HANDS, NAILS, ETC.

DISCUSS

ok i'll start:

i need a good hand cream rec - my hands get pretty abused due to my job (they're in water a lot, in rubber gloves a lot, handling fabric a lot - which is surprising abrasive - and handling chemicals a lot).

also: do you get regular manicures? do you give yourself regular manicures? tips? tricks?

I have a $50 gift card to Bliss. Do I buy a giant vat of their best body lotion, or do I get a one-time great mani or pedi?

If the latter, then which?

i don't know bliss, but in my v v limited exp manicures can be had for cheap, and still be good, from many places. body lotion i think is a lot more particular, so maybe that is the better splurge.

i would get my nails done every week if i knew i wouldn't feel wracked with guilt over the cost of it, tho. not even painted or anything - just filed and smoothed and tidied up, since i have the ugliest nails ever and am completely hopeless at maintaining them.

New fabric is awful on hands because it's coated with sizing -- starch or clay that the factory applies to the fabric that makes it stay ironed nice and flat until you buy it and wash that crap out.

I don't have a special hand cream, but I adore Aveeno in any variety. It just has the best all-day staying power without any greasiness. For heavy overnight use, I buy Eucerin.

I tend to agree w you about the -cures, you can get a decent version of either in NYC for a very reasonable price (under $20). I have wondered if I were missing out on something special by getting the cheap kind, though. Does anyone here use a chi-chi salon and want to pull the curtain back for us?

good hand cream

I can't recommend Working Hands highly enough - it is amazing, non-greasy, heals severe chapping and splits almost overnight, no scent at all, and a tub lasts for months.

i work with stuff that we make ourselves, so not sure if the fabric has sizing? i don't think so, since i dye it all. but it's really just the fabric itself - folding it etc. just wears away at your skin.

Ahh, okay. Used to know someone who worked in a major chain-retailer fabric store, and her hands were always callused and peeling from the dryness.

I like Mavala hand creme, which is hard to find unless you have a mother-in-law who sets you up with tons of it in your stocking every Christmas. You can order if from folica.com, too.

Crabtree and Evelyn make a gardeners' hand scrub and hand cream that are also really good.

Cuticle cream is U&K. Burt's Bees makes a lemon cuticle balm that comes in a little tin. It smells pretty nice.

Pedicures are worth the cash imo because a decent one will look good for at least three weeks. Hands I take care of myself for the most part (if by "take care of" you mean "mostly ignore, sometimes put cream on). I do like nicely polished nails and can do a decent job myself, but rarely bother since I invariably get chips within 2-3 days.

How topical: my mother sent me an Easter package with a tube of Crabtree & Evenlyn's La Source Hand Therapy cream! The outside says it contains shea butter but they seem to have gotten rid of that faux-chocolatey smell that I hate.

I've been pretty broke lately and not able to replace any personal care items I run out of, so it's extravagant to get this and some Fekkai hair stuff in the mail.

I mean I don't have any foundation. Or lip gloss. Or dinner. But I gots some lavender bath salts, dark dark chocolate truffles, and a 3-pc set of Fekkai "Glossing" products.

I bite my fingernails all the time, they're delicious. But, ugly..

REVIVE!
Since this very last post(!) I've stopped biting my nails and now they are ferocious talons of gorgeousness.

Problems: I can't get used to how easily I can scratch myself
Raw meat under fingernails EWWW KILL IT WITH FIRE
Obsessively painting and repainting nails because the smallest chip will send me on a biting frenzy

Anyway I would like to post nail pictures and ask what you guys are liking lately! I don't have a picture though.. but right now my nails are blue with two white stripes each, which in a former life was a humble strip of scotch tape that I painted with french manicure polish & sliced into tiny strips. I sealed it all off with a couple coats of topcoat. Yay!

Seche Vite. Seche Vite. Seche Vite.

It is the best topcoat. No question. Even with Seche Vite chips will happen after a couple days.

You do too have a pic - I have seen it on the instagrams.

I'll look out for it when I finish my current bottle! (which is, heh, Sally Hansen..)

E, you're right! Is there even a way to get to my instagram pictures from web? Instragram is a weenie.

Wait - the stripes are actually pieces of tape or you taped off your nails to paint the stripes?

Mine are a hot pink chipped mess atm but I'm chosing to igmore it and just get them done on Sat. I could do them myself but I like them perfect and they just don't look as good when I do it. I quit smoking again so that's how I'm justifying it. $15 a week on my nails seems fair in comparison to like $70 on smokes.

We had our gratis orders a few weeks back and they are hopefully coming into the office tomorrow and I am getting the two dudes on the left, yay:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7070/7006943093_8c3ab3eb6f_z.jpg

I painted the tape and then stuck it to my nails and topcoatted it! I used to do the tape off sections & paint bit but I saw this on some nail blog (I have subscribed to a few.. I'm silly) and enjoyed the result.

Yay for quitting smoking! I have not, but I also have lots of time on my hands lately, so thought I'd spend that time on my hands. Heh.

Oh I always upload to instagram from my phone so I assumed your pics where on your phone. :(

In any event, they looked great!

Thing I'm into now - neutral nails with colored tips. I found out yesterday you can use those hole reinforcer stickers as guides for perfect french tips. Clever imo.

Where do you think I found out about using the hole reinforcer stickers as tip guides? I totally read the occasional nail blog.

http://instagr.am/p/MEo2NZjbCK/

lol I just went into my phone & got the URL from mny instagram app then pasted it into Zing. Technology!

Hole reinforcement stickies sound like a great idea! I can't freehand anything, ESPECIALLY with my left hand. Bump city.

wow, those are some amazing nails!

i just stick to Essie these days. i put on some lesser nail polish the other day, two coats, and it was chipping by evening! essie seems to hold up really well for me.

Thanks dude! I took it off. I have to get some Essie to try, the blue was just a dollar store purchase & the topcoat was what saved it, heh. I have a few bottles from work so I mostly just play with those cuz I'm cheap.

Whoa ffm your nails are the business.
I'm going to a wedding a week from now and I want to do my nails today but I don't want to have to do them again in five days. -_-

Thanks! I sometimes throw another coat of topcoat on after a day or two to prolong a coat..?

naw I'm just being a whiner

Hahaha <3 understood

I painted my nails Barbie pink! I hope I don't smudge them in my sleep as I always seem to.

fairy bread nails<3 <3

http://www.sephora.com/productimages/sku/s1429588-main-Lhero.jpg

We don't have fairy bread here! I only know what it is because I saw it mentioned once somewhere and looked it up. I've never actually understood it - do you butter the bread before adding the sprinkles?

yes indeed

I have never bothered to count all my bottles but it's definitely triple digits. It's a problem.

After months and months of trying various nail effects, I've been wearing patent black varnish the past few days. (Butter London's Union Jack Black/Nails Inc's Black Taxi).

a friend of mine just txted me this with "your next manicure" hahaa :)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7248/7450553470_6ab1bd8f4a_z.jpg

Butter London has great colors but their polishes went weirdly gloopy in record speed. I had to toss a bottle after only a couple months!

This is what I've had since last week. Probably gonna paint them tomorrow though as it's starting to wear a bit:

http://i.imm.io/u7wB.jpeg

dang that's nice

i think my problem is that i have the hands of dorian grey

xxxp oh that's no good. I got them reduced so hopefully will cut my losses, either that or just use them up before they turn to shit?

I love Chanel's colours more than almost any other brand but they seem to chip more easily even with Seche Vite. However, they do seem to stand the test of time & I have a half full bottle of Blue Satin that's as good as new 6 years on.

I love it! What's the gold you have on?

You have such pretty nails! I have stubby, wide, flat, ridged nails, that are vvv ugly :/

I got really into the A England polishes for a second and bought two of the metallic ones: "Princess Tears" and ummmm ahh, oh, "Princess Sabra." Of the two, the bronzeness of Sabra suits my skin a lot better--"Princess Tears" is silver and just too cold. They're both v v pretty tho.

i admire pretty hands a lot (like i genuinely admire them and compliment them when i see them) but i sure as hell don't have them.

my hands are kind of giant octave-spanning hands but not man hands
i think hands in general are interesting

i admit that some women's slim straight tapered fingers do amaze me

mine are small and bonies

gnarly, but not mannish
they're very strong! they have that.

The world is so full of a number of hands, and they are all beautiful if their owners are loved. The slim and tapered ones are still amazing to me, though, like rrrobyn said. They're like ring models, they can wear anything.

Mine are small without being at all "fine." In fact they're downright sturdy, if slightly truncated. Much like the rest of me.

Lechera, I might call your hands sinewy? Like a drummer's! They are hands that Do Work, skilled hands, hands that demand respect.

Aw, thanks Justine. I didn't always have nice nails - I bit them to the quick until they were a gross often bloody mess until I was 28! They were really awful. I think that's why I'm so into keeping them nice now. Gyac - the gold is just some nail art thing with a tiny brush that I got at Walgreens.

