Summer Nail Trends 2020
Desire by LA Girl Gel. Pearl Lollipop ring
I was not familiar with the brand LA Girl, but it caught my eye one day at Rite-Aid. I wasn't expecting much since it's a steal at $3.99 but was impressed to find that it provided great gel-like long lasting coverage. Of all the polishes I purchased, this shade in Desire, was one of my favorites both for vibrancy and durability. Highly recommend!
LA Girl Gel in Desire
Matte vs. Shiny. See the two photos above - which finish do you prefer?
I keep my nails on the short side as they are weak and prone to breakage. During quarantine, I've been taking collagen in my coffee daily and it has helped my nails grow much longer and stronger. I like both marine collagen and bovine collagen. Lately I've been using Vital Proteins bovine collagen that I get at Costco.
China Glaze in Orange Knockout
My second favorite neon is a tie between China Glaze Orange Knockout (pictured above) and the slightly more pinky coral orange China Glaze Thistle Do Nicely.
I loved the Orange Knockout color and found it very flattering but the Thistle Do Nicely resisted chipping better. Not sure why that was as I applied them the same way. Since the weather has been so hot, I have been in the pool a decent amount which is always hard on nail polish.
China Glaze Orange Knockout. Petite Starburst Ring
With nail salons closed for the foreseeable future, it's a good time to learn to do your own nails. It's really not hard it just takes a bit of patience and steady hands. (I've gotten better at this over the years) One tip I find immensely helpful is to paint your index through pinky fingers first and leave the thumbs on both side bare. That way you can use your thumb nails to clean up around the edges and cuticles of the painted nails while they're still wet. Once all the fingers are done with topcoat, paint the thumbs last.
LA Girl Color Pop in Leap. Pearl Lollipop ring
Maybe you like color but neon is too bright for you? A good way to tone it down a bit is to apply a matte topcoat. I recommend applying a regular shine top coat first, and then after it dries applying a matte top coat second. Matte top coats tend to be a little thin and that way you get a little more mileage to your mani.
La Girl Color Pop in Leap Petite Starburst Ring and Twyla Gold Ring.
This is the same Leap neon green color but with a shiny finish instead of matte.
Style tip: When wearing bright neon nail colors, keep rings to a uniform metal (gold or silver) or pick pearl that goes with everything. That way the rings complement rather than compete with the bold nail color choice.
Drugstore favorite neon nail polishes
Playing tennis ( the perfect social distancing sport) I was inspired to find the perfect shade of neon yellow...
Et voilà. I was having trouble finding a true neon yellow nail polish. I wanted one that resembled a tennis ball, yellow without being too green. I found this one by China Glaze. On it's own it's a bit transparent. To get it really bright, I had to put a white base coat underneath it.
Nails. Inc Naked in Neon Nail Polish Set
This set at Sephora from Nails. Inc is $22 for 4 colors and you can do a neon ombre mismatched mani look with it. The neon yellow is very opaque, I found it easier to apply than the China Glaze above because I didn't have to use a white base coat beneath it. Lasts about a week, staying chip resistant and shiny.
Nails Inc. Naked in Neon Janna Conner Twyla gold ring and Petite Starburst Ring
What's your favorite nail look for summer? Tell me in the comments below!