if a manicure makes you feel presentable or put-together, you only need FOUR nail polishes in your collection. with these polishes, you are covered for all occasions and moods. wear whatever you want i'm an advocate of fun and unusual nail polish, and now is the golden-age of rule-breaking nails. however, if you want to save your precious time and money, i recommend investing in key workhouse polishes. here are the staple nail polishes that will serve you best. a classic redgot one? save some $$ and use it! odds are, the red you own has a good formula, and is only lightly used. spruce it up with lacquer thinner for a second life. need it? select a shade that will serve your needs and personality. whether bright and cherry, or deep and vampy, no red will do you wrong. a complimentary neutral"neutral" covers a range of shades. it is best described as your "job interview" nail polish. i recommend a beige, taupe, brown, nude or mauve creme polish with good coverage that compliments your personal skin tone. a matching "nude" always looks great, but be warned, you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your perfect skin-tone polish. picking up a shade that is complimentary is far easier. a very light-color polishfor some, this is a stark white creme, for others, a pale pink sheer. for everyone, having a very light shade they love is perfect for spring/summer manicures, and always looks great on your toes! need it? i recommend thinking slightly outside of your comfort-zone for a light color. your favorite may be a very pale gray, or yellow. a very dark polishthink "date-night" but also club or concert wear. i consider holiday and winter fashion when i select a go-to dark polish. some may want a classic black creme, and others may be more comfortable with a deep burgundy, a rich navy blue, or a dark forest green. a color correcting sheer (optional)another staple polish may be a "no polish" look. correcting sheer polishes make your nails appear flawlessly naked. want it? i recommend the naked manicure system by zoya. you can skip the base and top coat and get the correcting shades that are right for you. essie's "ballet slippers" is a sheer baby pink and pop-culture favorite. (below) workhorse polishes sum-up1. classic red
2. complimentary neutral 3. light polish 4. dark polish 5. color correcting sheer (optional)
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i am currently wading through endless posts of st. patty's day nail art. while i am super impressed, i am more drawn to dependable polishes that i will reach for long after the green beer is gone. green nails are a big trend this spring, so investing in a few reliable polishes is not a frivolous act. here are my picks for "luck o' the irish" greens that will also satisfy when the celebrating is over. your green for all seasons"Pine-ing For You" by orly breathable. this was the only polish this past fall and winter. all signs point to this remaining the "it" polish well within the spring. your bright mossfor a bright but not neon grass green, here is an oldie, but goodie. "i'm sooo swamped" by opi will lift your mood and steps as the snow melts. your hunter greencan you still find hm's "hinterland?" i don't know. i should have stockpiled this perfect hunter green creme polish. your fun texture greenchina glaze's "but of corpse" is so worth picking up. originally, a halloween polish, this textured green is perfect all year round. your emerald cityzoya's "merida" is a brilliant lush evergreen scattered holo. smooth application with an elegant 2 coat coverage. your neon optionnine zero lacquer's "bullfrog." no white base coat needed, this green is bright and full of summer-time feels. the company is taking a temporary break. when they come back, you don't want to miss this neon creme. your minty greenif you are still limiting your time out of your home, live in an area that is in "lock-down," and/or staying within a new, tighter budget, here is all you need for a successful at-home-mani. diy-ing a salon experience is easier (& cheaper) than you think! self-careduring the craziness that persists throughout the world, we all need self-care more than ever. a manicure is a perfect weekly routine or special treat to revive the tired, over-stressed, and under loved. you can paint your own nailspainting your nails at home can seem daunting: most people go to the salon because they lack confidence to paint their own nails. with a tiny bit of practice (and a few key hacks) you can achieve the clean, fashionable look of a salon manicure on your own. save your salon moneywhen i began doing my own nails, i simply copied what i had experienced at salons. as i developed my diy spa routine, i skipped some unnecessary pampering in favor of a streamlined process. not that #SelfCare shouldn't be luxurious. but some salon services don't lead to better looking/longer lasting manis. eliminating these steps can save time and money. exactly what you needthe good news: you likely have much of what you need to build your at-home nail kit. with a few notable additions, you can complete your diy ritual very inexpensively. here is how to use what you already have to achieve your #SelfCare goals. take stockyou probably have many of these items on-hand. dig into your bathroom cabinets and drawers: find that lightly-used bottle of remover, that pale pink polish you bought for that wedding that one time, and dust off the ol' emery board. before you mask-up for the drugstore, or place an online order, lets take stock! mani-prep checklistFIVE (5) key prep items let's get ready to mani with some pre-polish staples. 1. nail polish remover
the main eventfor a full step-by-step guide check out "how to get a perfect at-home manicure." FOUR (4) key mani items once your nails are prepped and ready, this is all you need: 1. pre-base: a vitamin/strengthener/growth formula (optional)
nail hacks (things you may not have)THREE (3) key cleanup items the secret to a great diy manicure is clean-up. here are some items you may have to purchase or pick up. 1. lacquer thinner
2. clean-up brush
3. cuticle oil or jojoba oil
your kit recappre-mani prep 1. nail polish remover 2. nail file 3. cuticle remover or cuticle softener 4. orange stick or cuticle pusher 5. hand cream main manicure 1. pre-base (optional) 2. base coat 3. nail polish 4. top coat secret hacks 1. lacquer thinner 2. clean-up brush 3. cuticle/jojoba oil i hope this was helpful. again, please know that anyone can learn to paint their nails successfully. use what you already have, invest in the rest. your home manicure kit will pay for itself in no time!
