The Signature Nail Polish of British Royals

Ballet Slippers

Queen Elizabeth II wears Essie Nail Polish in Ballet Slippers. It is reported to be the only color the Queen will wear.

You never see members of the British royal family in wild or bold shades. It is customary for them to wear only demure nail hues. 

I, too, have an understated signature nail polish color. For years I have worn Nicka K in Seashell. It has a subtle incandescent glow that people often compliment. Another benefit: Unlike darker colors, chips aren't noticeable. I wonder if that's one of the reasons the royal family favors the calm colors also. I mean, nobody has time to do nails more than once a week. Not to mention, it's too repeatative!

Lately, I like natural, short nails sans nail polish as much as my signature polish. While I still wear nail polish sometimes, I worry about all the chemicals in the beauty products we use.

Allure

Meanwhile, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, has her own signature shade: Essie Nail Polish in Allure. 

Essie is a wallet-friendly drugstore brand. Customers say it's chip resistant. The polish is formulated to look subtle, feminine and classic, not flamboyant and flashy. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Some people wear daring colors well. It just requires more maintenance.

Do you wear a signature nail color? Subtle or bold?

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Trust Fund Beauty

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Trust Fund Beauty

Photo: Trust Fund Beauty from Tumblr

The average person puts a ton of personal care products on their body in a given day. Ever worry about their safety? Many people look for non-toxic beauty products that are effective. That is to say, cosmetics without harmful chemicals, that are 100% vegan and not tested on animals.

Trust Fund Beauty is an indy brand that fits the need by offering creamy "Lipgasm" lipsticks with sassy names in vivid colors, as well as, provocatively named nail polish that is organic and cruelty free. They cost a bit more, but you have the assurance that the ingredients are clean, yet the quality of the makeup is good.

Lipsticks are $22 each while the nail polish costs $15 each, not an outrageous price for an organic line. (And too, when products are not mass produced, they tend to be more expensive.) You may be able to afford one, or two (sans a family trust fund :), plus think the higher cost is worth paying for clean ingredients. Select from an array of appealing colors!

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When The Price Is Right

Like a lot of woman I love browsing cosmetic counters in high fashion department stores. Chanel and Bobbi Brown are two of my absolute favorites. However, I’ve discovered that good quality makeup doesn’t always have to be expensive. My discovery started with nail polish. One day while shopping in a chain store I spotted the perfect summer shade, incandescent "Seashell,” on a huge rack with at least 50 other bright, glossy and classy colors. I had never heard of the brand – Nicka K – but it sold for only 99 cents. Certainly an amazingly low price and one that gave me pause. Was this too good to be true? Would the nail enamel chip off in a day? Did the formula contain bad ingredients like toluene, formaldehyde and dibutul phthalate (DBP)? Well no, it didn’t. The formula was free of these harmful chemicals, plus it was infused with good ingredients like vitamin E. There were no negatives in spending less than the usual $4 and up for the better known brands. My new nail polish glided on smoothly, dried in minutes, had staying power and looked beautiful. So, I’ve been buying and wearing it ever since. After my FIND, I learned that Nicka K, an American company, started in the heart of New York City. It produces other equally fabulous cosmetics – everything from eye shadows, pencils and liners to blush, crayons, and shimmers – at very affordable prices. You can check out the array of products for yourself at: nicka.com.

And recently, I've stumbled onto yet another beauty-for-less cosmetic company – e.l.f – where you can buy good quality makeup for your eyes, lips, face and nails. e.l.f focuses on both beauty and wellness, offering every woman an expansive line of products at very attractive prices. Much of it sells for just $1.00. If you log onto their website: eyeslipsface.com you can see all of their offerings, plus have fun like I did reading beauty tips and creating a beauty profile of your own.