Splurge Vs Steal: Nude Polishes

Nude polishes have paved the way for neutral, chic, work-place friendly fingers. When they chip, they are not as garish as their more colourful polish counterparts, but they give that edge of glamour without being unprofessional. I've accumulated five nude polishes which I grab when I want to look a bit more understated, and I decided to put them to the test against each other. Were the splurges really worth their hefty price tag? Or are they some bargainous alternatives waiting with your name on them?

I wore all five on my digits for a week and can honestly say there was no difference between the longevity of them as they all chipped within the same amount of time. I struggled to tell the difference between Cafe au Lait by Rimmel (£3.49),  So Simple by No7 (£7) and Basil Street by Nails inc (£11) at all, other than Basil Street was slightly more opaque that the other two. One big difference however is the price tag. The Rimmel polish works out 30p per ml, the No 7 polish at 70p per ml, and the Nails inc polish at the more hefty 110p per ml. For that reason if you're after a subtle sheen then I would definitely recommend a bargain buy with the Rimmel Polish. The one I've linked is the exact same shade I've got, just in the more snazzy updated packaging if you're wondering why they differ.

Mushroom by Barry M of course is more of a matte dark brown than a subtle shade like the others. This is a personal favourite of mine and also works out as cheap as the Rimmel Polish at only 30p a ml. The only draw back is that when this bad boy chips its dark colour makes it extremely obvious, so its a total no-no for on the go girls who don't have time to upkeep nails throughout the week.

Finally we are left with the Nails inc colour London. This was a freebie with an offer running alongside Diet Coke, but I have included this anyway as I tend to find that Nails inc often will give the same colours out in a range of different freebie offers, so you are likely to find this colour once again. Honestly, I don't find Nails Inc as anything special, and definitely not worth £11 a polish, but they are worth it if you can get them as freebies. Glamour magazine occasionally has them as freebies, and similarly Diet Coke and certain deodorant brands so it's worth keeping an eye out.

Overall then, I'd say there is very little difference between the nude polishes I have, so you're better off sticking to the cheaper Barry M/Rimmel brands. Some things are worth the extra money and really show in their quality, but sadly this is not the case with the nude polishes I tested out. Hope this was helpful!

Em xx