Fail-Proof Fall Lacquer

It’s that time again ladies and gents (if this is your thing!); time to pull out your wallets and invest in some new nail polish! I use nail lacquer as a subtle way to communicate my personality and my emotions to the world (sometimes daily). The best part? It doesn't have to be expensive. So treat yourself to a little bit of magic in a bottle with one of these awesome on-trend fall colors.

Beige is a great fall color. It’s neutral and effortlessly chic. Whether you just feel like toning things down a bit or you normally prefer an understated manicure, this color says “I know I’m vicious, and I dare you to try to tell me otherwise.”

Featured: Topshop Nail Polish in Sandy Lane; Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure for Rachel Roy in Terracotta, available in October.

Blue is back from its introduction this summer, bolder and a nice break from the more traditional fall colors. Go dark with a navy or bright with a cobalt, but whatever the shade, have fun with it!

Featured: Sephora by OPI Nail Colour in My Personal Serpent; Dior Vernis in Blue Denim.

Browns are chocolately, modern and beyond chic. Choose the shade that gives off the impression that you are feeling serious, sultry or both.

Featured: Dolce & Gabbana Intense Nail Colour in Chocolate; RGB Nail Polish in Seal.

Green polishes made an appearance in the spring and are back now for fall in richer, earthy tones. Perfect for pairing with your fall wardrobe.

Featured: Butter London 3 Free Nail Polish in Wallis; Rimmel London Lasting Finish Pro in Rags to Riches.

Fall brings us a wide variety of purples, ranging from playful to sexy to serious business. Where do you fall? Let your nails tell the tale!

Featured: Sephora by OPI Nail Colour in Eve-y on the Eyes; MAC Nail Lacquer in Rain of Flowers, available September 15.

Red is replacing this summer’s coral for fall. Sexy and vibrant, red is perfect for the girl who wants to have a good time, or at least appears like she's up for one. Choose from brick and wine-inspired options.

Featured: OPI Nail Polish in A Color To Diner For; Lancôme Le Vernis in Bang Bang Red.

These slate-colors are another sweet option for a neutral-colored nail. These shades always give a polished, sleek look to the person wearing them. Choose a shade anywhere between concrete to metallic.

Featured: Essie Nail Polish in Power Clutch; Orly Nail Color in Sea Gurl.

And remember, you can always refer back to this post on "how to give yourself a perfect manicure"!

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Sizzling Summer Nail Polish

This summer is all about finding your style through bright, eye-catching color. Some may choose to do this by embracing vibrant clothing pieces, vivid footwear or rich hues through jewelry or jewel-toned handbags. But for all others, incorporating color is at your fingertips...or rather, on them. Take a look at the latest roundup of popular eye-popping polishes that'll keep your nails in some of this summer's hottest shades.

NICE AND NEUTRAL

Try a neutral-toned polish when you want to maintain a manicure that won't compete - or clash - with your summer wardrobe's colorful attention to detail.

NARS Nail Polish in Écume; OPI Nail Polish in Skull & Glossbones

RED HOT

Red nails will always have a place in any season's manicure but choose a softer, lighter red than you would wear in the winter.

Lancome Le Vernis in Sarong; Essie Nail Polish in Too Too Hot

PLAY IN THE PINK

When your red fails to meet your bright expectations, take the vibrancy up a notch and go totally pink. Whether its bubble gum perfect or fuschia-infused, you can't go wrong.

Orly Nail Polish in Va Va Voom; OPI Nail Polish in I Lily Love You

CORAL RELIEF

The idea of sorbet colored nails is just one way to incorporate one of this summer's trendiest colors into your outfit if you're not quite ready to incorporate it into your wardrobe.

Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in Girls Just Want to Have Fun; Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Purity

YIELD TO THE YELLOW

You want summer at your fingertips? Then you want a yellow manicure. It'll give your fingers quite the eye-catching effect and leave your nails looking, well, sun kissed.

Chanel Vernis in Mimosa; Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in Yellow Brick Road

GO GREEN

Going green isn't just about preserving the environment - albeit as important as that is. Embrace a nail color sure to be the "envy" of all your friends and onlookers by going green. Whether kelly or grass, green is a definite "Go!" this summer for an exciting, and unexpected, pop of color.

Topshop Nail Polish in Hunting; Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Radium

BLUE-TIFUL

Feeling a little blue? Embrace it! Think of the various shades of the Caribbean sea, a summer day's sky with no clouds as far as the eye can see or the shade of blue bomb pops leave your lips. These colors have all been bottled up for you to recount these memories every time you look down at your hands.

Dior Vernis in Nirvana; Milani One Coat Glitter Nail Lacquer in Blue Flash

Any of these polish shades will surely make your summer that much more colorful. And in case you need a refresher on how to give yourself a profession DIY manicure, we got you coated.

Spring Into Color!

Spring is around the corner, somewhere, and that means it’s time to revamp our color palettes! The change in temperature means color trends shift in beauty just as they do on the runway. While winter is the ideal time for dark nail colors such as Black Onyx by O.P.I. and Navy Baby by Sally Hansen, spring finds us moving into lighter, more playful hues with a touch of sophistication.

A Mean Case of the Blues

Light blues are everywhere now and the reason is clear: it’s simply stunning. In shades ranging from a Tiffany’s box to a robin’s egg, these colors will leave you feeling all but blue.

From left: Nicholas K Spring 2011; Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Barracuda; Priti NYC in Forget Me Not

In the Nude

Using a nude varnish gives any look a bit of sophistication. While the color itself is understated, it makes for a bold look! The idea is to get as close to your skin tone as possible. And unless you want your fingers to look like those of a mannequin, I recommend using a varnish with a high-gloss finish or using Seche Vite top coat - a personal favorite - to add sheen to the neutral color.

Samoan Sand by O.P.I.

Eva Mendez rocks a perfectly nude nail.

Life’s Peachy

Your nails will be ripe for the picking in these hues! This color palette reminds me of easy-breezy days on the veranda sipping a glass of sweet tea – or catching up with girlfriends alfresco over Sunday brunch!

From left: Dior Nail Vernis in Pink Boa; Priti NYC Nail Polish in September Charm; Behnaz Sarafpour Spring 2011.

Purple Reign

Not just a song by his Purple Majesty, Prince, anymore, purple reigns supreme this spring in soft, pastel hues. Now's your chance to rule with an iron fist, with nails in various shades of the grapes of wrath.

Done Out in Deco, by O.P.I.

A Grape Fit, by O.P.I.

Do You Lilac It?, by O.P.I.

Steel the Show

The future is now for those bold enough to brave the latest varnish frontier! These colors give a futuristic feel to nails in bold colors. Perfect for those of us who love a dark nail all year long!

Steel-ing The Scene by Essie

Freja by Zoya

Black Pearl by Chanel

Cracking the Whip

“Cracked” nail polish is the look that everyone has been trying to get their hands on and it’s clear why. This polish gives a “cracked” look to any color polish. Simply use one color as a base - the display below shows black as the base color - then paint over it with the Cracked color of your choice.

The China Glaze Crackle Glaze display.

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