time to start thinking of holiday-wear ... already. in the u.s., it seems that holiday collections include all celebrations through new year's eve. where i live, it just got frosty, so i am feelin the season. alright, lets get into it. frost smitteni've been calling this polish "frost/nixon" all week. this cooper-to-rose-gold glitter is everything i never knew i wanted: it is opaque in two-three coats, but it is also a terrific topper. orly read my letter to santa: i asked for more large sized glitters in non-traditional hues that offer opaque coverage. i felt celebratory and classy trying it out. its sure to ring in the new year and toast some glasses this winter. snow worrieswith the exception of the tent pole polishes, the bulk of the collection contains really edgy jelly shimmers that are buildable and deep. the first, (and most surprising) is the dusty white "snow worries." it's like if essies "ballet slippers" had a good formula and a great deal of matte and shiny pearl shimmer. this is three coats: my vnl peaks out, but i don't mind. i can't tell if the name is a pun for "no worries" or "snow flurries." probably both. clever girl. gilden glowthis is antique gold at its best. for the most part, easy to apply, i did require lacquer thinner after the second coat. this is perfect for wanting some glitz but keepin it professional. if you're a business lady who takes business lunches, this is the holiday polish for you. ice breakerlet it go with this blue jelly shimmer frozen magic. when viewing this collection, this seemed the most juvenile in the bunch. however, on the nail, i found it to be more wearable, and fun without being too risky for everyday. yes. that perfect girl is gone. cold shoulderthis reminds me of orly's classic glitter "edgy" but with a wintery twist. it leans a bit green is sunshine. i've layered it here over the final polish "below zero." but i think building it on it's own would be a smoke show. below zero"below zero" is clearly in the collection as a base to all of jelly micro-pearl shimmer polishes, but i think this is a terrific polish on it's own. it's a dark deep gray with subtle flashes of green, purple and navy shimmer. this is right up my alley. keep your gray skies sparkly. overalli have experienced holiday packed shimmers with disappointing formulas in the past two years. i was expecting the worst when i saw these finishes, however, paint me pleasantly surprised by "arctic frost". i also bemoaned a lack of sparkle in orly's past two holiday/winter collections. perhaps they read my tweets. colorpassas per ush, i received this collection, plus some adorable goodies with my yearly #orlycolorpass subscription. i particularly enjoyed the perfume palette from skylar. awesome stuff.
