Mani Monday: Pretty in Pinks + My Secret Weapon for Hot Summer Nails

I popped into my local drug store the other day to buy a bottle-o-polish and my cashier said to me, "Everyone is buying polish this summer." I confess, I'm everyone -- and I picked out my favourite best pink nail polishes for summer 2013. 

Essie DJ Play That Song Collection: Boom Boom Room (above). Widely available. Probably the best low-luster cream shade of pink I've seen in a really long time. Lovely, simply lovely.

OPI Pussy Galore - The Bond Girls Collection (above). Texture -- it's all about the texture -- pastel pink liquid sand. J'adore le liquid sand.

Nicole by OPI Candy is Dandy (above). Somehow Nicole by OPI stuffed all kinds of dimension into this polish. It's not quite sand and it's not quite sugar -- it sparkles more. Sparkles for summer -- especially good on toes.

Ceramic Glaze - Exotic Dragon Fruit (above). Two words: get this. Okay, just one more word: LOVE. Okay, seriously, just a few more words: On the bottle it says "long lasting shine." Disregard. It's a matte finish, jaw-dropping, I-want-that fuchsia. Wait, did I say LOVE already? Love.

Quo by Orly: Purple Daydream (exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart). My favourite pink of all time ever. I got it at Shoppers at least a year or two ago. It's a low-luster finish that pops out as a perfect neon if you put it on over white. I suggest you put it on over white. Or not -- it's great either way.

Then, if you've managed to snag a bottle of the new L'Oréal Paris Colour Riche Top Coat in Sparklicious, go crazy (see it on blue here). With or without confetti, Purple Daydream is my all time best pink in the world.

My secret weapon for summer: Red Carpet Manicure White Hot Gel Polish (exclusive to Pharma Plus/Rexall). I use it as a base. Yes, I do. It'll brighten all your white-based light shades and it'll make your neons go kapow. As an added bonus, it cuts down on coats for all those bright shades of summer. Oh, and it adds chip-free strength to your manicure.

I do a full-on gel mani in white and whenever I feel like it, I put some colour over it. When I tire of the colour, I take it off and my shiny white gel base is still right there, ready for my next summer neon. I'm wearing it under all the pinks I just showed you. In fact, I'm wearing it right now. You might be tempted to call me a genius. I think I'm okay with that.

Are you feeling pink nail polish for summer? We think the first two shades are wedding-appropriate no-brainers -- in fact, we love all these against a white gown! Do any of them speak to you?

Manicures & Photographs Karen Falcon
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