Let’s Talk Toenail Polish

Aziraphale

Painted toenails? Usually not, out of sheer laziness, but the odd time I’ll go get a pedicure and I usually choose a light pink polish. I don’t have any pink polish of my own, though. Only dark colours, which I use to paint my fingernails once in a blue moon. (Oddly, I’ve never had a manicure). For some reason, pink looks too girly to me when it’s on the fingers, and dark blue/black/burgundy looks too “old lady” when it’s on the toes. But I have no idea why I have that opinion! Pearly white does seem like a good idea for minimizing the appearance of chipping.

June 27, 2011 at 2:34 pm

Atlantia

Veteran

Black in the fall/winter, silver in the spring/summer. I don’t usually wear open toed shoes as a public service to save others from my scary feet. But it does mean I get to unleash my inner-goth with my tooties!

June 27, 2011 at 2:39 pm

Ronnie

(website)

I always go with a zanier color on my toes—I’ve had a fairly bright purple for the past few months. I always have clear or a sheer beige on my fingernails as they chip waaay too easily since I’m an artist. Years ago I had very short acrylic nails which I loved since the polish stayed on so long but they creep me out now.

June 27, 2011 at 2:44 pm

Inge

I always paint my toenails in Spring and Summer and love bright coloured polished on other people, but they’ve never felt very me. I used to go for darker red, sometimes plum, but was getting tired of that. So at the moment I’m wearing a lighter, lavender shade that goes with all my outfits. (I didn’t think about that when chosing the colour though, I don’t really match my outfits and shoes with my toenail colour…). I do love your pearly white too and have sported that myself once, might go back to that if I want to change things up.

June 27, 2011 at 2:50 pm

Girl X

(website)

Veteran

I always paint my toenails – and since any polish on my toes far outlasts the polish on my fingers, my toes have polish on them far more often than my fingers do. I’ll sometimes match my toe polish to my fingers, but I’ll often just go with something more neutral – since it may indeed be on my toes for weeks – until it starts to grow out! I don’t use a base or top coat on my toes – I think it lasts because my feet only get wet when I’m in the bath or shower, as opposed to my hands which get wet a dozen times a day.

June 27, 2011 at 2:51 pm

Sihaya

Veteran

I also used to do blue and occasionally red. However, ever since I discovered silvery-white, I have stuck to that. I think that’s been at least 3 years now. This is for the same reason as you Angie – they are chip friendly. The chips don’t show much and I can go longer without pedicures which are a big time commitment during my day. My toe nails are almost always painted though more updated in the summer months. However, even in winter, I have them painted though they might be more chipped as you never know what will show through in no-shoes houses.

June 27, 2011 at 3:00 pm

Polly (thunalata)

Veteran

I own pewter, hot pink (or is that shocking pink?), bright red and blue. I don’t match it to my outfits exactly, but when I have a particular colour on my toes I gear my outfits a towards it if I’m wearing sandals. I wore pewter all last summer and loved it as a neutral (it also went well as a low contrast with my pewter sandals that are my go-to hot weather flats). At the moment I’m wearing bright red. I feel there’s a whole new world of nail colour to explore though…

June 27, 2011 at 3:03 pm

Darci

(website)

I ONLY paint my toenails — very rarely my fingers. I’d wreck a mani in about five minutes, and I don’t like how I’m “precious” with my hands when I sport one.

My toes however, have been white, black, purple, green, silver orange, yellow…spotted, dotted and striped. I like to play with my toenail polish and it NEVER matches with what I’m wearing. It’s the little gift I give to myself every two weeks. (I do my own pedis, too.)

Right now, my tootsies are aqua. Fun!

June 27, 2011 at 3:04 pm

JulieinMI

Active Member

French tips!

June 27, 2011 at 3:06 pm

Diana

Veteran

Yes! I am another one who only paints my toenails, never my fingernails. Since I work in a lab (plus I am a klutz in general) fingernail polish does not last past a couple of days for me, if it even survives the initial drying phase. I love toenail polish though and my toes are always polished in the summer and sometimes even in the winter. Toenail polish tends to last at least a week on me with minimal chipping. I tend to wear bright high contrast colors (like my clothes as well) – my favorites this summer are watermelon, teal (well that’s a perennial favorite) and bright purple. I don’t bother matching my polish to my clothes unless it’s for some special occasion – since I usually polish my toenails at night in my pajamas, I just pick whatever color makes me happy at the moment, and usually end up wearing it for a week or two.

My mom has this theory that for your toes you should always wear bright colors since they’re so far away from your (and everyone else’s) eyes that you can’t see them otherwise. (It is true that we all have bad eyesight in my family though…). I would add that since they’re so far away from your face you can wear ANY color even ones you wouldn’t normally wear near your face.

