calling all nail polish aficionados!

[belle]

for mrs s...

the pic didn't capture the deep, deep zingy red that is apparent in this color but i think you can get a good enough idea of the overall tone. it really has a great *spark* in person.

 

[Giada]

I found a GREAT color at Sally Beauty Supply yesterday. I always go into Sally to get my Gina Polish Remover (it''s the best!) and I thought I''d look for a new polish. I''m an Essie devotee, so I wasn''t sure I''d like anything at Sally. I picked up a bottle of Orly "Angel Face" and thought it was really pretty and that for $4, I shoudl give it a try. To my delight, it is a perfect pale pink with just the right amount of sheerness and just the right amount of opacity. I really love it!

I''m not sure about the staying power, but I''ll update with that in a few days.

 

[diamondfan]

Make sure there is no oil or residue on your nails when you polish them. It could also be the base and top coat you are using. OPI has big fans but there are many who do not love it, same with Essie. I really thought all polish was basically the same key ingredients, but maybe not. I know that having a really clean nail bed prior to polishing is important. Sometimes my polish holds up and sometimes not, it also depends if I am in water a lot (wear gloves to do any tasks) and the weather...and how much I am using my hands.

 

[risingsun]

Need to edit...

 

[risingsun]

Date: 1/15/2008 9:27:38 PM
Author: dancingqueen
I love OPI bubble bath and sweetheart. I only use one coat with high-shine clear on top.

I use--and love--the very same combo

I much prefer OPI to Essie for coverage and application.

 

[Gemma12]

Date: 1/20/2008 12:03:52 PM
Author: diamondfan
Make sure there is no oil or residue on your nails when you polish them. It could also be the base and top coat you are using. OPI has big fans but there are many who do not love it, same with Essie. I really thought all polish was basically the same key ingredients, but maybe not. I know that having a really clean nail bed prior to polishing is important. Sometimes my polish holds up and sometimes not, it also depends if I am in water a lot (wear gloves to do any tasks) and the weather...and how much I am using my hands.

Ditto to this-when I''m doing mine at home, I swipe the nail with some remover on a cotton bud to get any moisturiser etc off.

At the moment I''m using OPI nail envy as a ''base and top coat'' as my nails are traumatised from being in and out of water all day. It''s kicking! Polish usually lasts 2-3 days tops on me but this manicure has lasted nearly a week.

 

[ecf8503]

Try using a priming product like OPI Chip Skip or just plain rubbing alcohol as a cleansing step. Some polish removers have moisturizing oils in them, so using removers as a primer doesn''t always work. Alcohol is cheap - and works great!

A great combo of products is this (in order):

1) rubbing alcohol or OPI ChipSkip type product as a primer / cleaner
2) Nailtek II Ridgefilling Foundation
3) Orly Bonder
4) 2-3 coats of whatever polish you are using
5) Revlon Colorstay topcoat (in duo packs at the Dollar Store - reduces "shrinkage" from the fast-dry top coats)
6) Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat (or equivalent... Poshe is great too!)

Refresh your mani every day with a fresh coat of the Colorstay topcoat or Orly Glosser - this will greatly extend wear.

 

[divergrrl]

guess an ulta trip is in order...

 

[ecf8503]

Date: 1/23/2008 2:28:44 AM
Author: divergrrl
guess an ulta trip is in order...

If you have a Sally Beauty Supply, get a savings card there. It''s about $5, but you''ll get a HUGE discount on things - the SV top coat is like $9-10 at Ulta, etc - under $5 at Sally''s with a card. They also have Orly polishes, and actually their Fingerpaints line of polishes is VERY good. Rumor has it they''ll be carrying China Glaze polishes soon as well.

Online etailers are also a great resource / money saver. I rarely buy anything in person anymore unless I "have to have it now" (which isn''t often). There are several great sites you can order everything you''d need - for prices greatly under retail, as they are beauty supply sites, they just sell to the public too. This is good news for OPI lovers, as OPI raised their retail prices to ((gulp!!)) $8.50 a bottle on the 1st of the year....

www.8ty8beauty.com
www.head2toebeauty.com
www.transdesign.com

 

[divergrrl]

Ok, so I am off to Ulta this morning & I need some advice before I go. I have a list a mile long from this thread.
PS Enabling strikes again. LOL. I have a gift card burning a hole in my pocket for Ulta & I don''t need makeup so this is a great idea!

Experts please advise: I have thin nails that peel & cracked ragged cuticles because I spend so much time washing my hands. Between 2 kids in diapers, I must wash my hands a million times a day. I try to remember to use a nice hand cream afterwards & have them at every sink so I don''t forget. I also wear gloves when I wash bottles, clean, etc, and it really helps.

