Summer Nails Edit | Beauty

Summer came shining in (pun well and truly intended) at the weekend and I just love this time of year because it means I can break out some of my 'reserved solely for summer' nail polishes. Now I do mix up my nail colour a lot all year round but in the Autumn/Winter months darker, berry hues are what I reach for most so now summer is here, I'm finally able to reach for the bolder, almost neon shades and of course, pastels.

As mentioned, I'm really loving pastel shades at the moment as they give my nails a much softer, more girly look that is perfect for the warmer months. Two of my favourites have been from the Rita Ora for Rimmel collection in the shades Pillow Talk - a pale powder blue - and Lose Your Lingerie - a soft pearly pink. both of these shades have a slight shimmer to them in the bottle but this doesn't really translate on the nails, which I'm quite happy about. They are the perfect pastel shades in my eyes and the formula is also really great, they have a large brush for easy application and I find they become opaque after just two coats.

Sticking along the pastel lines (sort of), I've also been really enjoy the L'Oreal Color Riche nail polishes, in particular the shade Lemon Meringue, which as the name would suggest, is a pale, almost white lemon colour. This ones great if you want a more subtle n ail colour. I also really like the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine polishes as I love my nails to be as shiny as possible. The pastel shade I like is Prickly Pear, a slightly darker than pastel, lilac shade. I'm really wanting to try the new spring/summer collection though, there's so many lovely pastels. Again, these both have a wide brush and also only require two coats.

Also from Barry M, I've found myself reaching for a bolder shade, Guava, if I'm feel like pastels just aren't cutting it. I love how this applies and the shade is so bold that it really stands out. I always get so many compliments when I wear this nail polish. Last, but certainly not least, is an old favourite, Models Own Beach Party from the Hed Kandi range. This was a huge favourite of mine last year and it's back this year, it's one of those shades that unfortunately is only reserved for summer due to its neon brightness. And when I say neon, I mean get out the sunglasses, neon! The only issue I have with this polish is that it dries semi-matte so does require a good topcoat, a step that I try to avoid if I can!

So they are all my summer nail polish picks. I think I'm off to paint my nails in Beach Party now as it's a beautiful sunny day outside. What are your favourite summer nail shades? Do you go bold or pastel?