I think I also have big but not mannish hands maybe.

I remember complaining to my violin teacher once that I couldn't reach certain places on the strings and he made me put my hands up to his to demonstrate that if he could, I could. Mine were almost twice as big as his. He was a pretty tiny man though.

Does anyone know of a good hand cream with SPF? I am on the hunt for one but most don't have it which is kind of dumb considering that our hands are exposed much of the time.

khiels has one but it's only spf 10 but it's decent!

Rocking peachy pink nails this week. Perfect contrast to faux biker bracelet!

http://instagr.am/p/MWqV8mjbD8/

pretty!

xp http://instagr.am/p/MWqV8mjbD8/ - guess you can't embed. Or did something wrong. Mobiles..

Thanks lady! I also wish I had more tapered fingers, they always felt bit chubby to me, but so am I so it's okay. :)

Yeah that's a pretty color.

R - thanks! I'll look into Keihls.

your fingers look quite tapered and slim to me!
i have the kind of knuckles that sometimes make rings difficult

Yeah, ffm you do have tapered fingers!

My mom has really big knuckles. Her rings wind up swimming around once they're all the way on because they need to be big enough to fit over them. She claims it was from cracking them too much but I think that's an old wive's tale.

My fingers swell up so much in the heat/humidity that there are a bunch that I just can't wear in the summer at all. Sucks.

FFM and ENBB with such pretty hands/nails!

At 38, my hands are 1) sunspotted, 2) veiny, and 3) large knuckled, as if I had arthritis (I do not, thankfully). I cannot imagine what these hands will look like at, say, 80 (hashem willing).

I was a nail biter until February (~25+ years) so I have to keep my nails perfect or slip back into the vicious cycle, like E. I did a coat today at work, which is why they look so nice. Heh.

Lechera, I might call your hands sinewy? Like a drummer's! They are hands that Do Work, skilled hands, hands that demand respect.
otm. they get the job done.

i love hands btw, men's and women's. even children's.

http://www.xojane.com/beauty/gin-manicure-o-clock-how-do-your-nails-cocktail-and-job-seeker-form

I enjoy this! Might attempt. Might print words out backwards so manicure text isn't backwards.

Cool effect but

However, it is still a trick that I wish to share with you as I’ve only seen alcohol used to rub newsprint into dull, grey nail polishes. Usually on those bone curdlingly cute nail blogs with names like Daydreams and Pedicures run by women who replaced their vagina with a rolled up Amelie poster many moons ago.

Reader, avoid such places and stick with me. I eat Manic Pixie Dream Girls and drink my feelings.

uh whoa
yikes

Oh, xojane is full of that crap - I didn't even notice. My endorsement extends to the technique only!

I defs have a love/hate relationship with xojane, I totally dig.
Like some post recently about MY ARMS ARE TOO FAT had a big yellow tag that said Healthy.

The technique is way cool, tho, was gonna do my nails today and I think I'll give it a go.

My nails have gotten super peely and my solution has been to cover it with nail polish la la la p sure that's not the solution.

idk man for me these turned out somewhere on the spectrum from 'subtle' to 'looks like I didn't wash my hands'

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg195/scaled.php?server=195&filename=img2805kr.jpg&res=landing

I thought 'hey I'll watch Grey Gardens again' while doing this and tearing up newspaper to float it in booze while watching the Beales was maybe a terrible match because it enhanced a feeling of doing something totally deranged. But maybe it was a perfect match for this activity.

also now you guys know my secret – when I do my nails I just slop it on and wait for the extra to fall off my cuticles in the shower 10+ hrs later

I do the same (polish to cover the peeling nails and removing the dried bits in the shower.)

I had a guy friend in high school who asked me to do his nails and of course I went even further outside the lines on someone else's hands. At the end he asked, "What did you do to me?"

I used a regular top coat instead of a quick dry one last night. It was nearly a disaster.

― tokyo rosemary, Wednesday, July 4, 2012 10:30 PM (18 seconds ago) Bookmark

posted in healthcare thread, ha ha oops

I do both those things too - if I take a picture of my nails it's not until two days later usually :) I am so bad at it. Pity that turned out so faint! Did you grab the softest (did she say most porous? I'm on my phone) paper you could find? I'm thinking that lends itself to transferring,,but who knows..

Also you have such cool hands!

Thx! It was a grocery store weekly ad, I'd reckon that's about as porous as they come.

Bugger. :(

Guys FYI avoid the new revlon neon nail polish. I wasted an hour and a half trying to apply the purple version last night. I think because you have to put on the white then a couple of coats of the color it get bumpy and ridgey and goopy and fwiw its not very neon at all

http://www.hotbeautyhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Revlon-Neon-Nail-Art.jpeg

That is a bummer, because I am kind of digging the packaging!

I defs have a love/hate relationship with xojane, I totally dig.
Like some post recently about MY ARMS ARE TOO FAT had a big yellow tag that said Healthy.

Ugh, yeah, that site. I usually stick to stuff by Leslie Kinzel and Marianne Kirby.

Speaking of Marianne Kirby, she writes a lot about nail polish!

http://www.xojane.com/diy/summer-always-means-neon-bright-nails-relaxing-water
http://www.xojane.com/diy/ive-got-blues-where-did-all-blue-nail-polish-come
http://www.xojane.com/diy/obsessive-manicures
http://www.xojane.com/diy/striper-nail-polish

I've been trying to take better care of my fingernails. Instead of cutting them when they start to bother me and occasionally paying a professional to hack off my cuticles, I'm cutting them, shaping them, rubbing them down with coconut oil, and pushing my cuticles back roughly weekly. So far so good!

I love fancy manicures but I lack the skill, patience, and supplies to do it myself.

http://www.xojane.com/diy/flocking-cookie-monster-manicure

Impulse bought some of them Sally Hanson nail stickers. I kind of like them! It's a fancy manicure that is pretty hard to fuck up.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7118/7550453572_6fa1cbd840.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/7550456772_3c15653d2f.jpg

That's the red lacy design. I was torn between that and the red stripe. This design is maybe too intricate and it gets lost in the shininess of the top coat (you don't have to do a top coat but I figured it couldn't hurt) so I'll try the stripe next.

whoa fancy!

i finally bought a base coat (essie, of course) and did my nails on monday and they still look like new. so i guess base coat does make a difference!

there should be a word for the irrepressible need to do stuff while your nails are drying and inevitably fucking up your nails
because maybe this word, like, as mantra, would stop me

I, too, suffer from this irrepressible need. A quick dry topcoat helps, but not enough :(

I like to lay my cigarettes out in a row and keep a candle burning, so I just need to pick them up and lean forward.

Have you gals not had GEL or SHELLAC nails done yet?? It's amazing. I can't go back, now. NO MORE CHIPPING.

I've thought about it but I hear removal is kind of hell on your nails. I figured I'd save it for a special occasion.

I've heard shellac is amazing but you have to pay to get it off? I'm not down with that. :(

Rocking a gradient for the upcoming week due to my polish collection getting out of control: http://instagr.am/p/NllZTujbLg/

xp ;)

I would like more first-hand info, homoII! Is it something you have to get done in a salon, or are there home kits? How long can you go between gel jobs? Is there a difference between gel and shellac???

I've had it done maybe 4 or 5 times over the past two years. I like it a lot in terms of durability and how they look. What sort of bugs me is that it means I can't change the color for 2 weeks. That said, I think they're great for special occasion. I had one done earlier this month before I went away and it lasted 16 days before showing any wear at all but I probably could have left it on for another week if I really wanted to.

I acutally had one done this Wednesday too because the other one had treated me so well. I was going to get a very pale neutral color (because one of the bonus points of the shellac is that you can do nail are on top and remove that without removing the base) but my girl asked if she could do a fun color she liked and I wound up with this:

oh wait - pic in a sec

You don't have to pay to get it off. You can just soak in acetone for about 10 mins at home and then scrape it off. I've not had a problem with it being harsh on my nails. They sell at home kits too but they're $$ and I haven't tried any.

Quice - Shellac is the brand name of the CND gel polish line. OPI also has one and another common on you see in salons is called Gelish.

Thank you! I think I will give this a try!

http://i47.tinypic.com/6eksvs.jpg

ooooooooh I like that! What's it called?

idk! It was one of the Gelish ones. They have them numbered and pained on nail wheels which is also neat since you can hold it up to your hands and see the colors.

The color is a little off in that pic because of the office lighting but it's actually a really awesome perfect turqoise color. Not something I'd normally wear but I'm glad she convinced be because I like it.

Very pretty! Glad they are not quite as hard to remove as I heard. Maybe I'll give it a shot next time I going to vacation.

That's what I was thinking - a good pre-vacation option. Gel manicure, leg wax, lash tint and then you can go somewhere warm and get wasted for a week and still look good in your pictures.

