What colors do you like? For a basic nail polish I use Sally Hansen chip proof.
I get colors that look good with my clothes, flatter my skin and are trendy.

I like OPI nail polish. I think it goes on very easily & I need that. I like to use a dark red. I think it goes well with my wardrobe.

I love OPI, myself. I wear (various)sandals pretty much all Summer, and used to constantly chip any colored polish on my toes. Now, I have a French pedicure done on them every 8 weeks and just add clear top coat every week to keep them looking nice. I've just recently bought the kit of natural and white polish to try it myself, but haven't gotten up the nerve yet ;^D
Lynn

I am also an OPI nail polish fan. My favorite color for summer is "Magnifico Mexico". It's difficult to explain the color, but it is not a red...more of a coral / orange. It goes well with most of the clothes I wear, so that is a big plus! I also like "Cheyenne Pepper", but it's a darker color so I tend to only use it in the fall or winter.

The OPI "Magnifico Mexico" is discontinued, but Amazon.com has it. Sorry about suggesting a polish color that is discontinued, but at least it's still available!

OPI has a great website where you can "try on" all their colors.

Here is a link that might be useful: nail polish

Lynn go for it! My DD does her own french pedicure all of the time.
I just use whatever my DD has lying around!

OPI for me as well. For a bright red I like "Big Apple Red".
For a subdued, natural color I like "Chocolate Moose" or "Skinny Dip'n In Lake Michigan".
I'd suggest a clear base coat to prevent your nails from staining.

Well, just to be a dissenter :-) there is no way I'll pay nine dollars for a bottle of nail polish. So, if that is a concern, try the Sally Hanson. It lasts for weeks without chipping.

I never pay full price for polish - call me cheap! At the very least I buy at BB&B, they tend to be lower priced to start with and I always have coupons, but I buy on sale elsewhere. OPI, Essie, Sally Hanson - even the super cheapies - I've bought them all and I have to say I have NEVER not EVER used a bottle of polish completely before it gets yukky so I see no sense whatsoever in spending a lot. Get in the habit of using a super shine top coat and the cheapest polish looks good.

As for color, I never do red personally (toes look like matchsticks to me with red polish, sorry!) but love all shades of pink and coral, occasionally even the neon green (looks fun with a tan) or bright orange. Never remember the names since I just go by what looks good to me at the moment.

I use OPI too, my Mom is a (semi-retired) stylist and she gets it for me at her cost, which is about $5. HoustonMom, I have 'Magnifico Mexico' on my toes as we speak!! Bought it a year or so ago, and it does seem to blend & match just about everything. It can look more redish, pinkish or orange depending on the light & what I'm wearing. Love that color. Another super bright, summery hot pink that I like is 'Monte Carlo'. 'Calendar Girl' is similar too, with a bit of shimmer. I try to go for a pedi every 6 weeks or so, but even then my feet & toes are usually a wreck from working in the garden.

I buy polish at stores like Big Lots, Target or Walmart -- or on sale at the grocery store.

I buy Maybelline Express Finish or L'Oreal Jet Set.

Easy, cheap, Fast, fast and fast.

I'm wearing a browny-pink at the moment ...

Jan (cheap, cheap, cheapest) at Rosemary Cottage

Honeslty I've used tons of nail polish over the years and most work just fine. Was a big Sally Hansen user in my teens. I do believe base and top coats make a big difference. You didn't ask this but I'm partial to OPI Natural Nail Base Coat or Seche Base. My top coat is Seche Vite Dry Fast top coat.

I normally buy OPI. My go to pink is "La Paz-itively Hot" and go to red is "An Affair In Red Square". Pink and red are really the only colors that hit my toes.

I think French piggers are attractive looking but it's rare I'll do it to mine as it bugs me to have my toe nails that long.

Have a french at the moment, but they used a really nice pink base. China Glaze (which I think may be an OPI product?). Anyhoo - color Go Go Pink.

If you do decide on dark, definitely don't skip the base coat and I always use top coat - something like Quick Dry or Snap Dry by Esse.

shee - Yep, the french looks better with a little longer toenail. DH was just complaining that he hates the french cause the toenails are too long. He's right, I'm gonna try one of these colors above next pedi. on Saturday.

Only colors I don't do are purple, green or blue. Personally, I think I am way too old I don't care what anybody says at the salon!

