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

[ather]

@Titian06  Aww that’s so sweet of you to say! 

[RGbrown]

@ather 

Ahhhhh, regular polish or gel? With texture being an issue, I'm gonna guess regular? Chrome powder can be tricky with regular polish, it takes a little more work, but it can be done!

1. Paint nails whatever base color you want. Timing is tricky on the next step, so you may want to do this one at a time until you get the hang of it. 

2. Wait for the polish to reach the magic moment of "still damp, but dry enough to lightly touch without smudging" and rub your powder on gently. Powder will not stick to dry polish, but if it's too wet, you've got a mess, so timing is key! Finger or foam applicator are the standard directions, but if you have a stamper, these work great too, and you're less likely to accidentally smear your polish base. Rub the powder on the stamper, then stamp it gently on the nail. 

Alternative step 2: instead of waiting for the magic moment and being frustrated at missing it, let your base dry completely, then add a layer of Orly Bonder (or any sticky base coat) and let that dry. It'll be tacky enough to grab the powder. I find the result here isn't quite as perfectly smooth, Orly Bonder has a touch of texture, but it's close, and a good compromise when you don't want to mess with tricky timing.

3. Solvents in most topcoats will ruin the chrome finish (I'm guessing this is where your texture came in), so a water based topcoat is required next*

4. Once your water based topcoat is dry, top it all off with your normal topcoat.

*Some powders are actually somewhat solvent resistant. I've got a Young Nails powder that came with a solvent-based topcoat, and that tc works for that powder. That tc did NOT work for some of my other powders though...some need a water-based tc. Maniology Smudge Free is recommended often, though I recently realized it's solvent-based, not water-based, so I don't know that it'll be a universal solution for all powders. I have OPI's water-based tc, it came in a set with a couple of their powders that I found at Burke's...not sure how easy it is to find at other sources. 

Opacity is based on the powder afaik; there's not a way (that I know of, at least) to make one less opaque. Maybe look for one that's more translucent/iridescent than full blown chrome? It's not something I've taken a deep dive into, I'm not sure exactly what your options are, but I do know OPI Tin Man Can is one that some folks are hunting down and using.

I know you didn't get the result you were looking for, but these are lovely nonetheless! I like the green flash 💚✨

[ather]

@RGbrown  Thanks for taking the time to help!! I think the “magic moment” is my issue. I wonder if gel would be easier? So tin can man is the one they use for the donut glaze nails but I don’t think it is available here in Canada or I haven’t seen it anywhere. I’ve also heard that it’s pretty hard to find in the states now too since the donut nails have become a thing. I’m wondering if my powder is not opaque and that’s why I didn’t get the effect I wanted. Maybe. And maybe I put to much powder on so it created the texture I’m seeing. I may try again with no colour or a very light colour and see what I get. To be honest I watched so many videos and they made it look so easy. I guess they didn’t mention the magic timing or I missed it. Oops lol. Ahh well. It does have a nice reflective. 

[RGbrown]

@ather 

If OPI powders are available in Canada, they'll likely only be at pro suppliers...OPI markets them with their gel polish, and only sells their gels to licensed techs (officially, at least, at least here in the US). I would imagine it's tough to find these days though, as the trend has definitely caused a rush 😛 

(PolishPick says the powders are discontinued, that OPI isn't even making them anymore, so if that's true, it seriously adds to the difficulties in finding that one!)

If you are comfortable with gel it's definitely the easiest way to use powders...simply rub it on over a no-wipe topcoat, then add another layer of tc on top. No messing with fussy timing! 

[ather]

@RGbrown  I do use gels when my nails are getting finicky or if I’m going on vacation so I don’t need to worry about chips and redoing them. Maybe I’ll have to try it with my gels I have. 

[RGbrown]

A couple of deals at Sally Beauty!

$5 MT (includes the new fall collection, but oddly excludes last holiday's leftovers and Clueless) 

25% off Nailboo polish & dip

And they've also got 15% off BOPIS orders (ends today, 8/20), which should stack automatically (that makes MT $4.25!)

 

[CookieGirl1]

@RGbrown so, uh, how many have you bought so far? 😂

[RGbrown]

@CookieGirl1 

Zero! 😳

(Sally doesn't have anything left that I want...I've got nearly all the MT they carry 😅 I also feel like their selection has gone way down...pretty sure last I shopped, they had more like 70+ shades, and there were actually still a couple I wanted)

[Saradestin]

Thank you @RGbrown ! But I am done for this month 🙈😅

[RGbrown]

@Saradestin 

I totally understand that! 