FFM, that's a great gradient manicure! Impressive.

Yeah, it's perfect for that.

Is lash tinting legal? My friend is a make-up artist/professional pimple popper and does extensions but it's SO EXPENSIVE. I really want to try it out but it's ridiculous.

It's legal to do at salons but I think there's something about buying an at home kit that is more difficult. Didn't Laurel order a lash tint kit and try it at home once?

I think it's $20 where I go (fancy schmancy hair salon). I've done it a couple of times. I didn't like it the first time, but a different person did it the second time and it was much better. Lasts a couple of months and it's really nice in the summer when all my mascara would just run down my face in the hateful humid Chicago heat.

Just checked - illegal in MA. :( It's a shame too cause I'd definitely do it. My bottom lashes are so blonde they're not visible unless I use mascara which one them which I've been doing all week and loving but it would sure be nice not to have to.

Gelish is harder to remove than shellac. They are actually good for your nails because the top coats and what not keep them from peeling/breaking.

Erica I have a tutorial from Tumblr on how to do your own lash extensions... hold on let me find it.

http://saramlyons.tumblr.com/post/25877662870/diy-eyelash-extensions

Dang, putting on mascara every morning seems easier than putting on all those lashes every three days. That looks fun for special occasions, though.

She's got super rad eyebrows, though.

She does. Argh, stop smirking though!

Got the nail art bug bad, going to Ricky's after work for a matte topcoat and some new colors: flat red, flat white, flat blue-green. If it's going to rain all weekend (and it's supposed to) I am going to spend it doing ridiculous things to my nails.

I want you to do French manicures with the flat/shiny parts like the black mani on the makeup thread. And take pictures!

I'm going to look for the essie Matte About You topcoat for that exact reason!

Be sure to get the french manicure tip guides too! They're little stickers.

Ricky's, the best beauty supply chain in New York, had only one version of matte topcoat and it was $16 so I didn't buy it. I got a white crackle finish, though, which is...trippy. I put it on alternating nails. You definitely have to apply the same weight of coat to each nail or they craze differently. And don't do it in front of a fan, either, because it makes it go so fast you can't even get it on the nail. Not sure this is my favorite technique, but it definitely is low-stress because the smoothness of the finish doesn't matter, you can just slap it on there.

I miss Ricky's! I used to go to the one on Broadway near where Antique Boutique and the old Tower Records used to be all the time. I think that's where it was at least. Sad about the matte topcoat. Maybe order online?

It doesn't look like there's one there anymore but I'm sure there was at one point. Union Square too iirc.

All right, here's the first experiment. Wanted to play with the crackle coat more and see if I liked it better over other colors (other than the bright orange I had on last night).

I don't have a camera that will focus this closely so sorry about the quality & lack of detail:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Hand.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Nails.jpg

That's base coat + 2 coats of A England "Princess Sabra" + 1 Seche Vite to seal it + cheap shit crackle coat Mattese Elite in White + 2 more coats of SV to smooth it out.

I've been tempted by that crackle stuff. Maybe I'll try it.

Princess Sabra is a gold-green glitter polish in proper light.

http://passionforpolish.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/a-england-Princess-Sabra.jpg

Whoops!

http://passionforpolish.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/a-england-Princess-Sabra.jpg

I think the crackle coats are kind of one-note? But interesting, and super fun to watch!

That's the nicest colour combo I've seen! My work sells one crackle but it's a sort of auburn shade, meant to go over yellow and look giraffe like. :P I have the yellow but didn't bother with the auburn!

If you put a thick gloss coat on top of the base color before you add the crackle, you get a nice depth effect with some separation between the layers. Subtle, but I like it.

i have a bottle of white crackle coat that i found in a bag i bought from a thrift store - haven't tried it yet, though

I normally really don't like the crackle stuff at all but I think that looks pretty neat and I LOVE the color underneath.

Okay, now the right hand. I want to do a three-color job like this:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zibuiozm95c/T4hf03QB4VI/AAAAAAAAE2U/rQ4PnOwE-Ds/s1600/color+block+mani+with+holland+collection.jpg

(From lucysstash.com, a great polish and nail art blog.)

The first base color I tried is a cheap mini yellow I bought yesterday. It might be good for art elements, but as a basecoat the coverage sucks. Tried up to 3 coats then took it all off because it was still streaky and uneven.

Second attempt: Used Princess Sabra as the basecoat. Tried to freehand the first swipe, using Essie "Blanc." Remind me never to play Operation. A mess. Took it off again.

Third attempt: Princess Sabra as the base, going to dry thoroughly and then use Scotch tape to form the swipes, instead. Updates as events warrant.

Mind you, in order to touch acetone with my LEFT hand, which is all done already, I have to wear a latex cleaning glove, so I'm stumping around my apt in old Crocs and one yellow glove, swearing at these cheap brushes and the pint of coffee I drank after breakfast.

Well, tape works great but the underlayer has to be REALLY REALLY DRY. Mine was not.

Crackle-coating the right hand is looking pretty appealing right about now....

The blurriness of this photo is obscuring the fact that I did a truly terrible job on this one. Also my colors aren't quite...right. Obviously I need more shades of nail polish to choose from.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Colorblock.jpg

I think that turned out really cool though!! I'm jealous. I like the translucency of the red.

In nail news, I feel fully empowered to wear (my favorite) grey/blue/slate shades to work now that the freaking first lady wore them, love her

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17y6cv7zqkwikjpg/xlarge.jpg

It's Essie "Really Red" if you want to pick some up!

The internet has been going crazy for the FLOTUS' "greige" polish, eh?

It's a color my friend has long called CORPSE NAILS whenever I wear it.

I love Michele Obama. First bare arms, then no pantyhose, and now gray nail polish... she is awesome. (Well, except for the fat shaming kids for their own good, but nobody's perfect.)

What I did on Sunday.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/BlackFrench.jpg

Yeah yeah the nails look great but OMG BRACELETS.

I tried to photo them in this light but they don't come out. One is plain white, one is a twisted rope design in dark grey-green, and one is a wooden square.

<3

I wore a square wooden bangle today. :)

ooh your nails look awesome! i want to do that! how to do?

i know it's not rocket science, but i don't actually understand how french manicures work

i guess i could it up on the internet

Paint black. Either wait half a day for it to be really, REALLY dry, or use a quick-dry topcoat and wait like an hour at least.

Then apply normal Scotch tape leaving the tips free. Dab with white polish, not too thin or too thick (this is where I need practice). Pull off tape as soon as you're done with the painting; if you let the polish dry with the tape, it'll chip when you lift it up. So you only get once chance to get the tips right. Once tips are done, let dry and seal with topcoat.

I have straight-across nails but if yours curve more, Erica has suggested those large hole reinforcing grommet sticky things, from stationary stores. You can use those for half-moon manicures too, just put the sticker at the base of the nail instead of the tip.

Oh that looks GREAT! I love it!

Thx for instructions! Will try!

Scotch tape! All these years I thought everyone just had better fine motor skills than I did.

Tape works wonders when it comes to nail art!!

That's not a real French manicure, btw. That's just creative nail-painting. Real French manis involve whitening pencils and stuff.

Reversed that mani this week, white with thick black tips. Getting better at the taping.

Also have discovered why people create nail polish blogs: because you have to tell someone and no one except the internet cares. I got two new shades of polish in the mail today and can hardly stand it!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NCgSiQE2a-U/T7z3rhFUTOI/AAAAAAAANZk/mHIbOzkiL_4/s1600/I%2527m%2BNot%2BLion%2BSwatch.JPG

My goal was/is to recreate this look, more gorgeousness from chalkboardnails.com:

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m72eewOLtI1qmxbvdo1_500.jpg

Oooh! I found leopard spots to be a lot easier than I thought they'd be. Post after pics.

Last week I had an awesome flat grey color (Berlin there Done That from the OPI Germany collection) on top of which I painted black french tips. I meant to take a pic but forgot and yesterday got a gel manicure just cause I have a couple busy weeks coming up and don't want to have to think about them for a bit. It's a very nice deep wine color.

If I paint mine a solid traditional color I feel like my boss and every other aging Midtown lady. It's too much. I may have to stick with the nail art and strange shades.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Whitefrench.jpg

Love!

the nails are super cool but your head and dress also: SUPER COOL
agl all around, incl balmstain

Haha balmstain indeed.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Sparkle%20tip_zpsc02b627d.jpg

Got annoyed with the wear-off on the black & white polish job because the contrast makes every tiny scratch show through. Went with something v low contrast instead:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Sparkle%20tip_zpsc02b627d.jpg

Whoah, sorry! Wasn't supposed to be the same pic 2x.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Sparkle%202_zps109183f8.jpg

so pretty!
no half measures for you!

No, when I go crazy, I go all the way crazy.

