Nail polish Monday: Fall at your fingertips

fingertips nail polishHello, all you lovely Posse folks! Yay — it’s finally October!! It’s gotten a bit cooler this weekend in my neck of the woods and we’re hoping to wave bye-bye to any temps in the 90s or high 80s; it’s dipped into the 50s at night, and it’s so nice to be able to open the windows. So I figured it’s high time to break out some fall at my fingertips.

I haven’t been wearing polish much at all lately, but the other day I caught a glimpse of a rich autumn nail color in my stash and knew I’d have to get into nail-polish gear: my old faithful, Merle Norman Sunset Red (pictured). And recently at Nordstrom, I saw a cute little limited-edition bottle of Butter London, in a metallic brownish-plum, called, oddly enough, Sea Shell. Despite the name, it reminded me of those deep, wine-copper fall leaves you sometimes see. Can’t wait to try that one on all 10 digits. And both look great on short nails, a very good thing in my case, where some nails wind up longer than others and I struggle to get them all evened up and looking balanced.

I also have some metallic taupes and browns that I might also put into rotation, now that I’m getting back into the groove of painting my fingertips. As for the toes, however, my luscious OPI red tootsies will stay the same until the sandals are put up for good and then I go au naturel until spring.

So what about you? How are you putting fall at your fingertips? Any great shades you’re already rocking or planning to wear soon? Or are you going subtle with a beautifully basic nude or a pretty French manicure?

P.S. Sorta funny nail story: When I got married way back when, I toyed with the idea of having lovely red fingertips to match my Christian Dior lipstick. Oy, the backlash I got! You’d have thought I suggested sashaying down the aisle in red satin hot pants! “You can’t have red nails on your wedding day,” someone told me, “You’ll look like a hussy!” And several other comments along the lines of “It just isn’t done, my dear.” Goodness –who knew? So I wound up with my first French manicure and was fine with it, but I still think it was a bit of a tempest in a teapot.

  • Kate E. says:

    I can’t paint my fingernails because I’m in nursing school but my toes are already in a deep berry for fall after a summer of neon! **winks at Portia**

  • otamom says:

    Coveting your sunset red, fabulous! (I cannot STAND french manicures)

    • Ann says:

      Thanks! I know when it’s gone I’ll be crying the blues, ha! The closest shades I’ve found are Zoya Autumn and Sunset, and a HTF Revlon called Amber Ablaze. But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it, right? Not a huge French manicure fan here either, but on the right person, it looks fabulous.

  • Tatiana says:

    If I wear nail polish more than two times in a row my nails get super dry and start peeling and splitting lengthwise and it takes me 6 months to get them to grow out without problems again. This despite all the nail oils and cuticle and hand creams on the planet. But I do love nail polish. Dear Husband usually loves neutrals and light pinks on me, until one day I sported Chanel Rouge Noir. I was expecting grief, but he loved it. At Nordstrom I just picked up at bottle of Dior Poison Metal. It’s a shimmery, warm plum red. I also love Tom Ford Minx and Dominatrix. Lots of indie polish, too. Too many bottles to name them all. Happy fall!

    • Ann says:

      Ooooh, sounds like some fabulous shades there! Sorry about the nail issues; but when you do wear polish, I know you look great!! And so nice that DH liked something a little different. Sometimes they will surprise us!

  • malsnano86 says:

    I have wonky nails (bendy, prone to cracking and chipping), and my hands are fairly unattractively shaped, so I don’t like to call attention to them anyway. If I do anything on my fingernails, it’s a strengthening thing, or possibly a pinky-nude shade. I’m always a bit jealous of people who have standard nails.

    I always do my toes, though. Even if nobody else can see them, I can! Last week I did one of those pink nude shades, but this week I’ll move into a deeper shade, maybe Sally Hansen Raisin the Bar. Next week maybe teal. It depends.

    • Ann says:

      Hi, lady! How are you? I hear you, several of my nails grow kind of wonky and if too long, they start to look like trumpets. So have to nip that in the bud. And I agree, knowing that you have gorgeous hued toes seems to give you a little extra boost. Have fun with those tootsies (I vote for teal — love that shade)!

  • Portia says:

    Hey Ann,
    You are so good doing your own. I’ve never had that kind of patience or talent. Once upon a time I’d have my hands done but it’s too much trouble and I spend most of my time as a guy so……
    My toenails on the other hand, er foot, are always done. A group of us go every 2-3 weeks and gossip while the nail girls do their thing. We go for every stupid colour under the sun, it’s silly and fun and only a few people ever get to see them BUT we know.
    Currently I’m in Fire Engine Red toenails with a red shimmer overlaid. They look really good and not crazy at all, till you notice my hairy Hobbit feet. He He He he.
    Portia xx

    • Ann says:

      Howdy, dear! I know you are rocking that fire engine red — it’s your secret fashion weapon, right? 😉 A pedicure party with friends sounds so fun — must get one together soon. Thanks!

  • rosarita313 says:

    I am too tired/lazy to paint much these days, but I still purchase polish occasionally. Currently I have three new polishes for fall and have tried one – ILNP Sitting Fireside which is a coppery multichrome with teensy sparse holographic flecks, just enough to add more depth. I keep my nails short too and it’s really no big deal to keep them polished but it just feels like work sometimes. Your red nail polish story made me smile, how times have changed!

    • Ann says:

      Hi, sweetie! I’m right there with you, usually too tired and lazy to do much, but every once in a while I get a shot of nail ambition, ha! That Fireside color sounds very cool, must go check it out. What does ILNP stand for, do you know?

  • March says:

    hehe- posting in two parts since our spam shield isn’t happy with my blathering so it keeps removing the POST COMMENT button — That’s a great fall polish, you’ve mentioned it to me… I have a darker “fall polish” – OPI Oktoberfest.” But right now I’m having a nude/greige/mumsy color phase. Hat tip to today’s manicure — OPI’s Tickle My France-y (the Paris Collection was fabulous, was that ten years ago?!?) France-y is fantastic. On warmer skin tones it reads as a pale shell pink; on cooler tones like mine it’s a very pale nude, almost a match for my skin. It’s so pretty on either skin tone — neither too pink nor too brown — and it’s opaque. Love it!

    • Ann says:

      Yes — that Tickle My … is a great shade and lovely on everyone! I think I’ve seen the Oktoberfest, but can’t quite recall it exactly, so need to go look it up. And I love some grieges with a hint of lavender.

  • March says:

    YOU SHAMELESS HUSSY with your lust for red nail polish! I had the same drama, sort of…. this was the 80s when everyone was doing those ginormous Diana gowns, which looked terrible on me with my tiny shoulders. So a friend made me a simple lace strapless gown, which everyone does now, but nobody was wearing then. I heard reports from friends in the pews at my in-laws’ staid Episcopal church that the older folks there were SCANDALIZED. BUT AT LEAST I WAS WEARING NUDE POLISH.

    • Ann says:

      That’s me, a shameless hussy from way back!! 😉 Too funny about the gown! Now no one thinks a thing about a bridal gown cut down to there or one that’s virtually backless. I know you were beautiful in yours though!

  • eldarwen22 says:

    I’ve never favored neutrals or the French manicure but a fan of greens, purples and blues. OPI has always had a fairly nice fall/winter collection but the Iceland collection is a little drab. Mostly dark browns. About 4 are really nice and the green is growing on me. The best red is An Affair in Red Square. I just applied OPI Light My Sapphire.

    • Ann says:

      I can’t do too many greens or purples, but that Affair in Red Square is to die for! Now to go get a peek at Light My Sapphire. Thanks!