Summer Nails: My 5 Faves for the Sunny Season

Now, I'm not great at applying nail varnish. I always smudge or chip them, or suddenly remember the million things I have to do as soon as I'm done painting and just get to it, thinking, 'they're almost dry, it'll be fine!' No they're not, Sarah, and now you've just ruined an hour of good nail painting effort by trying to delicately rifle through your bag (is there such a thing?!), subsequently catching each and every one of your lovingly painted nails on the damn zip. I don't think I will ever learn, but I still love to try. I, like everyone else, have staple colours that change with the seasons, so here are my favourite summer shades. Enjoy!

It's a lot paler in reality. I can't work out the settings on my camera though, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

1. butter London in Fiver. This one is by far my favourite. Described on their website as an 'opaque mint-green creme,' I feel like it almost looks like a duck egg blue in some lights. Green being my favourite colour, I think this subtle mint shade is perfect for paler skins like my own, and it is one that I will be wearing an awful lot this summer. And next summer. And the summer after that. You catch my drift. butter LONDON are my favourite nail varnish brand. I love all the names, the bottles look so sophisticated, and the formulas are 3 free! In all honesty, I'm not entirely sure what that means, but it sounds great, so I'm sold. The only thing that irks me somewhat is that some of the shades are not available in England, but the website doesn't tell you that until you've fallen in love with some gorgeous polish and gotten your hopes up by going to click on it. They are sold in larger Boots stores in the UK, and on lookfantastic.com, so it's probably best to go there and avoid having your nail art dreams shattered. Cheaper too.

 2. Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in Greenberry. I love love LOVE this colour. It's quite bright, but still kind of pastelly at the same time, and this shade screams summer to me. This is the polish I'll wear if I'm feeling a bit bolder than on my Fiver days, and is a very close runner up for favourite. Just like it says on the bottle, it has a rather more glossy finish than the regular Barry M nail paints, and I definitely prefer that. I've always loved Barry M for their value and quality, and they haven't disappointed with their latest offerings.  

Again, paler in reality. Damn camera.

 3. Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in Prickly Pear. Now this needs about 3 coats before it looks amazing, so I only really wear it when I have time to do my nails properly, but I think it's such a pretty, feminine, almost understated colour. The only way I can think to describe it is as 'dainty' - the colour one might wear to some kind of Secret Garden tea party. I don't know how else to word it to be honest, so sorry about that odd description. Moving on. It's kind of a muted, pastel lilac, and it's just beautiful.

4. butter LONDON in Lillibet's Jubilee. This little commemorative beauty was designed in honour of the Diamond Jubilee, and is most definitely 'fit for a queen', as they so boldly suggest. Probably the least summery of my top 5 picks, this metallic polish has quite a futuristic feel to it. It has quite a rough texture and looks a little like brushed steel on the nail, which is nice because, if you make a bit of a pig's ear of things, it looks like you meant to do it. A godsend for nail novices like myself. My absolute favourite thing about it, though, is the beautiful lilac hue it emits in sunlight. The pictures don't do it justice. Admittedly not the most wearable shade in my collection, I feel like it's quite a statement colour, especially on my pale mitts. Unfortunately, I can't find it online, so it might have been limited edition. Keep your eyes peeled though, it's a gem. A crown jewel, some might say.

 5. & Other Stories in Figury Blush. It's a peachy coral which is almost slightly neon, a lovely summery alternative to the classic, richer red nail that we all sport during the winter months. It just ticks all the boxes, really! It's a shade that exudes effortless glamour, and I have recently been wearing it with my new love, the Lady Danger lippy. Another thing that I love about all of the & Other Stories nail varnishes is the brush. Wide, like the new generation Essie polishes, it makes painting your nails an awful lot easier, in my humble opinion. Sadly, the only British store is on Regent Street, but if you aren't in the area, you can buy this little bad boy, along with an array of other beautiful colours (I've got my eye on Broadcloth Petrol) here. 

And that's that. My favourite nail varnishes for sunny weather. Do you have any of these nail varnishes? Do you love them as much as I do? What are your favourite summer shades? Let me know.

S.