Autumn Nails - The Favorites





As the days get shorter and the weather cools down, I find myself not only changing up my go-to makeup grabs (see my Autumn Edit), but also changing up the nail polish I apply week after week. I like the darker or more neutral options better than the bright summer colors or even the pastels for spring, so my nail polish box is overflowing with more fall-appropriate colors. I thought I'd go over my five all-time favorites that I tend to rotate through all the way through fall and winter. They're all either from Essie or Nails Inc, because they last the longest on me and are my favorite formulas.

Going in order of the pictures, the first polish is Essie's Merino Cool. This shade is mostly a gray, but with a bit of beige and purple thrown in as well. This makes it a lovely deeper neutral color perfect for those first few crisp days of autumn. I'd say Essie nail polishes are my favorite, not only because of the adorable, display-able bottles, but also for the formula. Some people complain about Essie's formula and have quite a love-hate relationship with the brand, but it's all love from me. I always use OPI's Nail Envy as a base coat, then 2-3 coats of Essie polish (depending on the color), and then the Seche Vite topcoat, and they'll last up to a week on me.

Next is Essie's Sole Mate. As soon as I applied this color, I knew it was definitely my all-time favorite of the bunch. This is a beautiful deep red that can look black in some lights. I've heard that it's a dupe for the classic Rouge Noir by Chanel. If Essie polishes don't work on you, a great drugstore alternative is Revlon's Vixen. It's really perfect for fall, with a monochrome ensemble and a big chunky scarf. I predict this one being lovely as we go into winter as well.

I'd say Nails Inc Porchester Square is my favorite year-round polish. I'm not a huge fan of bright colors and like to stay in more neutral territory even during the summer, so I reach for this one all year round. This is similar to Essie Merino Cool in that it's a beige-gray-purple hybrid, but I'd say on me the main undertone that comes out is the beige. It's a great nude color for me without the "mannequin hands" look. The formula of Nails Inc polishes are great - they're so creamy and opaque that only one coat is needed. They also last so long on me, up to a week with no chipping if I use a topcoat. A couple alternatives to this color are OPI's Tickle My France-y, which has more of a lavender tone to it, and Essie's Ladylike, which has more of a pink tone.

The other offering from Nails Inc is Kensington High Street. This is similar to Essie Sole Mate, but without so much black in it. It's a lovely burgundy/wine shade that's an essential color for fall and perfect if you don't want something as vampy as Sole Mate.

Last is Essie's After School Boy Blazer. This is similar to Sole Mate in that it looks black in some light, but rather than being a red, it's a deep inky blue color. I didn't expect to like this one as much as I do, and I think it really flatters my skin tone and makes my nails look perfect. This will also be a perfect one to carry into winter, perhaps with a glittery accent nail for the party season.

A couple of honorable mentions are Essie's Velvet Voyeur and It's Genius. Velvet Voyeur is very similar to Sole Mate, but with more of a purple base than a red. It's a beautiful color, but I just prefer the red over the purple as it looks more classic. If you like shimmery/metallic looking polishes, It's Genius is a perfect fall color for you. It's a beautiful berry color with warm gold shimmer shot through.

Do you wear different nail polishes in different seasons? What are your favorites for fall?

*I couldn't find some of the exact shades online, so I have not left links to them. All of the polishes I have were purchased from Ulta. You can also find Essie in various drugstores and Target, and Nails Inc can also be found in Sephora.