My 9 favorite polishes of 2016

overview of my favorite polishes of 2016

With the end of 2016 approaching, it seemed fun to give an overview of my 9 favorite polishes of 2016. These polishes are not necessarily released in 2016, but it is just a selection of the favorite polishes that I wore in 2016. Some of these polishes I’ve already shown here on my blog, and some I’ve only shown on my Instagram account.

Essie – Passport to happiness

swatch of Essie passport to happiness

I had no doubt that Passport to happiness needed to be in my favorites of 2016! I cycled all the way to Germany for this one, since I couldn’t find it anywhere in The Netherlands. Apparently it was available, but only in selected stores (and it was impossible to find out which ones). From the first moment I saw this polish I was just in love. It has small metallic-like shimmer which is just amazing. Even though it’s the middle of Winter, I just want to wear this polish again when I’m looking at the pictures.

Picture Polish – Remember

swatch of picture polish remember

Picking Picture Polish – Remember was also easy, I’ve shown swatches of it over here. At first I doubted if I really needed this polish in my life. But then my sweet boyfriend just bought it for me as a surprise. I was immediately stunned by this one and couldn’t believe that I was considering not buying it! The color is very classy and due to the holographic effect, it’s definitely not boring. That reminds me, I really need to wear this one again!

ILNP – Interstellar

swatch of ILNP interstellar

ILNP was without doubt my best nail polish discovery of 2015. I extended my ILNP collection immensely during 2016. And for a good reason, because every ILNP polish that I have bought is so special! Interstellar is definitely one of my favorites. It is a blue polish with an intense green shift and holographic flakies. In this picture I’m wearing it on its own, but because it is a  little bit sheer, it is possible to wear it over black.

Essie – Playing Koi

swatches of Essie playing koi

I think Playing Koi is a 2016 favorite for a lot of people! I’ve seen this polish so many times in my Instragram feed, everyone was wearing it! I think this specific type of color, burnt orange, has become more and more popular in 2016. Also a lot of indie brands are doing this type of color now and I really don’t mind it at all. It is funny how colors that didn’t seem beautiful before, suddenly can become your favorites!

Cupcake Polish – Berry Good Looking

swatch of cupcake polish berry good looking

If you are following nail polish blogs for a while now, you know that Berry Good Looking was THE polish of 2015. I could only get my hands on it in 2016, since it was always sold out. It was also the first polish that I posted on my Instagram, which makes it even more special. That’s also why my nails are super short and in an awkward position in this post! Brings back the memories 🙂

ILNP – That Other Girl

Photograph of nails painted with ILNP that other girl

2016 was for me, also the year of rosegold polishes, definitely in the indie scene. That other girl is so far the only rosegold polish that I own, but it is very pretty! I think it leans a little bit more gold than most other rosegold polishes, but that’s what I like about it. That being said, the holographic effect of this one is also really amazing. Definitely in need of sunglasses when wearing this one!

Essie – All Access Pass

essie all access pass

All access pass was very hard to capture on camera, so I’m sorry for that! It is definitely a blurple (in between blue and purple) instead of a normal blue polish. And the color is exactly what I like so much about this polish! I think that it is quite easy to find a dupe for this one, but I’ve never before seen such a bright blurple, which made it really special to me.

ILNP – The Harpist

swatch of ilnp the harpist

ILNP has a special metallic line of polishes called UltraMetallics. Those polishes consist of tiny metallic flakies and holographic sparkes. Up until The Harpist I always avoided the UltraMetallics. I don’t know exactly know why, but I just thought these polishes weren’t for me. But when I saw The Harpist, it was love at first sight. And still, when I’m looking at these pictures, The Harpist makes me extremely happy. Sometimes, it just feels amazing to wear an extra flashy polish! That’s why The Harpist easily made it into my top 9 of polishes.

Orly – Beach Cruiser

swatch of orly beach cruiser

Beach cruiser is the only Orly polish I own so far. I actually got Beach cruiser by mistake, I ordered another polish, but the seller sent me this one. Nonetheless, I decided to keep it, because I really liked how it looked. It is super super bright, but it applies amazing! I always heard that Orly made amazing neons, so I definitely wanted to try, and Beach cruiser did not disappoint. Maybe I’m will wear this one again soon, just because I can!

Essie – Viva Antigua!

swatch of essie viva antigua

Viva Antigua! is the last polish that I’m going to show you. Only looking at this picture makes me long for summer. Doesn’t matter, because time flies and it will be summer again in the blink of an eye. I find the color of Viva Antigua extremely pretty, but I especially like the shimmer that it contains. It really adds something to this polish. Viva Antigua was released in the Essie summer collection and I really like that Essie puts shimmer more often in their polishes. Definitely a big plus if you ask me.

Almost 1000 words further, I want to thank you for the amazing year that I’ve had. I hope that you all have an amazing New Year’s evening and that we will meet again in 2017!

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