Spring Break--For Your Nails

Last weekend, while my dear friend, Annie, was visiting from Seattle, we decided to treat ourselves to a morning of Starbucks and manicures.  Nail dates are actually one of our favorite pastimes, and so we always make a point to fit it into our itinerary.  I had stumbled upon Essie's Sand Tropez in the drugstore just a few days before Annie's arrival, and it immediately struck me as the perfect nude polish I had been searching for.  So of course I brought it with me to the nail salon in the hope that I was right; after all, some things you just have to see to believe.


I was not disappointed!  This nail polish is like spring break for your nails.  It is a soft, sandy neutral that makes your nails look like they are naturally perfect--what I feel is the nail color equivalent of the I'm-not-wearing-any-makeup cosmetic look.  I typically have trouble with nude polishes because they're not opaque enough for me, or they have a shimmer to them that I could do without.  Sand Tropez has neither of these issues; rather, it goes on solid but subtle.  And in a couple of months when I have a tan (a girl can hope!), it will look even better...

Sand Tropez
by Essie, $8

Nude In NYC



Campari Patent Mary Jane in flesh
by Manolo Blahnik, $645
Available at Neiman Marcus


I first considered the merits of going nude when nude footwear began popping up like spring flowers last year, and it feels like I've been searching for my own perfect pair ever since.  The truth is, I've had a perfect pair--or two, as the case may be--in mind but have lacked the spending power for both Christian Louboutin's Patent Rolando or Manolo Blahnik's Campari Patent Mary Jane so I've continued wanting.  It's not that I'm unwilling to purchase a pair of shoes at a reasonable price (I am!), but it just so happened that the pairs I really and truly loved came at a premium.  Sigh.

This being said, you can imagine my excitement when I discovered a pair of nude pumps that I loved amongst the rows of shoes at Marshall's last week.  They were the perfect neutral shade, not overly beige or pink like many of the other options I've seen over the last year.  That, in addition to a sky-high heel, hidden platform, slightly boxy toe, and a $40 price tag made these nude patent leather heels from Guess a total no-brainer.  I immediately put my new shoes to use around the office twice last week and two more times this week, finding that they complimented an all-black business look just as well as a more casual pairing of grey pants and a navy-and-white striped sweater.  Indeed, it is the versatility of nude footwear that I really love.  I have a pair of amazing black Louboutin heels that I wear almost daily, but the nude patent leather adds something light and bright to my strip, while remaining utterly functional.



Rapine Slingback Platform Pump
by Guess, $90
Available at Bloomingdales



Apparently I'm not the only one who's all for going nude either.  I recently spent some time in the Big Apple with my lovely friend, India, and nude footwear was on her radar too.  With an upcoming wedding to attend, she was searching for the perfect pair of nude heels to compliment a navy cap-sleeved bandage dress.  Like me, she was concerned with finding the right shade of neutral, as well as a shoe design that could transition appropriately from summer to early fall.  As it turns out, she lucked out with Guess too; her new Rapine Slingback Platform Pumps boast a nearly 5-inch heel with a 1-inch covered platform, a chic patent neutral, and a playful slingback.  Indeed, perhaps the only thing that could make her outfit any more irresistible would be a vintage Chanel clutch.  Just saying.  When I asked her to weigh in on why nude footwear works for her, India explained:

I have been lusting after some nude heels for some time now and with my fashionista friend, Lolly, visiting me in my city of NYC, I knew she would be just the person to encourage me towards the purchase.  After a thorough search, I finally settled on a pair of nude Guess slingback pumps, which I absolutely love! When I wear them, I feel like my legs go on for days--which is incredibly helpful for someone like me who is well endowed the booty region, if you know what I mean... I am super excited to step out in them this weekend, paired with a killer new dress that I also picked up from Guess (clearly, I'm in a Guess mood as of late). But I am even more excited to get continued wear out of them as the summer ends and fall begins. I feel that the nude heel is a versatile one that I can dress up or dress down, and I definitely plan to rock them through the fall--at which point, I will have to patiently wait pull them out of the depths of my closet when spring comes back around!

As Miss India explained, the inherent versatility of nude footwear is its main appeal, especially when you opt for a classic pump or slingback design, for these styles are able to transition seamlessly from spring to summer to early fall.  To get three season's worth of wear from one shoe is pretty impressive.  It appears that nude is the new black, n'est–ce pas?  Ladies, dare to bare it all--go nude.