Mani Monday | Neutral Nails Showcase Showdown!

Since neutral nail polish is near n' dear to my heart and I seem to have an abundance of them, I thought I'd swatch some of my collection for you!  I hope this post will help you make an informed buying decision and avoid getting a sheer polish when what you want is opaque (and vice versa)!  Also, PLEASE excuse my cuticles and imperfect paint jobs!  I was really just trying to show you the colors and I didn't take the time to do clean-up and oil down my cuticles.  On to the players in this battle royale!

L to R: OPI Step Right Up, OPI My Very First Knockwurst, Sally Hansen Gray-T Escape, Revlon Pale Cashmere

In the taupe-y neutrals category, we have:

OPI Step Right Up

OPI My Very First Knockwurst (you just can't make these names up)

Sally Hansen Gray-T Escape

Revlon Pale Cashmere

L to R: OPI Step Right Up, OPI My Very First Knockwurst, Sally Hansen Gray-T Escape, Revlon Pale Cashmere

L to R: OPI Step Right Up, OPI My Very First Knockwurst, Sally Hansen Gray-T Escape, Revlon Pale Cashmere

2 coats were applied in the above swatch picture.  As you can see, OPI Step Right Up and Revlon Pure Cashmere are sheer, and OPI MVFK and Sally Hansen Gray-T Escape are opaque.  Gray-T Escape is a tad bit darker than MVFK.  Pale Cashmere is a bit whiter than Step Right Up.  Either one would be great for someone looking for a sheer wash of neutral-ness on their nails.

L to R: OPI Mod About You, Essie Fiji, Nicole by OPI Kim-Pletely In Love, Essie Ballet Slippers 

In the pinky neutrals category, we have:

OPI Mod About You (my #1 fave polish!)
Essie Fiji
Nicole by OPI Kim-Pletely In Love
Essie Ballet Slippers

L to R: OPI Mod About You, Essie Fiji, Nicole by OPI Kim-Pletely In Love, Essie Ballet Slippers 

L to R: OPI Mod About You, Essie Fiji, Nicole by OPI Kim-Pletely In Love, Essie Ballet Slippers 

OPI Mod About You and Essie Fiji are the most opaque neutral pinks in my collection.  Fiji leans warm, Mod About You leans cool.  Nicole by OPI Kim-Pletely In Love is a barely pink base packed with iridescent micro glitter.  I've seen people layering on 6-8 coats of this and it looks stunning, but I don't have the patience for that, so I prefer to layer it on as a top coat when I want to add a bit of sparkle.  Since it's micro glitter and not big a** chunky glitter, it removes pretty easily.  Essie Ballet Slippers was my gateway neutral!  It's quite sheer and looks a LOT like Revlon Pale Cashmere.  I definitely think if you already have one, you don't need the other.  Ballet Slippers is a nice way to add a subtle tinge of whitened pink to the nails.

OPI Mod About You, Essie Fiji

Some might argue that OPI Mod About You (full review here) isn't a neutral at all; that it's a bright lavender pink.  But for me, it's the perfect pink for my skin tone, and something that goes great with any color I'm wearing.  Therefore it's a neutral in my book!  I've never had any trouble applying Mod About You; it goes on smoothly without bubbling and is opaque in 2 coats.  It dries quickly, which is a nice bonus.

Essie Fiji is often raved about on blogs, and if a warmer light pink is what you seek, it might be your new BFF.  I'm not a big fan of it.  I have to use 3-4 coats to reach full opacity and cover up any streaky patches, it takes it's time drying, and I find that it chips very quickly on me.  I also don't think the warmer tone is very flattering on me.  That's just my experience though; I know it's a big time love for many people!

OPI Mod About You, Essie Fiji - 1 coat

OPI Mod About You - 2 coats

OPI Mod About You

OPI Mod About You with Essie Set In Stones glitter fade - possibly my all-time fave polish combo!

What's your favorite neutral polish?