For the sake of full disclosure, let me start off by confessing that I am without question, a nail polish addict. My friends constantly poke fun at me when I paint my nails for the third time a week, or complain that all my lacquers will no longer fit in my (fairly large) Tupperware container that I use for polish storage. I have never actually counted how many colors I have in my collection, but let’s just say that it’s more than a few dozen (at least).

Recently, however, I have developed a problem -- well, sort of. What is my problem, you ask? Lately, I’ve had an aversion to color on my finger tips; basically, I find myself removing any colorful shade within minutes of painting my nails, and replacing the polish instead with a sheer pink or beige color (FYI, my go-to is cult favorite, Essie in “Mademoiselle”). Now, for the normal, non-nail-polish-obsessed folk, this probably doesn’t seem like a problem at all. However, for me, this is completely out of character. Furthermore, my endless collection of pigmented shades is totally going to waste. I don’t even want to think about the cash I dished out for all those shades that I “had to have” that are now collecting dust.

Given that my sudden gravitation to plain, nude nails is so out of character, I decided to do a little investigating. From where exactly is my current aversion to color truly stemming? My first thought was my job search. Just like many of my fellow college seniors nationwide, I am currently on the hunt for employment. Of course, interviews and networking sessions demand professional attire and grooming, which pretty much rules out any sort of color on the nails. But I don’t actually enjoy donning my business casual, and job hunting isn’t exactly my first choice of activity. So this could not possibly be the reason I actually found myself wanting to keep my nails bare, right?

After a while, I gave up on wondering what happened to my colorful polish obsession. Of course, as we all well know, once you stop searching for something, it usually turns up right away. I was surfing the Web, looking at my go-to beauty and fashion blogs, when BAM, I stumbled across this article that I read back in October. And viola, I had my answer. To sum it up, Chanel told us way back during Paris S/S ’13 that French manicures were the new thing, and given that the geniuses at Chanel are basically the gods of nail polish, I must have listened (even without realizing it). Now, to be sure, I am not sitting in my room giving myself French manis, but I think my gravitation to sheer pinks and nudes may stem from Chanel’s prophecy.

So for now, as much as I’m hesitant to admit it, I’m all about the sheer, barely-there nail polish kind of look. Given my history of polish-obsession and my fairly impressive lacquer collection, my new preference may diminish quickly. But for now, bring on the nude.

Chanel S/S '13
(Courtesy: Beauty Editor)

Essie "Mademoiselle", essie.com, $8

Polished nails can really complete a look, tying everything together. My current obsession is glittery nail polish. It's very holiday friendly, of course, but it can also jazz an otherwise bland, dull weekday.

A glittery DIY manicure can also be very affordable. Try Sally Hansen's Gem Crush polish, available at any drugstore, for a sparkling look.

Sally Hansen Gem Crush Nail Color in Big Money, drugstore.com, $6.37

If you feel like going a little fancier, you can try Ciaté's sequin manicure kit, which allows you to apply actual sequins to your nails. It's the ultimate frivolous party look for a true nail art devotee.

Ciaté Sequin Manicure Kit, sephora.com, $15

I'll admit it. I may have mocked the different color ring finger nail polish trend when I first saw it. I thought it was going to be a passing fad but it has lasted much longer than I expected. It looked a little forgetful to me or as if the person sporting it could not make up their mind. I noticed it on ABC's Happy Endings the other day so the trend has made it to television. I now think of this trend similar to an accent wall in a person's house.

There are many ways to do it. You can design your ring finger and leave the rest of your nails a subtle color. You can have your nails be complementary shades. It can be a way to incorporate both nail polish colors when you can't decide which one to choose. The bottom line is who knows how long this trend will last so why not embrace it while you can.

Courtesy: lacquerella.net

With the bustle of the holiday season right around the corner, my spare time becomes an illusive luxury. Between family time, holiday-party time, and work, keeping myself looking presentable without spending a ton of time doing so is a must! One of my favorite quick-fixes to lean on -- especially this time of year -- is Sally Hansen's Collection of Salon Effects nail strips. I absolutely love these packets of portable polish! Sally Hansen's nail strips require no drying time (which SERIOUSLY is the best invention ever!), are relatively inexpensive, and I can get mine to last for about two weeks -- often longer! The polish goes on easily and comes off with regular nail polish remover, which makes changing the colors/patterns fun and fast! The Nail Strips form-fit to your personal nail length, and you simply file off what you don't need -- awesome! Everything you need comes in the package, which costs about $10.

Sally Hansen Nail Strips In "Love Letter"

Sally Hansen Nail Strips in "Mod About You"

Sally Hansen Nail Strips in "It Girl"

This picture shows what each kit contains: two packages of the nail strips, a file, and a dowel (tool to push down your cuticles and smooth the nail strips). There are plenty of strips for one application; however, I will caution you that the leftover strips do not last forever. Once the polish is exposed to air, it dries out, which makes it nearly impossible to store the extras.

This is what the packages look like at the store (the example above is Sally Hanen's Nail Strips in "Aflorable"). These instructions can be found on the side of every box of Sally Hansen's Nail Strips, and each set includes pictures and easy to understand step-by-step details. Don't hesitate to put these on your toenails, too! These make for a great quick pedi fix!

Sally Hansen also does a great job of providing seasonal nail strips that I look forward to every year!

Halloween 2012

Holiday 2011

Easter/Spring 2012

I use these fantastic little inventions literally all of the time; I like knowing that my nails will look pulled together without a lot of effort. There is an endless selection of patterns and colors to choose from -- mixing and matching is always a great idea! From light pale pink to tye-dye highlighter, there is a color palate for everybody! The money I save by doing this vs. getting a manicure is also a nice plus, especially when I'm trying to be budget smart! I really encourage you to give these a try; it may take a bit of practice, but in the end it will be worthwhile.

Everyone has seen the fabulous posts on Pinterest of gorgeous Essie hues and nails adorned in colors only seen through Instagram filters. Is the only way we can achieve this professional looking manicure with rich color depth by using $8 bottles of Essie nail polish? I think their selection is amazing. Trust me, I do. But something bugs me about paying the same amount for an entire Flame Broiler lunch as a 0.5 ounce bottle of nail polish. I can’t seem to pay for it when brands like Wet N Wild, Revlon, Sinful Colors and China Glaze range from $0.99 to $4. The only problem is, using less expensive nail polish doesn’t have the same rich effect as Essie; I am always left with translucent shades and a streaky finish. Not to mention, I need to apply about 4 or 5 coats to even decipher there is a color on my nails, which leaves a ton of room for error in the hours those coats take to dry!

We have a new solution. Paint one coat of solid white as a primer first! You will be amazed how much better the color pops and gives a deeper hue. I was experimenting with some wild colors like lime, neon blue, cream, etc. and I was disappointed with the way they turned out. I tried applying one coat of white underneath any color, and I was greatly surprised by the final result.

Therefore -- get the same manicure as Essie would give by using one coat of white (I used Wet N Wild for $0.99) under any other off-brand of colored polish. You will be amazed at how much more your color stands out!