A Tiffany-blue shade came in the mail today, will try on the weekend. :)

Wearing Butter London Chimney Sweep with Nails Inc. Electric Lane top coat. Sparkly!

And Illamasqua's Phallic (lol) on my toes.

Wow, only the best for you! I have not yet succumbed to any Illamasqua polishes but their "rubberized" finish is extremely tempting.

I should say, today's polish job is China Glaze Desert Sun, with China Glaze I'm Not Lion on the tips. Finished with two coats of SV topcoat to seal the glitter in.

I am intriguied by LLLamasqua's polishes too but have never tried any. I saw a gorgeous Nail's Inc shade on a blog earlier.

I am in love with Berlin there done that from the OPI Germany collection right now. It's the perfect shade of grey.

I keep thinking I want to buy more Illamasqua polishes but then when I'm at the store I think "these shades are so similar to ones I already have." They do last a decent amount of time though.

I like the names of the Nails inc. polishes.

Dotting tools on a slow boat from China (literally) so I used the tip of a bobby pin for this. China Glaze "For Audrey" with Essie Blanc and a crappy mini of bargain yellow.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Dots_zps28f92695.jpg

i am really envious of all you ladies and your prettily shaped nails

I organized my polishes today. How did I get so many? Yikes. Half are those mini ones, but still.

Can't take credit for the shape of my nails, the lady at the salon does the cuticles and cleans them up for me. In between visits, I just change the polish.

The best manicurist in the world couldn't make my nails look like that

My nails are so messed up. THANKS, WORK.

ooh those dots are so fun!!

i didn't have time to paint my nails all week, but i painted them yesterday afternoon and then went to a little dinner party at a new friend's house. she was like 'omg your nails! you should be a hand model!" i told her that the brightness of the orange polish was obv doing its persuasive job.

My first attempt at leopard print! I am less than fully convinced by it, I need to look at more actual leopards to get a better feel, but it's a nicely showy option.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Glitterleopard.jpg

The pinky especially did not turn out, I need to space that one differently in future. I think you have to experiment to know how many spots there is room for on each nail and still make them look "random."

Looks pretty good to me!

I want to use these pink and black damask print nail decals I got SO BAD but I have a client meeting on Monday and that seems like a bad idea. I can totally get away with them when it's just a normal work week, though.

I've been so tempted by the decals in the stores lately! They come in some very nice patterns.

They can be a reward for surviving your client meeting at your New Job(tm). How awesome is it to be a Real Lawyer who can still wear nail decals??

just free-handed some grey tips on dark plum nails - sweet colour combination!
my left-handed job looks 'charming.' practice practice...

UGH my nails and toes are DISGUSTING because I haven't been able to get to the salon.,. and I won't for some time because I am broke(ish). How can I make these hideous raptor claws look okay without spending too much money?

Oh nooes! A manicure here is only $12-16. Is that not possible where you are?

I am in love with Berlin there done that from the OPI Germany collection right now. It's the perfect shade of grey.

Bought it and totally in agreement with this.

Am thinking might soon go with a bare nail and red tip. Because...because.

All red at the moment.

Laurel - I'm so glad you like it! I really think it's just the best grey I've found. Speaking of grey, I got a Shellac mani last Saturday and here it is just now. This is therefore day 5 and it still looks totally brand new:

http://i.imgur.com/9OBcR.jpg

You can't tell the color because I can't get it in good lighting but it's a very light grey that I like a lot (tho obv not as much as Berlin There Done That). Got Shellac because I'm goign away for 5 days starting tomorrow and it's longevity is good for trips. I heard that you can paint and do nail art on top of Shellac so when I get bakc next week I'm going to try to do BTDT tips. I think the grey on grey might be pretty neat.

please excuse typos and incorrect "it's" and whatnot - I am multitasking and all caffeined up right now

I guess I always get Shellac manis so I forget a regular one is pretty damn cheap.

painted my nails for the first time in...well a long time...purpley black with silver crackle over top

dunno that I like the crackle. Out of the corner of my eye it looks like nail fungus, lol.

but I'm going to pull out my polishes and play again this weekend.

No photos bc I am terrible at nailpolish and my nails look like a 5 year old's lol

ooh but any recommendations for good low-price nail polish brands are welcome.

Bang for my buck, I really like the Sally Hansen ones I've got! I forget which particular line I purchased but I can check at home.

Crackle coats are cool, and you don't have to worry about the surface quality! You can put a nice gloss topcoat over them to bump up the shine & make it look a little less chalky/more professional.

Right after I said I would go bare nails, I scrabbled them across a hardcover book and broke one. Crazy-glued back together and buffed it down but I can't expose the broken part now. O well.

:/

I'm really not into crackle. It just looks strange to me and not in a good way.

yeah I'm not convinced

I've got a few essie polishes and the colors are good but not very opaque--can take like 3 coats to get full coverage. Not very effective.

In love with China Glaze and OPI tbh.

OPI seems p good, I've seen quite a few on blogs that are one-coaters which is v appealing to moi

krazy glue?!

"Hard as Nails XTreme Wear" is the one coater that I got for $2.50 (on sale) - I forgot I could GIS!

Yeah! It didn't totally break off, it just cracked on one side, so I glued the crack together and smoothed the surface and painted over it.

must paint:

http://www.blogto.com/upload/2012/10/2012103-nail-art-toronto.jpg

o

m

g

AAAAHHHHH@@@!!!!

how do you even do that? <--- nail-art challenged

Right?? RIGHT??

VG they sell tools that you can use to make tiny lines.. I've also seen suggestions you could use a mechanical pencil or toothpick.. pour some black polish onto tin foil, dip nib in, pretend you are old timey person with quill and ink? I'm not great at it.. this girl must've had someone else do it IMO.. or is just amazing

dayum

Yeah looking at it I think it's free-hand! I thought stencils, because the hard part is getting the ends of the narrow lines squared off, but the letter shapes are SLIGHTLY too irregular to be stencils. Like the A. Being freehand painting makes it even cooler!

It's pretty masterful! A stencil is not a bad idea though - an exacto knife and masking or painter's tape could get that job done, I bet!

Pre-made stencil and nail pen, I'll bet.

The image was from the top of an article about nail salons in Toronto, but they didn't say if it had been done by one of them. I found this - not a bad idea tbh: http://manicures-pedicures.wonderhowto.com/how-to/make-nail-art-stencils-0132784/

Those nails...so badass!

xpost wow that's a cool technique! That'd be harder to do with letters though - less 'real estate' to pick up with the toothpick

http://www.xojane.com/files/morticianails.jpeg

This was done with gel pens. !!!

holy shit

okay I have had ZERO interest in my nails until like two days ago and now I want to make them look amazing like THAT

damn!

and if you can do it with freaking GEL PENS I am all in

I doodle on anything I can get my hands on, why not my NAILS ffs

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Blueleop.jpg

Second-ever attempt at leopard, already getting better!

Man, flat white nail polish is a disaster, it goes on HORRIBLY. The only thing you can do w it is use it as a background and put other stuff on top because it's really streaky even after 3 coats.

Some fingers turned out better than others, I will re-do some maybe tonight or tmrw.

Nice!

I'm rocking some nail stickers at work (an OPI Sephora set that is a black lace pattern over a peach/Caucasian nude background) and nobody has said anything so I guess I'm cool. Well, not cool like cool, just cool like not getting the side eye for ostentatious nails.

Ooooh, you did it! Can you get a photo? I've seen black lace on a red background but I think I like the sound of peach better.

I took a picture but I can't remember my shitting Yahoo ID/password to sign into Flickr to post it. I'll email it to you.

nice bow!!

artfully done, orbit. they look gr8!

hey do you want to hear something freaky?
I noticed around February this year that one of my big toenails had just stopped growing. It was actually a little worrying. The polish would start to grow out on all my other toes except that one. About a month ago it started growing back again, like a new nail under the old one. It takes ages though. My mate who had a baby noticed that the pedicure she got about the time she found out she was pregnant still hadn't completely grown out after she'd had the baby :/

Heh the bow is the scarf from a 1940s persian lamb ladies' coat that died a long time ago, but this grey silk with orange pagodas on it was the lining fabric and I kept the neck tie. It's the perfect shape to make those Victorian heiress-style draping bows.

Mission totally accomplished: my boss grabbed my wrist yesterday and pulled it closer to her eyes and then pushed it back at me vehemently and said "WHAT DID YOU DO to your nails?" She hates them.

That's like yr parents noticing and hating your music as a teenager. WIN

Pulled myself together long enough for this:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Polka.jpg

Not showing you the mani in between because I didn't really like it. I used a dusty orange that looked great on me a month ago and I thought would be fall-ish but without a tan on my hands it didn't look as good. Save it til next summer.

OMG I LOVE THAT

Huh. I didn't think it was that great, and it photographs even worse. I don't have any spring or apple greens, which I think this combo needed. Not happy w my color choices. Light pink base coat btw, that's not bare nail.

