Nail polish - chit chat

Definitely beautiful work and colours everyone :kissing_heart::kissing_heart:

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:rofl: :rofl:

@Ace12345 - What’s the name/brand of that pearly pink? I’m curious cos it looks exactly ike what I’m wearing right now! :slightly_smiling_face:

@Sexinthecity - that green is gert lush. :sunglasses:

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Avon mirror shine i think

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Well whatever it is, it looks the business. I know what you mean about confidence, too. Some days, when the world seems unbearably dark, the one thing that’s put a smile on my face has been the process of choosing a colour and making my nails look as good as possible. Part of it’s about not feeling helpless - about being in charge of something, being able to look at the result and say “Oooh look: I did that!” - but it’s also a lot about feeling that at least one part of me is pretty. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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I was so enamoured with my pretty feet I’ve left them pretty. :slightly_smiling_face: My children were equally as fascinated. I may have to hide the felt tip pens for a bit.

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I have gone to TK Maxx and had a small plunder. Absolutely zero clue what I’m doing. :slightly_smiling_face:

My TK Maxx did not have a huge selection, but I did get some essie ones (one’s even in a twisted glass bottle. Ooooh), a ciate one, and one that is allegedly a ‘mirror’ finish (this one looks like it may melt my hand).

Colours: Sunny Daze (pale orange?), Reign Check (shiny grey?) , Surrounded by Studs (dark blue?), Pepperminty (light green), Mirror.

So, that’s my Monday sorted. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Woohoo! That’s quite a haul… Which one are you going to treat us to first, Ian? :slightly_smiling_face:

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I am obviously drawn to the Magic Mirror one, but it may be a tad advanced for me at this stage :slightly_smiling_face:

I’ve googled them so we can all have a squizz.

(my sunny daze seems a lot paler)

https://www.ciatelondon.com/products/gelology-pepperminty

So, what’s the verdict? Any colour preference? I’m also not sure if they’re all suitable as some say enamel or lacquer, and maybe I need a top coat for the longwear one? (I had a rather scattergun approach to selection, as the labels give very little away :slightly_smiling_face:)

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Ooh, this one sounds particularly cool to me, it’s not one I’ve tried yet! You’ll have to let us know how it turns out

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That one is working its way back up the charts as it seems to have everything I need in the box. I am less sure about the others now. :slightly_smiling_face:


Okay, I have questions. :raised_hand_with_fingers_splayed::slightly_smiling_face:

What am I doing?

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@Ian_Chimp making your nails look pretty!

I like the surrounded by studs one :blush:

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Yeah - I’m with @MsSubExperimenter. What’s not to love about a polish called “Surrounded By Studs” ? :rofl: :sunglasses:

Seriously, I think for a first go, the mirror effect thing might be a bit complicated. Maybe best to go for a simpler, single-application colour this time round. And Essie stuff is niiiice…

If you’re not used to doing your own hands, the real fun comes when you try to do it with your non-dominant hand. Like if you’re right-handed, doing the left one will be fairly straightforward, but then when it comes to doing the right…

And NO CHEATING by getting the OH to do it for you! :wink:

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So you don’t think I need any base coat or top coat for the essie/ciate ones? Is that just the websites upselling?

That is phase 2. :slightly_smiling_face: Mrs Chimp is already wondering if I’ll do hers for her. I asked her for some tips, and apparently she has none. :man_shrugging: She only wears nail polish very occasionally, so I think she’s hoping I’ll get good at it and then give her tips. She’s very optimistic.

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I have resorted to Cosmo. :slightly_smiling_face:

It seems base coat and top coat are certainly top tips, but sound like people skip them all the time. I’ll keep my eye out for some, but I won’t wait for it. :slightly_smiling_face::+1: (though that mirror one does come with some… I wonder if it’s universal? :thinking:)

For application, I would recommend having a bottle of remover and cotton buds handy! I know I need them :blush:

When I used to occasionally do my own with bright or dark colours I tended to use a clear base coat but you don’t have to :blush:

Just experiment and have fun!

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The main thing I’ve learnt is to resist the urge to put loads on at once otherwise it tends to peel off :joy:

i don’t use a base coat (though i may invest in some to start if i paint them more) but do usually put a clear coat over the top to make it last longer and this time I’ve actually tried capping it too (harder than i expected since i only have nail remover pads not actual liquid nail remover so it tends to get all over my finger tips).

I also don’t push back nail beds/cuticles but that’s more because i tend to pick at them when stressed anyway

I basically do everything you’re not meant to do and hope for the best :joy:

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Love red nail polish on ladies

I love it full stop.

Anything red nail polish lipstick underwear

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Love your choices @Ian_Chimp! Can’t wait to see them. I love an Essie polish - find they apply and dry really well so will be interesting to see what you think! The gel version will probably peel without using the gel top coat as this is what seals it basically.

For normal polish, I pick and choose when I do base/top coat. It often depends on the type/colour of polish I’m using - I have a couple of polishes that stain nails quite easily so will always use a base/top coat with these. Base coats are good for evenening out nails, and I find top coats help with the lasting power and also give an extra shine!

The terms polish and lacquer are basically synonymous, but I think lacquer is often used when the consistency is a little thicker and they’re a bit more glossy (this is what I’ve found anyway).

A little tip if you’re quite new to painting nails - if you have a soft paintbrush, use this dipped into nail polish remover afterwards to get rid of any paint on the skin or where you’ve gone over a bit.

As @Ace12345 - try and not be tempted to go overboard with the layers. Most need 2 but I tend to stick with this (with the exception of any super thin polishes that may need 3)!

I find the hardest part is waiting for them to dry… It literally is watching paint dry.

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