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

[Titian06]

I love the light green color, @LoriCrosby !  Very flattering! 💚💚💚  I'm sorry to read about your nail issues and the horrible experience with the acrylics removal process.  I have the worst time with my middle and ring fingers (breaking and dryness).  They're much better since using the jojoba oil on a regular basis.  Best wishes for a quick and healthy nail recovery! 😘

[CynthieLu]

Work really can get in the way of having a good manicure 💅 😅 @LoriCrosby 

Good luck with the grow out process.

I love the shot of your nails admist your skincare and make-up collection 🤩

[RGbrown]

@LoriCrosby 

Ooohhh, that soft green looks gorgeous on you! I knew the typical meaning of that mix of lengths, but had never heard that particular abbreviation for it, definitely got a giggle 🤭 Index and middle are the same problem nails for me too, I think they're the most common ones to break since they're used so often (along with the thumb). 😖

If you aren't using any cuticle oil (jojoba specifically, either plain or in a mix), I highly recommend giving it a shot! It's closest in size to our natural sebum and easily absorbed by the nail, which helps keep them well moisturized and flexible, leading to more bending instead of breaking. It won't save every nail every time, but can make a big difference if you can make it a regular habit!

[LoriCrosby]

I have always had ridiculously long and strong nails, the downside being when they broke it was painful and down low. 

I foolishly went to a salon and had no knowledge on acrylics and such. Mind you, it almost turned to physical blows after she was removing the nails with another nail (again, it was foreign to me but my gut said it wasn't supposed to hurt or bleed). 

The damage was so severe that it’s been a year and 4 nails are still peeling/splitting. I’ve bought reparative base coats, cuticle oils and more to try and bring them back to life. 

More than anything it broke my heart because I went my whole life knowing I had my grandmothers hands and this has changed the shape of my nails and that’s what’s upset me the most. 

They’re way better than 6 months ago but it’s been a nightmare for sure. I’m staying diligent! 

[CattyT3]

So sorry you had to endure pain and then be left with long term damage too. But I am glad to hear the half a year of progress is already showing you results - I hope your inherited nails return to their full glory. Not sure if you'd want to go the route of taking some nail support supplements or even getting a prescription from a dermatologist to make sure your nails heal properly? 

[I have had random nail breaking accidents - and I have insanely strong nails, but tripping badly enough to end up hospital due to a single toe and a separate incident with the other foot where solid wood hit the toe, does that. I thought my nail color and the shape of the whites would be left disfigured and discolored, but they grew back looking much better than before actually - so I have high hopes that your nails will draw on your grandmother's good nail genetics to grow back to their former glory!]

[CattyT3]

Leading on from the great suggestion from @RGbrown , I found out last year that polishes/ nail treatments you can swipe on like a clear base coat that contain AHAs (yes, the same ones that are popularized all through skincare) actually help with nail health as well as cuticle conditioning. While you can stick to using the AHAs in creams you may just want to put onto your hands as well if you don't already, I didn't see a drastic change in my roughed up nails until I began using polishes that have AHAs in them.
Nailtopia is the brand I now swear by for making my nails healthier again and actually visibly improving their condition after my nails just ended up being more prone to developing hang nails (the rough edges that get snagged and break off) and overall roughness that is not characteristic of my nails. I actually got a set they made for pride to raise funds for LGBTQ+ causes last year at ULTA, so if you want to give the brand a go, maybe look out for when ULTA is looking to sell their 🏳️‍🌈 promotion stocks.
My recovery routine has become using both a leave on nail treatment and using cuticle oil, and now I just moisturize my hands much more diligently too - and using SPF better since you are still exfoliating your hands and nails more with doing these conditioning and nail strengthening steps.

Hope your nail recovery goes well, and that the dogs are more understanding of your nail struggles 😅🐶

[CattyT3]

 


I did my nails for the first time in a month (a super long time for me as I like to regularly keep up with them) - my official post-breakup nail glow up: solid black with red and green glitter speck and a few dots of white specks.
I've been able to improve the overall chronic dryness my hands suffer from so my cuticles are doing well by being diligent about hand cream as well as regularly putting SPF through the day over them too.