I mean, thanks! I'm just filing it away for "could be improved."

it's cute, I like it!

i like it and feel you should develop this concept

^^^ agreed

Did you use the dotting tool or whatever its called?

I'm in the midst of attempting that black matte/shiny French manicure. It's going about as expected.

I did use a dotting tool set!! But none of them are big enough for big dots, so I tried using a q-tip but it makes them too uneven because the cotton gets heavy with polish and distorts out of round. I need to think of something about the size of a pencil eraser that applies perfectly evenly.

carl, may I absolutely strongly suggest using scotch tape before you paint the gloss tips? I've tried that thing twice and removed and given up both times because freehanding the gloss part, even with a flat-tip brush from my new set, did not work at all.

IO - what about actually whittling a pencil eraser slightly to make it a bit smaller? Might be hard to make a smooth circle, but maybe not!

I have seen mechanical pencils as a suggestion for extremely small dots as well.

Maybe smaller than an eraser, but at least a 10pt dot.

The dotting tool set comes with LOTS OF REALLY SMALL TIPS but not much selection of big ones! It's annoying tbh.

I think the reason the tools don't come larger is that the polish doesn't go on flat, it goes on in a...dome. The middle of the drop is always higher. And the bigger the dot, the bigger the height of the middle. So at some size you get domes that just don't make sense on a nail.

An eraser is the right idea, but not...spongy enough? Needs to make contact evenly over the curve of the nail.

orbit, what about those eyeliners that comes with a sponge smudger on one end? -- those can be pretty spongy, you might find one that would work as a tool. Maybelline has one that's p cheap

also if you do find a pencil eraser soft enough, you can make it smaller by putting that end in a pencil sharpener. I used to do it all the time in high school when my erasers got pen ink on them.

Yeah but can I get the polish off the end of an eraser with acetone? It has to be cleanable, too. Actually the make-up applicator is a good idea.

My nail art brushes, I tried them. My hands are NOT steady enough for this shit, I have to say. Such sad and terrible results. BUT ALSO of course acetone takes the paint right off the handles, which means no sticking them INTO the bottles, I have to pour out the polish onto a bit of paper or something! Seems wasteful. Have not quite worked this all out yet.

you might need a paint pallette, the hardened plastic kind with the little dips for paint

and maybe an art supply store would have small spongetip brushes of diff sizes that are relatively inexpenive.

but you're right, def test the polish/acetone on the sponge first. the latex might break down, I'm not sure tho.

a pallette like this
http://superbeautyguru.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Nail-Polish-Palette.jpg

maybe an eyedropper would help get the polish in and out of the pallette too?

sorry this is making it sound way crazier, I'm just addicted to "tools" lol

I love having the right tool for the job, too! The problem is that polishes are made to dry pretty quickly, which is an asset when they're in the bottle but not when you take them out in the air.

hmm

another though, re the shaky hand: have you thought about using a magnifier? one of the things I remember from a long long ago art class was that the best way to make small detail work easier and less shaky was to make it bigger.

also take a deep breath before make the stroke/mark/whatever, like when you take a photo, shoot a gun etc. it can help steady yr hand.

I will ponder this pallette thing some more though. there's gotta be a way to do it.

*thought

I think I just have to accept that I'm going to use them up and have to buy more. In my life, to date, nail polish has been something that I buy ONCE and never use up or buy again, because I've never been this into it before. It's a little silly tbh.

Depending on the remover you have, could you pour a little pool into the overturned lid then dump the liquid back in the bottle? xp

maybe have a cheap set of polish for detail work, and use the good stuff for base/proper colors?

that might save you going through tons in general.

it's quite an undertaking, huh!

Using remover as thinner is supposed to be a terrible idea, but there are so-called thinners out there. I'm not sure what the professional verdict is on them, I should read up.

Oh whoops, polish not remover. Disregard! xp

I've done some research on what people who are REALLY into nail art do. It's not an undertaking until you've done a water marble.

hahaha I tried it once. It was tricky but pretty neat.

I don't think anyone ever really finished full size bottles. I def never have.

I have of the red I wear all the time, at least I got it down to the level where the brush couldn't grab enough for good application.

That's impressive!!!

I've gone 2/3 the way through my fave red (Essie's UPS) but that's the closest.

oh god water marble wow I just looked that up

holy cow

though as I was reading I was like, hey it's like drawing pictures in coffee foam! I can kinda do that!

I'm not into nails enough to do that, I don't think. i'm still barely managing a basic color, lol.

I was shocked too! But it was when I had to keep my nails perfect or revert to biting so I was redoing weekly. Now I'm a bit lazier and just go heavy on the topcoat so it lasts longer.

I'm into nail art b/c frankly I don't like to sit still and having something to do makes it possible to be in front of my computer watching tv series on bad weather days (or under the weather days) and not get antsy. Also it's so shiny with Seche Vite, I love looking at my nails and being made a little bit happier (and kind of wanting to eat them, they're so shiny).

It's a phase, it'll pass.

i think it's p cool

I enjoy your nail adventures

it inspired me to actually like, pay attention to my nails lately

I will give full details on THE BLOG but I ended up using scotch tape on my left hand, so painting with my right, and freehanding the right hand, painting with my left and the right hand came out much better. The trick, it seems, is to hold the brush still with my left hand and manipulate with my right hand.

Anyway, it came out mostly crap but for specific, fixable reasons and there's enough potential that I might try it again.

I was inspired & painted my nails while watching Projwecr Runway, did a blue & purple combo with scotch tape. A bit messy because I didn't wait too very long before layering, so I didn't want to press the tape down too hard. Turned out sort of peacocky, I kind of wish I had a sparkly gold to add one or two good dots.

http://instagr.am/p/Q_JDK9jbOW/

Projwecr Runway is the Polish offshoot btw. :D

whoa pretty

dasvidaniya

Essie Greenport + Piggy Polish Mermaid.

Mermaid is a little too sheer for my taste which is why I always wear it over a blue or turquoise.

I like Greenport for several reasons but also because that's from their Long Island series and named after the town which I'm pretty sure you know!

It's where my mom was born!!

I bought all the LI ones even though I was thinking "Sag Harbor's not on the North Fork!!!" when I was buying it.

The light pink Butter London wears HORRIBLY. That's the last of their polishes I buy, unfortunately. Or not, given the price.

This afternoon I'm going to an Alice in Wonderland-themed party.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Tarts.jpg

I probably drew 200 hearts today in an attempt to make a good one every time, btw, and I can say that waxed paper is pretty good for globbing some polish onto and experimenting with. The heart that ended up on my finger is not a good one, but it'll do.

Butter London only seems to last if I use their basecoat and topcoat.

orbit yr nails turned out great!

TR, do you think it's the Three-Free polish, that it doesn't bond with regular kinds of products?

http://m.static.newsvine.com/servista/imagesizer?file=lisa-granshawC1A4C39A-7B80-F66E-9DD4-55B767BEBEDA.jpg

a-MAZEing!
http://thelook.today.com/_news/2012/10/26/14676017-redrum-get-the-shining-diy-nails-for-halloween?lite

So much fun. Pretty sure her part-fake nails like that axe would drive me insane, though. Love the girls' dresses.

Okay now I want TARDIS nails

My goal for next year, clearly

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Glitter.jpg

Now that I've mastered making hearts with the dotting tool using my right AND left hands, I have to get full value out of that skill. Obviously.

<3

I did them for my date last night. The date was impressed.

as well he should be :)

New tricks: I bought the Essie "A Cut Above" pink flake last night. No special artistry required, I just put it over black like in this photo.

http://www.scrangie.com/2011/11/essie-luxeffects-glitter-topcoat.html

Oops, sorry. Like this:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/ACutAbove.jpg

A small amount of attention is needed to keep the hexes from clumping but the small background glitter is pretty too and I don't mind it even haphazardly applied. Gives good spangle.

Pretty! Are those your fingers?

Oh no. I can't get photos that close up, so I stole one from the internet.

That person has amazing cuticles.

For the first time in years I bought polish! A blue slate colour and some v sparkly silver to go over the top. Doesn't look bad considering.

woah i love that!

This is my shellac mani like 5 days in. You sorta cant see the best part in the pic which is a very very fine silver shimmer.

http://i48.tinypic.com/34gvsiu.jpg

Those are nice, E! They look wet, I love that.

I'm on week two of sponge ombré nails, I tried to do 3 colours (pink, white, red) and it got kind of sloppy, but not terrible. I'm anal so in satisfied but unwilling to redo til the weekend. Also this shade is the same of the brand I have a big meeting with tomorrow, and I'm that cheesy.

http://instagr.am/p/R_ux7ijbKM/

Those are awesome!

