A few weeks ago, I asked you ladies to weigh in on my black nail polish crisis: is it still chic or did the faux-goth thing look, like, totally passé? Many of you stuck up for the shade in question, while several others offered wildly varied alternatives. (What's better to chase an onyx obsession than a soft shade of periwinkle?) And since I love nothing more than indulging in my nail polish obsession, I took the opportunity to give your suggestions a try. From dark blues to mauves, from white to matte black, here are 31 polishes (because who needs even numbers anyway?) to give a shot when black just isn’t what the manicurist ordered. What's your favorite?
Berries/Reds
Deborah Lippmann Single Ladies
Essie Carry On
Essie Poor Li'l Rich Girl
Essie Wicked
MAC x Proenza Schouler Dayflower
RGB Crimson
Blues
Chanel Blue Satin
Essie After School Boy Blazer
OPI Incognito in Sausalito
Greens
Deborah Lippmann Don't Tell Mama
Essie Stylenomics
Greys
Essie Cashmere Bathrobe
Jin Soon Obsidian
OPI My Private Jet
X Formula Metamorphic
Mauves/Purples
Chanel Vertigo
Deborah Lippmann Dark Side Of The Moon
Essie Chinchilly
Essie Luxedo
Essie Merino Cool
Essie Smokin' Hot
Julep Gabrielle
OPI Lincoln Park After Dark
X Formula for Sephora Dramatic
Pinks/Nudes
Deborah Lippmann Modern Love
Essie Island Hopping
Marc Jacobs Beauty Baby Jane
OPI Java Mauve-A
Whites
Essie Blanc
OPI Alpine Snow
Matte Top Coat
Jin Soon Matte Maker
—Elizabeth Brockway
Photos by Elizabeth Brockway and Devon Swartz.
