Manicure Musings

While I am the "daughter" in the "Like Mother, Like Daughter" equation, I am also a mother of young children myself. Being the mother of young children obviously poses many challenges. One of the more trivial but also more fashionable and fun challenges is the seemingly endless quest for the perfect kid-friendly nail polish color.

What makes a nail polish color "kid-friendly?" Simply, the polish must be a color which straddles that evasive fine line between being cool and calling out "notice me!" while also at the same time being a light enough natural/nude color so as to sustain chips without needing to be promptly removed.

While I do adore the Deborah Lippmann polishes (honorable mentions to the child-rearing friendly shades of Baby Love and Fashion), my favorite shade du jour is Butter London's fabulously named Yummy Mummy. While the Butter London web site describes the color as a "medium beige," it also has mauve undertones and a hint of shimmer.

What's also great about Butter London is that their formulas are free of formaldehyde, toluene, DBP and parabens. Such formulas are especially great for expectant mothers who don't want to expose themselves to these chemicals.

The bottom line: Yummy Mummy looks cool, and forgives chips enough that you don't have to remove it the moment is starts chipping.

The Butter London site has free shipping over $75, but you can buy it with free shipping and no minimum purchase at Nordstrom.

Susan Says: "I am big fan of Butter London, too, but I have to vote for the Deborah Lippmann Collection, which also is free of formaldehyde, toluene, DBP and parabens and which is not tested on animals. My favorite new shades are Glamorous Life (pictured above), which is perfect for the holidays and New Year's Eve (especially if you are sporting a tan) and P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing), which is a soft demure look."