Show Me Your Nails 2.0

[Tamara76]

Due to some technical glitches with the original Show Me Your Nails Thread, I am starting a new thread with @vegchililover78's blessing (She says "hello," by the way!).

Please share your nail looks, nail art and manicures!

...And don't forget to check out @Beadshopgirl's Nail Stamping Thread for stamping inspiration! ❤️  

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Nailed-It/The-Nail-Stamping-Thread/m-p/3328865

[WinglessOne]

Thanks @RGbrown ! Regal AF was well worth the extended wait! 

A-England is odd... 

Spoiler

Even at their own site, where they describe some polishes as "blazing holo," their promo photos are completely holo-less. Normally I'd chalk that up to how tricky is can be to capture holos on camera. But now that I've tried 2 polishes that supposedly have some holo glitter (Dragon does, but I dare someone to show me any trace of rainbow in St. George), I'm very unlikely to buy anything else from this brand. I love Dragon, but I don't trust the brand's shade descriptions, and who knows if other polishes misbehave like St. George. 

I redid my St. George nail this morning because the original goopy application bothered me. This time I used a single fairly thin coat. That got me full opacity but still no self-leveling, so I had to go in with a second very thin coat to try smoothing things out. I keep thinking of how some Londontown Lakurs are frighteningly patchy on coat one but magically smooth out on coat two. St. George isn't like that. (Eh, I'll still try thinning it though.) And the shimmer's no more evident in one coat than it was in two—plus, I still don't see anything remotely holographic here. And this is from someone who's not a linear holo fan. Here I am hunting for a rainbow, however faint, that supposedly exists, and being very disappointed that it's not there. 🤣 

If Color4Nails accepted returns, this polish would be one. At least I didn't pay full price, and I can maybe use it as a base color. I might do a brush swap between St. George and Dragon, though. 

I do have a label maker, but ordered smaller tape to fit the swatch sticks. I've done that Sharpie "what the heck did this used to say" dance too many times with other acrylic surfaces to take chances. 🙂 At some point, I'll build a personal database of nail swatch photos (same with lip swatches) so I can easily find things by color family and/or finish and do side-by-side comparisons. Meanwhile, swatch sticks will be helpful as you mentioned. 

On the day I plan to remove a mani, I sometimes throw a white or black quick-dry polish over my thumbs (sometimes also other nails) and then swatch a few polishes over them, to see how they work together. I like using my thumbs for this because I can swatch 4-6 shades on one nail that way, in very close proximity, for easy comparison. I'm about to remove all polish from my nails anyway, so why not play a little first? Swatch sticks are still a good reference tool, of course. 

[RGbrown]

@WinglessOne 

I'm sorry to hear St George was such a dud. I'm sure thinner will help with the texture, but yeah, their holo (or lack thereof) is a bit disappointing. I can't remember which one now, but one of mine is the same...it's supposed to be a holo, but if it's got any, it's dang near impossible to detect 😐

Speaking of skinny tape (yes! Worth it!), I saw someone once that said they just use the wider tape and then cut them all down before sticking them on. What?!? Nope nope nope, I couldn't imagine adding that to the to-do list while doing these up 😳😂

I definitely had to make a couple of educated guesses while labeling my older sticks, ones that had gone completely blank. I'm fairly certain I got them right, but I'm not sure I'll ever know 100% unless I lay out all of my polishes and match up the sticks with them. Not happening, not any time soon at least 😋

[Saradestin]

Wow @WinglessOne !! Gorgeous mani! I love when you post because your manis have so many different colors! It is like a nail polish museum in your hands! 😍 But what has amazed me the most, is that we seem to read each other’s minds 😁 Yesterday I painted my nails with Cadillacquer Eivor, one of the only two purchases from the recent Color4Nails sale. And it is by far my favorite thermal I own! The changes happen so quickly and they are so intense! 😵 As you said, I can have nails in all stages!

