Nail Polish Trends for Spring 2012

1. Tangerine
Tangerine nails are super on trend for spring. You can wear these bright nails as a pop of color with just a neutral outfit, or wear a tangerine bag or shoes to tie the tangerine trend into your entire outfit.

High End Example:

Orly Nail Lacquer in Truly Tangerine, $5.49 at Ulta
This tangerine is more on the orange side than the red side, it also has a slight hint of pink in it as well.

Drugstore Example:

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear nail Color in Crushed, $2.99 at Walgreens
This Sally Hansen color is a beautiful duo chrome of an orangy-tangerine and a more red toned tangerine.

Click "Read More" for the Rest of the Trends!

2. Glitter Mix

Glitter has been in for a few seasons now but it is getting an update. For spring 2012, try wearing glitters with a mix of colors, sizes, and shapes of glitters. The new glitters add a bit more interest to the old kinds of glitters that people have been wearing for many seasons now.

High End Example:

Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in Happy Birthday, $18.00  at Nordstrom
This absolutely gorgeous polish is a mixture of all different colored glitters in a clear base. Wear it over black for a darker look, over white for girly-er nails, or over a colored base for a really fun look.

Drugstore Example:

Wet n Wild Fast Dry Nail Color in Party of Five Glitters, $1.99 at Walgreens
Party of Five Glitters is almost identical to Happy Birthday but a a fraction of the price. Party of Five glitters has slightly darker colors in it, but if you are looking for a cheap alternative to Happy Birthday, this polish is the way to go.

3. Sophisticated Neon

Before, neon nails were always super bright and showy. This season, neons are more muted and sophisticated, while still being fun and bright like traditional neons. People who were before afraid of super bright neons, but loved how they looked, now can wear them!

High End Example:

Butter London Nail Lacquer in Primrose Hill Picnic, $14.00 at Ulta
This pink from Butter London is stunning. It is a blue-toned muted neon pink. This is a great color for everyday for younger girls, but for older women it may be a bit to young.

Drugstore Example:

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure  in Crass Slipper, $7.99 at Walgreens
This is a very pretty basic green that anyone can wear no matter their age. This polish would be great to wear with a neutral outfit for a subtle pop of color.

4. Foundation Nails

Nudes are in it seems almost every season, but in this season nude nails get a makeover. These nails are all creme finish foundation tones. Nude nails are great to wear with colorful outfits if you want all of the attention  on your outfit and not on your nails.

High End Example:

Sephora by OPI Nail Colour in Neutral Beauty, $9.50 at Sephora
This Sephora by OPI nail polish is a nude with very beige undertones, it has little or no pink in it. 

Drugstore Example:

Ulta Salon Formula nail Lacquer in Set the Nude, $6.00 at Ulta
This nail polish from Ulta is almost identical to Neutral Beauty. Set the Nude just has a bit more grey in it than the Sephora by OPI.

5. Pastel Nails

Pastel nails for spring are always in, so its not a surprise that they are in for 2012. Pastel nails go well with soft and girly outfits. Pair pastel nails with a white lace shirt for a really soft and feminine look.

High End Example:

Essie Nail Polish in St. Lucia Lilac, $8.00 at Ulta
Pastel lavender nails look a-m-a-z-i-n-g no matter what they are paired with. They really bring an outfit together and add a bit of sophistication. However, if you wear them with, say, hot pink, they can be really fun and color block-y.

Drugstore Example:

L'Oreal Colour Riche Nail Color in Wishful Pinking,  $5.99 at Walgreens
Every girl needs her favorite pastel light pink. The color that you can always fall back on and will go with anything that you might wear. This L'Oreal color is one example, but almost every brand has a color like this.

6. Fuchsia

This bright pink can look really fun if it is paired with other bright colors, try wearing your favorite fuchsia in a color blocking outfit. If you wanted fuchsia to be more sophisticated, wear it with something like a fitted black blazer to make your nails look more mature.

High End Example:

Sephora by OPI Nail Colour in Shopping Frenzy, $9.50 at Sephora
Shopping frenzy looks very red in the bottle in this picture, but on the nails it is a gorgeous dark fuchsia. It has a slight duo chrome look but it is nothing major. This is another nail polish that you can wear anytime to any place and it will still look good and tie your outfit together with a bit of sophistication or fun depending on the outfit.

Drugstore Example:

Revlon Nail Enamel in Fuchsia Fever, $5.49 at Walgreens
This Revlon nail polish is a much more pink fuchsia than Shopping Frenzy.  This is a nail polish that you could wear all of the time and never get tired of.

7. Pistachio Green

All greens will be super popular this spring, but one in particular is pistachio green. This is a light, almost pastel, nail polish that will go with a lot of different outfits. This color green is unexpected, and will add a bit of surprise to your outfit. Sadly, I could not find a good pistachio green from the drugstore, so instead I chose a less expensive nail polish that you can still find a drugstores.

High End Example:

Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in Almost Paradise, $16.00 at Nordstrom
This is a beautiful medium-toned pistachio green from Deborah Lippmann. Try wearing it with soft neutral pieces for a girly look, or with black accessories for an edgier outfit.   

Less Expensive Example:

Essie Nail Polish in Navigate Her, $8.00 at Ulta
This color is from the Essie spring collection. It is lighter than Almost Paradise, but just as beautiful. It can be worn with the same pieces to achieve the same types of looks.   

I hope you enjoyed reading about these spring 2012 nail polish trends! I hope that you try out some of the examples and attempt the outfit suggestions. Just remember: rules are meant to be broken. It won't hurt to try out a, say, neon yellow even though it isn't listed above. These are just suggestions of colors, that if you don't have them, you might want to try out.

-XOXO