June 27, 2011 at 3:11 pm

Sammi

I love the pearly white with the booties! My most frequent color is a light very light pearly pink. I will also use silver, white, and gold. Probably because I like neutrals

My last pedicure I branched out and got a bright blue. It was really fun and summery, but I did get tired of it sooner than usual. I’m thinking about trying a pastel blue next time.

June 27, 2011 at 3:17 pm

MNsara

Veteran

Whew – this is much easier than 5 adjectives

Only paint toenails and only during sandal season – I’m surprised at how well it lasts!
Usually I adore bright corals or pinks, but this year I tried a metallic apple green (thanks, Angie!) and it was fun

I wish I was more motivated to change out the colors, and have even more fun, but I do them myself, so wait until it’s *necessary* to redo.

June 27, 2011 at 3:25 pm

patti

(website)

Active Member

Palest pink, so the chips don’t show! On occasion, I’ll go to the nail shop and get a bright pink or red and enjoy it for a few weeks. I’m thinking about bright blue, for a change.

June 27, 2011 at 3:33 pm

MsMary

Veteran

I love to have my toenails painted — I can’t keep polish on my fingernails so it’s shiny-buff only for my fingers!

Right now I am really into dark slightly sparkly charcoal almost-black. I had bright coral last time and it was pretty, but the darker color seemed to better reflect my inner being!

Although I am loving that nice pearly white, Angie! I may have to give it a try next time!

June 27, 2011 at 3:34 pm

Sparky

Veteran

Hardly ever paint my fingernails, but paint my toenails when I start wearing sandals regularly once warm summer weather hits. Once I had young kids, painting nails in bright, fun colors became fun to do (for boys AND girls), so I got in the habit of having blues, greens, yellows and silver along with purples, reds and pinks. I figured out pretty quickly that they were all great fun for me to wear as well. Daughter is a tomboy now and my boys have aged out of their interest in painting their nails, so for now all the fun colors are just for me.

June 27, 2011 at 3:37 pm

Sparky

Veteran

Forgot to add that I also have a great dark gray that I love to wear too!

June 27, 2011 at 3:39 pm

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I’m another one who always does the toes, but almost never the fingers. I used to keep my toes nude in the winter, but since I do Yoga barefooted I have kept them polished year round. I wear the same sorts of muted shades of polish that I wear in clothes- browns, pinks, purples, nude shades of pink and peach, in the winter sometimes a dark red or purple.

June 27, 2011 at 3:41 pm

Queen Mum

Veteran

My toe nails are painted 360 days a year I think! I like variety so I like to change it up every time I redo. I have blue, yellow, blush, pinks and a red in my collection. I saw a really pretty soft gold at the beauty supply the other day that I almost bought… in fact I think I’ll go back and get it! I usually take my own polish in for pedicures so that I can touch up myself if I end up with a chip.

June 27, 2011 at 3:47 pm

Kappy

Veteran

I’ve never had a pedicure; I don’t like strangers touching my feet (I know, that makes me sound like a bit of a nut!). I am currently using Opi Bubble Bath on my toes. Anyway, I did get a manicure today while my daughter had a “princess” mani/pedi. She picked sparkly dark blue for her fingers and toes, of course.

I haven’t had a manicure in forever, and they used something called “Gelish” which is supposed to last for 2 weeks without chipping. (I’m sure it’s been around a long time and this is just the first time I’ve ever heard of it!). I just chose a simple french manicure, but it will be interesting to see if it really lasts.

June 27, 2011 at 3:53 pm

Alicat

I usually stick with Essie “Mademoiselle” on my fingers and a bright pink or coral on my toes. OPI Charged Up Cherry is one of my favorites for pedicures. Right now I have Essie Guilty Pleasures on my toes. It’s a happy color!

June 27, 2011 at 3:53 pm

Alicat

Husband funny: whenever I try out something other than coral or pink, my husband accuses me of being “goth.” tee-hee

June 27, 2011 at 3:54 pm

yellowgirl

Active Member

My toenails are blue right now!

I’m looking for a perfect neutral, though…

June 27, 2011 at 4:07 pm

MsMaven

Veteran

I had bright red and pink toenail polish for years, but lately I don’t want to attract attention to my poor feet. I’m experimenting with pale pearlized nudes. Pale pink looks funny but the silver sounds intriguing.

I’m in a gardening mode right now, so lately it’s just clear polish to protect the nails.

June 27, 2011 at 4:08 pm

Cynthia

(website)

I haven’t painted my toenails (or fingernails) since I was a kid. I think brightly colored nails just look weird, in any color. I could go with a pale neutral like you have on up there, but I’ve never seen the point. I maintain my cuticles and keep my nails clipped super short, which is enough work already since they grow like lightning.