[WinglessOne]

Thanks @Saradestin ! I knew someone else in this thread had ordered Eivor but couldn't remember who. Now I know! This polish is a hyperactive mood ring. 🤣 At some point, I'll use it on all or most of my nails for maximum fun times. I also need to put Regal AF on more nails in a future mani, because it's even more reactive than Eivor, amazingly. 

I try to group all the colors in a mani into a cohesive story/theme. Sometimes I have to force a newly acquired shade or 2 to comply because I just wanna test 'em. Such is the case with St. George this time: it doesn't really fully work with the other shades on my left hand, but I'm forcing that blackened teal to anchor all the purples/mauves, with Pale Horse as a transition shade. I don't often use just one shade on all 10 nails. At most, I'll do 8 nails in one shade with 2 accent nails. I like variety in my manis. Of course, a full 10 nails of Eivor is a lot of variety anyway. 💚 

[Titian06]

Great colors, @WinglessOne !  Your descriptions are wonderful.  I really like Ivo and Dragon, but they're all great!

[WinglessOne]

Thank you @Titian06 ! Dragon is so perfectly named. Its exact shade of green, subdued coppery shimmer, and subtle holo rainbow work together to create a dragon skin appearance. It's definitely one of my faves from this bunch. 

[itsfi]

Getting in this post before the fireworks show officially starts.🎆

Fourth of July 2022

SEPHORA COLLECTION Color Hit Mini Nail Polish L41 Cherry Popsicle (thumb), a red creme in a teeny tiny bottle. If someone said this isn't a terribly unique shade or that it's like every red cream polish, I wouldn't necessarily disagree. At the same time, like every red creme polish in my collection, this one, to me, is different. It just is. lol. The formula is on the thinner side; this is 3 coats.

NCLA United States of Glitter (index and pinky fingers) applied over a clear base coat. The polish itself is a clear base with red, blue and silver hexagonal glitters scattered throughout. Best to dab on these glitters. Also best to use a thin top coat well after the clear base to this polish has dried; otherwise, some of the glitters will pull towards the fingernail tip and can get a smidge gummy.

OPI Super Trop-i-cali-fiji-istis (middle finger) is certainly not a name that rolls easily off the tongue, but the blue creme shade is simple and beautiful. Very easy to work with; here, we have just one coat.

NCLA Ask the Magic 8 Ball (ring finger) is my new favorite white creme polish. Super easy to apply, minimal-to-no-streakiness that I find common in most white cream polishes. I was impressed that this was one coat. A second one would have been ideal, but I was in a hurry and just hoped that the top coat with smooth over one very small spot, and it did! 

[ather]

@itsfi  Perfect 4th of July nails! I love them!

[itsfi]

@ather, thank you! I think this may be the first year I did my nails for the holiday. Took the long weekend off and made it about sleep, BBQ, masks, and mani’s. 😂 

[ather]

@itsfi  Wow that sounds like the best long weekend ever!!! Hopefully you had time to see your family too!!

[itsfi]

@ather, it was a really nice weekend. Some family and friends were out of town on vacation but I did grab breakfast with my dad on the Fourth. 

[ather]

@itsfi  that’s the best! 

[RGbrown]

@itsfi 

Love it all, especially the glitter!  ✨❤️🤍💙

[itsfi]

The glitter is the best @RGbrown! 😁

[Titian06]

Great mani, @itsfi ! ❤🤍💙  

[itsfi]

@Titian06, thank you! 😃 The NCLA polishes were part of a sub box that I’ve long since canceled, but this was the first time I used both. Sorta makes me wonder what else has gone unused. 🤨 Ack!! 😱 

[Skunk12puzzola]

@itsfi pretty mani 💙🤍💗✨

[itsfi]

@Skunk12puzzola, thank you. 🙂 It’s nice to work through my polishes. 

[eshoe]

What a joyful little tribute, @itsfi! The blue and red shades have just the right amount of intensity to them, and the glitter is fireworks worthy 🇺🇸

[itsfi]

@eshoe, thank you. 🙂 The red and blue worked out well. 

[Saradestin]

I love it so much @itsfi ! So cute! It looks so festive! It is like you have all the party confetti on your nails! 😍😍😍😍