Yesterday I stumbled on a bottle of the glitter polish Milani Gems, which is a dupe of the Deborah Lippmann "Birthday Party" which retails for $18 a bottle. The dupe was $4.50. My nails are basically disco balls now.

http://fashionindiemedia.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Polish-Lava-Milani-Jewel-FX-in-Gems.jpeg

Not my actual fingers ^

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Photoon11-16-12at819PM3.jpg

Woah those are killer!

I wanted to buy gold sparkly polish to go with my dress/birthday dance night tomorrow, just got home and remembered :( I feel the celebration demands sparklers so I'll dig deep to find something in my bin here. Bah.

oh that reminds me of like 12 years ago when i bought this red glitter polish that looked a lot like that -- it was like red ruby slipper nails and i LOVED it but it was hell to get on and off and then i just threw it away

yours looks great!

shiny!! sparkly! <3

FFM: Hey happy birthday! It is almost my birthday, too. November! Yes!

Loving your nails, in orbit!

La Lechera, had that same experience with glittery red polish and it was indeed 12 years ago. I was just thinking of that the other day too, how there was a period of time I always wore glitter polish of some sort. I was also doing a lot of clubbing.

Happy Birthday, Finefinemusic!!!

Happy Birthday, Carl Agatha!

Thanks ladies, and happy birthday to YOU, Carl!
I mixed some yellow & orange polish and layered a few blue & silver sparkles on top. Not quite what I was hoping for but a suitable solution. I'll get a picture up when lighting is more ideal.

Everyone otm, this shit has to soak in basically liquid acetone to come off. I'll worry about that in a few days when I'm ready to do something else. (Aka kicking the can down the road, eh?)

The last time I took srs glitter polish off, I soaked cotton balls in remover, wrapped them around my names, then wrapped aluminum foil around my finger tips and hung out for five or ten minutes. Worked! Maybe somebody here told me to do that.

^thats how I do it too. I just tear the cotton balls up so I have ten little pieces from two cotton balls.

Got my first gel manicure! My nails were looking rrrrrough and I had zero time at home to do anything about them and a half hour tops for lunch so an instant dry manicure at a no nonsense nail salon seemed like the solution.

It's amazing how fast it dries. I started to hand my wallet to the manicurist so she could pull my credit card out and she's like, "They're dry. You can get it yourself." Duh. The polish looks kind of thick, honestly, and it wasn't a very good manicure in general, but I'm definitely into the quick drying and promised longevity. I'll definitely go to my preferred salon and try it there.

I love the idea. Lauren is rly into gel manis, too. I think I would want a simple design, maybe with contrast half-moons or sthing just so I didn't get bored with it over the 3-week lifespan, but it's tempting. How has it held up?

Tried to do a matte vs glitter mani last night but hell if the matte topcoat isn't slower than Seche Vite and I didn't have time at night for all the layers to dry properly. Must do tape-job on 2nd day if it's late in the evening. So I just put gloss over it to hide the mess.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Festive.jpg

I bought hole-punch stickers this time btw! Makes the tips a lot easier.

nice one, orbit! v festive!

Thanks! It feels kinda boring, maybe I'm getting jaded. But I just ordered 8 new colors from the internet so I'll have crazier combinations by next weekend.

girl that is glitz

xp It still hasn't chipped at the ends of my nails, but it's looking bad down towards the cuticles (one reason why this wasn't a good manicure: she painted my cuticles as well as my nails, so there are some issues down there as my nails grow out). Turns out the worst part is that I really want to take the polish off but I can't because it's no chip and I don't have acetone and time to sit around with foil on my fingers and the fortitude to scrape off the softened polish and I don't know when I'm going to get to a nail place this weekend.

personally i love red and gold together, and the simplicity is v striking. not at all boring!

Can I just take a minute to be happy in a simple way with the progress I've made on my nails this year? I'm not bad at it! It's nice to have one fancy/arty thing even when I'm being a dirtbag otherwise. Now if only boys wanted to date my nails.

I guess what I should say is I'm happy to displace a little of my feminine identity to my nails, which I can do for myself and satisfy some small creative urge, and away from other parts of my appearance.

and they're like 10 tiny art canvasses, on which you can express your creativity and individuality also sparkles and crazy awesomeness.

I've fallen off the nail wagon again after thinking I would stay on it this time. It's all I can do just to keep them neatly trimmed. *hangs head*

I miss biting for the simple fact that I hate filing my nails, heh. I keep them long because I hate trying to file them. I should quit being a cheap ass and just get them professionally done on my lunch once a month and paint in between.

Lately, I've been having a stressful, busy time at work and taking the time at nights once in a while to paint my nails has been very soothing & centering. Put on some music, paint & decompress.

I do it while watching movies. I have a whole little work station with a glass salt cellar for the acetone and a bag for everything when I'm done. It's nice.

For years on and off I've been living in areas where lots of women have fabulous, amazing nail art jobs all the time and I've barely paid any attention, but now that I'm trying to free-hand things I appreciate them so much more, I'm a covert nail inspector on the train and in stores. I feel like kind of an ingrate for not seeing this art all around before.

yeah this thread has made me notice more ppl's nails too! I complimented a checker at Rite Aid last week for her incredible nails, she seemed quite pleased that I noticed :D

Yay masking tape! So much better than scotch tape, my taping technique still needs fine-tuning but it improved from start to finish so I think it's learnable.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Pyramidal.jpg

I cannot stop with the gold glitter apparently.

I wonder if painter's tape would be even better...

Looks good!

I TRIED TO BUY A ROLL OF PAINTER'S TAPE ON THURSDAY. Do you know how much it was? TEN DOLLARS. FOR ONE ROLL. When did that happen??!

WHOA. That's... dumb.

I think the register woman was offended that I didn't believe her and went back to the shelf to get a different roll in case it was an error. No error, somewhat to my embarrassment, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that's a shocking price.

Also I can't say it enough: Seche Vite is a miracle. It makes my nails so deeply shiny that it's hard to even photograph them.

wtf TEN dollars?

that's some bullshit

I'm finna go get my no chip soaked off at the salon yay and I am going to ask if they will do black nail polish with red glitter topcoat because for some reason that's all I can think about on my nails. (I have the gear to do it myself at home but since I have to go for polish removal why not, I ask you?)

Why not, indeed. Glitter glitter glitter glitter.

Bored now.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Daggers.jpg

RAD

my nails are short and unadorned and a bit scraggly because i am so into climbing right now. but i'm going to do them fast and simple right now bc it's party season! :)

WOW!!!!!!!!!!

The angles are really hard! And if the black part is off-center, the silver part will never line up either. So my technique could be better, but it's presentable, at least?

oh SHUT UP
you know that is a spectacular job!! so deco!

Yeah, but my goal is for it to be indistinguishable from a professional job. A regular manicure is around $15 in these parts, but an art one starts at $40 and goes to like $100 and up at a place that specializes. I'll never do the designs that are actually free-hand representational sketching, because I'm awful at that, but I should be able to get the geometric designs as well as anywhere once I work out how best to peel the tape off, how thick to make each color, how to find the center, what looks best, which polishes interact funny.

this is like when you told me that mod people are all sizing up each other's clothes -- totes not a world i live in! i think your nails look super duper great!

this is a cool idea - might test it out on the regular sharpie markers I have kicking around here.

http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/12/mani-monday-new-favorite/

I went a little nuts at Sephora but the set of 15 mini Nails Inc polishes was $22.50!!

And I got some Illamsqua polishes.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8213/8295625544_c469680a5c.jpg

Don't be mad, but one in orbit did my nails, and then I went to my (second) work xmas party with my nails did (and I managed to get my hair really big, and I wrote tall boots) and I felt pretty badass.

That's not a good pic - the base color is a really pretty dark denim blue and the glitter is silvery gold. Perfect for holiday parties.

whoa those are badass orbit nails
#jealous

That looks fab! Great work io!

I painted my nails red, I think I might turn them into presents tomorrow with the help of some silver polish "ribbons." Let's get festive!

someone do snowmen nails plz

ooh absolutely!

Want to see present and snowman nails!

carl, you got a great picture! I don't have a phone/camera that will focus at that close a range, mine are always fuzzy. Will do Lechera's later, woo.

No one has ever taken this amount of care with my hands/nails -- not ever! I have only had 2 professional manicures in my life, but in orbit's was the most caring by far. We did the base part and now I am getting the glitz added today after we go grocery shopping.

I am totally sold on this nail business btw. Going to learn how to trim my cuticles at least.

aw :)

yay!

look, even someone with little shovel-shaped nails can have super fierce dagger lacquer!! thanks L!!!!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8219/8300689824_1c41b6119a.jpg

pretty!

Aw you have nails like me

I took my favourite red polish to do at my parents' and it's gone gloppy and horrible >:(

My pleasure! I spy a cup of coffee on that table. Jealous tbh.

they looked so pretty, but now i have jacked up my nails to the point of no return -- i'm afraid it's endtimes for this mani

also this

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/188ym7db6vgmejpg/xlarge.jpg

wow Jay-Z and Beyonce nails!!!