June 27, 2011 at 4:10 pm

Lisa

Veteran

I am a big fan of painted toe nails in summer months with open toed shoes. I will not wear any open toed shoes with my toes unpainted, I feel too bare without the polish. I tend to paint them based on my mood, colors will range from bright pinks, corals, and turquoise blues to dark colors such as reds, plums, or navy blue. I am not a fan of light colored toes, I like my toes to stand out and look like they are painted. I prefer to do the toes myself, usually while watching tv instead of going to a salon.

June 27, 2011 at 4:25 pm

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

I use chip unfriendly dark polish, I have only one shade and I like it that way. I like the contrast of the dark polish against my skin.

I would like to have pale color too, but never had much luck finding low contrast nail polish that looks right and that has definitely been quite a puzzle for me over quite a number of years.

June 27, 2011 at 4:28 pm

Maya

Veteran

I keep wanting to start but then get overwhelmed by the choices. I wear so many different colors that I’d end up having to rotate toenail colors every day and that’s just too much for a lazy person like me. I know some people, probably you Angie, don’t try to coordinate toe colors with outfits, but it would just bother me that it wasn’t intentional.

Perhaps if I stuck with neutrals like your pearly white, it would work better, but–surprise–I tend to like dark, contrasting, obnoxious colors.

June 27, 2011 at 4:38 pm

Briar

Active Member

I’m a year rounder. The only time I see bare toes is when I’m having a pedicure. I’m pretty predictable and wear the same bright red or hot pink during the warmer months and darker red during the cooler months.

On my fingers, primarily nothing or ballet pink except about 3 months ago my teenager introduced me to fun colors and I really like silver, navy metallic, and deep purple. I won’t wear dark colors on my nails when I’m going to the office though.

June 27, 2011 at 4:38 pm

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I rarely did either my finger or toes until the last few year. I gave up on my finger since it often chips within a day. My toes are the opposite. For some unknown reason, polish never seems to chip on my toe nails. I had a pedi in Mexico in January and it wasn’t chipped but was growing out in March. I usually go with deeper colors on my toes but have a range of natural pinks. Right now I have black with a clear coat of silver sparkle over top. If you had told me five years ago that I would have black nail polish, I would have thought you were nuts.

June 27, 2011 at 4:46 pm

Mellllls

Veteran

I prefer to get pedicures but can’t afford them as often as I would like in the summer. I did my own this weekend in a light pearly pink. I generally prefer a darker, brighter color though for my toes. Like others, I like the color on my toes to stand out. I like lighter colors on my fingernails though. I get fairly regular manicures as well.

June 27, 2011 at 4:46 pm

Jjsloane

Veteran

I love pedicures, but do not afford myself the time or budget for them as regularly as I’d like. I do my own but it’s never as nice as a professional. I have many colors of polish and will experiment on my toes with blue, greige, dark red, hot pink, orange etc… in summer for fun, but if I do it, it’s more likely a neutral light color that won’t show my mistakes. Right now I desperately want an opalescent yellow/white that is like the gorgeous capiz-like shells I collected on the beach last week. My fingers go in stages of being terrible (now) and fabulous, but I usually use a neutral skin color (OPI Samoan Sand is my fave)

June 27, 2011 at 4:57 pm

cheeky

Active Member

I love having painted toenails. While I rarely wear polish on my fingertips, when I do it’s normally a fairly conservative, neutral color. But when it comes to the tips of my toes I often go all out and wear all sorts of crazy colors. Living way up north I don’t see much sandal weather, so when summer comes I love to celebrate with extra fun colors on the tips of my toes. I think the contrast of the luscious colors against my pasty white skin is fun.

June 27, 2011 at 5:34 pm

Laura

Love your pearly toes, Angie! It’s a low-contrast kind of season, I agree. I never got into the blue toenail polish, and I always wear RED – bright, blue-red. I like to be able to see my pedicure when I look down and pale polish just doesn’t do it for me

June 27, 2011 at 5:41 pm

Marley

Veteran

Gotta’ have my toenail polish and fingernail polish – pretty much year round. In the summer I wear anything from nude to silver to fuschia to blue to purple on my toes – and actually, the same on my fingers,. I have really got into the crackle finishes, the abstract designs, etc. Right now, I have a different shade of blue on each finger – going from the lightest shade on my thumbs to a dark navy on my pinky fingers. So fun! (NEVER match my toes with my fingers! Don’t like that look at all!)

June 27, 2011 at 5:46 pm

Steph

Veteran

I’m like Lisa and have to have some kind of polish on my toes when they are exposed in shoes. I do have them painted in the winter when I get a pedicure, but they are fewer and further between when it is closed-toe shoe season.