looking for an unexpected but spooky halloween nail polish? i rank some of the best of yesteryear. the glow in the darki thought all glow-in-the-dark polishes came in the form of topcoats. i have a couple i like and thought i didn't need to explore any further. along came "glowstar" by floss gloss: an opaque, highlighter style, creme. terrific formula. great look and ... then the twist ... it glows! (with some charging). this is not going to be your brightest glow (honestly, sinful colors has a topcoat that holds that title), but i love a polish that is both an opaque neon creme with a glow-in-dark bonus. two coats and glow-time! the vampy vixenback in 2013 opi put out some textured "liquid sand" polishes in their "bond girls" collection. the best of this mess was "honey ryder." i found "vesper" and could not wait for a witchy moment to break it out. as these are vintage polishes, i do run into some issues via the age of the bottles ... this polish may have been a victim of old age: the first coat was textured, but a bit patchy; the second made the egg-plant colored polish opaque, but it also took away all textured for a smooth creme finish. it took 3-4 coats to gain back the bumpy texture. to me this polish was just ok, and not worth the effort. the carmel candyless of a trick, and more of a treat, "accent piece" was part of china glaze's 2017 "street regal" fall collection; this is not only the perfect autumn shade, but the perfect halloween candy inspired polish for the season. this mustard shimmer polish is unique, unexpected and a indulgent treat. the zombie zingersadly, i could not find the iconic "zombie zest" by china glaze (nor "its not rocket science" by orly); but i did manage to dig up "but of corpse" from the infamous 2014"apocalypse of colour" halloween collection. honestly, it looked a bit christmasy to me ... the green, the texture, the gold flecks ... all seemed like a good fit for the 2018 "grinch collection" from last holiday. is it fun? yes! but not as zombie-like as I had hoped. the bloodtastic messnothing beats a dark blood red creme this time of year. this gem, "mrs. o'leary's bbq" from the 2005 opi "chicago" collection, was released (along with some other classic vintage opi polishes) to the infinite shade collection in 2018. why is there not more talk about this? who knows. take advantage of this re-release and get yourself some bbq nails today. the crime scenenothing says halloween to me like a good blood splatter look: enter 2014 china glaze's "don't let the dead bite." fun, sparkly, with a nod to csi, this is not my usual fare. but a welcome change this spooky time of year. someone at my work remarked "pretty!" yes, pretty bloody. the dragon referenceyes! the game of thrones finale was disappointing (to say the least), but we can all remember a time when the show (and books) still held the promise of an epic ending. "mother of dragons", from kl polish winter 2018 collection, celebrates a time of innocence: when kathleen lights was still at the helm of kl polish (cannot wait for "lights lacquer") and game of thrones was still good. sigh. yesteryear, indeed. the spooky glitter bomb"bat my eyes" from the 2013 "monsters ball" collection, is my most surprising vintage halloween discovery this season. i'm not against glitter nail polish, but i rarely wear the few bottles in the my collection (like ron swanson's sexlife, my nailpolish collection is private and epic). this black jelly base held a variety of gold and silver glitters. it was so packed, it was practically opaque in one coat: unheard of for a glitter polish. was it spooky magic? yes. was it was difficult to remove? incredibly. will i wear it every hallween? of corpse! halloween 2019while i reveled in polishes of the past, retail stores this year are finally embracing nail polish as part of fun holiday costuming. from walmart to cvs to ulta, halloween end caps and special displays heralded nail polish as the must have costume cosmetics accessory. china glaze has put out limited edition halloween collections for years now ... will other mainstreams final follow suite as halloween becomes more and more extensively and authentically packaged for the consumer? i hope so!
this month, #myfauxbox is full of fall fun. if you are new to my blog, due to lack of options, i started a faux nail polish subscription box service. here is october's bounty. october box.the nail focus of my october box is floss gloss. from left to right: "glowstar," "maliboob job," and "party bruise." easily some of the most interestingly named polishes in my collection. the overall fall theme is "necessary treats." floss glossfloss gloss is an indie brand with quite a cool reputation and social media presence. here is the company's self-proclaimed rap sheet:
glowstaran unexpectedly opaque green/yellow leaning cream that glows in the dark. this formula was really terrific: not too thin, streaky or gloopy, it easily applied in two coats. right now, i cannot get it to glow very brightly. i need to charge it a lot more. this is perfect for halloween, and it is very unique: i've seen lots of gitd top coats, but nothing like this! maliboob jobperhaps an unconventional look for fall, i felt that this barbie pink was a wonderful surprise for this time of year. opaque of 2-3 coats, i like how buttery it is for a vibrant neon. party bruisei love this beautifully dark, warm-leaning brown. it is the most welcome sight as the autumn winds blow in. lovely, almost black on the nail, and a little bloody in some lighting, this shade is not the traditional coco brown. a lovely and halloween-y alternative. on sale this month! what a bargain. extra goodies.this bliss kiss glass file is far to superior to many on the market. this travel size is the perfect on go version of the large one: a permanent staple of my mani kit. i love a light-weight male scent, and that is exactly what "sea" from duke cannon delivers. the ease of a solid perfume is perfect to throw in my purse or clutch and the fragrance is at once salty, breeze and brisk. thanks to liz ferrell at scissortail gifts for introducing me to the wonder of the modern solid perfume. floss gloss nail polish is pretty terrific and a welcome surprise this autumn. i got everything i wanted this month in my faux subscription box. next month ... marc jacobs polishes. yes, please.
