The Subtle Ripples of Shades is a blog based around describing nail polish colors.

I can really appreciate the tiny differences in shades that exist between different nail polish colors. The color of your nails can really set the mood for what you are wearing and the season. I like to think about how the almost imperceptible differences in color actually make a big difference when you are wearing them.

I am particularly interested in nude and neutral nail polishes, because they go with everything. I like to wear them year round and am always looking for new colors that are slightly different from other neutrals and nudes I have tried before.

One thing I love about the blog is that it’s like a real life version of Pinterest, where you can search through images and find something that inspires you, but instead of pinning it, you can read an entire article about it!

It has been a while since I did my last nail art post. In fact, I think that the last time I actually painted my nails was for my Birthday Manicure and that was in February. It is now mid-August. Yeesh! To get back into the groove of painting my nails, I decided to do something simple with this manicure and just use three shades of greige: OPI’s Over The Taupe, OPI’s My Favorite Ornament, and China Glaze’s Deviantly Daring.

I have always been a fan of neutral colors on my nails because it allows me to experiment with my nail art without having to worry about clashing colors or coordinating different shades. There is also something so beautiful about nude nails and how they look as they grow out. The subtle ripples of shades that you get as your nails grow out is reminiscent of the subtle changes you get in color when you apply a gradient effect to an image in Photoshop. They are subtle but powerful changes that make for an interesting and unique look.

In this post I would like to share some of my more subtle nail polish color choices. These are colors that are very close to each other, but still have a noticeable difference. Different brands also have different names for the same colors, and I will try to help you with that as well.

I have a lot of nail polishes that are very close to each other, and it can be confusing what to reach for. If you want something a bit darker or lighter than your regular color, this post is for you!

In the pictures below, you can see some of my favorite shades of pink and nude. The first two pictures show the difference between a light sheer pink and a light sheer nude. Both are very similar, but the pink has a hint of warmth in it while the nude gives me a more “put together” look. The next two pictures show a darker nude versus a darker pink; they are also quite alike but the pink is warmer than the nude.

The next two pictures show my favorite combination: A dark sheer nude with sparkle on top of white polish! That combination is stunning both in daylight and under artificial light! The final picture shows my favorite nail polish brand, OPI’s “You Don’t Know Jacques!”.

We all scream for neutral nails, and why shouldn’t we? Neutral nail polishes are the unsung hero of your nail polish collection. They are the perfect go-to for any occasion, an easy blank canvas to which you can add a rainbow of color, or just as beautiful worn alone!

Neutral nail lacquers come in a variety of shades that span the spectrum of light to dark: beige, cream, taupe, nude, chocolate brown, and black. The subtle differences between these shades can speak volumes about your mood or personality.

I’ve also found that there is a shade of neutral that suits each skin tone best. Let me break it down for you by complexion:

– If your skin tone tends toward the lighter side, then a medium beige with pink undertones will complement your skin beautifully. Lighter shades tend to wash out lighter skin tones. Shades that are too dark will leave you looking like a corpse if you’re very pale.

– If you fall into the medium skin tone category, then you should experiment with both light and dark neutrals to see what looks best on you. My personal favorite is

I love the color purple. It is my favorite color, and I have a shirt in every shade of it. So I wanted to try a purple nail polish. Not too dark, not too light, but just right…

I can’t believe how hard this was! I know there are fifty shades of purple, but still. I spent an hour in Ulta looking for the perfect shade. Here is what I narrowed it down to:

The one on the left is OPI’s A Grape Fit! The one on the right is Sally Hansen’s Grape Going? Both were two coats and were taken outside with natural light (no flash). They both looked perfect in the bottle, but when I tried them on they weren’t quite right.

A Grape Fit! was too dark, almost a magenta pinkish red. And when my nails got wet it turned even darker (as you can see in the picture below). So that wasn’t what I was looking for.

Grape Going? was better, but still not quite right. It was a bit greenish, which didn’t work well with my skin tone either. And it had glitter which you couldn’t see in the bottle (or on my nails) until you put it outside or under direct sunlight

I used to think that I was not a “nail-polish girl”, but I’ve come to find that the two are not mutually exclusive. In the past, my minimalist mantra kept me from wearing nail polish, but as I’ve delved into the world of beauty, I’ve come to appreciate how creative one can get with this little bottle of paint.

With the New Year upon us, my thoughts are turning towards minimalism. I find myself wanting to clean out my closet and purge my life of clutter and excess. When it comes to nail polish, however, my New Year’s resolution is to experiment more with color. Bold colors might be intimidating at first, but with some practice, they can be just as easy as a neutral manicure.

The best thing about nail polish is its versatility; it’s an affordable way to add color and creativity to your life without making a permanent commitment. My favorite places to wear nail polish are work, dates, social gatherings with friends and special events (weddings, parties). As someone who once thought that painting my nails was too girly for me, I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy wearing nail polish.

I am always on the lookout for unique nail polish colors, and I have found a new one! Essie’s “Wicked” is a gorgeous deep purple that just looks so cool on. I have been wearing it all week, and I am still in love with it. It reminds me of the color of an eggplant, and it looks great on my nails, especially because they are so pale. The manicurist who painted my nails said she was surprised that the color looked so good on me because it looked grey when she took it out of the bottle. She thought that it would look greyish on my fingers as well, but luckily she was wrong!

We drove to San Francisco today to go shopping at Union Square and Saks Fifth Avenue. I wore a beautiful Elizabeth and James off-white dress that had black trim and a black bow in the back with thickly ruched sleeves. I paired it with black patent leather Louis Vuitton “Tivoli” ankle boots that are amazingly comfortable and absolutely gorgeous. I also wore a long gold chain necklace from Forever 21 that had dangling black beads with gold accents as well as a gold “Love” necklace from Gorjana, which was an early Christmas present from my parents. My mom got me