I used to stick with lighter pinks–usually a shade or two darker than on my fingers (which are not always painted, but are whenever I have a special occasion). Over the past few years I have been branching out–I really like lavender on my toes, and this year I have also tried a few mint green colors and a very bright orange. Next I’m going to try a bright yellow OPI that they have at my nail place. The only time I have ever matched my polish to my outfit was when I was wearing a black dress with bright red peep-toe shoes. I matched the polish to the shoes. Otherwise, I tend not to like the matchy-matchy look.

June 27, 2011 at 5:55 pm

Kyle

Veteran

Toes only. A soft lavender by Essie. It is a little unique but not at all crazy. It kind of reads as a neutral, so there is no clashing of colors. It looks great with my skin white or tan. Women seem to notice and compliment the color frequently. It’s all I’m wearing this summer.

June 27, 2011 at 5:55 pm

Mac

Veteran

One of my all-time favourite websites – makeupalley – introduced me to a fabulous toenail polish that I’ve been sporting since early spring. It’s Opi’s “Over the Taupe” and is (in my opinion) a stunning grayish brown that suits both warm and cool skintones.

Since I generally prefer muted shades, I have to say Angie that I give your new toenail colour a standing ovation! I FAR prefer it to the blue and green shades which were cheerful and fun but not to my personal taste. Good for you for always showing us that personal style remains a glorious evolution.

June 27, 2011 at 6:13 pm

rae

(website)

Veteran

I have a variety of greens and pinks. I mostly like the toe-shortening effect of high contrast nail polish.

June 27, 2011 at 6:21 pm

Angela

I get a pedicure all summer, and winter too, if we are going away. I never do my hands, only for a black tie event for work, also a couple times a year.

I wear classic neutrals but love accessories ( a necklace to match every top) but I wear brights on my toes, kind of the only brave thing about me,

June 27, 2011 at 6:43 pm

Bianca

Veteran

OMG Angie, I get to talk about one of my favorite topics!!!! I’m feeling so giddy!!! To save money I have been doing my own nails every week for the past 15 months. I LOVE nail polish and it has becoming my “thing.” I usually am loyal to the Essie brand. All colors. I think that is why I have so many. I go by what my mood is. Also I keep certain colors for certain seasons. Right now I have a bluish color on. Certain colors like this can clash with certain outfits. Try to keep cools with cools and warm tones with warms. Mostly my rule is the ink colors and deeper colors for fall/winter…light and brights for spring and vivid colors for summer. But I do like to mix and match depending on my mood and outfits. Oh gosh, I can go on and on….

June 27, 2011 at 6:45 pm

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Count me as another who rarely paints fingernails anymore. I’m just too hard on my hands. In the warmer months when open toed shoes come out, I start getting pedicures about once a month, and I go with a tomato red that is very close to a color I have at home so I can touch up when necessary. It looks good on my skin color whether I have a little tan or not, and it seems to go with everything I wear.

June 27, 2011 at 6:45 pm

Rachel

I love having painted toes! I like to alternate all sorts of colours, darks, brights and metallics. I do them myself – my toes are far enough away that it doesn’t matter whether they’re perfect.

June 27, 2011 at 6:48 pm

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

My toenails are the only nails I can paint. Right now, they’re rainbows!

Red – big toes
Orange – 2nd
Yellow – 3rd
Green – 4th
Purple – 5th

I have enough blue with my bruises

June 27, 2011 at 7:09 pm

Joy

Veteran

I usually only paint my toe nails and usually a pearly white. Sometimes I do a pealized nude which is also very good for not showing chipping. My polish tends to wear off on the tops of my big toes before it chips or grows out. I love how my toenails look like rows of pearls.

June 27, 2011 at 7:10 pm

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I love hot orange on my toes. Right now I am wearing Sally Hansen Kookamango, it is so fun for this time of year!

June 27, 2011 at 7:15 pm

Kelsey

Active Member

If I’m wearing sandals, I feel like I need to wear toenail polish. I paint my own nails and I’ve been wearing the same conservative brown shade forever and ever. I’m not too comfortable with bright colors, but I think I bought some hot pink polish a long time ago. Maybe I should give it a try. . . .

June 27, 2011 at 7:18 pm

sarah

Veteran

OK, this may be one of those “too much information” comments, but I paint my toenails 365 days/year to hide my unsightly toenail fungus. Sigh. I hate it so, but as far as I can tell (in talking with several dermatologists/podiatrists) there’s no good way to get rid of it without taking liver-damaging/death-causing medication. I wear coral, plum, lavender-y neutrals, red, pink…And I never wear fingernail polish.

June 27, 2011 at 8:02 pm

Laurinda

I usually use a limited palette of reds and pinks, but this blog has been an inspiration to be a little more adventurous with color: http://polishorperish.blogspot.com/

June 27, 2011 at 8:06 pm

Kate

Veteran

mine are usually (in order of most often to least):

teal (Diamond Cosmetics Don’t Teal my Heart Away and Misa Dirty Sexy Money)
periwinkle blue (Orly Cashmere Cardigan)
plum brown (Rescue Beauty Lounge Bruised and OPI Can You Tapas This)
red (Rescue Beauty Lounge Killa Red)

I tend to change colors once every 2-3 weeks. None of these colors are chip friendly, but my toe nail polish tends to last 3 weeks without any major issues.

June 27, 2011 at 8:41 pm

annette

Active Member

OPI Ski Teal We Drop is a gorgeous teal that goes with every every every thing and I wear it all summer.

June 27, 2011 at 8:47 pm

Dana

(website)

Veteran

I love having my toenails painted and won’t wear open toe shoes without polish. Before I discovered painting my toes, I thought they were really fat and ugly.

I’m very well coordinated, but I don’t really care if my nail polish coordinates with what I’m wearing. I’d have to wear neutral colors (boring) or change the polish every day, and that’s just not going to happen.

I prefer bright colors on my toes, as my “nail stylist” once told me light colors make your toes look dirty. I don’t know if it’s true, but the brights make me happy anyway.

June 27, 2011 at 9:03 pm

slythwolf

Active Member

I used to paint my toenails, and I’m sure in the future I will again. Right now, however, I have some foot problems that nobody wants the gory details on, thanks to some “comfort” shoes I bought for work, and my toenails took some damage. They are not fit for public view and probably won’t be for a year or so.

June 27, 2011 at 10:48 pm

Lena

Oh no, I lost my comment.

So briefly: blues and greens are still my top choices. I’ve tried light bright purples, and the end result looked like my toes were bleeding.
I’m besotted with all the bright shades this season, so I’m trying a bright orange for my toes (typically I avoid warm tones).
I’d love to try out a yellow polish, either on hands or feet; but have yet to find a formula I like (not chalky, good opacity, not streaky).

Nail Polish is one makeup item where I let myself run crazy.

June 28, 2011 at 1:00 am

Lena

Angie, I really like your pearly white polish in these terrific shoes.

Most of the time I don’t coordinate toe polish colors with outfits, except here and there, when experimenting.

June 28, 2011 at 1:06 am

rute

Veteran

I were nail polish on my toes always!
I like white, light pink, red, nude.

June 28, 2011 at 2:09 am

valleycat1

Almost always have my toenails painted, and usually a brighter or deeper color than I’d use on my hands. However, this week I’ve got bright pink toes & Revlon Red fingers!

I have long narrow feet with very long toes, so I feel that painting the nails makes things look more proportional. Also, I have dark hair, so the darker color on the toes is an easy ‘bookend’, although I may have to check out the Essie lavender. I went a long time without doing my fingernails very often, but over the past year they’re polished almost all the time. I’ve found a great base coat (China Glaze) that has pretty much resolved the chipping issue, and a quick dry top coat (Sally Hansen) that really cuts the down time involved & evens out the polish while making it last. I usually do one touch-up mid-week, just because I have the time. I hate chipped polish! If I’m traveling I’ll use a neutral because of the chip factor.

June 28, 2011 at 5:47 am

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

I love my toe polish to pop. My favorite shades are actually Sephora’s OPI in “Iris I Was Thinner” and “Lost Without My GPS”.
http://hausofpolish.files.word.....hinner.jpg
http://deathbypolish.files.wor.....0_0913.jpg
I’m LOVING Revlon’s “Minted” right now, but more on my fingers than toes.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/c.....643418538/
In general, I keep my fingers neutral and toes fun.

June 28, 2011 at 6:40 am

Debora

Veteran

Angie, I love the pearly white, low contrast look with those shoes! I paint my toenails during late spring, summer and early fall. I love Essie nail colors. I usually start out the season with a deep red like Essie’s Macks or Downtown Brown, and then go brighter as the weather gets hotter. Essie’s Watermelon is one of my summer favorites.

June 28, 2011 at 6:47 am

vava

I currently have Over the Taupe on my toes. (OPI) Love it! I also like shades of pink and red. The Essie lavender shade sounds interesting, might have to try that next time. I always go for a professional pedi, it’s a great treat. In the winter time, I have my nails buffed, no polish.

June 28, 2011 at 6:58 am

k-t

I do my own nails (who has time to go to a salon?) and my daughter’s (age six). Fingernails are merely buffed and filed because I’m a klutz. Toenail polish lasts about three weeks on me, sometimes longer, before the nails have grown out enough that they need to be trimmed, stripped and repainted.