this week in nail polish news ... the end of september brought the dawn of some edgy nail art in a familiar dark shade. here is all the news that's fit to paint. nail designs.refinery29 predicts nail art trending toward black nails this fall. i've never been one for nail art, but many of these examples have me rethinking my stance: i'm seeing stars! emmy manis.everyone weighed in on emmy nails this year. popsugar featured kendal jenner's bold black digits: a power-suit for the nails? or a chic look that was due for a comeback? instyle highlighted the blingy silver look of emmy winner, billy porter. billy lives his truth on his head, heart and nails ... his truth is the sparkly-est. allure celebrated the nail art at the emmys: natasha lyonne's white half moon shone brighter than many stars. points to her for looking better than an emmy statuette. orange tips make fall lists.the streets have spoken: orange manis are the new, must-have accessory. want to dare greater? subtle, chic orange nail art is an unexpected minimalist touch. many are raving about orange french tips. takeawaythis week i've learned to go subtle or blow the roof off, the only no-no is in between. whether you are a minimal mama or as lit as the vegas strip, let your pendulum swing wildly.
dreamcape. fall 2019.i love fall collections. they feel cozy and fashiony, and always make me excited for the upcoming cooler weather. this orly offering does not disappoint. i received this collection through my #orlycolorpass subscription. for a yearly fee, i get an orly box four times a year: their full seasonal 6-piece nail-lacquer collection, plus some goodies. i've had this subscription since summer 2017. i highly recommend it. for the dreamscape collection, i'm impressed with the formulas and opacity, and the colors feel rich and fashionable. looking at these polishes individually, i don't see anything that is a must-have. but viewing the collection as a set, the flow is remarkably classic and chic. the shades are bit more unique than i initially thought. also, the formulas are impeccable: every polish was a dream to apply ... dream collection, dreamscape. dreamweaver.all of the cremes in this collection are impressive. this pinky taupe polish is one-coat and smooth as silk. the shade seems common, but it is rich and wearable. i wore this shade three days longer than usual: terrific formula. ethereal plane.this shimmer is streak-free and subtly pearly on the nail. "ethereal plane" would make a terrific all-year-round polish: good in any season. this is the pale pink that i never knew i needed. free fall.my husband's favorite from the collection, "free fall" is the pale grey version of "ethereal plane." streak-free, a bit pearly, a touch lavender, and all gorgeous. if you only can select only one of these polishes, this is the one! astral projection.this medium grey creme leans a bit lavender. opaque in one coat, this is perfect for any fall function. into the deep."into the deep" is a bit jelly on the first coat. it gets opaque on the second, and the result is a gorgeous deep grey creme. why jelly? i don't know. but it's beautiful and a terrific alternative to black nails. air of mystique.this metallic has some close-up brush strokes on the nail, but in most lighting, the strokes are not visible. it reminds my of my favorite forest green shimmer: "british racing green" by butterlondon. it's perfectly green without leaning too camo nor too teal. this is probably my favorite of the collection. usually, there is one polish i'm not that into, however, this collection has everything i want this autumn. i recommend the whole line, and moreover, i highly recommend investing in the #orlycolorpass box.
