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

[RGbrown]

Every year I start seeing an explosion of sea glass nails around this time, and every year I think "I should do that too" and never do, so I finally got to it last night. Yay! 

From pinky to thumb:

Cirque Haze Jelly: soft lavender jelly, grey leaning, milky enough to provide pretty decent coverage.

Orly Making Waves + Zoya Vickie: Orly is a bright royal blue jelly, but I wanted to tone it down a bit, so I did one coat of it and topped it off with two coats of Zoya (pale grey milky jelly). With the power of hindsight, I kinda wish I had done two Orly plus one Zoya, as it's almost too grey, and too close to my thumb. 

Cirque Jade Jelly: soft milky green jelly

Cirque Berry Jelly: the name is pretty accurate, it's a berry toned jelly 😋 The most sheer -slash- least milky of the bunch, even at three coats, a good bit of my staining shows through. Peep that orange aura in the middle 👀😂

Orly Oasis Jelly + Zoya Vickie: Orly is a deep teal jelly. Same process and notes as my ring finger, and same mild disappointment with the results. It's not bad, I just wish I had done it a little differently to allow the color to shine through a little more. 

I could not do a mani without some sparkle, so between coats two and three I added a layer of ILNP Wonderland, a topper with green/blue/purple shifting iridescent flakies. 

My process:

Two coats of color

One coat of topper

One more coat of color

Glossy qdtc

Let dry for a while (I think I waited an hour or so), then add the matte topcoat

Why glossy then matte? There are a few reasons! Matte topcoats don't generally have a quick dry function and won't help your mani dry any faster, leaving you smudging for hours without a qdtc in the mix. Mattes also tend to be drier and more brittle, so the layer of glossy topcoat helps provide a little more flexibility and resistance to cracking under it. And last but not least, mattes tend to show off any and every flaw, so it's a good idea to use your qdtc to help smooth any lumps or bumps before adding the matte on top.

Overcast daylight

Indirect light 

[ather]

@RGbrown  Great set! 

[RGbrown]

@ather 

Thanks so much! ✨

[Mellmars1185]

@RGbrown Beautiful seaglass nails. Thank you for sharing your technique!

[RGbrown]

@Mellmars1185 

Thanks so much! ✨

[itsfi]

These are so pretty, especially with the ILNP Wonderland! There's also a certain serenity about your sea glass mani @RGbrown. 💖 Jellies are hit and miss for me, but you are making a case for them, and a matte top coat, with these beauties! Love the tip about glossy before matte - making a mental note! 

[RGbrown]

@itsfi 

Thanks so much!

I ignored jellies for the longest time, but have gone crazy for them over the last year or so 💖 I've got a small stair step style polish rack on my work table holding a few so I can have them handy, but it's full and I am debating upgrading it to something like this so I can have them all together. Not really even sure why, as I mostly make myself use new polishes instead of revisiting older ones, but dang, I like seeing them out while I'm doing my nails 😂

[itsfi]

That spinning stand looks like it would be fabulous to have on a work table @RGbrown. You can keep your mani essentials along with a collection of polishes to work with. I get what you mean about seeing your polishes when doing your nails. It is really nice to see them in front of you. 😍 Well…if you do get one of these spinning stands, it would be fun to see your mani work station set up with it. 

[CynthieLu]

Hello fabulous! These are beautiful and you defintley caught the sea glass vibe 🍾🏝 @RGbrown 

🙏 Thank you for explaining your whole process. I'm always in to reading those details and they are super appreciated! 💚

[RGbrown]

@CynthieLu 

Thanks so much! And I'm always happy to help! ✨

[Titian06]

This mani is absolutely gorgeous, @RGbrown !  I love how it turned out.  The Orly colors fit in nicely the way you did them.  Thanks for including how you achieved this look.  I might give it a try at some point.  Do you have a particular matte top coat that you like?

[RGbrown]

@Titian06 

Thanks so much! It's super easy to do and a nice change of pace from the usual glossy finish ✨

Matte topcoats...I use them so rarely that I'm not sure I can really say I have a fave. I've got a mini Butter I got in a set probably 5-6 years ago, and a full size OPI that I've had so long that I genuinely have no idea where I got it...did someone give it to me? Did it come in a set? Did I really buy it specifically? No one knows lol. In any case, I can't tell any difference between them, and generally just reach for the OPI because it's not in an obnoxiously tiny bottle 😂

The key with mattes that I didn't think to put in my post is to shake it good right before you use it (even if it doesn't look separated). Whatever it is in the formula that makes it not shiny can settle out, leaving you with a bit of a shiny finish.

[JoSometimes]

Gorgeous mani @RGbrown! These definitely have a sea glass vibe! That topper was a nice touch. It really adds to the glass theme. 

[RGbrown]

@JoSometimes 

Thanks so much! I don't do matte very often, but it's such a fun look every now and again ✨

[Saradestin]

That’s so much thought and work @RGbrown ! 😵 And the results pay off! Gorgeous!! Definitely, the ILNP topper was a great choice. How beautiful those flakes look!!!! 😍😍😍 And thank you for the explanation about the top coats (glossy and matte) 

BTW, talking about top coats, which is your favorite? I am sure you have said it a thousand times but my mind cannot keep up 😅

[RGbrown]

@Saradestin 

Thanks so much! ✨

I am a die hard Glisten & Glow fan...I've been using it for years now and rarely feel the urge to stray; it dries super quick, super shiny, and has next to no shrink (I do notice a little at my tips with jelly polishes sometimes if I'm not super careful with how I wrap the tip, but it's usually minimal). 

Contrary to my "I rarely stray" comment, I'm currently using KBshimmer Clearly On Top, it's nearly identical to G&G (IIRC there's only one difference in ingredients), and it's good too, but G&G will always have my heart ❤️

[Saradestin]

Thank you so much @RGbrown !!! I really value your opinion because it is always tried and true.

[jaaayp]

@RGbrown always with the fun assortment of colors! Love it! ❤️ 

[RGbrown]

@jaaayp 

Thanks so much! I am definitely a fan of color...nude/soft/neutral manis just aren't my thing 🌈✨

[jaaayp]

@RGbrown it's your personality shining and they look good on you!! 🥰

[JoSometimes]

This is more for the Canadians in this group because Quo is the house brand of Shoppers Drugmart and I don’t think it’s sold elsewhere. The pride collection is out and looks like a lot of fun! In person, they’re definitely not pastel but not quite neon either. They’re a quick drying formula and going against the grain with 8 colours instead of 6!

I might actually get the orange shade. I have colours that are similar to those already. I’d probably end up using it for art anyway, so quick drying might not be a bad idea. 

And my thoughts go out to anyone who is a part of or allied with the LGBTQ+ community south of the border. I’m sorry y’all are going through some tough times right now. 🌈