My Top 5 Mani & Pedi Nail Polishes of 2017!

December 29, 2017

My Top 5 Mani & Pedi Nail Polishes of 2017!

So, as some of you may know, I absolutely loveloveloveeee painting my nails! Whenever I come across a nail polish that either catches my eye or that I know is rare, I don't hesitate to get it. I also have this rule where if I spend more than $25 on an Ulta shopping haul, I throw in a nail polish. This is because I rarely go bath & body product shopping, except for when a new school year begins, so I think that adding a nail polish to your cart doesn't hurt. Because of these little rules, my nail polish collection has accumulated over the years. I think I have a shelf full of 60 nail polishes sitting in my flat.

Because I play viola in college, I have to be very modest with what colours I paint my fingernails. I usually resort to a nude, a translucent pearl, or some shade of pink. When I do this, my string teachers don't notice! I also prefer to paint my fingernails a nude, translucent or pink because it makes my fingernails look healthier.

For this post, I have decided to divide it up into two different categories: My top 5 mani nail polishes of 2017 & my top 5 pedi nail polishes of 2017. The links to every nail polish are at the bottom of this blog post.

Kathryn's Top 5 Mani Nail Polishes of 2017

5.) Essie's East Hampton Cottage

Before last semester, I've never tried out an Essie nail polish, so while I was buying Christmas gifts for friends online, I decided to throw in three bottles of Essie nail polishes, including Essie's East Hampton Cottage.

This is such a beautiful shade of ballet tutu pink! It matched my skin tone perfectly, you couldn't even tell that I had it on. I also love the pearly shine of the polish.

The only negative comment I have for this polish is it needs a base & top coat. The first time I tried out this polish, I didn't add a top coat & it started chipping in two days. Next time, I'll definitely remember to add a clear top coat.

Other than that, this nail polish is great for all occasions!

4.) Butter London's Splash Out Overcoat

On the day that I discovered the clearance section at the Chapel Hill Ulta, I found rows of Butter Londons for $5 instead of the usual $15. When I saw this, not only could I not believe what I was seeing, I was also very confused. Why are all of these gorgeous Butter Londons over 50% off? Are they all dried out? Are they clumpy? A retailer told me that this was only because they were trying to make room for next season's nail polishes, so I didn't complain! There are still rows of Butter Londons sitting in the clearance section of the Chapel Hill Ulta, so if you've been wanting Butter Londons for awhile but never bought them because they're so expensive, go check them out!

This overcoat is one of my top five manis because it is the definition of discreet. If you are a performer like me, you will not have to worry about your professors noticing your lovely painted finger nails. It is also a great nail polish for work as well as weddings. The last time I wore this nail polish, I put on two coats & it lasted the entire week before it started chipping. And let's not forget that this is an overcoat nail polish. Though I have not tried this out yet, I'm sure this overcoat can make any colour pop out!

3.) OPI's My Vampire Is Buff

This is the perfect nude wintry nail polish. It is a pale white-light pink shade with little shine. This nail polish usually starts chipping on the fifth day post-application. This nail polish looks great with minimalist outfits! I would also highly recommend wearing this nail polish as your mani & OPI's Suzi The First Lady of Nails as your pedi, a perfect combo for Summer & Winter!

2.) Pacifica's rainbow gloss top coat

I actually bought this nail polish at the Earth Fare near the University I attend, I just couldn't resist.

The first time that I applied this top coat was hours before I had to run a 5k in the pouring rain (which I got second place in the women's division!). It was a colour run, so this sparkly, rainbow-y top coat alone was perfect for the occasion. What was even better was it didn't chip the entire week I wore it, definitely worth the purchase!

I have also tried this top coat on top of Whim's Dipped In Gold (a brand that has sadly been discontinued). Wow, if you didn't think that bottle of golden nail polish was shiny enough, this rainbow top coat did the trick!

I have to give a shoutout to Pacifica. Pacifica is a revolutionary bath & body product line that is 100% vegan & cruelty-free. Their products range from Persian rose roll-on perfumes to kale facial washes. The designs of their products are also gorgeous, it's a brand that I would highly recommend.

1.) Butter London's Fairy Lights

This is the colour that I'm wearing on my nails right now. It has been over a week & it hasn't chipped nor lost its shine at all!

I would recommend this nail polish for formal occasions. This combination of pinky pearl with copper & violet undertones is enough to make anyone's hands stand out!

Kathryn's Top 5 Pedi Nail Polishes of 2017

5.) OPI's I Am What I Amythest

This nail polish is a light shade of sky blue, making it the ideal shade for Spring, Summer & any Tarheel fan!

4.) OPI Infinite Shine 2's Reach For The Sky

I actually do not own this colour, but I tried it out when I had a pedi done at Le's Sanctuary Nail Spa with my best friend Emma. It is a beautiful shade of blue willow, perfect for any season & any occasion.

3.) Sally Hansen Insta-Dri's Show Steeler

Yes, I know what you're thinking: Reach For The Sky & Show Steel-er are the exact same shade of blue willow. However, while they are the same shade, the nail polishes differ in so many ways.

First, Insta-Dri nail polishes run for an average price of $5, which is so much better compared to $13 for a bottle of Infinite Shine nail polish. Second, the Show Steel-er lasts longer than the RFTS (I'm just going to abbreviate it now, it's quite a long name for a nail polish). I usually wait a month after removing nail polish off of my toe nails after an occasional visit to a nail spa, but RFTS started chipping two weeks after application, so I had to remove it. And third, I can not get over the brush! The brush is so thick that it covers all areas of the nail. Due to the thickness of the brush, one coat of nail polish is all you'll ever need. And fourth, the drying time for the nail polish is one minute - that's hard to beat!

I also have to say that the bottle of Insta-Dri that I own is an Insta-Dri first generation. According to Sally Hansen's website, the new & improved second generation of Insta-Dri formula provides 33% longer wear & chip resistance versus the old formula. So if I think the first generation is absolutely excellent, then I can't imagine how flawless the second generation is!

2.) Sinful Colors Let Me Go

Honestly, as a nail polish brand in general, Sinful Colors is so under rated, they deserve more ballyhoos! This nail polish brand can be found in drug stores anywhere & are very low priced. The nail polish is chip resistant & lasts a minimum of five days.

I only have two bottles of Sinful Colors in my collection & Let Me Go is one of them. I bought this colour in seventh grade (so that was around 2010) & it's December 2017 & the nail polish hasn't even started drying out yet!

Let Me Go is a beautiful shade of pearl. The more coats you apply, the more the pearl polish turns into a mesmerising pearly ocean blue. It is the perfect mani shade for summer. Just add your favourite pair of sandals & voila - your feet are set for summer!

P.S. This shade is perfect for mermaid & unicorn lovers!

1.) Sally Hansen Miracle Gel's Terra Coppa

According to this Glamour article, in 2017, a bottle of SH's Terra Coppa was sold every two minutes. Doesn't sound like a lot? Well, if you laid out all SH's Terra Coppa bottles that were sold in 2017, it would cover 183 football fields.

This nail polish won the 2017 Allure Best of Beauty award & looks great on everyone.

Whenever I put this nail polish on my toenails, I feel like Gigi Hadid or the Queen of Sheba. When I'm inside, it's a rose copper (in my opinion) & when I'm outside on a sunny day, it's a shiny rose copper!

If you are trying to build a nail polish collection, this nail polish is a must for your collection!