So my question:

Can I use my OPI Nail Envy as a ridge filler/base coat? I love the stuff & have a brand new bottle. I haven''t polished my nails much in years (though I love it and it keeps my nails from peeling & they actually grow if I keep polish on) because of small babies..it always seems my manicure chips off in a day. (hence why I love Essie Mademoiselle, chips don''t really stand out)

When I was a working girl with no kiddies I used to get bi-weekly manicures & they''d last me about 10 days. I always did a refresh with top coat every other day, but I wonder if its because the nail tech prepped the nail and used other products. All I''ve ever used at a home manicure goes like this:

Nail Envy
Polish (1, maybe 2 coats)
Nail Envy as top coat.

I tried the whole Creative Line (Stickey, etc & it wasn''t meant for my skin type...it flaked off...Same thing with Seche Vite top coat, came off in huge flakes in a day)...I guess its true, certain things work for certain skin/nail chemistries.

But I used to use Out the Door & I love it. Haven''t seen it in years, I wonder if Ulta even has it.

I have used the Revlon Color Stay combo in Sheer Camisole, and it was like a super opaque bubble bath. It also made my nails peel...it didn''t chip, but when I got the polish off, my nails were all jacked up underneath. I wonder if I prep the nail better & just use the top coat?

Ok...so here''s my list:

Rubbing Alcohol (or chip skip if Ulta has it in a gift pack with another color I like..sometimes they do)
Crystal File (might help my tender nails!)

(which of the following do I need, or are they duplicating each other?)
OPI Start to Finish
Nailtek II Ridge Filler
Orly Bonder

Poshe Fast Dry or Out the door (which has faster drying time/staying power)

And then I am going to grab some Limoscene cuz I want to try it.

Anything I''m missing?

Ok, and lastly, did anyone see the latest InStyle? It said the hottest new color for fingernails this spring is Blue Satin by Chanel. Its a shimmery dark blue. Oh boy. I don''t work, so I don''t have to worry about appropriateness in a board room...but is 37 too old to try that?

Gosh I love you ladies...its so nice to be able to chat about this stuff on here. You are my water cooler since I don''t have office girlfriends to chat about this stuff with over lunch/coffee breaks.

 

[divergrrl]

ECF: Thanks for the heads up on Sally! I'm only going to ulta cuz of the gift card.

I love 8ty8....I get a lot of stuff there too. Easier than lugging kids around.

ETA: I just filled my shopping cart at 8ty8.....their stuff is such a better deal....i'll use my gift card for something else....thanks for the reminder!

 

[ecf8503]

Date: 1/23/2008 1:18:05 PM
Author: divergrrl
Ok, so I am off to Ulta this morning & I need some advice before I go. I have a list a mile long from this thread.

PS Enabling strikes again. LOL. I have a gift card burning a hole in my pocket for Ulta & I don''t need makeup so this is a great idea!


Experts please advise: I have thin nails that peel & cracked ragged cuticles because I spend so much time washing my hands. Between 2 kids in diapers, I must wash my hands a million times a day. I try to remember to use a nice hand cream afterwards & have them at every sink so I don''t forget. I also wear gloves when I wash bottles, clean, etc, and it really helps.


So my question:


Can I use my OPI Nail Envy as a ridge filler/base coat? I love the stuff & have a brand new bottle. I haven''t polished my nails much in years (though I love it and it keeps my nails from peeling & they actually grow if I keep polish on) because of small babies..it always seems my manicure chips off in a day. (hence why I love Essie Mademoiselle, chips don''t really stand out)


When I was a working girl with no kiddies I used to get bi-weekly manicures & they''d last me about 10 days. I always did a refresh with top coat every other day, but I wonder if its because the nail tech prepped the nail and used other products. All I''ve ever used at a home manicure goes like this:


Nail Envy

Polish (1, maybe 2 coats)

Nail Envy as top coat.


I tried the whole Creative Line (Stickey, etc & it wasn''t meant for my skin type...it flaked off...Same thing with Seche Vite top coat, came off in huge flakes in a day)...I guess its true, certain things work for certain skin/nail chemistries.


But I used to use Out the Door & I love it. Haven''t seen it in years, I wonder if Ulta even has it.


I have used the Revlon Color Stay combo in Sheer Camisole, and it was like a super opaque bubble bath. It also made my nails peel...it didn''t chip, but when I got the polish off, my nails were all jacked up underneath. I wonder if I prep the nail better & just use the top coat?


Ok...so here''s my list:


Rubbing Alcohol (or chip skip if Ulta has it in a gift pack with another color I like..sometimes they do)

Crystal File (might help my tender nails!)


(which of the following do I need, or are they duplicating each other?)

OPI Start to Finish

Nailtek II Ridge Filler

Orly Bonder


Poshe Fast Dry or Out the door (which has faster drying time/staying power)


And then I am going to grab some Limoscene cuz I want to try it.


