I remember how excited I was when Hard Candy first launched that pretty little opaque pastel blue nail polish back in the nineties. It may sound odd now but up until that point there were very few polish brands that offered a solid opaque shade sans glitter… so when Dinah Mohajer mixed her own polishes in her bathroom little did she know that tons of girls on the USC campus were going to go nuts over them. From there Hard Candy was born… and most of us jumped on that bandwagon like crazy… I remember how much I adored the color Sky (a pale baby blue) for how great it looked with a tan… and the adoration lasted for at least a few seasons.
Soon I returned to my other favorite shades like Chanels Vamp and Urban Decays Smog or Oil Slick and put the pastel craze behind me.
Well, this summer I must be feeling a tad nostalgic for those pale shades because I couldn’t stop gazing at Refinery 29’s reviews of the top nail trends of 2011. If you missed it on their site, here are there top picks.
What do pastels, metallic grays, and sleek nudes have in common? They’re all part of the gorgeous and utterly fresh 2011 nail polish trends. Shades typically lighten up each spring, but instead of going sheer, this year’s crop of pastels stays rich and creamy–think smooth purples, bright blues, and yummy peach-tinged pinks. Plus, the nude lacquers spotted at a plethora of spring shows (like Marc Jacobs, Jason Wu, and Yigal Azrouel) are having their moment, and those looking for punched up hits of color won’t be disappointed either – It’s a cheap thrill!
Back to Nature Nudes —Nude-as-naked nails look refreshingly demure, yet provocative. Make sure your polish comes in a high-gloss formula so you don’t end up looking like you have mannequin hands.
Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in Naked, Essie Nail Polish in Sand Tropez,
The Blues Clues—Whether it’s Robin’s Egg or Tiffany’s Box, this pale blue shade has got “Spring” written all over it.
Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Barracuda,; Priti NYC in Forget Me Not,.
Peachy-Keen Pink—Need a polish that’ll make your tan shine? This is it, ladies.
Dior Nail Vernis in Pink Boa, $21,; Priti NYC Nail Polish in September Charm,
Lovely in Lavender—Purple nails are our secret weapon. Dusty purples, saturated lavenders, and shiny heliotropes look great with most skin tones.
Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Violet Diva,; Priti NYC Nail Polish in Geisha Girl
Gun-Metal Grays—Don’t forget about those metallics! Give your digits the full metal treatment with pearlescent polishes. The future is now!
Chanel Le Vernis in Black Pearl,; M.A.C. Champale Nail Polish in Very Important Platinum
The Can’t-Miss Topcoats—Give your polish an extra edge with a striking top coat that cracks over your color; one that adds a slick, holographic shimmer; or one that adds a gilded layer of nude shimmer.
Chanel Pearl Drop, CND Copper Shimmer, CND Perfectly Barely Shimmer, OPI Topcoat in Shatter