thanks for reading. happy dreaming, bitches. i am desperately seeking a subscription box that fulfills my monthly need for new cruelty-free polishes and offers other nail and/or makeup goodies. currently, i am very happy with orly's colorpass quarterly subscription box. i highly recommend it. i enjoy receiving their full collections, as well as orly related freebies four times a year. color pass.whilst the colorpass is orly focused, i also wish to add new and undiscovered indie polishes to my collection. since my search for a nail polish box has come up empty ... my thoughtful husband suggested that i diy it and create my own subscription box. so i did. my faux box.before i detail out what's in my faux monthly box, here are the existing boxes i discovered through my research. cratejoy.comthere are nine total boxes featured on cratejoy.com. most boxes feature nail art, stamping, or dip powder products, which are not my jam. chrysobox is close; but it's too gel polish heavy for my taste. meebox.exploring further down the internet road: meebox seems like the best fit for what i want, but despite having two founders from the u.s., the meebox is only available in the u.k. sigh. also … the last box listed on their website was from december 2018. is meebox still in business? ipsy glambag.i've heard that you can customize ipsy boxes to prioritize nail polish. but limited research tells me that your glambag would remain, still, cosmetics focused; with only a fraction of the box devoted to nail products. holo hook up box.for the many fans of multi-chrome-metallic-jelly-bases-with-holographic-glitter-and-flakys, your time is now. the indie community is dedicated to providing an unending supply of innovative variations on this theme. and while i feel solidarity with my polish-collector sisters and brothers, i appreciate these trends more than they appeal to me. i have watched many youtube reviews of the holo hookup box. i really wish this was more up my alley. my diy box.in addition to what I have listed above, there are several subscription boxes that stopped being available in the past few months: julep, square hue, or color me monthly have all shut down. the bottom line: nothing works (at least nothing that is available to me). i may have missed something (correct me if i am wrong); but i find no alternative but to "surprise" myself each month with a new nail polishes and related goodies that i know I will love. what a girl wants.here is what i want to explore the internets and the indie world for:
september #nailmail.now ... for the first-ever #fauxboxl i am gifting myself. i focus on the indie brand society wit lacquer by delightful youtuber hue. lacquer. swatch. i selected creme nail polishes from throughout her different collections. from right to left:
goodies.i filled out my #fauxbox with extra goodies:
review.the society wit cremes are incredible shades and the formulas are more opaque than anticipated. i really recommend these polishes. the shades are just exceptional. i like the cuticle oil, but the smell is very strong. the honestly margo balm is really terrific: the scent is pleasant, but not overwhelming, and the balm is not greasy. i really adore it. i think i will enjoy sending myself a subscription box each month. next month ... floss gloss polishes. thanks for reading. happy diying, bitches.
this week in nail polish news ... the most unlikely of fall polish trends are coming. it's autumny times, and i bet you are reaching for your burgundy wine cremes, your cozy gold glitters, and your rich, deep, navy blues. but stop! you in danger, girl. trends are shifting, lifting, and grifting away. here is a way to stay ahead of, (or at least on-top-of) what is the new now next. but first, let's review summer trends ... flashback to summer.follow the yellow brick road. 6 months ago, i knew something odd was afoot when spring blogs had only one polish on their internet-lips: "living your best life" by nails inc. i remember thinking "what's so hot about a sunny yellow creme?" throughout the country, nail polish collectors hoard loads of these mustardy cremes *in slightly varying shades* held tightly in their ikea-helmers. why do we suddenly need another one? because ... social media. sigh. i had planned to pick up a bottle, but then i had a baby ... and shopping *for a color of which i already owned several polishes* slipped to the bottom of my list. flash forward to the dog days of summer and according to the today show and manicure stylist merrick fisher "living your best life" is the only polish! who would have seen that yellow coming? the "welcome to fall" polish.the lesson here: don't ignore the trend oddities. i had never heard of hailey bieber before a week ago. the daughter of stephen baldwin, and the new wife of justin bieber, she has her own career/renown as a model. like kylie jenner and kim kardashian before her, now it's hailey's world. and, according to vogue, the polish she's selected for the end of summer is outstanding. a muted lime-lemon creme. too bleached-out to be a true neon, and too bright to be a quiet creme, "electric pineapple" is an unexpected introduction to autumn. 1-2 coats over a white base coat, or 3-4 without "undies." the mid-september sparkle.you may be asking yourself, what does margot robbie recommend this fall? according to her, her stylist, and refinery29, a sheer champagne ... and a sheer white champagne is all you need. thus welcome "leia" by zoya. i spent the winter topping my white and baby blue cremes with "leia." i also wore it for two weeks in april, in anticipation of my own princess's arrival. now ... i cannot wait to break it out again as the temperature dips. i am not sure how many coats to get it opaque. just enjoy your vnl. the headed toward halloween.cosmo says to trade in your burgundy cremes and take a dark and vampy turn in a deep olive khaki shade. aptly named "green envy" this oribe polish is a bit on the high end. look at zoya and orly for some interestingly similar cremes. the sun rays through dried leaves.feeling toffee and leather? elle magazine recommends trying "tang bang" by smith & cult (i don't love the name). the perfect alternative to the classic chocolate brown and a welcome addition to any autumn wardrobe. the creme de la creme.byrdie.com recommends warming your tips with a cool leaning off-white shade. opaque and sweet without the starkness of a summer bright white, this creme is the cure for the fall blues. jin soon too pricey? check out these similar shades from floss gloss and orly breathable. what are you wearing this fall? please let me know your recs and raves. thanks for reading. happy fall surprises, bitches.
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AuthorI try to paint my nails adequately. CategoriesArchives
November 2017
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