The Nail Files - Navy Nails

Well, it's springtime, so what does that mean to me, nail wise? Some pretty pales, a few brights, and yes, navy nails. My love of dark vampy colors started about 4 years ago when E accidentally (that time) stomped on my big toe with one of those plastic dress-up heels right below the nail, you know, where the nail forms and can get really messed up? I'll spare you the goriest details, but the bruise grew out under the nail and it was ick, so I said, hmmmm, I need a nail polish that can cover this up. At the time, there weren't that many dark polishes (this was before Chanel's Black Satin). So I headed to Target and came home with a Cover Girl that seemed the best purple-ish/burgudy-ish shade. And I just loved it! It reminded me of back in the Pulp Fiction days of Uma and the original Vamp polish. I had Revlon's knockoff, Vixen, but I totally worked it.

And let me tell you, dark polish matches everything! So a love affair was born. It's so bad that last summer when I went with a pale on my toes a couple of times, I didn't even recognize my feet. It was like looking at someone else's feet where mine should be. My dark shade of choice changes with the season, but Summer 2007, OPI released their NightBrights colleciton, which included Light My Sapphire, and that was it. Navy blue polish? I loved it. Navy is so preppy and dark polish is so goth, it was the perfect marriage for me - which is actually why I love dark polish - because I tend to dress so preppy/conservative anyway, it gives me a little edge.

And then Chanel came out with Blue Satin in Spring 2008. Also loved that. And that's what I have on my toes to welcome spring! This and the OPI one will probably alternate on my toes for many months to come. Which one do I like best? Hard to say. I'll have to test that out. Important note - the darks really do look best on short nails (or at least that's my personal preference).

The 2 pics below illustrate my example of doing your nails before bed. Top pic is right after they were done - total mess, seriously tacky, right?

And here we have, next morning, after a quick excess polish clean up in the shower. Not too shabby, huh?

Now, I flat out admit that I have a nail polish issue. But clearly I have way too many colors (personal stash below). I think it's time to narrow down.

But I will give you my quick primer on my own personal opinion of these polish brands:

• OPI - love the formula, love the new wide brush-makes polish application easier. You Don't Know Jacques from Fall/Winter 2008 was a particular favorite this fall. In general, I find OPI polishes look as good or better on me than in the bottle.
• Sephora by OPI - like the formula, wish they had the same wide brush. Great color selection. Liked Metro Chic a lot this year - but only worked on my pale skin; did not look good on my tanned skin (but I wear SPF 45-70 all summer long, so no lectures please - I am a total sunscreen Nazi, you should see me at the pool with my hat, shades, spray sunscreen bottles)
• Essie - I have so many issues with this brand. Many of their colors look different and worse on my skin than in the bottle. And many colors, especially their cremes need 3 coats to be opaque. I find most of the lights, especially the cremes, to be streaky. That being said, my 2 faves are Nude Beach and Risky Business (my dupe for J Crew's Essie shade - Mini Shorts)
• Chanel - These colors are so gorgeous. They always look sparklier in the bottle than they do on. But that sparkle is what gives them such amazing depth. Delice is a summer fave, but looks awful on my skin right now. Still would love Rouge Noir (the original Vamp shade)
• NARS - ok. not the best lasting. not sure why I still have these.
• China Glaze - have 2 colors - Wagon Trail (dark olive-y with gold, total fall and St Patrick's favorite) and Princess Grace. Really like these.

The others are assorted odds and ends. One pile is my daughter's mini-stash. She's only allowed to use my top coat if she uses good polish (BTW, I am the one doing the nails; she picks the color). Some of the glittery junk she got from somewhere once messed up a whole bottle of my Seche Vite top coat.

Speaking of cutting down on colors... I used Chanel's Antilope on my tips last night. Have to say, it's very close to OPI's Sand in My Suit and I think I really like OPI's version better. If any of the DC JCA's want this bottle, let me know and I'll bring it to the event this Sunday to pass off.

And by the way, this post (as well as counting out 50 polishes) has made me realize that much as I want to order the Chanel Rouge Noir polish, especially today when I got the email from them with the free shipping code (0309TIPS), I really, really, really don't need it.

I will probably change out and go with the navy for my fingers for the weekend. I think they would really work with the JC cerise Lili. Hmmmm...