I love color on my nails and have a shoe box full of nail polishes. Dark burgundy, bright cherry red, tomato red, hot pink, medium pink, pale pink. Turquoise, deep purple. I just bought a bright navy that I think I’ll put on this weekend. Just did my daughter’s toes in gold, which looks great on her. Have some silver, but can’t remember the last time I used it.

Sarah – my husband cured his toenail fungus with laser treatments and topical creams. He also has a “shoe zapper” that kills the fungus in his shoes so it won’t re-infect. It was expensive and not covered by insurance, but he is THRILLED. My daughter managed to get toe fungus as a baby (no clue how) in both her big toes. She had a staph infection on one foot for which the doctor recommended a bleach solution foot bath as treatment. The fungus on that foot went away. Too bad I didn’t just soak both feet. I think it was ~1 Tbs bleach to a foot tub of water every night for a week or so. It was a hassle (toddlers can splash a lot), but worked and low cost.

June 28, 2011 at 7:09 am

Irene

Veteran

Tomato red during the summer. I don’t paint my nails (hand-nails), though, because I see it too much and they are too close to my eyes not to notice when they are ruined (after some hours of painting them). I usually paint toes with tomato red because it’s fun, bold and a bot daring. And red looks lovely on me. I’m not painting them these days though, since one of my fav pairs of sandals are actually red… and think it’d be too much of a good thing. Light shades look dull on me, I don’t know why, and not as ‘clean’.

June 28, 2011 at 7:36 am

valleycat1

Nail fungus – Sally Hansen has a kit that includes a treatment oil plus 2 nail polish type applications. I like the oil but don’t really need the polishes. The oil has an assortment of natural oils (tea tree & eucalyptus, among others) and it only took a couple of days to completely clear up my toe fungus & a minor issue that had discolored my fingernails. There’s another brand that sells just an oil/gel (it was next to the Sally Hansen at our pharmacy). With the toes, once the nails started looking better, I also used a 4-sided nail buffer that gently took care of the lumps & ridges in about 2 apps. Now I’ve just added an app of the oil to my mani/pedi routine, and occasionally between times, to keep everything healthy.

June 28, 2011 at 8:42 am

Kim

Not a fan of Pedicures!!! Meh, understandable some ppl just don’t like their feet being touched. hah! I love them and during my past mani-pedi I came across a nail polish I Absolutely Love! It’s become like my staple or default nail color. OPI Coney Island Cotton Candy. It’s a great natural looking pink-beige kinda color. I tend to lean more towards the natural colors, light pinks and whites. Though when I do “experiement” with my colors I go for hot pink and blood red. I really like greys too.

June 28, 2011 at 9:05 am

Lauren

I love painted toenails. I usually chose reds, pinks, browns, and purples. I have never ever painted my nails (toes or fingers) blue or green. Currently I have OPI Ate Berries in the Canaries on my fingers and toes, a lovely, bright pinkish purple.

June 28, 2011 at 9:08 am

Lauren

Forgot to say: I usually match my fingers and toes if both are painted. However, I often just paint my toes and leave my fingernails natural. I am too cheap to pay for manis and pedis where I live. I grew up in the NYC burbs and a mani/pedi is less than $20 for both. The cost is more than double where I live now and I simply can’t pay that price out of principle.

June 28, 2011 at 9:17 am

mamark

I almost always have painted toenails in warmer months.

I flirt with all colors and have most recently sported an orangey-red to match my orangey-red handbag. (If that’s not overthinking the situation, I don’t know what is.)

But I’m back to my favorite classic red. My husband finds it sexy and I guess that’s convincing enough for me.

June 28, 2011 at 9:35 am

Deborah

Veteran

I always have painted finger nails and toe nails. Am currently holidaying in a hot place so wearing a very funky green on my toes! Finger nails normally classic red, black, black cherry, grey or coral…depending on the season. Toes similar colours to finger nails but also like to get a little more creative with them and try greens and blues, particularly in summer, but black or black cherry are favorites for my toes. I do my own mani and pedi and find with the quick dry products now available that it doesn’t take long, drys quickly and lasts. BTW I find sitting and doing my nails very relaxing

June 28, 2011 at 9:51 am

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I think this is where I fess up to only having had one pedicure in my 41 years, as a bridesmaid about 11 years ago. I am decidedly low maintenance and only see the hairdresser 3 times a year. I paint my own toes maybe 3 or 4 times a year. Some years not at all, though. I did them once this summer in a coppery metallic color. They have been nude for the last couple months. I always keep them in good shape, though. As a runner, toenails can get painful if not kept up!

