Happy Friday, everyone! Today, I have a list of my Top 15 polishes for 2011. I’m going to be up front: two are considered cheaters, since they weren’t released in 2011. However, I did try to stay within the polishes that were released this year to at least be truthful to my post title.
I’m just gonna jump in, if you don’t mind. These are all listed in alphabetical order (plus release order for multiple brands).
a-england TRISTAM
The first a-england polish I ever fell in love with. It’s blue, with the slightest bit of scattered holo, and it’s pretty. What’s more to say? Plus Adina is one of the sweetest women I’ve ever had the pleasure of interacting with.
butter london ALL HAIL THE QUEEN
My palate cleanser, with a subtle scattered holo. Look, I can’t help the attraction to shinies. This may not be considered neutral to some, but come on. If you knew me at all, you know I gotta have some sparklies in my life!
chanel RIVA
Okay, so this is one of the “cheaters” in this list, because this was technically released in late 2010. However, this was created for a 2010-11 collection, soooo…there! I love this polish, even though it’s a pain in the ass to apply, because it started my love for subtle shimmer. Plus, it’s blue. Always a good thing.
(over Chanel Riva)
deborah lippmann GLITTER IN THE AIR
Why, bottle? Why must you be misleading? Why must you be a milky white, milky white-r than Essie Marshmallow, instead of a milky light blue? Oh, because you are the cutest DL glitter that came out this year, and you started my love for Big Pieces of Glitter. You make everything look like confetti cake. Yes, even black.
essie SHINE OF THE TIMES
While I don’t consider this particular polish one of my favorites, I do consider its many dupes my favorite as a whole. Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure, Nubar 2010…I cannot pick you because you were not released in 2011. SotT is a bit more dense than its previous brothers and sisters, and I am not the biggest fan of dense flakes. This, though, is the most versatile polish I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning.
hare polish BISBEE
I love shopping local. I love shopping at small businesses. I love small polish “companies” that do their own thing, and in the process, create a voracious following that wants to own every single polish imaginable. I’m part of that voracious following, and I want nothing more than every single polish maker to succeed. Oh, and I like polishes envisioned after places around me. This is the perfect example.
illamasqua RAINDROPS
I’m including this because it was on their 5GBP sale on Illamasqua’s website this year, and I snapped it up. I wear it and try to remember what rain looks and smells like, in hopes of rain actually showing up in my desert of a city. This is my personal rain stick.
(over China Glaze For Audrey)
lynnderella CONNECT THE DOTS
Put it over white. Put it over black. Put it over blue. Put it over red. Put it over glitter. Put it over green. Just don’t put it over your eyes; you may not be as impressed as you think. A true masterpiece of glitter.
(over a-england Camelot)
lynnderella THE GLITTERING CROWD
This is a party in the bottle; the very best kind. This is what you wear on your birthday, the birth of a child, the marriage of two lovers, your anniversary, New Year’s Eve…hell, wear it when you just feel happy.
(over Illamasqua Milf)
lynnderella ATTITUDE ADJUST-MINT
You want to change your life? Get off the couch. Take a walk around the block. Eat an apple instead of a chocolate orange. Smile at strangers. I want to change my life when I wear this.
nfu oh 51
Purple? Check. Flakie? Check. Vibrant colors of the rainbow? Check. No underwear required? Check. Another one of my favorite flakie polishes this year.
(over OPI I Vant To Be A Lone-Star)
opi LAST FRIDAY NIGHT
This is another polish that began my love for glitters. Katy Perry was the first collection I fell in love with, and I have this polish to thank for turning me into a crazy, glitter-hoarding woman. If I had a light blue jelly, this entire bottle would be gone.
opi HOUSTON WE HAVE A PURPLE
Dumb name, awesome, awesome jelly. Sorry Suzi, but the names leave something to be desired. It’s like the Modcloth of nail polish. Thank goodness I wear polishes because of the color and not the name, right?
opi DS EXCLUSIVE
Look, I know this wasn’t released this year. It shouldn’t be on this list. But when you have the biggest lemming imaginable for a polish and you want it so much, and through the luck of the internet and the nice people that use it (yes, it is possible) you obtain it, and when you hold the actual bottle in your hands and you know that it’s finally yours…it deserves to be on this list. It’s required that this is on my list.
zoya DOVE
I suppose Dove is a female name, but I’m more into the color. Gray. Plain, possibly boring (but totally not), super chic and super versatile. I overlook this three-coater for the color. Everyone needs more gray in their lives.
OH!! Did you notice the not-so shadowed background? BF got me a lightbox with photography lamps for Christmas! Don’t the photos look awesome?! While I need bulbs to show off linear holographics a little better, it’s one of the best presents I’ve gotten. (Not gonna say anything about the sexy Italian black pumps he got me either, no sir.) He wrote “follow your dreams, you are amazing” on the tag, which made me all happy inside.
So there ya go: fifteen polishes, 2011, fin! This blog has been around since 2007, but I didn’t start writing about nail polish until this summer. I consider my blog a success because you, the reader, are looking at this post right now. I thank each and every one of you for visiting, commenting, staring at the pretty pictures, reading my crazed hockey blurbs…you name it. I hope you will stick around during 2012 & beyond as well.
Be safe, be well, be wonderful. See you around the corner. <3
