Diamond Strength!

This is Sally Hansen’s Diamond Strength #120 “Diamonds” and Rimmel Base Coat/Top Coat #100.  Looks good!

Gem crush tips

I took China Glaze Four Leaf Clover and added tips with Sally Hansen’s Gem Crush in Glitz Gal. I’ve taken to doing tips by hand, but I had the photograph for this blog in mind and worried that freehand nails wouldn’t look so good up close. So I used tape to make guides. It’s okay. I added several layers of Sally Hansen’s Insta Dry anti-chip top coat to help even the layers out.

First EVER professional Mani & Pedi

It was the first time in my adult life I didn’t feel like I had to count every single penny to get by.  It was the start of the best years of my life, and it could sort of be signified with my first professional mani/pedi.  Such a thing used to seem so excessive.  I could paint my own nails just fine.  And I could get 3 years of mail polish for $2.  Why would I spend $30 just for one week of nail polish? 

I learned it was more than just the polish you were paying for.  You were paying to get pampered, and it was worth it!  I remembered thinking, I’ll never do this again, so I should pick a color that I would never, ever buy for myself.  That way it would signify that I got my nails done professionally.  I already had a lot of nail polish colors (I think at this time I had around 70 colors), so it wasn’t easy to pick a color I didn’t have.  I was shooting for Barbie Corvette pink.  Funny thing is, now I have a color very similar to this one.

Who knows what the color was called.  It was a fun day, though!

Base Coat

This is OPI Natural Nail base coat, the base coat I’ve been using this year. It dries quickly, which is nice. But I don’t like it. I don’t have a lot of space for my polish, and so I prefer a base coat and a top coat together.  I feel like my nails are chipping and peeling and breaking off a lot considering my sedentary lifestyle and desk job.  It seems like I had way less nail mishaps the last time I had this sort of lifestyle, and I’m drawn to blame this base coat.  Of course, there could be no relation (the most likely case), but nonetheless, every time I put this stuff on, I’m like, “Ehhh.”

I have to advocate for the use of a base coat, though.  I only started using a base coat a year or two ago, to keep my nails less yellow so they’d be primed for French Manicure time, and it works.  My nails are way less yellow than they used to be.

Foamy springy nails

This is my newest favorite springtime color. I got it for St. Patrick’s day an cant seem to stop wearing it. It’s China Glaze in Four-Leaf Clover. And yes, there is a little snow outside. The town folk note that this is the longest spring they’ve seen in a decade, as the snow has melted enough to watch the buds of spring begin to grow.

Red French Tips and Rhinstones

This is a photo of some nails I did a long time ago, and thought it was worth posting.  The base is a Sally Hansen Maximum Growth French Manicure color. It doesn’t actually have a color on the bottle, so I have no idea what it is.  The tips are China Glaze in Ruby Pumps (which is my favorite color for the holidays).  And a few rhinestones.

Getting a manicure once in San Fransisco, I overheard the group next to me refer to black tips as “American Tips” as opposed to “French Tips.”  I’m not sure if the red still qualifies as “American Tips” or not.

Magnetic Nails- mattified!

Tonight I added the Sephora by OPI matte topcoat to my nails, inc. magnetic nail polish in houses of parliament. It’s pretty neat because the 3D effect is retained. I could stare at my nails for hours.

Neutral Nails

Since the boy has become my nail muse, and was even the one who suggested I blog about my nails, I talked him into joining in.  Personally, I am not much of a “natural look” nail person, except when it comes to French Manicures (which I love.  I may have to try this color out on a French Manicure when the summer hits).  However, this subtle, light and classy shade is perfect for him.

This is Rimmel French Manicure Pro, #140 French rose and #100 base & top coat.  It was sold as a 2-pack. The boy was especially impressed with the Rimmel wide brush.  He was able to cover the nail in 2 strokes and didn’t have any problems with streaks.  You can tell, his nails look fabulous!

He was even the one that showed me how to properly pose my hands for nail polish blogging.  Clearly, he does a better job at it than I do!  Now, what he doesn’t know if that he has just subjected himself to a weekly nail posting right along with mine!  Hahahaha!  I am so evil!

Magnetic Nail Polish!

Best nail polish ever! I love this polish! I have, however, found that it is very hard to properly photograph. This look is made by applying a magnet close to the nail when the polish is wet. It creates a shimmery, stripped effect, which looks so dark it’s nearly black from one angle and then a shimmery lilac from the other angle. It’s definitely a conversation starter, as every person I see asks me how I made my nails look like that.

I also noticed that hand photographs show off every little mistake that extends past the nail. The look better in person, I swear.

The color is “houses of parliament” by nails, inc.

Best nail polish remover ever!

I’m not one to shamelessly promote a product that isn’t paying me for it…except when I am really impressed by it! This stuff is amazing! I can get all my polish off, even several layers with glitter, in about a minute and using only one cotton ball. Anyone who does their nails as much as I do can really appreciate that!