June 28, 2011 at 10:32 am

sarah

Veteran

@k-t and valley-cat: thanks for the info. I’m very tempted by the laser treatment, as I think that might be the only thing that will work for me (I’ve tried natural oils, soaking in vinegar, vicks vaporub, prescription anti-fungals, etc, etc, and nothing works). I’m glad to hear that it worked for your hubby, k-t. You’re the first person I’ve ‘met’ with first-hand experience with it!

June 28, 2011 at 10:37 am

Antje

Veteran

I love toenail polish! And I change it up quite often, depending on my mood, season (e.g. early vs. late summer, overall style, and summer sandals.

Colors I’ve enjoyed in the past include turquoise, purple, golden, and bright reds.

Right now I’m all over an orangey red – a color that I wouldn’t wear in clothes (especially tops) since it just doesn’t flatter my complexion, but I like it and it looks great on the toes. And it goes very nicely with my yellow summer sandals!! (As well as all my other sandals that are more neutral in color.)

June 28, 2011 at 11:13 am

PrettyGirlsCloset

(website)

Active Member

I only do a natural, beige-y look on my toes, so , that way, if I decide to change my fingernail polish, or, go to the nail salon and find an interesting color I want on my fingernails, I don’t have to pay for a pedicure. As long as the toes are neutral in color, my general rule is I can put any color on fingernails and vice-versa. I can’t stand to see totally different colors on toes and fingers…and for goodness sake, NO CHIPPED NAILS! Just take it off….

June 28, 2011 at 11:14 am

Erin

Veteran

Yahoo! Polish Talk! I have been thinking about polish for the last 3 or 4 days. I almost always have my toes painted in the summer and 1/2 the time in the winter. I feel almost undressed if my toes are showing and they are not polished. I do not keep polish on my fingers very often but I have just been thinking about trying something new out. I work at a University with students everyday and they always have crazy nails. I have seen so many great shades in the last year I have been feeling old/out of style just because I don’t paint my fingernails. I almost started a post on nail colors a few days ago.
PS -Laurinda, I love the site that you linked!

Angie, you must be reading my mind!

June 28, 2011 at 11:20 am

Louise

Veteran

At the beginning of sandal weather this year I was religiously painting my toenails every week but the weather has been a bit drab lately and I fallen out of the habit (note to self need to start again)
My polish of choice has previously been dark cherry an almost black red but this last year I’ve become more season specific with my choices of footwear and clothing and this has followed into my toe polish choices. I’ve been sporting pale greeny blue and more summery colours and I’m saving my cherry red for the autumn when it is still warm enough for sandals but I’ll be wanting to autumn ify my look x

June 28, 2011 at 11:20 am

san

Veteran

Woa, lot’s of responses to this post! I’ll have to come back and read them all but for now I want to thank you Angie for the tip on pearly white polish being chip friendly. That makes so much sense and I need a chip friendly color because I prefer to do my own pedicures too.

I wore bright red toenail polish once and everytime I caught a glimpse of my toes I was startled.

June 28, 2011 at 11:43 am

Saretta

(website)

Active Member

All summer long! I’m a do-it-yourself type. Have only had a pedicure once in my 49 years. I prefer a red, coral or pink shade that will go with more or less everything. I go crazier on my fingernails – with blue, green, yellow, you name it.

June 28, 2011 at 12:44 pm

Girl X

(website)

Veteran

I’m shocked that I seem to be the only one whose toe polish lasts almost forever! I don’t use a base or top coat on my toes, and my polish isn’t anything fancy – but it never EVER chips. I thought this was normal for toes – but I guess not. I wish my fingernails were the same way!

June 28, 2011 at 1:12 pm

Janie

I am a guy that lives in Southern California and I love nail polish. I wear open-toe sandals most of the time since the weather doesn’t get really cold here. I get a professional pedicure every two weeks and have tried all different colors on my toes. There are even nail polish companies that make nail polish colors for guys, but I tend to prefer colors that are considered to be women’s colors like bright red and bright pink. I enjoy getting a pedicure and especially love the foot massage. I usually wear womens sandals because mens sandals are ugly and make your feet look very large(yuck). After several years of trying a lot of different colors, I decided that I like the bright red colors that have a blue base. These red colors are really pretty on my white skin and I get a lot of compliments while wearing these reds. One of the girls that I work with jokingly calls my toenail polish “hooker red”. Occasionally I will choose a bright pink for my toes in the spring, but always go back to the bright red because it works so well with my skin color. My toenails are polished 24/7/365 and the only time I’m not wearing polish is during the pedicure when the nail tech removed the old polish before applying the new polish. When you wear red polish 24/7/365, seeing unpolished nails just doesn’t look right and is so boring. When I am having a bad day and am feeling a little depressed, it is fun to look down and see ten pretty red toenails peeking out of my sandals. My favorite brand is OPI and my favorite colors are “Dutch Tulips (I’ wearing it now) and Big Apple Red. In the OPI pink colors, I like “Hot Pink”, “Don’t Know Beets Me”(that is really the name of the color), and “You’re a Pisa Work”(from the OPI Italian Collection). I would never wear open toe sandals without a good pedicure and brightly polished toenails.

