Love my... light pink polishes by Julep!

This spring it is all about the pastels for me, with my latest wardrobe picks for work and play reflecting that sensibility.

I do have to be aware of avoiding pieces that washes me and my olive skin tone out, of which pastel pink is a huge culprit. And while I will plead guilty to owning a pair of pink skinny jeans (because they look so good with my navy blazer!) I generally avoid them in pieces that sit closer to my skin.

Except when it comes to nail polishes that is!

I'm hugely addicted to pastel pink nail polishes in the spring. I think it has to do with a general love for and affinity to the cherry blossom, which actually blooms around this time.

Unfortunately, I have had a terrible time trying to find the perfect pastel pink polish. I've tried Revlon and even China Glaze to no real success and some real disasters.

Part of the problem stems from my olive skin tone, in that the pink immediately is washed out by the skin colour that creeps through the nails and is even overpowered by the red in it. Which means that I need multiple layers rather than the one or two that I generally have patience for - somewhere in the range of four or five that will allow for the colour to come through and look like I painted my nails.

Julep's 'Grace'
Classic 'go-to' light pink sheer

But there is an inherent danger to having more than a few layers - the more polish on a nail, the tackier the polish gets and therefore the longer it takes to dry. In the case of China Glaze, after the third helping, the thing never did harden and I had to pull it off in horrible gloops.

But then I discovered Julep and immediately fell in love with their shades. For one, it is really fast drying so even as the layers start to pile on, it doesn't have the same amount of tackiness that I felt when using Revlon or China Glaze. And it goes on really easily so it really minimizes the mess and the time spent (or wasted) on applying it.

'Grace' in particular needed around three layers for the colour to become adequately opaque on my nails and on the final round, a drop on each nail of quick-drying solution for the polish, a process that took up a solid hour or so of my night in order to give a little TLC to my nails.

But in the end, I thought it was well worth it. I loved how understated it appeared on my nails when I wore it and it was a really gentle colour too.

Julep's 'Lois'
Dusty rose frost

But 'Lois' I found only needed two layers for the 'pearl frosting' to come out and make the colour opaque against my skin. The reduced number of layering and the wonderful shade of the pink meant that only about a half hour was used to apply it, which would be great on nights when time isn't there to be wasted.

Julep does come with the inherent dangers of chipping easier than other polishes because of its fast-drying nature, but I counter it by applying a good base coat to my nails and in some cases - for a longer lasting hold, a top coat as well.

Two of their shades were perfect for my April and May. More than that though, the colour signifies happiness and the start of a new growing season, but it is also an amazingly gentle colour that is neither in your face or ostentatious like some of my other pastels.

It's very understated, which works amazingly at the place I work where bright nails are not among the most common things you see at the office. (And while it is not frowned upon it is most definitely something that is more open to discussing in the summer weather than in winter). It therefore works as the perfect transition colour for me.

Stylize: Spring and structured

Top - Necessary Clothing (F '13); Necklace -
Forever 21 (UNK); Blazer - Ruche (Sp '14);
Camisole - H&M (Sp '14); Bottom - AE
Outfitters (F '13); Shoes - Payless (Sp '14)

I would be the first to admit that I'm not the trendiest person on the block. It's not even close. For one, my tomboy roots (one that has eventually bled its way into the profession I have dedicated my adult life to) keeps me from pursuing the craziest fashion choices and styles for the simple reason that where I work, it doesn't work.

For another, I'm generally unimpressed with how quickly 'trends' become trash in our hyper-consumer world, a reality that even I have plead guilty to and often have to mourn when going through the bits and pieces of my closet that I elect to discard, especially after realizing how little use a particular piece got.

So I generally try to stick to the classics, pieces that is easily mixed and matched to create different outfits - preferably an outfit for each day of the week (including weekends!). Seven outfits per piece, at least, is what I sit and strive for.

Otherwise, it turns into a piece that is too easily forgotten.

This is why a number of pieces in this outfit has been 'recycled' (so to speak) from last time.

The printed shirt retains its starring role in the outfit with the camisole and heels making a return statement. But despite the fact that the top and the shoes are back (and worn in the same way even I have to admit) it is pretty striking how two key changes basically changed the tone of this outfit from the last more casual look to this pretty strong silhouette.

Inspired by a number of pins on Pinterest (which you could peruse on my board here) maintained that 'spring is here' feeling by keeping the accent pieces light in contrast to the black chiffon top with a white blazer I spent a solid two months pining for and light jeans that gets a regular work out in my closet. The blazer gives it a really structured feel while the light-wash denim brings it down from super-fancy to something I could wear to my workplace without raising eyebrows or drawing questions as to my previous or future destination.

The big statement necklace from Forever 21 is included to add a just-so touch, but really lacks statement as the pastels blended with the pastels in the shirt. It was given to me by my sister, who became disenchanted with the look and so I salvaged it.

It tends towards the fancy side despite the casual approach, and so would only work on weekdays at work (where life tends to be a touch more structured) or for a fancy night out with friends for me, but that's my lifestyle. I'm sure it'd be great for everyday for some, too casual to go to work in for others.