> Cuticle oil: CND Solar oil [nail tech gift]
> Base coat: Nailtopia blueberry nail growth [ULTA]
> Polish coat: O.P.I nail lacquer in black onyx [Amazon]
> Topper coat: Blackheart in 9 holiday glitter [Hot Topic]
> Top coat: Nailtopia ultimate wear top coat [ULTA]

[WinglessOne]

@CattyT3  Can't go wrong with a black base and a pretty topper. 🖤 Glad to hear your hands and the skin folds around your nails are doing better! I know the struggle of healing and maintaining that skin all too well. 

[Mellmars1185]

@CattyT3 So pretty 🖤💫

[CattyT3]

thank you : )

[Titian06]

Love your mani, @CattyT3 ! 🖤❤💚🤍  I'm sorry about your breakup.  (((HUG)))

[itsfi]

I just love how the sparkle and the white dot pops on the beautiful black base shade @CattyT3. 

P.S. Huuuuge yes to cuticle oil! 👍🏼 

[JoSometimes]

I absolutely love this @CattyT3! Glitter on a dark base gives me starry night vibes. ✨

[CynthieLu]

Your nails are looking fabulous. 👌  @CattyT3 Sparkles on the dark base make them really stand out 🤩

[RGbrown]

@CattyT3 

I am loving the black with sparkle aesthetic...glitter makes everything better (even post-breakup, ugh, so sorry to hear you're going through that 🤗)! Your nails look great! 🖤❤️💚🤍✨

[CattyT3]

Thank you both @RGbrown @CynthieLu 🖤
Sparkles have been my quick but really fool-proof way to make the nails look well polished if I'm not happy with how my base coat dries down (I've been having trouble with my O.P.I polishes all drying and staying mushy even the next day 😅).

[RGbrown]

@CattyT3 

A quick dry top coat can be life changing! Polish takes anywhere from 12-24 hours to fully cure all the way through, there's no way around that, but a good qdtc will have you back to light duty life stuff in 15 minutes or so, and heavier duty tasks in an hour or two. Glisten & Glow is my all time fave, but there are several good options out there, both online and in stores. Happy to make more recommendations if you are interested! 😊

[CattyT3]

Thank you, I'll add that to my next nail haul wish list as I have had no luck with quick dry coats or sprays from O.P.I and Sally Hansen, or whenever I have my nails sprayed for quick dry at salons either. The Nailtopia top coat dries quickly and prevents damage very soon after application too, but I am up for anything that makes the job that much more fast as well.

[JoSometimes]

Left hand, indirect sunlight

Right hand, direct sunlight (and golden hour again!)

I’m hoping I can check out some of the pride month events around town. I decided to go with pink, white, and blue from the trans flag.

Under everything is Revlon - Quick Dy Base Coat from the Revlon warehouse sale. It does dry fairly quick but doesn’t come with the additional benefits of my usual Nails Inc. base coat. 

Playing the role of blue on my pinky is Sinful Colours - Sail La Vie. It’s a three coater for full coverage and has great self-levelling ability, but boy oh boy does it take FOREVER to cure. I originally had it on my index and thumb too but I smudged it so many times and gave up on it. It also made an appearance on my left ring finger.

Also on my left ring finger is Pink Princess Nails - I Buy My Own Drinks. I picked it up at a Revlon warehouse sale. I tried it on a nail but removed it. It was too loud of a main colour for me. I like it more as an accent. It has the slightest hint of metallic fleck in it.

The pink on my middle finger is Essie - Minimalist. I tried separating the layers with some matte top coat and that seemed to help get a more even, solid finish, but it did end up a bit thicker than I like.

On my right ring finger, is both Minimalist and Sally Hansen - Malibu Peach. I wanted a hot pink but misplaced the one I used for my first ever manicure and I no clue where it is now. 

For white on my ring, index, and thumb, I used China Nails - Rainbow. It’s a sheer-ish white but you can catch hints of the rainbow depending on the light. 

And topping all fingers is Sinful Colours - Pinky Glitter. I wanted to try it on top of colours. I like the subtle pink with blue and kind of wish I had stuck with blue on my index and thumb. I also love how it turned out on top of Rainbow, but it makes it read more pink now. I wish there was a blue version of this. More hunting required…

[WinglessOne]

@JoSometimes  This is fantastic! Especially your left ring nail: those dots look perfectly aligned and I love the overall effect. Also, great color story! 

[itsfi]

A Revlon warehouse sale? How fuuuun @JoSometimes !! Your accent nails look fabulous. 😍 Fingers crossed you find a blue version of Pink Glitter. That would be cool! 😎