« How our cats are staying warm this winter | Home | Dinner in with friends »
Trying out the navy nail polish trend
By Meg | January 3, 2008
I’ve never been one to follow nail polish trends. I’ve certainly made it known that I prefer more natural looks like a soft French manicure or light pink polish. Outside of October, red is about the wildest I’ve gone with nail color, and then it usually looks awful, maybe because my skin is so pale. I look at the variety of colors available in stores and my first reaction is usually, “Who in the world would wear that!”
Yes, I’m a bit of a polish snob. That’s why it was weird when I suddenly had a craving for navy nail polish.
Sure, half of the beauty bloggers out there were talking about it this past fall. But I’m pretty good at ignoring hype, especially when it comes to beauty products. Why was this particular trend calling to me?
Maybe I wanted to try something new that wouldn’t cost a lot. Maybe it was that beautiful navy color itself. Maybe it was my inner goth, looking for a way to add some edge back into my style.
I tried to ignore it, but I finally broke down and ordered a bottle of OPI’s Russian Navy
I waited till I knew I’d have some time to try out the trend in the privacy of my home. It went on very well, but I knew that I’d have to do some clean up afterwards. I also clipped my nails nice and short, which is widely recommended for this kind of polish.
Hmmmm….
To be honest, my first impression was, “Wow! It doesn’t look awful!” I did think that I liked it, but because it was so different, I was very hesitant to make a firm decision. Therefore, I decided to wear it around a bit and see what others thought. So far, people seem to like it. Even my husband liked it — and he’s just as picky as I am about these things, if not more. My friends who have seen it have so far given their approval.
I think it’s really growing on me — especially when paired with arm warmers, for some reason. Maybe it’s because they’re both a bit punk, or maybe it’s that color of the arm warmers balance out the look.
What do you think?
Tags: Beauty, Color, Fashion, Money, Product Reviews, Products, Style
Related Posts:
January 3rd, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Miss Janey totally gets you about being picky with nail color… This Looks FABulous, Miss Meg.
January 3rd, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Thanks, Miss Janey : )
January 3rd, 2008 at 11:39 pm
I am totally with you on the picky nail color– most of the time I go nude on my fingers.
My initial reaction is that it’s a bit punky and a bit goth. But then I was thinking about your comment about liking them with the armwarmers, and started thinking about pairing them “ironically.” With the perfect black trousers, pumps, and a white button up. Or a shift dress. The unusual pairing, so that they’re like the little peek of personality behind the business. I’m not sure how well it’d work, but I’d be curious.
January 4th, 2008 at 1:23 am
I can totally see that Ashe! Especially with a white button up top! I love it : D
And I definitely understand when you say “ironically”. My personal style tends to have a bit of an ironic tone at times (it’s my inner punk/goth coming out).
I was trying to explain that to my friend about the leopard print newsboy. I haven’t worn it out yet because it will take just the right outfit, but I still love it. I tried it on in front of her, though, and she couldn’t stop laughing — which wasn’t exactly bad, though, because I expected her to do that.
January 4th, 2008 at 9:15 am
I found myself unexpectedly loving navy polish too - but I only wear it on my toes. I don’t really keep up the nails on my hands. (Awful, I know!)
January 4th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
I like it a lot!!!
Looks better than black, in my opinion…
Me, I’m more of a no polish kind of girl… or clear polish, or very pale natural pink. But the upkeep is too much for me LOL
January 4th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Hi Kasmira,
I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who was drawn to it. I’ll have to try it on my toes. I go through phases when it comes to my nails. I take care of them for a while, even doing my own French polish, then I get bored with them.
Hi Fabulously Broke,
I’m glad you approve : ) I totally understand, since I usually am a no/clear/light polish gal myself. The navy does take more upkeep. One plus, though, is that it is dark enough that I can fill in a small spot without it being obvious that I did.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:04 am
[…] OPI’s Russian Navy nail polish has made a big splash in the past few months, being featured on a lot of popular beauty and fashion blogs. I haven’t followed nail trends in the past, but I had to find out what all the hype was about. So I tried it myself. […]
January 6th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Meg, I’m glad that I’m not the only one who will dress or accessorize with a bit of irony! The other day I was talking to someone about popped colors, and how I don’t understand how it’s that bad– hell, I’ve done it, and I’m far from a preppy girl. But then someone said there’s a difference in doing it seriously, and doing it with irony.
Irony, your best fashion accessory.
January 6th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Popped colors are supposed to be bad? LOL.
Irony is fun. Fashion should be fun.
It works great for me because I can dress very preppy/classy/sophisticated when I need to. Then, when appropriate, I can add a twist that brings it back down to earth a bit and show that I’m not a humorless snob — which is important in such a casual town as the one I live in.
It also gives me a way to use some of the stuff I bought back when I was going to dance noir/goth night every week at one of the local clubs. I’m hoping to start going to a new club sometime since the old one closed a year ago. It can be very therapeutic when I’m feeling too preppy.
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:25 pm
You must have brain-washed me! I was at my salon last night for a much needed cut, and paying for my services, when I looked over and saw the OPI bottles. And there, in front, is Russian Navy. A bit spendier ($7.95), I had her ring me up a second time. *sigh*
Let’s hope I can wear it ironically.
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:29 pm
LOL!
I’m sure you’ll wear it great. I want photos : D
February 1st, 2008 at 4:54 pm
[…] I got it the other day at Walgreens for less than $3 and it’s now a favorite along with OPI’s Russian Navy. I just happened to be wearing it yesterday, but I liked the combination enough to leave it […]
March 1st, 2008 at 2:48 pm
I love that color, but I the upkeep must be outrageous. Do you have a recommended topcoat to help with the chipping issue?
March 2nd, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Hi Stephogroove!
The upkeep isn’t too bad. It definitely shows when it starts to chip… but then that’s the price of wearing just about any color nail polish. So, I just reapply it. For a while, I can usually get away with just filling in the cracks and then maybe adding one new layer over it all.
I really don’t know much about topcoats. I’ve used them from a few brands, but really, I don’t notice much of a difference. Usually I skip it altogether, though I almost always use a base if doing dark colors.
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:20 am
I like the Navy blue, and I don’t think spending $19 for Chanel is bad, I mean, if you have 20 bucks to spend on the polish. All of us girlies like to primp and feel good about how we look! I, on the other hand, am a single mom, who loves to look great, so I’d have to go cheaper for now. I still like to wear my black polish. I was into punk/goth in high school, but my parents didn’t allow stuff like that. NOW, it’s trendy and I love it! And I also think the dark colors MUST be worn with very short nails, too. I stopped wearing my black polish when I started dating a new guy in February, I thought he was too conservative, but we were having dinner tonight and I asked him if he liked the black instead of the french pink I am now wearing. He said that he did! Yay! I am darkening my nails TONIGHT! Now what do you girls think about the same type of dark polish (like the blue)but in purple? A friend gave me a bottle of that and I kinda want to try it out.
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:25 am
Hi Kelli,
No, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with paying that much for polish if you have the money and you know you’ll love it. All in all, using nail polish is rather cheap if you do it yourself.
That’s great about the new guy liking the polish. Mine likes it, but it took some time for him to warm up to it.
I think dark purple can look really nice. Of course, it can vary depending on your skin tone and the exact shade of purple, but it’s well worth trying. What’s there to lose?
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:25 am
Oh, and about the dark color chipping issue…I absolutely hate to see girls with chipped polish, and a lot of times when I have traveled have had to practically hide my hands if I chipped! Here’s how to keep them from chipping (from my manicurist). If you have a block file, file each nail surface, making them look a little rough, DO NOT wash hands yet. Add a clear base coat, just ONE coat, you see, the more layers of polish you have the easier it is to chip. That one coat soaks into the nail and bit and makes it smooth. After they are completely dry then apply your dark color with two coats and if you wish to keep them shiny you can add ONE coat of the same clear you used for the base. It really works! Also make sure if you are doing dishes or housework to always wear rubber gloves! : ) Try it, I use the same method for my pedi too. Please let me hear from someone about the dark purple too! Thanks!
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:26 am
Thanks for the info, Kelli! I’ll have to try that!
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:30 am
Thanks Meg. Yeah, I was really surprised when I asked him if he liked the black I wore when we first dated and he said “Yes”. He really is conservative, but he said it looked nice on my hands. I have pale, yet kind of an olive skin tone so dark polish on me, I think, looks great and I wear some pretty funky sterling silver BIG rings on each middle finger so it all goes together with my sterling bangles too! I just love this site, I love talking about beauty products and finding out the alternatives to different things! Viva la noir polish!!!!
