3 Beauty

Favorite Neutral Nail Polish

One of my most asked questions on all social platforms is, “what nail polish color is that?!” and depending on the season, it’s usually 1 out of 5 colors.  I typically stick to lighter neutrals in the warmer months and rarely stray away from whites, pale pinks, and light taupe.  I almost always do my nails myself (unless there’s a fun girl’s event around going to the salon), so on top of sharing my favorite polish colors, I’ll also be sharing a few tips I’ve learned along the way from being my very own nail tech.

FAVORITE NEUTRAL COLORS

OPI Infinite Shine ‘Beyond The Pale Pink’ — this has been a recent favorite of mine over the last year.  It gives the look of white nails with a tiny pink undertone and is probably my most-worn shade over the last two summers.  I’m a huge fan of the OPI Infinite Shine system — it’s a series of three steps: base coat, color coat, & top coat, and tends to last about a week without chipping.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel ‘Get Mod’ — if you’re looking for “white out” nails, this is your shade.  I’ve probably gone through 5 bottles of this color since starting this blog.  What I love about this stark white shade — it looks good on my skin color year-round (it’s seriously THAT white), so it’s a neutral I can get away with even in the winter.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel ‘Creme de la Creme’ — For so long, this was my go-to… it was even the color I used for my wedding weekend!  I’ve told this story before, but I could not find a color that topped this one while getting a few trial manicures for my wedding, so I brought this shade into my local salon the day of my rehearsal dinner as a last resort!

Essie Gel Couture ‘Pre Show Jitters’ — in between white and a pale pink, this color is beautiful, but you need at least 3 coats of color for it to have that gel look.  I do absolutely love the Gel Couture line (and love that it’s only two steps), but I tend to love it more for darker shades and will be doing a similar style post when the weather cools down!

OPI Infinite Shine ‘Tenacious Spirit’ — my favorite transitional color.  Usually around early February and late September, I get the urge to switch up from my routine colors.  I absolutely love this shade of taupe — it’s pretty dark against my fair skin.  It helps bridge the gap between light neutral colors and going dark for fall and winter.

SOME NAIL MAINTENANCE TIPS

  • I bought myself a little nail kit with tools similar to what they use at the salon, and give myself a good manicure every 3 weeks.  I also love this cuticle cream, which I’ll work in around my nails prior to pushing back my cuticles.
  • Even when I’m not giving myself a full-on manicure and just doing a polish change, I always make sure to use the cuticle cream around my nails, and then will wipe my nail beds clean with a little nail polish remover prior to painting.  Keeping the skin around my nails moisturized makes it super easy to remove any polish that hits my skin while painting — it just slides right off!
  • Buy a little portable dryer.  My mom put one of these manicure dryers in my stocking probably 12 years ago and I still use it to this day!  I keep it close by, so after I finish my last top coat, I blast each hand to help set the polish.  Even if it’s just for a few seconds on each hand, it really does help with potential smudges that happen when you’re moving around right after a manicure!
  • Give your nails a break.  It’s easier for me to do this on my toes during the winter, but I will seriously give my nails a break a few times a year (and you’ve probably seen me without polish).  No, you haven’t caught me without a manicure, I think it’s just important to let your nails breathe every once in a while!

What are your favorite go-to neutral shades or manicure tips?!  Make sure to follow #ohsoglambeauty for all things beauty on Instagram!

3 Comments

  • Reply
    Mari
    August 25, 2017 at 8:41 pm

    Hardest thing to find is that perfect shade of polish. Thanks!

  • Reply
    Polish Perfect
    September 5, 2017 at 3:36 am

    Essie is my go to for neutral and pastel colors. I just love Essie Nail Polish.

  • Reply
    Lakewood Hair Salon
    September 17, 2017 at 6:00 pm

    love the neutrals

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