Nail Polish [ Edited ]

[#1]

Hey all -

I just ordered and received some nail polish (the 3 OPI's that made that Ombre-sparkle-ish nail effect on the home page) and have a couple more I wanted to do tonight, tomorrow AM at the latest. Hoping you could give me some help. Here goes...

1 - Does anyone have any experience with The New Black Polishes (8 pc Barometer set is what I have in mind)

2 - any good suggestions for a base coat, a top coat and a White nail polish? I'm super white with a tendency to look a bit pink or purple ish so I don't know if that helps you out with recommendations (I'll be using dots of color on top to make a Polka-Dot Mani)

3 - In the video I saw the girl used nail polish thinner with her 'dot' colors. I've never used and am not familiar with thinners? Do they smell awful? If so, does the smell go away? Are they harmful or toxic?

I think that's everything, although I'm pretty sure that I'll think of something else as soon as I send this. Sorry to post this so last minute. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated, If you have any additional info that I may not have asked for but you think may be helpful, please post away, I'm always happy to have lots of info and tricks. Thanks for your time everybody, I really do appreciate it. I'm gonna take a nap and then try to come back and order, hopefully.

I also wanted to say thanks for the 500 heart party!! I'll go back to the party later or tomorrow with a more formal 'thank you' It may seem silly but it meant a lot to me, I really appreciated it!

ps - hope not too many typos, etc. my bad.

***pps -- Does anybody know if there are any VIB Promos out there? Mine are not yet coming, we're working on getting the emails coming.

Also, does anyone have any experiences, either good or bad, with the OPI for Sephora Nail Trend Tips or similar products?

[#2]

I just bought the New Black ombré set in Floyd, the pinks. So far, I've only painted one color on each nail from lightest to darkest. I absolutely love it for some reason, and I've gotten a few compliments on my toes. ( which makes me happy). I plan to get a few more sets and was looking at the eight piece set, but I'm not sure what to do with it. Just thought I'd share that,. Also, the OPI base coat and top coat I bought at sephora work well for everyday. My mani will last about seven days, unless I do hard cleaning. My pedi lasts about two weeks, maybe more if I'm not in sand. I've never had luck with a good white nail polish going on even. The ones I've tried always go on streaky and weird. Oh, and yay for 500 hearts!

[#3]

I'm not a nail guru, but about the VIB promo, haven't seen any that's VIB specific but there are a ton of other promos still active aside from those on the weekly special and fragrance deals:

15days - yep, still available.

dandelion or fandelion - blush + lip gloss set

liplove - buxom lip pencil

firm - algenist moisturizer

benefiance - Shiseido eye cream

7days - Lancome serum

ptrserum - PTR retinol serum

muradx2 - murad cream + serum

Bobbieye - Bobbi Brown eye cream

Wildrose - Wild Rose facial mask

prime28 - Hourglass primer No.28. Comes in a classy transluscent glass bottle. I got this but haven't used it yet.

Beautee - tshirt

(yes, I keep a beauty calendar and spreadsheet about these kind of things =X)

[#4]

Hi kssweetheart,

I've used The New Black Polishes. I haven't tried the Barometer set but I have used  Floyd, which is the pink ombre collection . I really like the concept, the polish formulas are creamy and provide full coverage so I only need a coat or two. 

I've been really into Butter London's Nail Foundation base coat, it gives my nails a matte canvas. For top coats I've been using Julep's Fast Dry Top Coat which gives my nails a super glossy finish. Try Illamasqua's Scorch, which is a pure white nail polish, it's very opaque making it ideal for dotting.

The nail thinner that I own doesn't smell too bad, I use it very sparingly and only to revive my clumpy polishes. I am not familiar with the the specific health risks associated with polish thinners; I would recommend reading the back of one's bottle to see if they are harmful/toxic.

Congrats on hitting the 500 heart mark!

[#5]

Hi kssweetheart,

I love The New Black polish--it is so pigmented that often you can just get away with one coat--they also make an amazing opaque white. The white is only sold in a kit but totally worth it if you need something really opaque for nail art. As far as base and top coat I would try the Butter London. The base coat looks a bit like a foundation color but really makes the polish go on smooth and the top coat is SO shiny. I never really thought there was a difference in top coats until I saw this

one--there is nothing else like it.

  

Sephora by O.P.I Trend Tips are totally amazing. They aren't stickers they are laquer so they will dry out but they look so great and aren't thick at all on the nail. If you put a topcoat on top it last for way more than a week! I am really hard on my nails and I was shocked at how long they lasted.

Have fun with your Mani-session!

-Helen

[#6]

you won't believe this, but try this experiment for opaque white. WHITE-OUT! Yes, white out. Experiment with it first, but that's what I've heard a long time ago. Real, old , whiteout.I know you can still buy it. I think it also depends on the brand and the type of white-out, but a long time ago, yes, I heard that whiteout is good opaque white nail polish. Don't blame me if it doesn't work out, but that's what I heard. crazy!