Ever since I watched the Golden Globes two weeks ago, I've become slightly obsessed with finding Natalie Portman's nail polish color for less. The Best Actress winner wore Dior Vernis in Smoking Plum ($21, saksfifthavenue.com).
Without seeing this polish in person, it's tough to guess the exact color, but from the photos I've seen online, Smoking Plum appears to be a deep, rich plum-purple with a subtle red shimmer.
Since I didn't want to spend $21 on a single bottle of polish, I stopped at my local CVS and picked up a bottle of Milani Nail Lacquer in Black Cherry ($4.49). Two coats later, I had achieved a dark wine color that was close to Natalie's, but lacked shimmer.
So I headed to another CVS and picked up a bottle of Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Nail Color in Save the Date ($4.99 at CVS stores). I applied one coat of Save the Date on top of the Black Cherry and this time I loved the results. Even if it's not an exact Dior dupe, this dark purple hue is moody, opulent and provides the perfect amount of shine. Just right for wintertime.
Do you like Natalie's Golden Globe manicure? If you can suggest another budget-friendly dark plum polish, let me know in the comments!