[RGbrown]

I had a couple of other manis lined up before these, but couldn't resist letting the polishes my sis brought back for me jump ahead in line 💕

First up, Cirque Ghost Rose: a milky white base loaded up with vibrant pink shimmer and a pinch of teeny tiny holo microflakies. I tried it two ways, over Zoya Libby (lavender/pink jelly, pinky, index, and thumb) and over Butter Mellow The Yellow (sheer white, ring and middle). I'm not sure my pics fully convey the difference, but it's definitely pinker over the pink base (shocking 🤭), with less visible nail line. It's a lovely shade, especially if you like subtle, and I think it would make a great base for art. I used two coats here...if starting with a bare nail, I definitely would have needed at least three, if not more (assuming my end goal is full opacity, as it normally is). 

Shade

Full sun

And the statement polish of this mani... Cadillacquer The Dark 

Hubba hubba, what a fun polish! The description at WUN says it's a green polish, but I swear the base is a dark and grungy, sort of asphaltic navy blue. It's loaded with orange/gold/green flakies and a dose of silver and purple reflective glitter. Three coats for opacity, easy though. Smooth after one coat of topcoat, which I wasn't sure would happen...the first coat looked awfully gritty, but it evened out nicely at the end.

Shade

With the right angle in full sun, you can catch a little of the purple reflective glitter showing up

A sunbeam peeking through the leaves makes it positively glow 

The orange shows up best in lower lights or at awkward angles, but I managed to catch a little here 

Flash to show off a bit of the reflective glitter ✨

[itsfi]

Oooooohhhhh @RGbrown!!! 😍😍 I do like subtle nail polish (and also not-so-subtle ones 😆). These definitely needed to cut the line in your queue of manis; they're gorgeous! Added both to my list - with Ghost Rose, who doesn't want a good base for nail art, right? I love the subtle purply-pink tone coming through where you applied it over Zoya Libby. And well, Cadillacquer The Dark, wowza ❣️ That change from the first photo to the last one is impressive. 

[ather]

@RGbrown  Ooooo the first one is such a pretty shimmer!! But that green flakes are so pretty. It almost takes over and makes it look more green then purple. 

[RGbrown]

@ather 

It's such a fun chameleon! 💚💜

[CookieGirl1]

@RGbrown first of all, I'm insanely jealous of your beautiful nail shape.  That's absolutely not fair! 😂  And those colors speeeeeaaaaaak to me.

[RGbrown]

@CookieGirl1 

Aw shucks, thanks so much! Square is easy though, maybe give it a shot at some point! 

They're both gorgeous! ✨

[CookieGirl1]

@RGbrown I can't ever get my nails long enough!  Somehow I manage to break them although I TRY to keep them as square as possible.

[RGbrown]

@CookieGirl1 

Seriously, no joke, cuticle oil turned my nails around like I never would have imagined...jojoba is the best thing for nails, if you aren't using something already! I also started wearing dish gloves and really just paying attention to what I was doing (most of the time, at least...heck, I had to cut down my middle finger last night because I slammed it into the backsplash while cleaning the faucet and cracked the nail a bit, and I didn't feel like patching it lol)

[CookieGirl1]

@RGbrown I'm so bad about using cuticle oil.  Like, I honestly never do because I HATE the feeling of greasy, oily fingers.  I know, weird, but it grosses me out and I definitely need to get over it because you and everyone else swear by using it for nail growth.  Do you have a brand favorite that you use?

[RGbrown]

@CookieGirl1 

Premade mixes are so freaking expensive for what they are, and there are sooooo many that don't even have jojoba in them (it's really important!), so I just make my own. A 4oz bottle of jojoba oil from Ulta plus some vitamin e oil from Amazon (my first batch, I used a 1oz bottle, but I just made a new one a couple of weeks ago with 2.5oz), and some essential oil for scent if desired. If I've got some other oils I need to finish up, samples or whatnot, I'll toss them in too just to use them, but really, all you need is a basic bottle of jojoba, and then dress it up however you want! I put it in brush top pens, rollerballs, and even empty polish bottles and keep it all over the house. Jojoba isn't particularly oily either...it soaks in quickly and doesn't leave me with that greasy, slick feeling. 

If you don't wanna DIY it, CND Solar Oil is good, and I've heard nice things about NBM Cuticle Buddy. Both have jojoba in them.

[CookieGirl1]

@RGbrown I did a thing.  You're the inspiration behind my decision but... I ordered a cuticule oil pen 😳.  Like, who am I? I'm going to MAKE myself use it at least every night before bed and hope 🤞 that it makes a difference.

*It's supposed to smell like Banana Bread.  I'm very hopeful, lol.