Manicure Monday: Fifth Avenue

This week's polish was a bit of a no-brainer.

It's September 1st, and along with the annual crippling sense of disappointment that I'm not on the Hogwarts Express on my way to Scotland for another year of magical education, today heralds the end of the summer. There's a chill in the air, my boots are out of storage and I've started the impossible, thankless task of attempting to find the perfect winter coat.

Autumn is - without doubt - my favourite season, and I can't wait to update my nail polish collection and start matching my manicure to the time of year. My pastels, whites and neon brights have been moved to the back, and I've found my dusky pinks, forest greens and deep lilacs. I don't want to wear anything too dark at the moment and make the transition to winter colours slowly, so that's where this Essie shade comes in.

(IMAGE SOURCED FROM www.boots.com)

Fifth Avenue is a creamy tomato red that is both bold enough for autumn but has a hint of orange that wouldn't make it look out of place in the summer. For me, it's the perfect transitional colour. As with all Essie polishes it was neat and streak free after two coats, and I have to say it looks beautiful! I've also used a different base/top coat this time as I've been having real problems with Essie. My Good to Go top coat - which I've raved about in the past - has been turning my nails a hideous yellow colour. As a result I've been constantly redoing my manicure and leaving my nails without a top coat, which I hate doing as I think it looks unfinished and really untidy. I'm testing out Revlon's Multi Care Base And Top Coat this week - I have no idea what it'll be like, so I'll report back with an update next week!

I have to say, despite loving the colour I was also won over by the name (as with every Essie polish…). As New York Fashion Week starts this Thursday, I thought nothing could be more appropriate than having an ode to the Big Apple on my nails!

What are your must-have autumnal shades? Are there any I should add to my collection? Let me know in the comments below or drop me a tweet!