Drugstore Nails -- Pastel Yellows Brand Battle

Recently, I've been on the hunt for the perfect pastel nail color. After trying out three different nail colors, I finally found the perfect one! I am horrible at painting my nails, so I tend to avoid expensive luxury brands, since I'll just make a mess anyways. Because of this, I chose to look into some drugstore polish lines to see what I could find. 

Unfortunately, the majority of pastel yellows are limited edition, which makes them even harder to find. Two of the three polishes that I'll be talking about in this post are limited edition shades, but you can still find them on the shelves of many drugstores. In photos and in the bottles, all three shades look generally the same. However, there are some very distinct differences!

First I'll start with the two limited edition shades:

Maybelline Color Show Bleached Neons in "Citrus Collide." This polish really doesn't look much like the color in the bottle. You may be able to tell in the photo that this yellow is definitely a bit brighter. I definitely understand why they named it "Citrus Collide," because I'd kind of describe it as a slightly under-ripe lemon. You know, when it still has that greenish tint to it? It is definitely much more vivid than the other two polishes, and is surprisingly usable for being a Color Show polish, which usually are a total let down for me. Not the pastel I was looking for, but a unique color nonetheless.

New York Color In A New York Color Minute in "Mimosa Bouquet." Cute name, pretty color, horrific formula. I haven't used N.Y.C. polishes since I was in middle school, I'd guess. This polish reminded me why. After two coats, the polish was streaky and sheer, but after three it becomes opaque-ish (but still patchy). It seems like it never dries. It's got a bit of a weird shimmer in it, and I suppose that's to help distract from the streakiness of the polish, but this stuff just doesn't get it done for me.

Revlon Color Stay in "Buttercup." This is the only permanent shade of the bunch, and by far my favorite. In fact, this is my new go-to pastel yellow polish. I don't know why I didn't think to buy this polish first and foremost, to be honest, because I already know I love Revlon's nail polish! It's a beautiful, creamy consistency that is opaque in two coats (but for the sake of photos, I used three). It can get a little streaky, but even I could make it work for me, and that says a lot. It's no doubt to me why this is the only pastel yellow in a permanent collection!

What is your current nail obsession?

- D.