Who will be the first ilxor to sport the penis manicure.

the phrasing of that is amusing me greatly

Hahaha LL I saved that exact picture from the gawker post <3

My relatives went deliciously nuts with the nail polish, I got about 10 full size bottles and another 20 minis? No little Jay-z/Beyonce faces though. :( I also got a motorized nail shaper/buffer which I tried the other day & seems amazing. And a little hand dryer that doesn't inspire much confidence but is fun all the same.

My mom surprise-got me 3 E Lauder nail polishes under the guise of buying make-up for herself. I love my China Glaze but I have to say, the amount and intensity of the pigments in these is stupendous. I might be a convert to insanely expensive nail polish brands soon.

Trying out my new colours. My application technique leaves something to be desired... also I think it's the Seche base coat that is making some of my polishes go on weirdly :(

http://i49.tinypic.com/2mos753.jpg

I like that purple.

I bought some Seche Vite topcoat at in orbit's recommendation and I like it a lot better than the Sally Hansen combo base and topcoat I was using. It's shiny, it evens out the boundaries between different polish colors (I did black nails with sparkly red tips for NYE. And today since I haven't gotten around to taking it off yet) and my nails still look good today.

I'm thinking about buying an Esse base coat that was highly rated on MUA. We'll see if Target has it.

That was the royal "we." I'm going to Target with Old Bess.

I left my beloved Seche Vite behind so used an Essie fast-dry top coat for the manis I did on holiday but SV is a secret weapon in the war against imperfect paint jobs.

I'm glad it worked for you, carl.

If I don't wash a sinkful of dishes or put my hands in sand or corn meal or scrape at things with my nails, Seche Vite manicures usually last around 3 days in perfect-or-really-good shape and addl days with just a little wear. Also when it starts to chip it tends to come off in rly big pieces bc the top coat holds it together.

If I love a mani and don't have time to re-do, I spot-fix with the base color and then put another layer of SV over the fix to even out the lines, like carl said.

Also when it starts to chip it tends to come off in rly big pieces bc the top coat holds it together.

yup
also when a nail got ruined like that, i just removed the fancy polish and then painted it black until i only had pinkies left with the fancy design (because who uses pinkies to actually do anything?)
is that gauche? i thought it looked alright.

I think "accent nails" are all the rage these days so you're good.

I think it sounds mad stylish plus my heart is warmed that our little project has survived so long.

I just attempted my first fancy paint job and I have two things:
* electrical tape works just as well as masking tape
* making triangles look even and consistent is not as easy as it looks.

I got better toward the end of the 2nd hand but yikes, there's some mess in there.

Still, not as difficult as I expected, which is good for a first try. But there's no chance I'm going to get good at this, that's for sure.

Triangles are the devil, also how many times did I say how much easier they were on another person? A lot. A lot of times.

I can see how this could be fun, that's for sure! You should do little video tutorials for the ILS blog.

Funny, I did chevrons last night! I was lazy & didn't want to wait for the base layer to dry enough for tape, so I free handed it. Turned out well but a little shaky. Annoyingly, I bought myself a beautiful blue Essie polish & that's what I used for a second layer.. what watery, lumpy crap! Just smeared a bit when I put too coat on too, 12 hours later.. sticking to cheap Sally Hansen bottles from now on.

I had a dream last night that LL came over and we compared our nail polish collections.

Anybody tried Zora brand? I bought their black polish to replace the streaky, cruddy Essie polish I had bc it turns out, I wear a lot of black nail polish. I haven't used it yet, though.

Zora gets high marks from nail art blogs! Tell us how you find it to be when you get around to it?

Working from home Monday so probably then. Excited, tbh.

I'm going to attempt black and coral and silver explosions. Wish me luck. :/

And, you know...pray.

New experiment (that explosion one was a failure/never happened, btw).

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Bobbles.jpg

I was ripping off a design from online in which the person had longer nails. Not sure the white branches translate as well short, think in future I'll make it graphically simpler. But it's fun for now.

I think that's my favorite orbit mani yet!

When I am in NYC will you do my nails??? I am envious of LL and it will inspire me to take care of my cuticles.

that looks awesome, l!!
winter is a good time to do nails because it's one of the only areas of exposed skin

It makes me keep my dry awful cuticles in shape, too.

io, that looks great!

Thanks! I'm going to a show tonight, will twiddle my fingers a lot unnecessarily to show them off. q, of course I'll paint your nails if you want, if we can find a time! Sometimes when I finish my own I'm sad to be done already because I have more ideas to try, come on over.

I think LL is onto something about winter being nail time--in summer they're wet and in the sun and sand all the time (well, mine are) and a mani would be p much toast. And you get to have a visible body in the summer and wear light clothes, so there are other ways to feel luxurious and do something for your senses. Winter is a time that needs more color and calls for a little more formality and a harder outer shell to go with fighting the elements. We'll see how long I stay obsessed.

I tend to have painted nails in the winter, and painted toenails in the summer.

i read somewhere on pinterest that pam non-stick spray INSTANTLY dries nail polish, so i gave it a try tonight - i would say it works about 90%

I am pretty sure this is my personal favorite paint job of any I've done:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Manipulative/Electronicladybug.jpg

Cute!

Thx! The pink is really coral-y. I don't know, I just love it.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/17f6a57e5c0712737f34cf94a10b6cc6/tumblr_mh9lhdQglE1rlbyzno1_500.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/fe4bca107a26573b5c0c473c37c5fd2d/tumblr_mh9li8Oozj1rlbyzno1_500.jpg

both ads are from 1965 if this tumblr is to be trusted

nail art brush set for $6 and free shipping!

Those look good! I hope their quality is better than my brushes, some of which have disintegrated from the repeated lashings of acetone, and some of which aren't the right size and shape for details or small lines. I have to go to an art supply store and pick out more specialized ones, but that's okay. Use them in good health and have fun!

I tried a complicated color combination today...didn't like it. Tried a different polka-dot pattern on each finger...didn't like it. Ended up with this, which is same old-same old for me but what can I say--I LOVE IT.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Manipulative/Explosive_zps930ca219.jpg

That is a truly obnoxious orange, btw. Not red, as it may appear.

I got bored.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Manipulative/Multi_zps4547da23.jpg

Is that a little skull and crossbones on your left ring finger?

Whoa, nice work!

Yes, it's a tiny fimo slice made for nail art! I bought a whole kit of them, most of the others are girly, fruit slices, butterflies (which I will never use) but I do like the skulls.

Very cool.

rockin!

You want to hear a very cute story about nails that maybe made me tear up a little? I went to my nail lady for Shellac not last Friday but the one before that and we wound up talking and I told her what's going on in my life. By the time I'd left she said that for the foreseeable future until I adjust to being on one income etc. she's only going to charge me her Groupon price (which is $15 < than the normal price) because she wants me to keep coming and knows how good having nice nails can make you feel. It was so damn sweet.

wow! that's a really lovely gesture

Right?! I totally protested and told her I wouldn't let her but she was really adamant about it and it was just a really nice sweet thing.

Aw, that makes me happy! It's nice to know that people are so kind, and that someone is caring for you in that way (and having nice nails do make you feel better imo).

Aww, E! What a sweet gesture.

Rad nails, L!

OPI and Butter have both gone up in price. I haven't noticed if any other brands have.

My local beauty supply store has stripers in a world of colors for $1.99 each, and a bunch of cheap brands of polish that I don't know anything about for like $5 or something, so I hadn't even noticed!

OMG, Juliana Hatfield just responded to my nail polish question on Twitter.

QUESTION HERE, PLEASE. And the response, naturally!!

^^^

‏@julianahatfield
this is what happens when i go to sephora
@soybombyx
@julianahatfield what shade/brand is the pink one?
‏@julianahatfield
@soybombyx dior lucky, maybe? it's brighter in person

I wanted to know because it looked similar to the one I am wearing now.

I think I am going to go buy Matte About You and also that OPI Onyx stuff that everyone seems to love so much and do black black matte nails for a minute.

(where do I get all this stuff again?)

Sephora or Ulta for sure, or some drug stores sell OPI and Essie.

I've ordered the bulk of my nail stuff from amazon.com at discounted prices from beauty supply stores.

Ya, it'd be difficult for me to pay retail after seeing that both of those products can be gotten for like $5/ea on Amazon (though shipping ain't free)

What I do is usually make a list of the colors or things I want and then see how many of them I can get from the same 1 or 2 beauty supply companies. Usually I can group things together. Doesn't have the instant gratification of retail purchase but then again retail means taking a $2.25 subway ride each way so it probably evens out.

I've been playing with neon-colored matte polishes and these striper brushes in black and silver, it's definitely very compelling, but I miss the graphic simplicity of the geometric paint jobs.

i noticed last time i was at the bookstore that there is a whole fashion magazine devoted to nails now

http://24.media.tumblr.com/e3768fb45d6db1d2485b91c566c7aedf/tumblr_mjb8qeH3Rd1qgp36ro1_1280.jpg

whoa

Galaxy nails!! They are so awesome. I haven't tried 'em because I've never gotten started on sponge-painting, but I might have to.

experimenting with planets/nebulae would be preeeeeeetty cool too
i might try that shit myself tbrr

I want galaxy nails!

Another nail fad I saw mentioned somewhere is turquoise nails, like marbled to look like the stone. It seems to involve a water marble that you spray with hand disinfecting spray, which breaks the surface tension and opens up a bunch of holes.

Aha. http://www.spektorsnails.com/2013/01/turquoise-stone-water-spotted-nails.html

OMG those are amazing.

I can't figure out how to show blogspot imgs but here's another good set: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2iXYwFbEGT8/UQ1rD4mS4bI/AAAAAAAAAu0/keDlUlhu66s/s1600/tumblr_mhiyp835lA1qzw2pco1_1280.png

wow that looks like some kind of weird marble/granite

Anyway, current mani, simple but POW-levels of bright.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Manipulative/Loudstripes_zps1ebbc4fb.jpg

waant the galaxy nails but what is she doing in the 2nd pic? (between pic 1 and 2)

Sponging a metallic color on, I think?

totally gonna try it once i'm done with this air-force-blue I just put on

http://m2.paperblog.com/i/151/1519401/nail-art-2__-galaxy-planets-moon-and-stars-L-ZlKyHl.jpeg

Ulta is carrying Deborah Lippmann nail polish now. I like this shade

I think I saw this on reddit(?) and thought it'd be a fun way to try my first French manicure & use my dotting tool. I'm quite fond of them!

http://instagr.am/p/WpAKHNDbGh/

And... Yes. I belong to nail art subreddits.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/8bf2a1e431015c5c054d990dc3747745/tumblr_mg52a32Ola1roiifvo1_r1_500.jpg

dang

Woo woo!! I've been wanting to do some faux-drips but I don't think I have the skilz. You're tempting me!

My current partial leopard:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Manipulative/PartiLeopard_zps619478f6.jpg

those are fab

nice detail work on the print, damn lady!!

Aw thanks. In retrospect it's actually too busy, next time I will make it with fewer leopard spots so they're more distinct and so you can see the background french nail color, which in this case is lemon yellow.

I tried the galaxy nails and they didn't go quite to plan, mainly because sponging on the (green, pink and purple/blue) coloured polish didn't get much colour on there (also seemed to lift off the underlying colour in one spot? I blame the base coat). Also I was too cheap to find that glitter polish so I used this cool silvery one and smudged it which made a layer of lots of tiny glitters more like spray paint. So it kind of looks like spray-painted shiny motor oil or something but it's ok. Can't get a v good pic.

Apparently there is a whole thing now where some ppl hand-paint their nails to look like either geological formations or difft kinds of cells under microscopes.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/7400a0cdff7fe9d87e1dd7e27828f625/tumblr_mj7mkfW0xF1ro61zvo1_1280.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/27e4039722ca276ca77349abf1582d11/tumblr_mj7mkfW0xF1ro61zvo2_500.jpg

Liver cells:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/a0be05ee25607a27811fb251bdccb237/tumblr_misqk52JCD1ro61zvo2_500.jpg

that's really pretty and i love the idea but looks like a leeeeeetle too much work for something that's gonna last 3 days

That is so awesome. I love the science/nail art intersection.

IT'S COMPLETELY INSANE.

I like the second one better than the first

The amount of time it takes is insane, I was agreeing with Lechera. The geological designs especially are really beaut; I am more mentally than aesthetically interested in the microbiology ones. But either way, ppl really will go to all lengths for inspiration. The tumblr Base Coat Top Coat is FULL of remarkable work.

Oh yeah, totally insane. I can't imagine how long it would take to do them.

and I mean, long enough for someone else to do them on yr nails. but doing them on your own, with all that detail? uhhhh no

This is about as much work as I can handle:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Manipulative/OneWayDown_zpsba443d9e.jpg

that is AMAZING, my favorite yet!

Yeah, I'm figuring out the capabilities of the striper brushes on the little jars! For $2 each, I'm going back to the beauty supply store and buying 6 more colors.

Kinda stole my inspiration from this person, whose work I really admire: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/nail-art

Sorry, that should be: ladyfancynails.com

matzah nails

omg you have to post that on the HEY JEWS thread!

ok!!

Nail Polish Marbled Eggs

My favorite one, conceptually, in a while, I bring you my new pizzazzy air quote nails:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Manipulative/Airquota_zps8b98d760.jpg

FYI photobooth flips pictures around so let me assure you that the open and closed quotes are on the correct sides to a viewer facing me.

The acetone does make my cuticles rough, though, as does public restroom hand soap. Excuse me while I moisturize.

!!! Awesome.

Those are super badass! Nice work.

I would go around air quoting everything everywhere.

"I" "am."

cell imaging nails so awesome!!

I am almost completely done with a 5-color fishtail mani and swear to god I am never doing this again, it takes forever and there is so much polish on my nails it's measurable with a ruler. Photos as soon as the right hand is dry enough to topcoat.

Okay, here goes:

http://24.media.tumblr.com/7c2e37635bd3740730c63595888c17f5/tumblr_mkk052ru6M1s9ce2qo1_500.jpg

!!!

You cannot be serious. How is that even done?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6sUV5fPfafw/UJt50DnSgoI/AAAAAAAAKJY/kARHuOw_IbU/s640/Fishtail+manicure+tutorial.jpg

I made a simple tumblr to keep track of these, too--I'm getting so technologically savvy in my old age.

http://liabilitynails.tumblr.com/

goddamn you deserve a beer or 3 after all that. CRIKEY! Also: beautiful!!

amazing!

Laurel, your nails are a wonder

you come up with the coolest color combos! Love it.

Oh, thanks! I feel like I just rip them off from nails I find online. Actually I'm kind of idly musing whether there's a pattern I'd like to make "mine" in a trademark way, or a style that isn't already common that I feel rly works for me. If I'm going to do these more, do I want to keep returning to something recognizable of my own instead of just copying other people's work that interests me? Etc.

I bought striping tape and little beads and jewels for even femme-ier stuff, think I will use my mom as a guinea pig for the crystals and beads. The striping tape is SO thin that it's not useful for making lines because the paint closes in over top of it.

Laurel your fishtail nails are awesome! especially loving the use of brown and green

loving this blog and want to order about 50 000 polishes now:
http://www.lacquerized.com

I talked my mother into buying Butter London base & top coats and 2 colors and gave her my two colors and I think I got her hooked.

Trying gradients now.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/ce3bd9e4b8473500469e26b6b1aca421/tumblr_mkwj3jZeDo1s9ce2qo1_500.jpg

The impetus for gradienting was that I finally bought a bag of those foam make-up sponges. I love things that require the proper tools.

fun!

So citrusy!

Is Butter London topcoat worth the $$$? I like Seche Vite but would like to find a comparable topcoat that's 3- or 4- free.

Anybody tried Natalie Dee's polishes? I'm v interested in this one: http://superblacklacquers.com/products/torque

My feeling about Butter London, discussed here I think? is that if you use their polishes, you need their base and top coats. No info on how the topcoat performs with other brands.

And I love the colors, too! Just bought the coral red, which is OPI "My Paprika Is Hotter than Yours," and the red + yellow combo reminds me of a peach.

I'm looking for a very particular blue this season that I haven't quite found yet. A royal blue that is just slightly "electric blue." Saw the shade I want in a photo but I don't remember if it credited the polish. So...a little mission!

Ooh actually this might be it: http://www.shopncla.com/products/venice-beach-vixen

Or maybe this, although it's out of stock: http://www.julep.com/shop/nail-color/gunta.html

The Butter polishes have been lasting better for me but I have been using their base and top coats. It is the only basecoat I have ever used that didn't make the polish go bubbly.

I would buy a polish called Grassy Knoll just because it's called Grassy Knoll.

I mean, I bought No Means No because what kind of name is that?!?!?!?

Also, it is purple.

BOOM

http://25.media.tumblr.com/6e58bf5697671f23eed13703d3b03b9e/tumblr_ml5q6oaj6s1s9ce2qo1_500.jpg

Whoa, neat! That looks vaguely Masonic, or like some kind of secret society symbolism. I like it.

Next time I come to nyc, will you do my nails?

Yeah, sure! Just fyi designs that need to be taped off can take several hours to dry enough to do all the steps--this is not a fast process. But devoted followers of this thread get freebies. :)

Count me as a devotee!

While you are funemployed, maybe you wanna take a trip to Mexico? I brought Seche Vite down!