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

[itsfi]

@desibg, I love how your lavender polish has both a soft and vibrant effect to it; very pretty! 💜

[CorgiMommy]

@desibg beautiful 

[ather]

@desibg  This colour is gorgeous!

[Samtian]

@desibg Ooh stunning!

[CynthieLu]

@desibg This purple 😍 it's fantastic on you!

[desibg]

Thank you very much ☺️

[RGbrown]

@desibg 

That color looks fantastic on you! 💜💜

[Titian06]

Gorgeous color, @desibg ! 💜😍💜

[desibg]

Thank you ☺️ 

[desibg]

Bought it in Europe the brand is Golden Rose colour Lavender. Saw same same colour in Target Sally Hansen ☺️🥹

[JoSometimes]

Such a pretty colour @desibg! What polish is that, if you don’t mind my asking?

[CynthieLu]

✨ Asking for opinions ✨

My nails are sooo short and hard to grow but my work just approved getting salon done artificial nails.

I'm wondering about some Pros and Cons of getting Acrylic/Gel nails?

I think being able too paint lovely long nailed manicures is such a thrill and I'd  love too have long nails.

I read I can paint them, as long as I use a acetone free polish remover. 

Any thoughts, cautions etc... I'm seriously considering getting them. 🧐

[RGbrown]

@CynthieLu 

I think the biggest concern is finding the right tech; I wouldn't recommend heading over to the nearest cheap salon and going with whatever newbie they stick you with. IG is great for finding local talent, search terms like "your city nail tech" and "your city nails" and "your city nail salon", then do a good bit of scrolling through their work to get a feel for what their strengths are and if their work lines up with your vision. Be picky! Look for clean cuticles and sidewalls, a nicely balanced apex, and that they aren't too thick overall. Badly done gel or acrylic is a health hazard in many regards, anywhere from infection risk from nicking your cuticles, to lifting nails allowing cooties in, to breaks due to a bad or no apex, or even a lifelong acrylate allergy.

Their art skills may not matter as much if you are keeping them fairly basic to paint yourself, so don't let that be a distraction while browsing lol.

Gel and acrylic have the same prep process, and removal is similar as well, so neither is better than the other in that regard. Prep and removal is where the biggest risk of damage comes into play though, so it's important to find a tech that does it right. A light filing of the surface before application is necessary for the best adhesion, but they absolutely should not be going ham with the e-file and thinning the nail significantly. 

Removal...if you are just doing an overlay, removal might not really be all that necessary, not every time at least, as you can just get a fill in as your nails grow, but for proper removal, your tech should file off the bulk of the topcoat and product, leaving a thin layer to soak off with acetone. They should not file down to the bare nails or try to rip/peel it off (I've heard of it happening 😯).

My own personal opinion is not to go too wild with length...it can be a bit disorienting to suddenly have long nails, perhaps to a point of frustration for some. An overlay or short extension for now will give you nice strength to grow your own length naturally. 

And one caution: if you notice that any are lifting, whether at the cuticle or the tip, get them removed and replaced asap...tiny crevices for moisture to hide can lead to "greenies" (bacterial infection) or all sorts of fungus issues. 

BTW, gel is a broad category. There's gel polish, which is basically just color, and while it's stronger and lasts longer than regular polish, it must be removed instead of filled in and is not really meant for long term growth like you're trying to do...removing and replacing it continually won't do anything good for your underlying nail health. You'd want to find a tech that has experience with something like builder gel (sometimes called BIAB, or builder in a bottle), poly gel, or even hard gel (hard gel can't be soaked off...if you ever get tired of it, it'll have to be filed down to a thin layer and then you can grow it out). Or acrylic would work too. Different techs will have different categories of these that they are most familiar and comfortable with, and talking to them about what they use and what they feel is best for your particular use case can help you narrow down your choices. 

Bottom line: while I do believe gel and acrylic can be dangerous in untrained hands, a good tech with proper training and equipment can be worth their weight in gold. Find one you love and go for it! 

[CynthieLu]

Thank you so much @RGbrown 

I definitely found all your insight and information helpful. 🙏

 Sooo much good information in there!

These are really important points and if I go through with it, I definitely want it done safely and properly. Small town life, there are not an over whelming amount of options.

I have a few concerns like the development of an acrylate allergy or the *greenies* ( that sounds horrific. 🧟) I'm putting the brakes on decision making atm, I am trying to get it in writing that my work places policy has changed before diving in. 

[JoSometimes]

@RGbrown This was a great read. Thanks for all the information on this! You are a wealth of knowledge in the world of nail care!

[JoSometimes]

@CynthieLu Yes please do it! I’d love to see how they turn out. It’s worth experimenting for both the length and how you like it as well as trying to paint them yourself afterwards. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts after you give them a try. 

[CynthieLu]

I have to really consider it @JoSometimes. It's a mental debate atm. I decided to pause it for the moment. ( I want to see in writing or something that my work is really allowing them, I'd hate to get them and have them change thier minds) 

[JoSometimes]

@CynthieLu I understand completely. It would suck to go through the effort only to learn it’s not something they’re actually allowing. Fingers crossed they do say yes!

[NWW123]

This is exciting! 

Cons - Time consuming and cost 
Pros - Having your nails done in  whatever color that makes you happy 

I’ve been using gel polish - no acrylics/extensions consistently for well over ten years and for me it works .. no issues. 
I also go to a nail salon - nothing I do on my own.

Do share what you eventually go with and decide on. 

[CynthieLu]

Thank you for wieghing in @NWW123 it's a tough decision 🧐 and I appreciate hearing everyone's insights. 🙏

[RGbrown]

I'm back on my "nope, no more creams, they're borrrrrr-ing" kick, so I sat down last night and pulled all my unused cream swatch sticks and made up tentative combos to get them used and out of the freaking way so I can buy more sparkles 🤭 

First up, some hot red/coral shades 🔥

Essie Clam Bake (pinky and thumb): super bright orangey red jelly/crelly. Easy to work with, not streaky or fussy in any way. If you like sheer, you'd be happy at one coat, but I used three for more opacity. 

Zoya Rocha (ring): lighter than Clam Bake with a touch more orange and white for a bright coral color, cream formula, super duper easy two coater.

Essie Electric Geometric (middle): about as bright as Clam Bake, but with a touch more pink than orange. Cream formula, easy two coater.

Revlon Ultra HD Hot Stuff (index): based on the Amazon pic, I thought this was going to be a deeper hot orange color, but it's drastically different in person, definitely a bright coral. Lovely shade even if it's not what I thought it was, and a super easy two coater cream. 

All are topped with Smith & Cult Glass Souls, a simple topper with various sizes of silver hex glitter and a perennial fave of mine ✨

'tis a cloudy day 

Indirect light

A little preview of what's to come lol. Some combos came easily, others will be a little off the wall and harder to love, and all are subject to change on a whim, but I'm incredibly excited to get most of these used over the next couple of months!