Mint nails Overload!

Hello everyone!
Hope you 're all doing well! :)


So, I 'm sure that all of you are aware by now how big a trend pastel nail polish has been this season. We 've all been bombarded with lilacs, pale peaches, some pastel blues and yellows, and, of course, mints - and lots of them!
It's obviously not such a new trend though, MAC Peppermint Patti led the way, followed by Chanel Jade, last spring and fall respectively. And since then, almost every brand has released a mint toned nail polish, from the higher end to the drugstore ones.

Now, it would be virtually impossible for me to get all of them (although I 'm curious as to how Illamasqua Milf and Revlon Minted would compare to the following), so I opted for this little selection:




Minty goodness, huh? Ok, let's break it down:




Barry M No.304 - "Mint Green". One of the very first mint greens - I 'm sure that almost all of the UK ladies own this (and I owe the lovely Lydia a big "thank you" for mine). The colour is a bit to the greener side when compared to the rest. Now, as far as the formula is concerned, it's pretty much a winner in my eyes: it dries fast and leaves no ugly streaks. Yes, it may need a third coat to look like the picture, but it dries so quickly, that it's not an issue. All in all, a great nail polish.




China Glaze "Re-Fresh Mint". This came out with China Glaze's "Up and Away" collection for Spring 2010. Now, personally, I 'm not thrilled about this one. I do appreciate that it goes opaque after two coats, but I strongly dislike the shade: it's like Tipp-Ex with a... "hint of mint" (never thought I 'd quote Carrie Bradshaw here, but whatever)! It's definitely not flattering on my nails, but perhaps someone with a tan/darker skintone could rock this? It could make an interesting contrast, in theory at least.




OPI "Hey! Get in Lime!". This was released a few years back (Brights 2006 I think), and, to my knowledge, it's discontinued. I got mine on ebay, probably for a lot more than what it cost, but still cheaper than what OPI sells for in Greece. It's a lovely mint shade, not too green or too blue. It applies similarly to the Barry M one, in that it's sheer at first and needs 3 coats as well (older OPI formula), but it's so pretty, I 'm willing to put up with it!




Essie "Mint Candy Apple". Released last winter, as part of Essie's "Sweet Time of the Year" collection, this one is the blue-est of the lot. It's almost like a minty turquoise. The application is good, but not perfect: it applies fairly opaque after two coats, but it is somewhat streaky. It's nice to own though, a nice change from the greener mints, and probably one that works for the majority of skintones.


Here's a little comparison:




Index finger: Essie Mint Candy Apple

Middle finger: OPI Hey! Get in Lime!

Ring finger: China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint
Pinky: Barry M Mint Green



Obviously, mint nails are not to everyone's taste, and even if you like the idea, it can be somewhat tricky to find the perfect shade for your undertones - I just hope I 've helped someone with this post.
Apparently the right one for me is a sheer and discontinued one, figures!!!


So, do tell guys, have you tried a mint toned nail polish? :)




What's your opinion?

  1. Ooooh, pretty! If I was to pick one of these, I'd choose the OPI ;)

    Oh and I love the pic with the lady in the black outfit and the mint nails! Eccentric but classy!

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  2. Barry M is the PRETTIEST...I have ORLY's Mint Mojito...Its more of a green mint....

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  3. great post. im impressed you painted your nails so many time!
    ps- why does silver's hands look like those of a 60 year old woman? eww!
    www.paperplanesandmaryjanes.blogspot.com

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  4. I have Revlon Minted and I think it's a great dupe for Essie Mint Candy Apple ^^

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  5. Hi girl!

    Great post, I've only tried the Essie one and Illmasqua Milf which is my favourite mint but Hey get a lime looks awesome, so jealous you have it :)

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  6. I have the Barry M and the China Glaze one but that only came in the post this morning so im yet to get painting with but from your swatch i like it- a lot more pastel than the barry m which is what i wanted!

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  7. Ooo fun comparison! i think I like the Barry M one best. My favorite polish ever is China Glaze For Audrey, which I'm sure you know of :) It is definitely more of a blue, but it's kind of in the same family! I love it!

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  8. The Barry M shade is still my favourite, although like ellamarie84, I adore China Glaze's 'For Aubrey'.

    xoxo

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  9. Great comparison!
    I love mint nails, i have the Barry M one but thinking the Essie or China glaze are gorgeous too :)

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  10. hmm i think the china glaze looks lovely with your complexion!!! they're all soo pretty i love mints, essie-why do they apply like how you described? (rolls eyes) xoxo

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  11. Apart from Aubrey from China Glaze which is obviously darker, I don't own any of these but now I lust for the barry m one! Re-Fresh Mint is my least favourite like you said, but still pretty!
    Love the pics, I see youtubers, bloggers, celebs wearing it all the time!