Anything I''m missing?


Ok, and lastly, did anyone see the latest InStyle? It said the hottest new color for fingernails this spring is Blue Satin by Chanel. Its a shimmery dark blue. Oh boy. I don''t work, so I don''t have to worry about appropriateness in a board room...but is 37 too old to try that?


Gosh I love you ladies...its so nice to be able to chat about this stuff on here. You are my water cooler since I don''t have office girlfriends to chat about this stuff with over lunch/coffee breaks.

Here''s (more of) my 2 cents:

I have 2 little ones and had / have peeling tips. I use the Essie glass nail file (MUCH better than an emery board!) then "seal" the edges with one of those multi-grit buffers (I only buff my actual nail ridges occasionally, then leave the nail surface a bit rough - helps the polish stick. If you buff the nailbed itself to a high shine, then when you go to use a product, it will slide right off!)... I use the superfine "final step" for sealing the tips - use it like an emery or file, and "file" until the tips are shiney (that makes sure all the layers of nail are sealed together).

Nail Envy is fine - I''d use it on the nail itself after an alcohol wipe. Then use an actual basecoat over that - Bonder is great. I use Nailtek II Ridgefilling Foundation (it''s slightly opaque - not the intensive therapy, which is clear). I''ve stated using Bonder over the Nailtek. When I used Bonder alone as a basecoat, I actually think it made my nails peel more! Nailtek II RF Foundation is supposed to help peelies too, and I do think it has helped.

Then polish...

Then (for me) a quick dry top coat. I love Seche Vite, but others love Poshe (those are the "big 2"). Sally''s has INM Out The Door, Poshe, SV, China Glaze, Orly, etc products too. But some people experience "shrinkage" with the fast dry tc''s - where the tip pulls back a bit and makes it look like you have tip wear when you don''t. Since I''ve stated using the Colorstay tc under the fast dry the shrinkage is gone! Dunno why... chemistry thing, I think!

I don''t think Nail Envy is supposed to be used as a top coat, but I could be wrong - I don''t have it. I know the Nailtek II Intensive Therapy (the clear stuff) can be used as a daily "touch up" top coat. But, when I used it as a base, my polish peeled off in sheets!

Get Creative''s Cuticle Eraser - it''s an AHA cuticle cream and use it at night for sure.

Burt''s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Balm is great - often I''ll use that over the Cuticle Eraser at night for a little extra help.

I also have fallen in love with the L''Occitane hand cream - and I''ve tried a lot! Love that -

Navy polish is very "in" right now. Chanel Blue Satin is quite honestly prettier in the bottle than on - it ise VERY dark - almost black looking. I was disappointed, actually. For a nice navy polish try OPI''s Russian Navy from their fall ussian collection. Also they are supposed to have a new navy coming out with the India collection which will be out on Feb 6.

For the most part, wear what you want! I''m almost 37, and I have navy polish on today - I love it! It makes ME happy to look at it. But... I am a SAHM, and my "outings" consist of pre-school and Target.

No one there cares - but if I worked, then I''d say go with what is appropriate for your working environment.

I attached a pic of Chanel Blue Satin - it''s pretty true to life - VERY dark in all but the brightest lights! Save your money - get OPI Russian Navy (shimmer) (I LOVE this one), Color Club Naughtycal Navy (dark navy creme), Sally Hansen Navy Venom, or Sally Hansen After Midnight, or get a lighter blue from Chanel called Azur and layer it over Blue Satin - then it will look like a truer blue, and beautiful!

HTH!!!!!!!!! Have fun at Ulta!

 

[Gemma12]

Thanks for the tips ECF!

I should have mentioned, my remover does not have moisturiser in it which is why it works as well as it does.

The Nail Envy instructions say that, if you polish, to keep applying it over the top of the polish every 2nd day like usual. I don't know if it works as well, though! It works really well on my nails as a base coat-as I say, usually polish only lasts a couple of days on me, with NE it's closer to a week and I use my hands a LOT.

I love L'Occitane hand cream-my other favourite is Jurlique. At night especially in winter I use Lanolin, straight up, but some people can have reactions to this.

ETA: Oh, and I LOVE OPI Russian Navy.

 

[ecf8503]

Wow - Nail Envy sounds a lot like Nailtek II Intensive Therapy. I''ve never tried NE - maybe I should! Sounds like a good basecoat!

 

[Gemma12]

Well, it works really well for me! Sounds like you are incredibly knowledgable re nails-hope I don''t steer you wrong!

My nails used to just snap rather than peel or split but with NE that''s less of a problem.

(Sorry belle to totally thread-jack!!)

 

[belle]

no problem gemma! it''s all helpful info

thanks everyone!