manicure monday: nail polish brands

as a self professed nail polish addict, I have my favorite brands/colors that are tried and true. there are certain brands (cough, cough chanel) that the ridiculous price tag is not justified. but there are polishes with a hefty price tag that I can totally justify shelling out top dollar for. each brand that I use serves a purpose within my collection, and while some brands are great in one area, they aren't necessarily a brand that I love as a whole.

for dark colors & interesting dimensions: OPI is the big winner. I'm definitely someone who prefers a cream finish to the majority of my nail polish colors, but come fall and winter, the deep and dark colors that OPI has just can't be touched. they do "so dark it's almost black" better than anyone else on the market. my top picks? lincoln park after dark, russian navy, you don't know jacques, jade is the new black, and black cherry chutney.

for sheer washes of color & nuetral tones: essie wins, no contest. since the brand was created as a way to layer their sheer colors to create the perfect match for you, it makes sense that they still create some of the best sheer colors; including ballet slippers and mademoiselle. my classic go-to manicure when I want to look clean and professional has always been fiji, or for a bit less baby pink, marshmallow is another great option. other colors that are worth mentioning from essie are mint candy apple (possibly my favorite color of all time!), chinchilly, lilacism, and haute as hello.

for glitter & fun topcoats: it's a tie between deborah lippman & formula X for sephora. all of the glitters from deborah lippman are amazing and for $20, they better be. but they take a basic manicure to the next level. the different sizes/colors/shapes are unlike most things out on the market, and I am obsessed. my favorites would have to be across the universe, mermaid tears, and happy birthday. formula X for sephora is amazing for their xplosives line; which give the effect of splatter paint and graffiti (without all the mess that comes with nail art). these topcoats are the type of polish that will make people stop you and ask what's on your nails. my hands down favorite is wham!, but the whole line is pretty cool.

what are some of your favorite nail polish brands? do you have certain brands that you favor for certain things, like me?

xx, marissa