June 28, 2011 at 1:19 pm

Melinda

LIke many others, I don’t bother with manicures because they don’t last. The problem seems to be that salons apply several layers of polish without allowing drying time between, so that when the polish is dry to the touch, it can still be gouged easily. And I don’t even try to do my own–I’m just not coordinated enough, and I spend so much time gardening.
But I DO love having a pedicure. The foot rub alone is worth the expense! I usually go with seasonal colors, so as we move into summer (theoretically, at least here in Seattle), it’s time for coral and orange shades! But I might try that neutral pearly color–very elegant.
My preference is for short nails, especially on feet, so I don’t care for French pedicures–makes the toenails look too long!

June 28, 2011 at 1:51 pm

lilyandjinks

I’m a bit of a polish fiend, my toes and fingers are rarely unpainted. I like to wear stark pastels, glitters, and cheery brights on my toes, or a nice dark vampy colour if its a special occasion. At the moment they’re peach which is nice and spring-like for the middle of winter…I also love gold glitter like OPIs Bring on the Bling, this shade seems to go with many of my shoes, or a nice bright orange in summer

June 28, 2011 at 1:56 pm

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Thanks, Lena, Mac, Sandy and Laura!

WOW. Lots of happy polished toes this season

June 28, 2011 at 5:07 pm

rosee

Veteran

team low-contrast for toes — I don’t like highlighting my toes but I do want to look polished (and cover-up a little) so I go for a beigey-pink, a little darker than Angie’s pearly white color. I have MAC “Abstract” (now discontinued) and Essie “Buy Me a Cameo”. I don’t feel the need to get a lot of colors, b/c I don’t really use them up.
I have tried red, burgundy and blues but I don’t like the look on me. I think you have to have really nice toes (and nails) to pull that off

June 28, 2011 at 5:20 pm

rosee

Veteran

adding more…

I paint my toes nails only — my hands are “working hands” so I don’t bother. I get lazier in the winter but still wear polish sometimes. Spring and summer is when my toes are painted. I hate getting pedicures by someone else but do so every couple of weeks at home.

I was looking for the Essie lavender color but I haven’t found a retailer her yet, so I settled for the “Buy Me a Cameo” (beigey-pink). I’ve tried a few lavender and lilac shades but they don’t seem quite right, so I was hoping the Essie would work out. It seems to be garnering a lot of interest on YLF.

so… team low-contrast, toes only!!!

June 28, 2011 at 5:50 pm

A

(website)

i paint my nails (finger and toe) ridiculous colours all the time. right now toes are dark turquoise, fingers are soft purple.

@lena: avon actually makes a good, opaque, sunny yellow. a couple coats and you’re good.

recent purchase was ridiculously bright orange from china glaze.

favourite colour is a whitish opaque light blue from revlon and a similar light purple from china glaze. and i did the greige thing for a while. best neutral.

June 28, 2011 at 8:18 pm

Lisa

Active Member

I have about 5 shades of blue right now, multiple shades of pink (light to dark), reds, greens, orange (my favorite), and purple black. I’m trying out the black shatter from OPI now which lets you change your color, look and feel with one coat without having to redo everything. I tend to wear the purple/black color the most, but I keep my toes painted all year round. I’m good at doing it myself, so pedicures aren’t necessary. I love looking down and seeing cute toes even in the winter. Since I wear peep toes shoes all year long, it enhances the “put-together” look. My polish lasts 2-3 weeks so it is minimal maintenance.

June 29, 2011 at 4:20 am

Lisa

Active Member

@ Girl X – my toenail polish lasts forever too. I just wish my fingernail polish lasted half as long!

June 29, 2011 at 4:22 am

Fiona

A true southern belle was told me a lady is never fully dressed unless she has a shade of pink on her toes.

That being said, I leave my toes unpolished most of the time.

June 29, 2011 at 10:17 am

Meredith

Active Member

I’m with you on the neutral toenail polish! I don’t like my feet, so I often wear neutral polish, so that I don’t draw attention to them. Although, at the moment, I have bright blue toenails—-long story!!!

June 29, 2011 at 6:01 pm

Girl X

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for the reassurance, Lisa! I was starting to get a bit toe paranoid

July 1, 2011 at 10:16 am

carol anne

Painted toenails. Well, it conceals yellowing and grime, doesn’t it?

July 22, 2011 at 5:48 pm

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