I use a base coat that I think is Sally Hansen something. For a top coat, the same as Sheesharee, the Seche Vite Dry Fast. For color (go to the OPI site and try on all the polish color on your virtual hand---Fun!) I used to use various drugstore varieties. Only tried OPI a few years back because I was in Ulta buying other stuff. Well, now I'm hooked. I really like the OPI. And I'm over the price thing. It looks better, lasts longer, and goes on smoother. I use You Don't Know Jacques sometimes (kind of a gray taupe color...) on my nails, but mostly my nails are natural. On toes, painted always, I like Mother Road Rose for softer pink and something else that I can't seem to find right now that is dark and plummy.

Red

I am surely the only person in the world that feels this way, but I canÂt stand painted toenails. I think it just draws attention to the feet and toes, which honestly are generally not that attractive on most people.

Please feel free to blow raspberries at me (or worse? LOL) and then resume the discussion. :-)

Interesting point Les, but I like painted toenails for the same reason; it makes the feet look happier !!

I've been wearing an Opi purple.

I wear whatever color happens to strike my fancy at the time. From whatever brand I have on hand. I have a couple rose shades that seem the most flattering and universally appropriate for me. But, I also have bright pink, true red, baby pink, nude-brown, near-black red, purple, silver, gold, white frost, electric blue, emerald green, and a somewhat embarrassing array of various glitters.

Right now, I'm wearing a frosted red-brown color called Java in some drugstore brand I picked up for less than $2 at Rite Aid a couple weeks ago. I don't wear top or base coats on my toes, and my toenail polish always lasts better than my fingernail polish - even when it's the exact same stuff.

I like the Sally Hanson 60 second dry or fast dry or something quick dry nail polish. It truly does dry very quickly, so it makes painting your toes easy.

Right now, I've got them painted a dark coppery brown that looks nice with my tanned toes and my sandals.

Now I rarely have my fingernails polished (other than the occasional french manicure), but my toes are ALWAYS polished. Here we can wear sandals a big part of the year and even in winter, I'm barefoot alot at home. My hubby loves my painted piggies! I think he thinks it is sexy LOL.

I use a hot pink color or french manicure on my toes, not much variety. There is a base coat called bonded or bonder, by OPI that makes polish adhere like it would to acrylic nails. It last for weeks! I usually go a couple of weeks with no touch-ups, chips, etc. and then later on do a touch up - or add a coat and get another two weeks - at least.

The hot pink color I wear now is OPI and I don't care to pay $$ for it as it lasts FOREVER and I buy so few colors. I keep my polish in the fridge.

tina

I am in the camp of unpolished toes look unfinished and in some cases, gross. If the feet are extremely well groomed and the nails buffed to a high shine, that's different.

I don't polish my nails very often but I do keep them short and neat looking. Toenails have been polished since I was 12?
One thing that attracted me initially to dh is that he keep his feet immaculate. Still does.

I like Revlon, right now I'm wearing a lavendar color. I don't go to the nail salon any more, I'm afraid of MRSA. Once a month my 6 and 4 year old daughters and I have "girl time" and we soak our feet in the tub with lavendar scented epsom salt.

If I find OPI and Essie on sale, then I'm sure to buy them, but I'm frugal, and almost never pay full price for anything.

My go-to color is OPI Dulce De Leche. But I pay someone else to do it! For me, a pedicure every 2-3 weeks in summer is a special treat that I just loooove.

Thanks everyone. Now I must figure out where to buy these great brands in my small town. There's not one chain store around, other than Kmart.

Where do you buy your nail polish?

Walmart carries opi perhaps Kmart does too.

Kmart is sure to have several brands, including Revlon, Rimmel (which I love), L'Oreal, etc. Our nearest one also has Sally Hansen and I'm pretty sure I've seen Opi there before.

Goldust-
You can buy nail polish at the drug store, or grocery store. How about online? Drugstore.com has free shipping.

Here is a link that might be useful: drugstore.com

Our Target carries OPI.

I've made a list and I'm off to Kmart! Thanks everyone!

My toes are the ONLY things that you could describe as 'slender' on my whole entire body. Well, maybe earlobes. :)

So I think that's why I enjoy pedicures and polish so much.

OPI colors are very fun indeed!

Oye! Since Kmart is clear at the end of town, I decided to go to my make up store where I buy my makeup. They carry one brand of nail polish so I picked one out of their very meager selection.

Now my toenails look like I dropped a brick on them and am waiting for the nails to fall off. I have no skill or talent for picking good nail color. I hate myself for being lazy sometimes.

