We're Going Nude...

Take a step back girls, were going back to nude!  With all the crazy over the top trends of the last year I can finally breathe a sigh of relief, the spring fashion shows are going nude!  What? What's that you say?  Nude?  Yes, Nude.  Alexander Wang, Rag & Bone, and Zac Posen are all showing nude.Now don't get all excited, were speaking of nails here!  Natural, neutral, and in some cases Au Naturale!  The spring fashion shows are showing beige, greys, nudes, clear and I'm even scared to say it...pearl-essence.....gasp!  In the May issue of Vogue, an article on this very subject calls out "Make Nude Nails Chic". 

So I decided to give it a try.  The one important factor to keep in mind when going in this direction is length.  The point here is to keep the focus on you, not your nails.  Keep them on the shorter side and perfectly groomed.  The goal is to create an elongated finger, so nail, cuticle, and skin prep is key. If your not quite sold on the trend you can always add the attention to your toes with a more vibrant pedicure.  Another fun idea is to add an accent nail if you can't quite commit to the more demure look of the natural mani.  Use one finger on each hand and create a design such as a flower or add a diamond to the nail over the natural color.  Or, you may even look to create your own version of the French Manicure with the new nudes.

I am LOVING polishes from butter LONDON right now, which capture this "nude" look.  Cuppa (as seen in my own manicure), Shandy and Bumster Nail Lacquers are my favorites.  Butter LONDON is full service with mani and pedi products to ensure a beautiful DIY finish.  I am always a sucker for packaging and presentation so not only are the butter LONDON bottles super cute but the website is beautiful.  (They even have a limited edition shade in honor of the royal baby for all you followers!).  One of the best features of butter LONDON is their "3 Free" campaign, which means that none of the lacquers have formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP.  

Zoya and Priti are two other brands that offer the 3 free option in their polishes.  Priti NYC also offers a soy based remover that is more natural and leaves your cuticles softer and conditioned, and it smells pretty good too.  Both Zoya and Priti products are available at Amazon.com.  

There are so many other options in the nude/natural category.  OPI offers a "Try on this color" option on their website where you can select your skin tone, your nail length and the color of your choice to determine if it's the right one for you.  A couple to try from OPI are Dulce de Leche, San Tan-Tonio, and the old standby You Don't Know Jacques (which actually falls into the greige category).  OPI also makes really great base and top coats and all are under $10 bucks which makes them a bit of a bargain within the luxury nail category.  Check out The Polish Well if you need to reference some more great polish finds. I am in love with their picks! 

Take your stand today…let's all go Nude! (and let us know how it goes!!)

Love and Tulips,

Amanda from Irvine, CA