Wednesday 3 April 2013

My Favourite Nude / Neutral Nail Varnishes


Hey girls!

Nude nails seem to be the 'next big thing' at the moment, and in my eyes it's a trend well worth falling for. They look effortlessly chic and sophisticated, compliment any skin tone, go with any outfit for any occasion and are the simplest way to make your nails look polished and perfectly manicured with the added bonus that they are a lot more forgiving when it comes to visible chips!

Nudes can come in a variety of shades and tones so I have picked out my top 6 to show to you all. There's an even mix of pink tones, brown tones (I'm gonna call it brown, if you want to called it 'coffee' or something like that then feel free), milky pales and slightly darker and more shimmery shade too. Chosen from a range of brands and a mixture of price ranges, hopefully there is something for everybody in this bundle!



Essie - 'Fiji' £7.99. When I was at the Essie stand in Boots trying to choose my first ever shade from them it was a toss up between Fiji and Ballet Slippers, two very similar shades, and by pure random choice I walked to the till with Fiji. Fiji is an 'off white' shade with the slightest hint of pink to it; almost like a white top that's been put in the wash with a red sock! It looks amazing next to deeply tanned skin and it the best way to rock 'almost white' nails without it being too trashy or intense because of the pinky hue to it.


Barry M - 'Lychee' £3.99. Ahhh, Barry M. Their reformulated nail paints to give a 'gel nail' finish are seriously impressive. At less than £4 a bottle I'm going to be stocking up on every colour they've got. One coat for full opacity, almost a week without chips and a high shine finish this is something that you need in your collection. Plus it is the 'perfect nude' shade as it's not too pink and not too yellow so in theory should suit everyone, right? Nude nails winner: Lychee.



Ciate - 'Cutie Pie' £9.00. I love this shade from Ciate as it is a really, really sheer 'barely there' pink tone that works as what I'd called more of a 'tinted clear nail varnish' rather than a colour. It's not one for everybody but if you don't like your nails to be fully naked but don't really like just wearing a clear top coat then this is a lovely alternative.


Ciate - 'Cookies and Cream' £9.00. Serious dupe alert with this and 'Lychee'! I had no idea how similar they were until I held the bottles next to each other. The shade is a little bit lighter and apart from the price tag that's the only difference that there really is! Ciate polishes last for days and days without chips, but then again so do the Barry M Gelly nails; it more or less just depends on whether you want to be a brand snob or not. If you like this shade you won't be losing anything by buying Lychee instead - just take your pick!



Models Own - 'Utopia' £5.00. Quite a well known polish from Models Own, 'Utopia' is a really, really pale lilac shade and looks lovely for a light wash of pinky colour over the nails. At just £5 for 14ml of good quality varnish Models Own are one of the best value brands and I'd always recommend them.



Models Own - 'Naked Shimmer' £5.00. This is a personal favourite of mine; not just in the nude nail stakes, but out of my whole collection of nail varnishes this one comes out on top. You can see me wearing it here and ahh it's just beautiful! It's a beige toned nude with a slight pink undertone and a gorgeous golden shimmer running through it to give it a little bit more dimension.


I hope that you all enjoyed this post and that you're enjoying nude nails too!

I would say that my personal favourite is 'Naked Shimmer', but if I was to recommend one to somebody wanting to try out their first nude nail varnish then I would say to go for 'Lychee' - only £3.99 too so you can't go wrong!

22 comments:

  1. I have fiji and utopia and they are both beautiful! definitely agree they will look beaut with a tan, if we ever see the sun again haha xo

    rufflesandlace44.blogspot.com

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  2. I love nude nails, think my favourite just now is Models Own's Nude Beige but I'm definitly going to try a few of these!

    http://d-is-for.blogspot.co.uk

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  3. Such excellent picks!!!! And your photos are lovely.

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  4. I love lychee and agree with what you said about the formulation. I think I'll stock up too! x

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  5. I have the two Ciate colours from the advent calendar too, but I don't really like either of them individually (I find Cutie Pie a bit too cutesy and sugary, and Cookies and Cream too grey and dull). I've taken to wearing them together - one coat of Cookies and Cream with a coat of Cutie Pie over the top makes a lovely 'mannequin hands' colour that works better on my skintone. Love the formulations though!

    Sarah x

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  6. Fiji is one of my all time fav. nudes! I really want to try the Ciate polishes now, they are gorgeous!xx

    Cat
    MaybeBabyXo.com

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  7. Really want to get the barry m lychee - it looks lovely. I've heard so much about Fiji but never actually tried it, I don't get the hype?

    Jess xo
    http://lovelyjubblyblog.blogspot.co.uk/

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  8. I love the Barry M Gelly nail paints and just brought Lychee the other day so I'm excited to try it out! great post :)

    www.sunbeamsanddaisydreams.blogspot.co.uk

    xx

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  9. Utopia is one of my favourite nail varnishes! xx

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  10. The MO naked shimmer looks amazing!! Want to get my mitts on a bottle of that...

    Nakita x

    nstylebeauty.blogspot.co.uk

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  11. Great shades, I need some like these x

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  12. Essie Fiji is one of my favorite shades!! I love nude nails also :)

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  13. love the shades, all so gorgeous in their unique ways :) X

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  14. Wanted Fiji for months now and Utopia looks lovely too. Nude nails is my favourite look. x

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  15. I love essie nudes, topless & barefoot is my favourite! utopia looks beautiful though :) x

    http://www.thebeautyvisual.blogspot.co.uk

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  16. Hi Hannah, I have a married niece who's last name is Ripley and she lives just outside London, could be a relation? I'm just stopping by to say how delightful your blog is. Thanks so much for sharing. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris
    http://chelencarter-retiredandlovingit.blogspot.ca/

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  17. I Love nude nails my favourite has to be porchester square by nails inc! I really want to try Barry M lychee heard so many good things about it xo

    www.maydoll.co.uk

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  18. I love the Models Own Utopia, such a gorgeous colour XX

    Hannah; Glitter and Sparkle

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  19. I love your blog! These shades are beaut gonna have to purchase them all i think!

    www.itsflashyfash.blogspot.com

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  20. I should prob be a bit more experimental with nude shades but I don't partic feel that they suit me. Not sure if it's my skin tone or :/. It's the same with nude lipsticks, they are pretty much a definite no go lol. X

    http://gemsi2011.blogspot.com

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  21. This has been so helpful as I'm on the hunt for some nude colours! x

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