My Top Five: Autumn/Winter Polish Picks

I've been dying for the weather to get colder (well, it was never really particularly warm, was it?) and for the days to get shorter partly because it means I can start wearing some of my favourite polishes that perhaps aren't Spring/Summer appropriate. Apologies for the rubbish photo, my usual photography spot is out of action as I'm in the midst of packing up my life.

YSL La Laque Couture in 6 Rouge Dada 

Rouge Dada is a classic red shade; I think everyone needs something similar in their polish collection. It looks quite vibrant in the bottle and it is on the nails after two coats but I tend to add a third because I prefer the deeper red colour I get as a result. The formula of these polishes is strange; it's very light and looks a bit watery or gel-like but on the nails it looks opaque and shiny. They're really easy to use because of the nice wide brush and the short drying time. If I'm wearing a red over the next few months, it'll probably be this one. 

Chanel Le Vernis in 533 April

A polish called April in October? It doesn't make any sense. This shade came out in Chanel's Spring collection and it was a nice colour to wear during the transition from winter to spring. Now I've been enjoying it as we transition from summer to autumn. It's a muted raspberry pink shade which I think would work on a lot of skintones. It wasn't the star product from the  collection but I bought all three polishes and this is the one I've used the most. It's a nice alternative to a red without being vampy or neutral. Formula-wise it's one of the better Chanel polishes as I can easily get an opaque finish after two coats. The wear time with this one is excellent, too.

Chanel Le Vernis in 505 Particuliere 

I've just used this shade to paint my nails and I feel as though I'm falling in love with it all over again. During spring and summer if I wore a neutral shade it was something much lighter than this mushroom-taupe from Chanel but now that we're in autumn this polish will probably be on my nails at least once a week from now until February. It's one of those shades I don't have to think about; it just goes with everything. The formula is opaque in two coats and whilst I'd prefer a wider brush it's not too fiddly so I can live with it.

Color Club in Rad Nomad

This smoky purple shade has only just made it into my top five but I couldn't not include it because it's quickly becoming one of my favourite colours. Last year I would have included Revlon Perplex in this list but shimmery polishes are never my favourite so when I came across Rad Nomad it effectively replaced Perplex in my affections. I'll need to post a nail of the day post with this polish soon. My only quibble with Rad Nomad (and Color Club polishes in general, actually) is that the brush is so thin and annoying to use. 

OPI in Lincoln Park After Dark

No autumn/winter polish list would be complete without this shade, would it? Lincoln Park After Dark is a deep purple, almost black, colour with a cream finish. I wear this on my toes all year round but I only wear it on my fingers during this time of year. Again this is a shade I think everyone should own because despite being so dark it's still really versatile and works well with most outfits. I usually need three thin coats for an opaque finish but the wear time of this polish is excellent for me and the wide OPI brush is a dream to use. 

I should say that Chanel Rouge Noir would also be in this list but mine needs to be replaced. I love the dark red-black shade but I find the formula of that polish to be a bit fickle so if you have any recommendations for similar shades place leave them in the comments because I'd be interested in checking out alternatives.

What are your go-to polishes during the colder months?

Stace xx

NOTD: Color Club in New Bohemian

I recently posted about a bargainous set of Color Club polishes that I picked up in TKMaxx and this is the first one I've tried on my nails. In the bottle it looks similar to China Glaze's For Audrey; a tiffany blue shade.

On the nails, however, it's a touch more green and a little darker than For Audrey. That suits me because For Audrey often looked a bit too stark against my skintone. I apologise for the less-than-perfect paint job in the photo, I was rushing because I was watching the Olympics at the same time!

I used the Revlon ColorStay base coat, three coats of New Bohemian and my Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat. The formula is quite thin and looks very streaky with just one coat but after two it was almost okay, I just added a third because I hate having any streaks, no matter how minor! The brush is pretty standard and quite thin. 

What do you think?

Stace xx

Color Club Bargain at TKMaxx

I pop into TKMaxx every now and then on the off chance that there'll be a beauty bargain to be had. I usually leave empty handed but today I picked up a set of seven Color Club polishes for a mere £7.99. Normally these sets contain one or two nice shades but I would happily wear all the shades from this set. It's called The Back To Boho Collection and there are two sets of colours, the set I got was just called 'set A'. 

The set includes Nomadic in Nude, a true light beige, Earthly Angel which is a creamy light terracotta, New Bohemian, a tiffany blue shade not too dissimilar from China Glaze's For Audrey, Shabby Drab, a muted periwinkle blue, Rad Nomad, a dusky purple shade and Red-Ical Gypsy, a pink-red. The set also includes a bottle of Stuck on You base coat. All the polishes have a cream finish; I believe the other set was made up of shimmery shades so it's worth checking out too if you're a fan of both finishes. Each bottle contains 15ml of polish which is the same as a full sized OPI. 

I've not tried any of these on my nails just yet as I've only just arrived home with them but I will try to post some NOTDs soon. I always see Color Club in TKMaxx so it should be easy enough to find at your nearest store if you're interested.

Swatches

L-R: Nomadic in Nude, Earthly Angel, New Bohemian, Shabby Drab, Rad Nomad, Red-Ical Gypsy

Have you tried any Color Club polishes before?

Stace xx