Colourful Spring Nail Art

Here’s my easter / spring nail art for 2016. It incorporates multiple pastel shades to capture the colours that emerge in nature during spring, as well as the pretty speckles of colour on easter eggs.

Spring 2016 Nail Polish Favourites

Happy Spring 2016!

My nail polish favourites for this season feature a combination of pink, peach, purple, and green pastels and shimmers. There are even a few jellies and duochromes in the mix this spring.

Which of these pretty shades is your favourite? To see swatches and more detailed posts on the polishes below, click on any names in mint green text.

NOTD: Orly Cotton Candy

Today I was in the mood for a peachy-pink nail colour and Cotton Candy by Orly was the first shade that came to mind. I purchased this colour last summer after having my nails painted with it at a salon. I wore the shade for over a week and loved it so much that I had to get a bottle for myself.
The shade of this cream finish polish is similar to Essie’s Van D’Go which is of my other favourite peachy-pink polishes. Cotton Candy is a bit darker and a bit more peach than Van D’Go but still in the same colour family. I think this shade is perfect for any skin tone. It gives the nails a nice pop of colour without looking neon or too vibrant.

Unfortunately, despite its beautiful colour, Cotton Candy’s formula is less than impressive. It is thick and streaky and very difficulty to apply. In the photos below, I am wearing three coats of this shade and the polish is not as smooth as I would like. It looks patchy in spots and when I look at my nails from the side the polish looks very uneven. Surprisingly, it dried fairly quickly between coats. I have always had difficulty with the formula of Orly polishes but loved this colour so much that I could not help but purchase it.

Next time I wear Cotton Candy I will use a bit of nail polish thinner to see if it will allow for a smoother application. I recommend this polish to anyone who loves peachy-pink shades, doesn’t mind a tricky application, and has some polish thinner on hand.

Nail Polish Haul!

Over the last six months I have purchased a few nail polishes that I wanted to show all of you. All polishes are from either Orly, Essie, China Glaze, or Zoya, and many were purchased at discounted, sale, or promotional prices.
Hope you enjoy!
*click photos to enlarge*
Orly

Orly Cotton Candy (Sweet Collection, Spring 2010)
*swatches of Cotton Candy can be found here: http://putbeautytowords.blogspot.com/2011/04/i-got-manicure-orlys-cotton-candy.html
Essie

Essie Jackie Oh My and Shop Till I Drop

Essie Topless and Barefoot (Spring 2011) and Sand Tropez (Spring 2011)
China Glaze

Peachy Keen (Up & Away, Spring 2010), Lemon Fizz (Up & Away, Spring 2010), Light as Air (Up & Away, Spring 2010), and Something Sweet (Up & Away, Spring 2010)
Zoya

Zoya Areej (Summertime Collection, Summer 2011) and Rica (Sunshine Collection, Summer 2011)

Zoya Dove (Intimate Collection, Spring 2011), Jules (Intimate Collection, Spring 2011), Marley (Intimate Collection, Spring 2011), and Caitlin (Intimate Collection, Spring 2011)
*swatches of these four polishes can be found here: http://putbeautytowords.blogspot.com/2011/02/zoya-polish.html
*a nail art look using Jules can be found here: http://putbeautytowords.blogspot.com/2011/03/easy-dot-nail-look.html

Zoya Harley (Twist Collection, Spring 2009), Kelly (Wonderful Collection, Fall 2010), and Laney (Reverie Collection, Spring 2010)

Zoya Marilyn (Serendipity Collection, Spring 2007), Heather (Bouquet Collection), and Stephanie (Spa Essentials Collection)
*More information about Marilyn can be found here: http://putbeautytowords.blogspot.com/2011/03/light-pink-polish-for-spring-zoya.html

Zoya Felicity (Blissful Collection, Spring 2008) and Zanna (Blissful Collection, Spring 2008)
Let me know which ones are your favourites!