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  12. I would love to try mint but i feel like they wont look good with my skin tone. my hands are very tan and i dont think mint would suit it. this is a colour im gonna buy soon :

    http://www.nailpolishdiva.com/NLB66-opi-the-it-color.htm

    So gorgeous for the summer!

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  13. @cbsg5861: Hehe, I think that the OPI is the one closest to that photo too! It's a photo from 90210 btw, and Silver's character usually makes interesting styling choices! xoxo


    @resham: Ah, I can tell you like the greener ones, huh? :)
    I was looking at swatches of the Orly one online, somehow I don't think it would work for me... It would make a nice statement mint green though...! Hmmm! xxxx


    @gabrielle: Lol, small price to pay for being a beauty blogger I suppose! :)
    Btw, her hands was the first thing I noticed about that picture as well... Beats me...she's WAY too young to have hands like that... but my guess is that she has very dry skin and that she neglects to take better care after it...! xxx


    @Gaby: Oh really? That's good news then, makes me stop regretting that I didn't get it, lol! Thx! xx

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  14. @Katie: Thank you dear! :) Milf I have to get at some point, if only for the name, haha! Although I probably can't justify another mint nail polish purchase atm! The OPI can still be found on ebay, it's somewhat expensive, but nth dramatic! xxx


    @Gemma: If that's the case, you 'd really like it then, the China Glaze is the lighter one of the bunch, I bet you 'll find it looks dramatically different when compared to the Barry M one! xoxo


    @ellamarie84: I remember when For Audrey was THE nail polish about a year ago, every YT-er wore it... I skipped it though, maybe the fact that everyone was wearing it killed it for me, lol! xoxo


    @Dreams That Glitter: Yes, I see why those two are popular, they 're more intense mints than the rest! ;) xx

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  15. @Unicorn: It's definitely the best colour/application/price combination you can probably find out there!!! xx


    @Imogen: Thank you dear, I hope it was somewhat helpful! :) x


    @Charlene: Lol, funny, cos the China Glaze one drove me mad, far too white in it for me, I mean, I 'm already too pale, add a nail polish with a lot of white in it, hello disaster! Don't let the afternoon light fool you! :)
    You 're right about Essie, and usually the prettiest of the colours apply the worst..! xoxo


    @Marietta: Yeah, it's hard to find someone that hasn't worn this trend in one way or another! If you can get hold of the Barry M one, then I strongly suggest it, you 'd really like it!
    Hope you 're doing well! Filia! xxx

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  16. @DiaryOfA22yroldKid: Well, there's a lot more swatches online for all those nail polishes, some are swatched on darker skintones as well! Sometimes it's a bit harder to find the one that's just right for you! x

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  17. Hey Hun! Great post - I love the comparison picture you did with all four polishes on different finger nails.
    Funny but I don't currently own a mint green nail polish yet. I love the colour so I'm not sure why I haven't gotten around to it.
    I lik ethe Essie Mint Candy Apple and China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint the best because the Essie one reminds me of turquoise stone which I love and the China Glaze one looks like a mint green that would flatter my skin tone best.
    Have a lovely weekend :)

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  18. lovely! i've been seeing this colour a lot lately, im def gonna get some soon...maybe from American Apparel!

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  19. I think the OPI one suits you nice, I don't like the other brands so much. Maybe it's the color to blame, it's pale, I think it would look better when you get just a little tan.

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  20. I was never so keen on mint green nail polish but now you've swatched them, I really want one! Lol! Great post :) xx

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  21. @Karen: Hey babe! Thank you! I think that the Essie and the China Glaze one would look the best on you as well!
    Do let me know if you pick one! Or better, blog about it!
    xoxoxo


    @red | hongyi: Yes, mints have been huge this season! AA sounds like a great option, sadly for me it's almost impossible to get hold of here, but from looking at swatches online, they seem to have some lovely shades! :) x


    @Pink_Fish: Yep, I like that OPI best on me for the same reasons... Sadly I 'm too pale atm still to see how the rest would look on me when more tanned...! xxx


    @Make-up Addict: Lol, well, looks like you 're gonna have to blame me for that! :) Glad you liked the post...and sorry?! Lol! :) xx

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  22. the OPI hey! get in lime one is my favourite :) the essie one looks gorgeous also x

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  23. @Lorien BeautyLove: Great taste hun! ;) Those are my two favourites as well! :) xoxo

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