I read somewhere recently that in 1932, Revlon made only one shade of nail polish.
ONE SHADE.
Can you imagine? You roll up to a display that has just one shade in it?? In this age of so many color choices, it’s mind-boggling!
Funny thing is, though, that even though I keep a good amount of nail polish around — 30 or so bottles in a rainbow of different colors and finishes, and that’s *after* a recent beauty purge — I mostly wear the same shade families all the time. I usually rotate between a shade of light blue (I’ve been all about Frieda Kahlo Premium Nail Lacquer in FKNL37), a light yellow and a green.
How many bottles of nail polish do you currently have, and how many do you actually wear all the time?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I probably have well over 200 bottles and there are some shades from a few seasons ago that I go back to but usually I just get a few new releases each season and rotate those.
Speaking of, I need to decide what color to paint my nails today!
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After a recent purge I have 3 helmers full. I really don’t wear one shade often, I rotate all the time! For holidays I do have favorites though.
I probably have about 200 polishes, give or take. I pretty much rotate with the colors. I haven’t done my nails in so long and now I’m starting to get back into it.
When I was younger I probably had over 50 nail polishes and today I have less than 10. Recently I threw many out because they were dried up or because they were already over but somehow I thought I could still get a bit out… I’m really happy with myself but I know that one day I’ll go back to buying a ton of polishes and end up with 100 haha
I haven’t counted recently but Sephora keeps having sales on their Formula X polish, which I really, really love. So I’ve been stocking up.
Then I was at TJ Maxx last week and found a package of like a dozen Vinylux mini bottles in pastel shades. So, I’m going to estimate at between 75 and 100 bottles.
I’m trying to make sure that I have every color under the rainbow so when I do a polka dot mani, I have lots of different shades. Plus, I’m addicted. I do tend to load up on various glitter polishes. I have at least three to four gold glitter and three to four silver glitter—different sizes and finishes.
I do my nails every Sunday night while I drink a glass of wine or a cocktail and I tend to do a new color each week, sometimes multiple colors, so I think I’ve got them in a good rotation.
I do love a good blue though. I’ve been salivating over your Frida Kahlo blue so I may need to add that one to the collection.
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I have around 40; about 5 of which get pretty regular wear, and probably 5 that I haven’t actually worn yet. Clearly I need to paint my nails this weekend!
I’m partial to reds, dark blues, and just about any almost-black. Plus glitter. I have a lot of glitter polishes.
I think I have about 30 bottles and there are about 4 or 5 shades that I use regularly and most used being Chanel Dragon and Dior Blue Label!
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I have probably a dozen(ish). When I wear polish, which isn’t often, I almost exclusively wear one shade on my nails (Essie Mademoiselle). I’m more adventurous with my toenails but still only rotate between 3 or so.
I think around 500. I give away some but I get attached to so many.
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I used to have somewhere around the 200 bottle mark. But I’ve been on a downsizing kick so I probably have half that now and I’m trying to get it down to just one small, wooden Ikea drawer. I mean, how many coral polishes do I really need? I go through phases, like all neutrals/nudes for a while, then reds or corals. Lately I’ve been on a dark and holographic or sparkly kick.
Somewhat funny side note. I once asked my husband what color of polish he’d like to see me wear. He asked what his choices were, so I said, “Red, coral or pink” He said coral. So I picked one of maybe a dozen pinkish, reddish orange corals I had at the time and put it on. He sees my nails and says, “That’s not coral”. My daughter and I just looked at him and said, “Yes, it is.” A minor debate ensued. So to settle it, I opened up my nail polish drawers and asked him to pick out a bottle of “coral” nail polish. He pulls out a really pale, beige taupe color. My daughter and I just looked at each other and broke out laughing. Not sure if Dear Husband is color blind or just clueless. He’s explanation was that coral in the ocean is that color. Lol.
Now I never ask him about nail color. I just apply what I want and he has to live with it. For the record he likes pale pinks and nude polishes.
I may be the odd one out. I own about 4 bottles (all gifts) and don’t wear any of them. Haven’t got the patience to wait for them to dry and they’d chip easily in my line of work.
Karen, how do you like the Smith & Cult formula?? I’ve been so tempted by their shades but @ $18 a pop idk… they do have a sweet green shade, I’m surprised you don’t have it ???
…although I know you’re partial to Essie.
I have around 20 but I wear most of them except the white and brights which I keep for nail art.
I think I have 200-300. I rotate colors depending on the season or my mood. I found those Frida Kahlo polishes at my CVS way up here in North Dakota! I got the blue.
I have about 30 too. I’m about to purge them. I mostly wear pinks, corals, reds and golds.
I have well over a hundred (closing on 200, I think), and I tend to choose a new bottle every time I paint my nails, but there are some colours that are kind of like… palette cleansers? Whenever I think too long about what to apply, I grab one of these. They are a really old bottle of AVON Speed Dry in Rebel Rose, a light greyish/ lavender shade from a local brand, any shade of grey (from light to dark) and any bottle of black that I happen to grab from my drawer. OH OH, and a Chanel Peridot dupe. That’s a good one too.
Mhhh nice question. I think 40/50 among old, very old (museum pieces ehm) and newer nail polishes. Since I moved, I did a selection and I have with me 20 bottle for fun and nail art. I do rotate colours and, despite I love wearing the red spectrum, I often pop greens, blues and crazy manicures 😉
1 shade? It must had been a red, right haha
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Ten colors probably, half of which are reds or berries! I currently wear none of them.
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About 100?? Not all of them new though. I’ve never finished a bottle apart from a top coat from Chanel which was so lovely that I actually finished it!
I have no less than 75 bottles of various colors and brands. It’s an addiction.
I think I have about 20 – I used to rotate through most of them, but now I can’t because of my job (nurse = no nail polish allowed at the hospital).
More than 200. Love the dark blues. Trying to get to all the colors.
I have about 20, not counting a few base & top coats. Most are Chanel neutrals, but I have one Chanel gift set with a variety of colors (blue included :-)). My go-to “color” is usually clear (I have a small obsession base coats). I like to wear my nails trimmed short, and when I wear a real color, I usually pick a neutral or lighter one. I have found that Pacifica (sold at Whole Foods!) is nice polish and comes in pretty colors (one of my favorites is Unicorn Horn.
It’s been a hobby of mine for a loooooonnng time. I have about 650 bottles of polish..2 Helmers full. When women discover this they are often jealous and think I’m crazy at the same time. They’re tucked away neatly and I have my own little space in our basement where I keep them and do my nails. Over the years I’ve found that collecting and removing myself from electronics for an hour to swatch and paint is very relaxing and therapeutic.
just counted and I have an even 50. I go through phases and am very seasonal with what I feel like wearing but I think I rotate through them all reasonably enough. When I don’t know what to wear I always reach for the more muted shades. Grey’s, muted sage greens, and taupe-y browns are my go to
I’d say about 500+ bottles of nail polish. They are all in color coded boxes because I’m extremely organized. I probably have worn each one at least once, but I have my “go to” faves!
I am sooo glad you asked this question! I am guess-timating that I have about 60 nail polishes most of which are in varying shades of coral and orange. And the kicker is that I paint my nails ONCE a year!!!!!!!!! I love the look of a fresh coat on my nails but I don’t actually like to paint my nails! I hate sitting and waiting for them to dry. Then I had one kid, then another kid and now it is absolutely impossible to paint my nails even if I wanted to (diaper changes, wash dishes, fold laundry, perpetually cleaning up). I had to stop looking at nail blogs and I skip over the nail section of the Ulta catalogs because I am afraid I will be compelled to buy another. But I can’t bring myself to get rid of any of them. This weekend I’ll give myself a manicure. Promise 😉
I just recently gave 100 bottles away to My niece who is a newbie to the nail world. I now have 200 bottles of nail polish! I decorate my nails every Saturday night, when my family goes to bed. I rotate my colors every week,(often using three different colors). Except during the month of December which I only use red, green, and white (accent color).
I have somewhere around 225-235 – don’t want to dig out the spreadsheet right now. Most are in a Helmer, some are on shelves. The precious collectibles (Clarins 230? Original Chanel Vamp?) have their own special drawer. I’m a collector and LOVE having the variety. I change my nail color at least 2x a week and mix it up. Some days I want holographic, others, a sophisticated crème formula. I wear what suits my mood or clothing for a special occasion. Tips never match the toes either. I love being a girl!
Same here, with everything you said! It’s like we’re nail twinsies.
I have 27. Exactly 27, out of which I wear about 15 on a regular basis, depending on the season, and the rst once in a blue moon. I did a major purge when we moved, so I know wher I stand right now. You can easily loose track.
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I have approximately 100 bottles of nail polishes. I tend to buy them, use them one time and forget about them. The one that I always go back to is Fiji from Essie.
I own about 325 bottles of opi! My obsession
160, have downsized from 250 🙂 I keep them in rotation and nail polish thinner is a god-send. Bought one bottle of thinner when I started this obsession 8 years ago and it’s still half full, and that’s with 3 years of using seche vite (now using poshé)
I have about 30 polishes and they are all different shades of pink, purple with a few neutral browns thrown in. I pretty much stick to pinks and purples in different finishes.
Now I have about 400 bottles. I am one of those people who wear polish according to season and I love discovering new colors and formulas and finishes. Per year I wear 1/4 of what I own but I rotate which means that the polish I wear today, unless it is an absolute favorite of mine, won’t get used at least for the next year.
It’s a whole system but I don’t neglect my babies.
I recently decided to purge my whole collection that was likely around 50-60 polishes down because I had lots of similar colours or shades I just won’t wear. I think I’m actually under 20 polishes now and don’t want to add too many more to my collection. I’m loving the variety but never feel like it’s an overwhelming amount!