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:41 am
Oh, and I love the blue polish on your hands with the arm warmers, that looks great! Too bad, I live in Texas. We don’t really have much of a chance to wear the arm warmers! That’s why I do the funky jewelry. I have a friend who is a custom jeweler and I do mailings for him in return for custom pieces of big rings, earrings, and a couple of bangles. He even made my one year old a little bangle of her own. Of course, ALL in silver. We don’t wear gold in our house! (I have three girls, so beauty products are important to us - my bigger girls are 14 and 16!) But, all of my girls started wearing necklaces pretty much from birth, I won’t do earrings until they can understand it will hurt. Anyway, the purple polish is just like the blue in your photo it’s just a “royal” purple, I would say. Off to do my nails! Love this site and added it to my faves, so you’ll be hearing from me! Thanks for the tips and comments. Nighty night!
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:17 am
Thanks, Kelli! I’m so glad you like the blog and the look. I’m in Florida, so don’t let living in Texas stop you. It’s getting a bit warm now, but when it is cool it’s a nice way to winterize the wardrobe when it’s not necessarily coat weather (though they work well then, too).
I love jewelry. I think it’s cool that your girls wore jewelry so young. I like things like that where girls can feel more grownup in a fun way, but also in a safe way that isn’t all about looking sexy before their time.
Let me know how those nails turned out!
April 4th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Hey Meg!
Well, I did the purple polish last night and I love it! It’s just like your blue, but purple. Here’s the color in case any of your readers might want it: Wet n Wild, Eggplant Frost, #417E. It’s a nice alternative if someone doesn’t care for blue. Also, I was watching the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson last night and at the end of his show he took his shoes and socks off and his toenails were painted navy blue! I am sure his girlfriend probably did it! It was a creme navy color! Also, I wanted to let your readers know that Kat Von D has a video on myspace on how she cuts her tees. It’s a cute idea and you can make any one of your tees into the super cute tiny tees that are stylish now!
Enjoy your day!
Kelli
April 4th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
That’s hilarious about Craig Ferguson! LOL!
I’m so glad the purple worked out for you — being my favorite color and all. I will have to check out the color, so thanks for giving us the color info.
I’ll also have to check out the Kat Von D video before I get rid of some of my large tees. Thanks for the heads up!
May 14th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Hey Meg. :) I used the dark purple called Flirt from Sally Hansen. I think at Walgreens it was like 2.08 or something like that. It looks great, and is nice and shiny. I use it on my acrylic nails that I always have shorter to type with. Anyways, I LOVE this site and will bookmark it!!
May 14th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Hi Tia! I’m so glad that you found the site — and especially that you are enjoying it so much :D
I think I have that color! I’m such a sucker for purple that it wouldn’t surprise me — especially since I have a lot of Sally Hansen polishes. They really are a great deal.
May 30th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Ok Meg.
I bought the NYC Skin Tight Denim Creme and love it. I got it at Target for .96. You can’t beat that. The lady at the check out said wow what a brave color. I said..yeah..it matches the personality. It’s great stuff…and you all have inspired me to grow out my nails. NO MORE acryclics..YEAH!!!! I will take pics and send them if you want :)
May 31st, 2008 at 12:04 am
Yay, Tia! Great bargain — and awesome come back. I’ll have to use that line some time ; )
Please do send me a link to some pics : D
December 12th, 2008 at 1:46 am
[…] OPI ‘Russian Navy’ nail polish, $5.49 By Meg in Florida 6 January 2008 No Comment OPI’s Russian Navy nail polish has made a big splash in the past few months, being featured on a lot of popular beauty and fashion blogs. I haven’t followed nail trends in the past, but I had to find out what all the hype was about. So I tried it myself. […]
March 10th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I love the navy color on your nails. I bought the new Wet Paint nail system and put on their dark blue with the glaze called “Wicked.” I had a midnight blue navy like something you’d see on an expensive SUV. Its an incredible color and I love it! I’d be sad to learn that using navy is already out of style because I think the color would go great for not only fun events but a color to wear with a business suit.
March 12th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Thanks, Anne!
We’re going to see less of the navy polish now as it’s spring (or will be soon, at least). People generally choose lighter colors in spring.
Of course, if you like it, wear it! I’m sure I’ll still wear it some as it is one of my favorite nail colors — even though I’ve been too lazy to paint my nails recently.
A word of caution, though, be careful about wearing it to work or for job interviews — at least in many fields. It’s not a conservative color and some places might consider it too informal. So, if in doubt, go without. And give yourself time to get it all off and repaint with another color if necessary (and definitely use a layer of clear polish as a base to avoid staining).
If you’re confident that it’s an acceptable color in your line of work, then by all means, enjoy! Just remember to keep it up because chips will easily show and they’re never professional looking.