Essie's Splash of Grenadine has been a favourite of mine for a good couple years now - this is actually my second bottle! I love how unusual a colour it is; a mixture of purple and pink that is just so appealing to me. It also looks particularly amazing with a tan.
A slightly more universal Essie colour is Mint Candy Apple. A cult blogger favourite, and for good reason. I love this for a cross between a neutral and a bright, and it screams spring and summer and pistachio or mint ice cream to me.
Now, I'll be honest, I don't actually know what colour this red Essie polish is. The 5ml bottle was free with any Essie purchase in Boots so I snapped it up, and unfortunately it doesn't have the name on there! My best guess is that it's shade Fifth Avenue - but please correct me if you know what it is! Besides that, I love this bright red for adding some oomf. It leans slightly orange and matches that shade of red that is everywhere right now.
Onto Smith & Cult polishes now, my second favourite formula to Essie! First up is the true neutral of the bunch, Doe My Dear. The taupe shade is perfect for when you don't really want to go for a colour on your nails but know you need something. It looks so chic and is my go-to when I'm not sure what look I want to go for, as it suits any style.
Last but not least is She Said Yeah. This periwinkle blue is just so divine, I love wearing it. It's a bright without being bright, a neutral without being neutral, and almost leans a little purple rather than a true blue. I've worn Splash of Grenadine for years so it wins in hours of wear, but this is the shade that I've worn pretty consistently for about six months now, and it's perfect for the warmer weather too.
Just a little note on the formulas! I'll be totally honest, I only ever wear Essie and Smith & Cult polishes these days. I find both so opaque, glossy, long-wearing and easy to apply. Smith & Cult are luxury, sure, but I wouldn't spend that much on a polish unless I loved it, so I would totally recommend them to anyone looking for a treat! And of course, Essie is a good ol' reliable that I'm sure I'll never stray from.
What are your favourite summer nail picks?