My Nail Polish Collection

I love nail polish, I think that much is clear.

I find painting my nails so therapeutic. It's one of those little past times I love to do to make myself feel a little better when I'm confined to bed... with injuries, you'll understand, not anything kinky, you dirty minded individuals! Painted nails make me feel presentable and my outfits complete, and I love how easily nail polish can change or complete an outfit.

I love trying out different polishes in all the colours of the rainbow, although classic reds and dark greens are probably my favourites. I like hunting out new shades and brands to try, but mostly stick to inexpensive brands for the sake of my bank balance. Whenever I pass a make up display, I have to have a browse of the nail colours, and often find myself bringing a new pot or two home to try. Due to this bad habit, I've built up a respectable collection over the last year or two, and I thought I'd share it with you today. I don't own as many as some bloggers I've seen, but I know I have over seventy to my name, and it's growing all the time.

Would you like to take a look?

I've highlighted my favourite nail polishes in red. These are the polishes I love and recommend.

Reds

L-R: Bourjois So Laque! Rouge Escarpin // Barry M Bright Red // Ruby Hammer Recommends //
Nails Inc St. James // Inglot 024

Red has been my favourite nail colour for as long as I can remember. I will happily wear all shades of red on my nails, but my favourite is a classic tomato red... it's such a timeless colour, looks stylish, sexy, and feminine, and goes with everything. The tomato red polish which ticks all the right boxes for me has to be Barry M's Bright Red (second from the left). It's a cheerful, bold red, and I've gone through bottles of it over the years. I'm also attached to a red Inglot polish which is a little deeper red, and has a beautiful gold sheen. The colour is gorgeous, and the polish remains unchipped for several days!

Corals and Oranges

L-R: Barry M Lemon // MUA Nail Quake Shiver // Barry M Coral // Ruby Hammer Recommends // Bourjois So Laque! Tangerine Fatal // Barry M Block Orange //

I reserve yellows, corals, and oranges for Spring and Summer. The colour palette is perfect for days when the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the days are warm. I always feel so cheerful and summery when I wear these colours, and corals and oranges are some of my favourites to wear.

Dark Pinks

L-R: Ruby Hammer Recommends // Bourjois So Laque! Fushsia Hype // Barry M Raspberry // 

Barry M Croc Effects Burgundy Croc // Inglot 938 //

I'm not a huge fan of the colour pink, but I do favour a deep pink nail. Deep pink is a great alternative to red, and a colour palette I find fun and cheeky. The Bourjois Fuchsia Hype is probably the best shade in my collection.

Pinks

L-R: Ticket to Gorgeous Nails Kiss Me Quick // Barry M Shocking Pink // Missguided Misstify // Missguided Missbehave // Accessorize glitter polish // Accessorize glitter polish

These sickly sweet colours are a girlie girl's dream. If I hadn't of been a tomboy as a child, the seven year old me would've been squealing excitedly. I haven't worn any of these polishes in a while, but sometimes I like to paint my nails in sweet, girlie shades. My favourite is the Missguided Misstify

Lilacs

L-R: Ciate Bon Bon // Ciate Purple Sherbet // MUA Frozen Yoghurt

In my mid-teens, lilac was my favourite colour, but until last year I'd avoided wearing the shade this side of the Millenium as pastel colours can really wash me out. Then I got the two Ciate paint pots free with magazines last year, and fell in love with pastels again. I bought the MUA Frozen Yoghurt varnish a couple of months ago, and it's one of my new favourites to wear.

Purples

Top Row L-R: Rimmel I <3 Lasting Finish Purple Pulse // Barry M Bright Purple // MUA Plum Noir // Ruby Hammer Recommends // Nails Inc Victoria
Bottom Row L-R: Maxfactor Fantasy Fire // MUA Nail Quake Broken Arrow // Barry M Vivid Purple

Wearing purple always makes me happy. I don't favour a particular shade of purple; I like everything from berry to plum to violet. I know every blogger has had their say on the Maxfactor Max Effect Mini Nail Polish in Fantasy Fire, but it's a winner with me and one of my absolute favourite polishes. It does take about four coats to achieve a good opaqueness, but it's long lasting and one of the prettiest nail colours I've ever used. I only wish it came in a bigger pot.

Mint Greens

Ticket to Gorgeous Nails Kiss Me Quick // Barry M Mint Green // Bourjois So Laque! Bleu Model // MUA Shade 5

Mint green is one of my favourite colours and I'm looking forward to wearing these polishes again as we transition in to Spring. I can't get enough of the colour. My favourites are easily the Barry M Mint Green and the Bourjois Bleu Model, but these are all great polishes.

