My Nail Care Routine + Top 10 Summer Polish Picks

Hello friends! I don't know about you, but I absolutely love painting my nails. Here's how I keep my nails in peak condition plus my top 10 nail polish picks for the summer:

The Care: I paint my nails once a week, so it's super important that they stay as healthy as possible. I make sure they're always clean and trimmed so they don't break, and I make sure I use a special tool to remove surface ridges to make the polish apply smoothly (I like the four-sided bricks with a file and three-step smoothing sides). But most importantly, I always, always, always use a base coat - it keeps the polish from staining and damaging the nails - and a top coat to keep everything lasting as long as possible.

My Summer Top 10:

• Julep "Hope" - This white-hot polish is a satin finish, so it looks semi-matte when dry. Adding a normal top coat will take away the matte finish, so I always use a matte top coat with this color.

• Essence "Don't Be Shy!" - This neon yellow-green is one of the colors from the gel line, so it's super glossy.

• Essence "Indian Summer" - This is another from the gel line, and its neon pastel coral color makes it a true summer hue.

• Sephora Formula X "Power Source" - This neon red is what's on my hands right now, and it's survived about a week with minimal chips. (The picture is of a sample, hence it's tininess.)

• Sinful Colors "Lie-Lac" - This pastel purple is a perfect transition from spring into summer.

• Sinful Colors "Amethyst" - This is a darker, mid-tone purple, so it's great when I want something darker but still fun for summer.

• Julep "Bailey" - This is my favorite shade of blue for nail polish (especially for the Fourth of July - very patriotic). The only downside is that it's very gelly and sheer, so it takes a few coats to build up to the full color.

• Revlon Colorstay "Costal Surf" - This bright sky blue has an amazing brush - it's a bit flat and wide, so it covers the nail like a dream.

• Essence "Play With My Mint" - Can you tell I like the Essence gel polishes? This minty blue-green is bright enough to hold its own against more neon summer colors.

• Julep "Winter" - Despite the name, I think this super light gray is the perfect alternative to true nudes that are popular in the summer.

I wish you all the best,
Erin