I gave up on the french manicure like five years ago.  It just started to look weird and unnatural to me.  Before you ladies jump down my throat, I get that is classic.  I just out grew it.  So what do I wear instead?

Nude polish is my new “classic.”  When sporting nude polish, be careful.  Always wear a color that is either two shades lighter or two shades darker than your skin tone.  Otherwise, your nails will look unhealthy and your skin will look like it belongs on a corpse.

After years of wearing strictly french manicures, it was difficult for me to venture out into the world of color when it came to nail polish.  I was a die hard Essie neutral kinda girl.  Branching over into color was a gradual process.  I actually fell in love with the now notorious “Linkin Park After Dark” from OPI first.  Which was odd because it is such a dark color.  I drifted back and forth between my neutrals and extreme dark hues.  Once spring hit, I felt a tad bit adventorous and

A fresh manicure is a great and expensive way to add a bit of polish to your look.  I know it can be tough to maintain a manicure when tackling dishes regularly. Chipped nails are much more obvious when sporting a french manicure or colored polish.  However, it is less revealing when wearing a nude hue.

To extend the lengh of your manicure try wearing gloves and making good use of the dishwasher.  I pull on the gloves and break out a non-scratch cleaning sponge and give the dishes a good scrub before the dishwasher.  I also don’t fill the sink with water.  I dose the sponge with a fair amount of detergent and let the hot water run.

My favorite trend for fall manicures is matte nails.  The crackled nail fad of the summer has passed and I have to say that I am feeling this more mature trend a lot more.  Select brands will be carrying matte polishes.  However, I recommend investing in a matte top coat that can transform any bottle of polish.  From my research, I prefer colors that have shimmer in them.  Flat colors don’t look as nice when matte.

Final Tip:  Find a few colors that you love for each season.  Invest in a good bottle.  I find that they typically last longer.  Here are a few brands that I recommend:

  • Essie
  • Zoya
  • OPI
  • Butter
  • Deborah Lippmann
  • Nars