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Happy Blogmas Day 19! Today I’m back talking about one of my favorite things- nail polish! It’s no surprise that I have a slight polish addiction, so of course I had to tell you about some of my favorite nail shades for the winter. Some of the polishes I own have unfortunately been discontinued, however, I do mention dupes for those polishes.
Like my previous nail posts, this post has affiliate links for the polishes. Some of those links are from my favorite place to buy nail polish- Beyond Polish. If you’re wanting some new additions to your own polish collection, definitely purchase through that site! They have amazing customer service, a rewards program, and amazing sales that are impossible to resist!
Now, let’s jump into the polishes! All swatch photos have a peel off base coat, and 2 coats of polish. Some photos were not showing the true colors, so I also created gifs for some of them.
Neutrals
Neutral shades always look stylish no matter when you wear them. Something about the simplicity of neutral shades does appeal to me more in the colder months.
Mixtaupe (Essie)
Essie’s Mixtaupe is a shade that unfortunately, is discontinued. This shade is described as a warm ivory with a dash of pink. This is a pretty universally beautiful shade, and one that most polish lines will have. Some of the best looking dupes include OPI’s Put It In Neutral and Essie’s Urban Jungle, which I compared this shade to.
Urban Jungle (Essie)
Essie’s Urban Jungle is a staple in a lot of nail enthusiasts’ collections. Beyond Polish and Essie’s website both describe it as an alabaster orchid shade.
Polish Comparisons
At first glance, or perhaps to most people, these two shades look identical. In the bottles, it’s almost impossible to tell them apart. But, on the nails you can notice an ever so slight difference in the undertone of the polishes. Mixtaupe (right), has what I would call a more yellow undertone. Urban Jungle (left) I would consider to be more neutral. But, based on the polish descriptions, the difference is essential a warm vs. cool undertone. What do you think?
Pale Sparkles
What’s better than a neutral nail? Why, adding sparkles of course!
Venture to the Venue (Essie)
Essie’s Venture to the Venue is a very neutral, slightly pink glitter shade. The polish is pretty textured so if you don’t like that, or the feeling of a thicker nail, you will not like this shade.
Brighton (Zoya)
Zoya’s Brighton is a more sheer, jelly-like polish. It’s got a great formula, and there’s really nothing bad to say about this polish.
Polish Comparisons
Putting these two polishes next to each other was slightly amusing. On it’s on in natural lighting, Brighton looks like a very neutral shade. But, when you put them side by side, the yellow undertones really come out, and now I don’t know how I missed that before.
Pink Sparkles
Pink polish is always in season, and holo, glitter, and shimmering sparkles only make them better!
Her Rose Adagio (A-England)
A-England’s Her Rose Adagio is a beautiful soft rose holographic shade. This shade was from a 2013 collection and is no longer available. However, similar polishes include ILNP’s Ballet Slipper and Daisy Jane. I would not consider them ‘dupes’ but they have similar undertones and looks. If you have other suggestions, please let me know!
Birthday Suit (ILNP)
Birthday Suit is a soft, neutral, cashmere pink holographic nail polish.
Polish Comparisons
Birthday suit is a more sheer, jelly like polish. Her Rose Adagio is a fully opaque polish. I don’t like sheer polishes as much, so I gravitate towards the A-England shade even though I do like the ILNP shade more in the bottle. But, both polishes, are beautiful.
Icy Blues for Winter
Blue is one of my favorite colors to wear on my nails. I love pretty much every blue shade I’ve ever tried, but there’s something that I love about wearing a pale, icy blue shade in the winter.
Pride Without Prejudice (A-England)
You know how you shouldn’t buy a polish just for the name? Well, this polish is one that I would absolutely do that with. Lucky for me, this light blue/periwinkle holographic shade is just my style. This shade is no longer available, but I highly recommend checking out ILNP’s Sykscraper.
You Do Blue (Essie)
Essie’s You Do Blue is a pretty blue shade with a violent iridescent shimmer. This shade was incredibly difficult to photograph, and I think it looks more purple than blue in the photos. In person, it definitely is a blue shade.
Polish Comparisons
These two shades are obviously very different. But, I wanted to show them side by side to show the differences in the base color.
Dark Shades
Most people associate the fall and winter with darker nail shades. Here are 3 polishes that are all dark but have a twist on your typical winter shades.
On Mute (Essie)
Essie’s On Mute is a basic dark gray shade. It’s got a great formula, and is great to use in nail art. While a basic shade, this is a reliable staple in my collection.
Less is Norse (OPI)
OPI Less is Norse is one of my favorite shades from the brand. The shade is a deep blue/purple shade with some gray mixed in. This shade leans more on the purple side, but the overall tone is what makes me like it more than other purple polishes.
Winning Streak (Essie)
Essie’s Winning Streak is a deep blue gray shade. While there may be some purple mixed in, this is more on the blue side. Remember that Crayola crayon that was called blue-gray (or something similar)? It was a lighter shade, but this polish would be the darker version of that crayon.
Polish Comparisons
In the bottles, Less is Norse and Winning Streak look very similar. I was actually surprised at how different they looked once swatched on my nails.
Dark Sparkles
These two shades are the darkest sparkly shades out there, making them perfect for the winter season.
The Princes in the Tower (A-England)
If you don’t know the story of The Princes in the Tower, you can read about it here. I first learned about it when I studied in London and toured the Tower of London. This is a unique polish. It dries down almost matte, which doesn’t allow the beautiful holo flitter to shine. So, this swatch does have 1 coat of Essie’s Good to Go top coat in addition to the peel off base and two coats of polish.
While this shade is no longer available, similar shades include ILNP’s Party Bus, Black Magic, and Missed Calls.
Cityscape (ILNP)
Cityscape is a ‘true’ black holographic polish. It has a jelly formula, without being sheer like some jelly shades. And, the multiple coats of polish let the holographic flakes really shine.
Polish Comparisons
These shades are similar, but they have very different formulas. But, at the end of the day they are both black shades with holographic glitter. They are both equally beautiful and both polishes are perfect nail shades for the winter.
The Classic Christmas Polish
When it comes to your Christmas manicure, red is the obvious choice. But, there are too many options out there. Back in 2013, Mariah Carey did a special holiday collection with OPI. Out of that collection, we got the most perfect red shade for the holiday season, OPI’s All I Want for Christmas is OPI. That, paired with the shade All Sparkly and Gold, make the look even better.
Because this was a limited edition collection, both of these polishes are impossible to find. If you’re lucky, you may be able to get it on ebay or from a reseller. I went on a huge hunt when they were released- I called multiple Ulta stores and eventually found them and had them held for me. I wish they would be brought back each holiday season. Until that happens, I only use the red shade once or twice a year, in December. As long as it’s not in direct sunlight and it’s closed tightly, it will last.
The glitter works best as a topper, but could be worn on its own if you sponge it on. To I did a simple nail art look (very badly, I know) to show you how they look together.
If you are looking for other red polishes, the options are endless. I’ve found recommendations for OPI’s Thrill of Brazil and Big Apple Red. But, if you have any polishes that you think are the perfect holiday red, leave the name in the comments below!
What do you think of my picks for the best winter nail polish shades? Will you be picking up any of these shades? Don’t forget to leave your suggestions for the perfect Christmas red in the comments! If you’re looking for more winter shades, I also have a post for fall shades that definitely works for the wintertime too!
Have you read these posts?
- Gifts For My 15 Year Old Self
- How the Day Designer Planners Help Me Function
- Easy & Tasty Dinners: Honey Garlic Chicken
- Christmas Morning Pajamas for the Whole Family
- What 2022 Looks Like For Me
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