It is essentially a burgundy metallic. It is a tiny bit brush stroke-y, but nothing unbearable. The formula of these polishes is truly impressive (and only $0.99)!!!! In the photo it appears slightly lighter, but again I did my best. It’s a gorgeous burgundy which is pretty much a must-have for the Fall.
China Glaze "Salsa," Priti NYC "Cherry Ripe" & Wet n Wild "Burgundy Frost"
Finally we have a shredded glitter topper. It is another one that was recently in a Mani Monday. It is “Maria-Luisa” from Zoya. It’s a very warm, almost brassy gold shredded glitter in a clear base. I have shown it both over a white (OCC’s “Feathered”) and a black polish (Wet n Wild’s “Black Crème”). I absolutely love this glitter. It’s a touch more sophisticated than most glitters and the warm tones are perfect for Autumn. Makes me think of golden leaves.
"Maria-Luisa" over Wet n Wild "Black Creme"
"Maria-Luisa" over OCC "Feathered"
That’s going to do it for my favorite polishes this season! Thank you for bearing with my horrid nails and sloppy painting skills. I will probably do another installment for the Holidays as I always feel like more glitter, shimmer and sparkle make the Holidays even more exciting! I hope this gave you a bit of inspiration for your nail choices. Let me know what colors you love this time of year because a polish junkie always wants to hear more! J Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon!!!