Greens

L-R: Inglot 319 // MUA Shade 12 // Barry M Emerald Green // Barry M Green Glitter //
Barry M Racing Green x 2 //

Green isn't everybody's cup of tea, but it's heavenly to me. I adore green in all kinds of shades, and personally wish there were more green things in life. It's one of my favourite colour palettes. I'm especially infatuated with Barry M's Racing Green which is a very dark blackish-green I refer to as 'beetle green'. I'm on my third or fourth bottle since July as I can't stop wearing it!

Teals

L-R: Rimmel 60 Seconds Sky High // Barry M Teal // Collection Hot Looks 60 Seconds Bango Beat // Accessorize Glitter Polish

I have a small selection of teal nail polishes, which is odd considering it is one of those shades I prefer over almost everything else. I've always adored wearing teal during Autumn and Winter, and I tend to gravitate towards the Rimmel Sky High polish more than any other. It's beautiful.

Blues

Top Row L-R:  Maxfactor Dazzling Blue // Models Own Indian Ocean // Barry M Cyan Blue //
Bottom Row L-R: Bourjois So Laque! Bleu Fabuleux // Ticket to Gorgeous Nails Kiss Me Quick //
Barry M Cobalt Blue // Barry M Amethyst Glitter //

I never used to wear blue nail polish very often, but since I made a resolution to branch away from reds, corals, and pinks last year, I've discovered I like how blue nails can look. Most of these polishes look best in the Summer months, so I've been itching to wear a few of them for a while now, especially the two blue Barry M's. I recently purchased the Maxfactor Dazzling Blue and the Models Own Indian Ocean, and I'm in love with them both.

Dark Blues

L-R: MUA Nail Quake Quiver // Barry M Indigo // Barry M Navy // Ruby Hammer Recommends //
MUA Shade 1

I find dark blue nail polishes so appealing. The inky shades look so stylish and sophisticated, and there's something so luxurious about a midnight blue, too. Dark blue nails have become my new favourite obsession. I recommend the Barry M Indigo and Navy pots, and the MUA Shade 1 is stunning, too.

Blacks

L-R: MUA Nail Quake Jailbreak // MUA Shade 2 // Barry M Croc Effects Black 323 //

 Barry M Crackle Black Magic 311 // Barry M Ruby Glitter //

Black nail polish is often regarded as something only goths, emo kids, and rock stars wear, and maybe this is the rebellious teenager in me talking, but I like the way black nails look. I don't wear it very often, though. I love pairing black croc or crackle effects polish with colourful shades, as I think it looks striking. My favourite black based polish is the Barry M Ruby Glitter which has flecks of black and fuchsia glitter. I'd layer it over everything if I could.

Greys and Silvers

L-R: Barry M Grey // Ruby Hammer Recommends // MUA Nail Quake Shattered Ice //
Rimmel 60 Seconds Silver Bullet // Inglot Techno UV Top Coat 07 //

Apart from the Barry M grey and the Inglot topcoat, I haven't really used these polishes yet. (The middle three are relatively new). I think grey nails can look really stylish with the right outfit, and the Barry M grey is gorgeous. The Inglot top coat contains UV, so the nails would glow under UV light. I've not tested it out under UV light yet, but the sales girl convinced me to buy it, and it's a brilliant top coat that really protects the nail polish. With some nail polishes it ever so slightly changes the colour of the polish! I've very little of it left now, so will be sourcing a new pot soon.

Browns

L-R: NYC Backstage Brown // Ruby Hammer Recommends // Ticket To Gorgeous Nails Kiss Me Quick //

Browns and nudes are areas I'm lacking in my collection. These are the only three I own. The colours are all lovely, but I usually reach for the colourful polishes over the nudes so these haven't been used much.

Nail Art Pens

L-R: Models Own Nail Art Pens in Black // White // Blue

I enjoy trying out a little nail art. I'm not gifted at it, but I can just about master some polka dots, and intend to teach myself lots of new designs to improve my technique. So far, I only own three nail art pens in black, white, and blue. These Models Own nail art pens are fantastic. They come with a thin striping brush to draw lines and intricate designs, and a dotting tool to create dots, obviously. The polish is so easy to control with the nib, and they're reasonably priced, too.

So, as you will probably have guessed, my favourite budget brand is Barry M, without a shadow of a doubt. They have a diverse range of colours, only cost a few pounds each, and the polishes are far better than most luxury ones. My favourite luxury brand is easily Inglot as they're the best polishes I've ever tried. They glide on like a dream, and remain unchipped for several days. They also have an even larger selection than Barry M with hundreds to choose from.

I also love Rimmel, MUA, Max Factor, Bourjois, Ciate, and Models Own.

I want to start branching out with different brands; I'd love to try Essie, OPI, and Butter London, to name but a few. I'd  also love to try more Models Own, Nails Inc, Inglot and Ciate nail polishes

Can you recommend any brands or colours to me?

What's your nail polish collection like? Have you got more or less than me?

I hope you enjoyed peeking in to my collection. Thanks for reading,