Top Summer Polishes

My nails tend to fluctuate between two extremes during the summertime. I'm either sporting light, pastel shades or bright pops of color. Here are just a few of my favorites:


From left to right (sorry for the awkwardly cropped pic-I need to find a better place w/ natural light to take my pictures):
1. Revlon in Revlon Red: classic, bright red. Love the shade, but this particular formula can stain nails if you don't use a base first.

2. Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Twisted Pink: vibrant hot pink with a touch of microshimmer. I love this nail polish brand and formula in particular. It goes on opaque in one coat, lasts a decent amount of time and has a wonderful price point! This line has some great, trendy colors too.

3. China Glaze in Flip Flop Fantasy: this picture isn't doing this neon hot pink justice. This is the perfect lounging by the pool color. Extremely bright. It also dries VERY matte. If you like that finish, then this polish is definitely for you. However, one coat of a clear topcoat creates a lovely, shiny finish if that's more your cup of tea.

4. China Glaze in Lemon Fizz: delicious, creamy, lemony yellow. I was scared that yellow would make my hands look sickly or lobster red, but this color works wonderfully against my skin.

5. Revlon in Minted: The formulation could be better, but this color is spot on minty. During the mint green nail craze, I wanted to add one to my collection that didn't break the bank, and this one fit the bill.

6. Revlon in Blue Lagoon: This blue has a hint of shimmer that  I only find noticeable when in direct sunlight. I personally love the look of this color against white, and since I tend to wear a ton of white cotton sun-dresses in the summer, I'm guaranteed to be sporting this shade a few times each month!

7. Love & Beauty in Lavender: This is a fantastic, inexpensive shade that I picked up from Forever 21. This creamy lavender has just enough depth to not look chalky, but is still light enough to look perfectly pastel. It's also completely opaque in one coat-for a polish under $3, you can't beat it!

So, those are my favorite polishes of the summer-doesn't it make a pretty rainbow? What are your favorite colors this season?