Over the past three years a few things have happened:
1. I became obsessed with painting my nails.
2. I’ve become a nail polish snob.
3. I’ve perfected my nail polishing routine.
With regard to #1, it’s totally true. It’s very rare that I’m without polish on my nails these days. It’s just one of those things that makes me feel more put together and girly. I used to enjoy getting the occasional manicure, but now I actually like painting my own nails better.
It’s true that I’ve become a nail polish snob. I really only use OPI or Essie. OPI is my favorite, mainly because I like their brush better, but Essie is a close second.
These pictures make me happy. I love getting new nail polish, and it totally cheers me up. There have been some instances over the past few years when I’ve been having a tough time or an exceptionally bad string of days, and at one point or another both of my sister-in-laws have sent me nail polish to cheer me up. They are so sweet and know me so well!
So, the main point of this post is the two recent finds that I got from Matty for Christmas. The OPI Infinite Shine system. It’s a three step system: a primer, the actual polish, and then a shiny top coat. They aren’t cheap ($12.50 each), but I can totally tell a difference in how long my nails last.
These are my nails at the end of day three. Between diaper changes, preparing Lu’s food, and cleaning, I wash my hands constantly throughout the day. In my opinion, my nails are still looking pretty darn good! This is just a regular OPI color, not one from the Infinite Shine line. I don’t feel it necessary to use the specific nail polish designed for the system. I think the primer and topcoat are the most important.
For those of you looking for a top coat that’s slightly more reasonable than $12.50 a bottle, I used Sally Hansen Hard as Nails for years up until I got this new stuff at Christmas. I think it’s like $4 a bottle. I’m not even sure it’s meant to be used as a topcoat (I think it’s more of a nail strengthener), but I found that it worked great and my nails still lasted quite a long time.
As far as perfecting my nail polish routine goes, I always paint my nails in the evening after I’ve showered. It takes me about ten minutes to paint them, and then I allow an hour for them to dry, so I have to make sure I have all of my evening chores finished first. I find that if I do it about an hour before I plan to go to bed, it works out great. I paint them, read a magazine or watch TV for a bit, and then head to bed. This nail polish drying spray is also a huge help. I feel like it really helps set the polish quickly. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I’ve smudged a nail while waiting for them to dry.
And finally, I might be the messiest nail polisher ever so these pointy Q-tips are a must for me. I put on the primer and then two coats of the color. I always get it all over the skin around my nails, so I dip these Q-tips in nail polish remover and clean up around the nail before I put on the topcoat and spray with the quick drying spray.
I know you must be sad to see this riveting post come to an end, but, believe it or not, I’ve run out of nail wisdom for now. Thanks for sticking it out til the end!
XOXO
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