So, I thought it was time for this little post, which has been brewing for a while-
Welcome to nailpolish confessions!
1) Yellows scare the crap out of me. There are some beautiful ones out there, but out of a collection of about 500/600-ish? polishes (I don't really want to know the number!), I can count my yellows on one hand easily: China Glaze- Lemon Fizz, Color Club- Daisy Does It, and China Glaze- Trendsetter if you want to count that. I have very light, pinkish, cool-toned skin, and yellows are just generally unflattering. I love the way they look against dark skin, though.
2) I don't "clean-up" with a small brush and acetone like you're "supposed" to. My cuticles are dry enough as it is (between my job and guitar playing), and it's a constant battle to keep them hydrated enough for up-close-and-personal photos.
I just try to paint neatly in the first place, and basically follow this technique:
(Photo Credit: Lacquerized.com)
Starting below the cuticle and then pushing the polish upwards (step 4) is really key for me; it helps create that neat-looking arc, and really steadies the hand. I also make sure to rest my wrist on my worksurface. And, of course, practice is key!
Sometimes I will use a correcter pen, like the one Sally Hansen makes, if there is some egregious mistake, but that is usually underneath the nail, especially as a result of wrapping the tips, when my nails are shorter.
3) I'm a packaging snob. I can't help it- I just like good design, and crappy packaging can turn me off of even really pretty colors. A lot of times this happens with indies, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I don't want polishes with labels that look like they were printed by a 1995 inkjet, and then glued on at your grandma's house- especially if I'm paying upwards of $10 for them!
A commercial big offender for me is the Nicole by OPI packaging. The bottle is horrible- you turn it to the side and suddenly:
(Photo Credit:
4) Having just one of any brand makes my eye twitch! Call it OCD, but I feel like a single polish of any one brand gets lonely. And, it's hard to get a sense of a brand with just one polish. This neurosis also works as a sort of polish-buying chastity belt; I'll refrain from venturing into the unknown territory of new (to me) brands for a long, long time, if I don't already own some of said brand. Does it make sense? Not in the least!
5) Nail Clippers! I totally use them if I need to take down significant length, and not just shape/refine. I know you aren't supposed to use them, but ever since I began using nail strengtheners and taking Biotin, my nails seem to handle clipping pretty well, and I just don't have the patience to sit there with a file for two hours.
So- what are your nail care/ polish confessions? Any weird habits or tricks out there?
Let me know!
Bonus:
Ham's nail confession is that his claws are always way longer than I'd like! He's a big derpy baby about letting me cut them, and it can only be accomplished with a steady stream of dried liver treats.
Ha! I also don't own a single Nicole by OPI polish because I hate the bottle!
ReplyI also agree about packaging, it has to look nice for me to want it.
Yea, totally. Nice packaging can sell me a polish, no joke!
I have one Nicole, and only because Santa put it in my stocking. It doesn't fit into my nail polish racks, either; it has to sit at an angle, which gets my OCD raring because everything else is straight. GRRR to the stupid bottle! I really should just give it away.
Haha, a friend has a couple Nicoles and every time I go over there, I try to straighten them in the rack to no avil! Argggh!
OMG, I feel like I am reading all about myself:) I paint my nails like the photo shows and don't do cleanup either. I am totally a packaging snob too. I hate the Nicole by OPI bottle too and don't own any and I don't think I ever will. I have been known to buy a polish JUST for the packaging:) (I love square bottles). And it's so funny you mention only having one bottle of something. I had this cheapy NYC bottle all by itself and I gave it to my niece because it bugged me sitting there alone in my collection. They all need a friend ;) Great post and I hope you are up and running soon!
ReplyI too LOVE square bottles! Maybe my confessions aren't all that unique, haha!
I should be up and running soon, hopefully! :)
Aw man, so many shameful confessions from me:
Reply- I used to be a serious nail biter until two years ago. I stopped and my nail polish addiction quickly started and exploded.
- Sometimes, a while after I finish painting my nails I lick one of my fingers and rub it lightly on my nails to test how 'dry' the polish is. I'm disgusting, I know.
- I hate yellow too! I have two, and have never worn them :p
When I stopped biting, my nail polish obsession also exploded....or wait? Which was first?! It's funny how many people are saying that they hate yellow! Yay!
The first picture really came from: http://www.lacquerized.com/2010/05/how-to-how-i-paint-my-nails.html
ReplyMichele's pictures are stolen a lot. It's not your fault, but it is one reason why she stopped blogging....
Anyhow, I know how you feel about yellows. I don't have very many either!
Hi Hambone!
I had a feeling it wasn't originally from there! Thank you so much for pointing that out! I have fixed the credit.