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Manicure Must-Haves

3 comments

Stuff I don't think I could live without:

1) OPI Nail Envy
2) OPI Expert Touch Remover
3) Seche Vite Topcoat
4) Seche Vite Restore
5) OPI Expert Touch Wipes
6) Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream
7) Cuticle Pusher
8) Nailtek Crystal File
9) Half-jaw Nippers

These products make my life easier and my nails so much prettier... 1) Nail Envy is a nail strengthener. I use it as a base coat to help prevent staining. I've also noticed that my nails peel a lot less. 2) Expert Touch Remover is AMAZING! It's kind of pricey though... To conserve my bottle, I remove the majority of my nail polish with a cheap brand and then use Expert Touch Remover to clean-up the tough spots. It also works great for removing red/dark colors and cleaning up stains on your skin! Love it, love it, LOVE IT! 3) Seche Vite Topcoat is a definite must-have. Ever wonder how salons got your nails so shiny?... well, this is it. It's like a miracle in a bottle. Put a nice thick coat of this stuff on and away goes the bumps and bubbles. It leaves your nails super smooth and super glossy! Also, it dries quite fast so your nails are smudge-proof within minutes. However, since it dries so fast your bottle will start to thicken up! That's where 4) Seche Vite Restore comes in! Add a couple drops of Restore to your bottle and you are as good as new! It also works well for regular nail polish. The box said it will work with any brand. I used it in my OPI Royal Rajah Ruby and it is back to perfect consistency. 5) Expert Touch Wipes are great because they are lint free... not like those cotton pads you see for sale. I usually use these after I use cotton balls... just to clean up the strings of cotton sometimes left behind. I listed 6) Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream because it smells amazing, is extra moisturizing, and is in a convenient little tin. I don't have to worry about it spilling all over (unlike a cuticle oil) if I throw it in my purse. I do, as a matter of fact, always keep one in my purse because I have dry hands from washing them so much... I prefer a 7) Cuticle Pusher in metal. This one has a nice flat edge, unlike plastic ones. 8) Crystal Files are the best when it comes to files. They last forever, are washable (!), and are smooth to the touch. Mine is a Nailtek and came in that pretty little pink case. It's also embellished, so it cost a bit more ($20 or 30... can't remember). 9) Half-Jaw Nippers are used for trimming dead skin around your nails. They are tricky to use at first because they're awkward to hold. Practice makes perfect! I like the half-jaw versus the full-jaw... easier to maneuver.

And there you have it.


Friday, October 23, 2009



Kinky In Helsinki & Konad M57

Konad Nail Art, OPI 0 comments

Uck... bare nails

I don't know why my nails get these translucent spaces in them. Rather unattractive so I've always got them painted... I finally figured out how to make them grow without breaking: file the sides like crazy! Especially on my thumbnails. I would have never dreamed that they'd ever be as long as they are now. They used to break about every 2 weeks. The nail would start to split on the sides where the nail detaches from the skin. Then it would snag on something and rip halfway across the nail! Ouch! On many occasions, the nail would be split from both sides!
Kinky In Helsinki
I looked everywhere for this color and it was always sold out! Finally, I decided to just order from a local salon. Ta-da! I love it!

I like to mess with the settings on my camera... Keeps posts interesting.

Kinky In Helsinki & Konad M57

I re-did my nails last night (even though I'd just done them the night before). I stamped the fishnet pattern from Konad Image Plate M57 (with the special polish in silver) and then the lace tip from the same disk (used black pearl special polish... should have rotated the pattern 180 degrees, oh well). This idea had been going through my head for a while now and I just wanted to get it done before my new plates arrive! I should be getting my order in a couple days! I also ordered some more special polishes: apple green, chic blue, and violet!


Thursday, October 22, 2009



Nfu Oh #124 & #125

Konad Nail Art, Nfu Oh 1comments

Nfu Oh #125 - Olive Green with golden shimmers

Nfu Oh #124 - Emerald Green shimmer


Nfu Oh #124 & Konad M60

Oh, how I love to wear green. I think it compliments my skin tone... I wish OPI had more greens [tear]. Nfu Oh has plenty to choose from though! Olive green, emerald green, lime greens, pastel greens, and the list keeps going... This is #124 (FYI if you layer the polish too thick, you will get bubbles! You've been warned!) with Konad's image plate M60. I think it looks like a design you'd see on a bandana! I stamped in silver first and like I said in an earlier post, full nail stamping is difficult for me. That's why I added the white flowers! I stamped them in the areas where my design was smudged or didn't show up at all! That's what is nice about Konad, if you mess up... fix it by stamping over it! No one will ever notice! I go to my grandparents' house almost everyday on my lunch break, where my grandpa is always eager (or sure puts on a show) to see my newly painted nails. He seemed to enjoy this one! Yay!

Here's a different shot of my nails.
Ignore that little hair. I think it's from Pete...
Speaking of Pete, here is the little baby taking a nap! We don't know how he can actually be comfortable laying like this. He is so cute.


Wednesday, October 21, 2009



Beads & Bows

Konad Nail Art, OPI Designer Series 2 comments

OPI DS Elegance & Konad M59 and M62
Well, I'm not sure if those little dots are actually supposed to be beads but that's what I think of when I see them. "They" say that stamping the tips of your nails is harder than stamping the whole nail (because you have to get it lined up straight) but I didn't think it was too bad. I actually like stamping just the tips better. Sometimes when you are stamping a design on your whole nail, the natural curve of the nail makes it impossible to push the stamper all the way down. Or maybe that is just a trick I haven't learned yet... Another bummer to a full nail stamp is that the excess design can stamp all over your cuticles. It's not a big deal when working with white polish... but black? Black is a PAIN to get off! Here I used the Konad Special Polish in white and OPI Designer Series Elegance. The beads are from Konad image plate M62 and the bow is from M59. I wanted it to be fun and girly. I think I achieved that... But now I want to start doing more difficult designs... with lots of different stamped layers! This was a good beginners project. Next please.


Wednesday, October 21, 2009



French Manicure with Nfu Oh #38

Nfu Oh, OPI 1comments

OPI Alpine Snow & Nfu Oh #38
Don't mind the chips. I'd worn this a few days before I decided to photograph it! At the time, this was one of my best ideas ever. I wanted a normal french manicure but I needed to add some pizazz! That's why I turned to Nfu Oh... I used #38 as my base color and free-handed the tips with OPI's Alpine Snow. #38 is basically a clear polish with HUGE opal flakes! It's really great because at first glance, you don't really notice it... but then take a second look, or put it under the sunlight, and WOW! The flakes really shine! Yellow! Orange! Green! The first picture is blurry but shows just how many flakes there are (after 3 coats of course)... The photo below shows the color range and sparkle of the manicure! Gorgeous! Word of advice: the Nfu Oh flakes are really difficult to remove. I suggest having some pure acetone on hand (no pun intended) unless you just feel like scrubbing for a while...


Wednesday, October 21, 2009



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