
We’re all smiles here at Brit HQ about anything and everything remotely related to summer. Naturally, as the beauty-loving team that we are, exciting new nail polish colors are at the top of our agenda. When you’re completely over nail art, there’s no better way to make a “splash” into summer than with an aquatic blue or peachy-coral hue. Here are 20 colors that will allow you to channel your inner beach babe, even when you’re stuck in the office.
1. Zoya “Tilda” ($9): In case you haven’t heard, punchy kiwi colored nails are all the rage this summer! Pair with a bright orange accent nail for a quirky statement (or heck, go all out and create DIY kiwi nails!).
2. Revlon “Lime Basil” ($5): Make your friends green with envy with a highly pigmented green shade like this one.
3. Zoya “Kitridge” ($9): This pretty bubblegum shade is so pretty… you could say that we’re tickled pink over it!
4. OPI “Hotter Than You Pink” ($7): When a soft pink just isn’t cutting it, don’t hesitate to pull out all the stops with an ultra-girly shade of Barbie’s fave.
5. Essie “Master Plan” ($9): A cross between taupe and soft gray, this minimalist shade is a great alternative to your traditional nude polish. Not to mention, it’s flattering for all skin tones!
6. Essie “Urban Jungle” ($9): For every neon nail color you try on, you’re going to want a nice neutral to come back to. This clean, alabaster orchid hue can be worn as-is or jazzed up with a sparkly accent nail.
7. Nicole by OPI “The Next CEO” ($6): Just as its name suggests, be a boss with this shimmering metallic gold lacquer.
8. Revlon “Beachy” ($5): While you should never judge a book (or rather a nail polish) by its cover, this SCENTED nail enamel appropriately titled, “Beachy” says it all! Besides the fact that this coppery shade will look great paired with a tan, we can’t help but wonder if the polish really smells like the beach.
9. Nicole by OPI “That’s Just Grape” ($8): Why not opt for a deeper shade of violet that is both mesmerizing and irresistible in its own right?
10. Essie “Play Date” ($9) Pantone’s color of the year is this flirtatious shade of purple. Not to mention the fact that it’ll look amazing with your white shorts.
11. Essie “Turquoise & Caicos” ($9): This refreshing green hue keeps us grounded and at ease. It also happens to be the perfect color to have on rotation for weekends spent lounging by the pool.
12. OPI “Gargantuan Green Grape” ($9): There are few colors that are as sweet as this classic shade of mint. Plus, it’s reminiscent of our favorite flavor of ice cream (mint chocolate chip, natch).
13. Essie “Rock the Boat” ($9): Okay, this perfectly preppy shade of light blue has us thinking of nautical stripes, anchors and boat shoes. You, too?
14. Essie “Butler Please” ($9): Our comprehensive guide to summer nail colors wouldn’t be complete without a mesmerizing shade of blue. Here’s a bright cobalt that needs no introduction — it’s a game-changer.
15. Sally Hansen “Play Koi” ($5): Orange you so ready for summer? This citrysy shade is guaranteed to bring a bold pop to your nails.
16. Essie “Roarrrrange” ($9): One great thing about the color orange is that it’ll always keep you on your toes. So you better run, not walk, to snatch up this nail lacquer before it’s gone.
17. OPI “Color So Hot It Berns” ($8): Sorry-we’re-not-sorry, but red nails are kind of obligatory during the summer months. And every other month.
18. Zoya “Wendy” ($9): Having a coral crush is something that happens to the best of us… mostly because it looks amazing with a tan. It’s safe to say we’re hooked!
19. Sally Hansen “Dive In” ($5): Any nail lacquer that promises long-lasting, glossy nails is good in our book. This beautiful shade of teal is not only super wearable, but it’s also the epitome of summer (and will fit right in with our zany printed shorts).
20. Sally Hansen “Vanity Flare” ($5): This daring shade of purple was made for a little game of mix-and-match. In fact, we dare you to alternate it with “Dive In” for a standout manicure that rules them all.
Which nail polish color will you be wearing on repeat all summer long? Let us know in the comments!
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures