Fact: every woman needs a go-to nail polish, either in their purse or at the salon.  After I become connected with a color (yes this happens) and have used it at least twice I usually buy it.  I frequently find that many nail salons don’t have a great selection of colors or perhaps I am in need of a mani pedi but can’t go to my regular place and need to get my nails done at a salon I have never been to; when that happens, having a polish in your purse is key.  1.  You know you’re going to like the color and 2. as long as the manicurist knows what she’s doing it’ll be a great manicure!

If you’re walking into a salon that has a polish collection that resembles the late 80’s slash early 90’s, I’d say that’s when the ‘go-to polish’ move comes into play!  I generally don’t trust salons that don’t carry Essie polish: I’m an Essie lady, although I’ll get wild sometimes and change it up (hello OPI!).

One of my favorite places to treat myself to a mani-pedi is in NYC at Tenoverten salon in Tribeca.  First, it’s in Tribeca so you already feel cool thinking that you might run into the likes of Jay-Z and Beyonce toting Baby Blue (I’m still uncomfortable with that name) around.  Secondly, it’s a beautiful set-up with a gorgeous wall of polish to choose from (they have Essie to Chanel to their own brand of polish) and they have iPads for the customers to use while they’re getting pampered.  If you’re ever in NYC you should stop by!

A San Francisco based nail salon that creates a fantastic experience for the customer is Lavande.  With a few locations in the city, it’s a cute salon, with lots of Essie and OPI colors as well as little bowls of jelly beans to snack on while your nails are drying!

Below are some of my most current go-to polish colors: