Nail trends you’ll continue to see in 2012

I have to admit I’m a bit nail polish obsessed. I currently have enough nail polish in my beauty closet to repaint a compact car. It seemed like 2011 brought an onslaught of new nail polishes from which to choose. Nearly every retailer had their own white label brand, there were newcomers like Nails, Inc., ways to get your monthly polish fix like Julep Maven and on top of that some of the big brands put out multiple new collections last year.

Here are some of the nail polish trends from 2011 that we’re sure you’ll see rocked throughout 2012.

1)    Neutrals

I loved the resurgence of neutral shades last year. They are sophisticated, go with any outfit and are work-appropriate. Some of my favorites were Deborah Lippmann’s “Naked”, Spa Ritual’s “Mind” and the entire HIPP x RGB collection which is an all nude nail color collection with a shade to match nearly every skin tone!

Deborah Lippmann "Naked"HIPP x RGB "Nudes"

2) Nail Appliqués

One of my favorite trends this year was the nail appliqué like Sally Hansen’s Salon Effects, Minx and Butter London’s Wallpaper Nail Skins. They are a super easy way to add a bit of pizzazz to your finger or toe nails. How can you not love a little pink camo, English flowers or black lace on your nails? The biggest benefit is that they are easy to apply, require no drying time and can last up to two weeks (with a little clear coat on top).

Sally Hansen Salon Effects

3)  The Blues

The plethora of gorgeous shades of cerulean, sapphire, cobalt, and aqua had us “singing the blues” for most of the year. From the launch of the Chanel Les Jeans de Chanel trio of denim-inspired blues to Essie’s “Bobbing for Baubles” and OPI’s “Last Friday Night” from their collaboration with Katy Perry – there was something for everyone to sing about.

Essie "Bobbing for Baubles"

4) Worry-free Nails

I can’t say enough about nail products like CND Shellac, Gelish soak-off gel polish and OPI Axxium that bring together the best of nail polish and gel. No drying time, mirror finish, and no chips after two weeks? I’m sold! These products are awesome for the holidays, vacations, or any other time when you can’t be bothered with worrying about whether your nails look perfect.  

CND Shellac

5)  Glitter

Glitter just makes me happy – period. Whether you like to go full-on party glam and paint your nails in silver glitter like Zoya’s “Luna” from their Ultra Glitter collection, or a bit of glitter in your clear topcoat like OPI for Sephora’s “G-listen To Your Heart”. A little bit of glitter is a great way to make every day a little more festive!

OPI for Sephora’s “G-listen To Your Heart”