The Nail Files, Part 3-b

Oops. There was one important thing I forgot last night in the Part 3 post on polish application. This is important enough to give it its own post instead of just adding.

Like I said in yesterday's post, I usually do my nails at night after the kids go to bed (true about 99% of the time). It doesn't matter if I do my nails totally perfect, because the next morning, when I shower, I can scrape the excess polish off my cuticles, and it's pretty darn close to salon quality. This is especially important when I do my toes because it's almost always a dark color for 4 1/2 years now (long story for another time involving a plastic high heel and an injury to my toe).

Once you've been in a nice warm, steamy polish, the excess comes off really easily. It's amazing how well this works. And that is why I almost never do my nails during the day - and certainly don't do my toes during the day.

And the big reason I love Seche Vite's Top Coat so much is that a nighttime mani/pedi does not mean staying up for the next 2 hours for it to dry well. So you aren't doomed to sleepless night vs. sheet marks on your nails. And us ladies are busy enough, right?

Nails of the day (that I did last night after posting). China Glaze's Princess Grace. It's a very pale not-quite-white-almost-lavender-ish polish, with a metallic sheen. Very pretty. And how could you not love the name?

Another nail - and beauty in general - resource - Makeup Alley. Great place to look up reviews of all kinds of beauty products. I love this website. Very informative, very honest. You have to sign up to get to the individual reviews, but it's free, and totally worth it. Check it out!!

In other news... we got a puppy today. Her name is Lucy. She is an 11-week-old Labradoodle. The family is thrilled. But the posting may be a little light for the next few days as we work everything out, routines and all that stuff. But I'll be back, I promise.

The Nail Files, Part 3

Basic polish application tips.

But first of all...pretty picture to share. OPI's Sand in My Suit from the South Beach collection (spring/summer 09) - a very nice neutral. I love nail polish names - color tagline - "Can you 'bare' this nude front shade?" Too funny. I've been digging pale colors for the last few weeks, for some reason - maybe wanting springtime.

I do love to do my nails, but I don't like having to do them every day. My twin sister, Heather, (not identical - she looks like a very cute version of Claudia Schiffer) called today to get a specific step by step instruction on polish application to prevent peeling. So here are my basic tips on how to polish your nails and make that mani or pedi last. If you want a more complete mani/pedi at home see Ji Baek's book, Rescue Your Nails, which I have told you, I think is fantastic. But this will give you my quick method for polish change.

Step 1 - Take off your current polish. (duh)

Step 2- Wash hands well.

Step 3 - Moisturize and let it sink in for a few minutes.

Step 4 - and this is the MOST important step - just before you polish, swipe your nail beds again with polish remover. You could also use rubbing alcohol or vinegar. Basically you just want to make sure there is no residual dirt or oil on your nail. If there is, your polish will peel like crazy. Heather asked about acetone vs non-acetone (she was getting info for a friend). Here's my take - acetone is harsher but it does the job quicker. As often as I change polish, I use non-acetone strengthening remover. But I do have acetone for that last pre-polish swipe because it is magic.

Step 5 - Base coat. Everyone has a favorite. My personal favorite is Sephora by OPI's Nail Hydrator ($9). This stuff is perfect for my dry, peeling nails. It's the only thing that saves them. None of the strengthening formulas that I tried before worked. This does. I am a big fan. Yes, I should wear gloves more often when doing dishes, but usually I am just too rushed. This compensates a bit.

Step 6 - Color. 2 coats. (3 if it's Essie - I have such issues with that brand, but they do make a few of my favorites.) We'll save colors and brands for another post because I could go on for days. Of course it is my blog and that's what it's for....

Step 7 - This is actually the 2nd most important step. It could be the most important, but if your nail beds aren't free and clear of oil (step 4), nothing will help. Enough blabbing... Top coat. I swear by Seche Vite's Quick Dry Top Coat ($10). This stuff seriously rocks. It is the absolute best top coat I have ever tried in terms of longevity and chip resistance. It has the fantastic added benefit of being quick dry, so your nails are good to go in no time at all. Your nails look so so so glossy and it wears like iron. If you are smart enough to remember to refresh your top coat every few days, your mani/pedi will last even longer. I need to remember that more often...

Do you have any favorite products or techniques to share?