Here is a link that might be useful: My new nail polish color

I like that color but the beauty of nail polish is if you don't like it, take it off and try another color!

I like that color too!

But if you don't like it, take five minutes and remove it. It's easy enough to change.

I like that color, but I'd probably use it in the Fall rather than Summer. I like Summer Toes to look bright with a touch of coral or hot pepper. Don't give up! Pretty toes are just a coat of polish away!!

Batter yet, you can always go somewhere and let them do it for you! It's only been in the last few years I've become such a fan of pedis. I garden alot - in my bare feet - and my feet are always a MESS. I try to go for a pedi now every 4-6 weeks. Luckily we have a cosmotology school here in town (I think that's what it's called) and the students are required to work so many hours before they graduate. I can get a full spa pedi, 1 1/2 hours, for about $20 with tax & tip. That's the only treatment I've had there so far, but they do all sorts of stuff - facials, waxing, there is another section of the school where they do hair. The prices are fantastic. Once or twice a summer a bunch of us girls from work will take a bottle or two of wine and go for a 'group pedi'. They curtain off a section for us where the chairs are all together. Loads of fun. :)

I like the color! I've also used that brand before. You just might not be used to seeing it. I only paint mine about 6 months out of the year and the first day painted always looks funny to my eye for a day or so. Same goes for when I'm done with the polish for the colder months.

I have been using OPI Alice in Wonderland Mad as a Hatter glitter polish on my toes this year! It was so popular, we couldn't get it for awhile. It has purplish, bluish, silverish major glitter, colors and I always get compliments from it. But, I am tiring of it now (that's my personality-I'm fickle!)and will probably go back to my bright coral reds. I also liked black on my toes (last year) and sometimes on my nails. I also like a real pale cream pink on tanned feet. I go quite often for pedicures and LOVE painted toes!

My DS even goes with me now and then, and ONLY ON HIS BIG TOE (on each foot) he has it painted black, with a white skull and bones and the lady puts a touch of silver on it. It really looks cool! He can pull it off, cause he is such a jock! My girlfriends are hating me now, because their sons want it too. I just started it last summer (summer's only) and it looks cute with his flip-flops. Now, he had better NEVER come home with an earring in his ear-that's where I draw the line-HA! Which may sound backwards to some people.

I love french manicured toes, but, I am in the yard and outside with plants too much and it never lasts on me.

Les, now behave and say nothing, lol.......

I love purple toes, this one is "A Grape Fit" from Opi.
pardon the bunion trying to squeeze out between 2 straps; these shoes are
very comfortable for my deformed feet, they're booties with a zipper in the back.

Your toes look great Mitch!

I do take offense at nail decals, I will admit....
and sparkles.

Orly is my favorite. I used OPI for years, but Orly is so much better and stays on longer. I buy it at Sally's.

Golddust, as usual, you have me ROFLMAO!!! I'll have to mention that one to my 16 y/o DD, who loves purple . . . and green . . . and blue nail polish on her toes.
Me, if I'm not doing the French pedi thing, I only use non-sparkly pink, rose or red. I am so boringly conservative when it comes to polish (LOL)!
I'm going to be chuckling all evening now ;^D
Lynn
P.S. As for keeping my nails nice while gardening, I wear tennies or my high-top hikers and socks. On our acres here, I have to watch out for cacti, rattlers, centipedes, scorpions, sun scorpions, tarantulas, etc. Out there, I always keep my tootsies protected!

I'm an OPI fan too. My default toenail polish is a fabulous red called "I'm not really a waitress." I also like very pale pinks (as for a French pedicure but without white tips). Golddust, I tried a lavender last week and chose the wrong one for my skin tone; I looked like a corpse!

The first two are the colors I mentioned above.

L-R
"La Paz-itively Hot" (has a slight purple iridescence), "An Affair In Red Square" and the next two are "Strawberry Margarita" and "Edin-Burgundy". Edin has been long discontinued :( but it's the prettiest darn red. These look better IRL than the pic.
{{gwi:1512763}}

You can find Edin online at times. However, I'm not paying $18 for nail polish. Crazies.

"On our acres here, I have to watch out for cacti, rattlers, centipedes, scorpions, sun scorpions, tarantulas, etc."
Lynn I could never live there, ha!

Here is a link that might be useful: Better shot of Edin

My fav color is OPI Kreme de la Kremlin - discontinued. :( It was an awesome neutral. RIP

I love pretty red toes nails with sandels.