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| deborah Lippmann Just Walk Away Renee |
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| Essie Power Clutch |
Nail Color, Care & Nail Offenses.
My post was going to be about skincare for the winter months. This, though, can't wait. I have seen such horrible nail offenses in the last two months that I feel obligated to address these offenses and to tell you what colors are my top picks for 2013, or at least for the foreseeable future.
I was at my usual nail salon over a week ago. I was seated next to a woman who was dressed in a nicely tailored suit. Obviously, you can imagine my horror when I noticed her color choices. Choices, yes. She picked two colors. I'll get into that in a bit. You should know, I don't favor multiple colors.
Anyway, I was eavesdropping. I thought maybe the woman was trying too hard to be festive due to the holidays but her manicure was for a job interview. I couldn't believe it. I did a lot of internal debating. I wondered if I needed to simply go over to her and give her a hug. Then I thought about reaching in my handbag and handing her one of my Pretend Goddess business cards. I did neither. I proceeded with my manicure and continued to watch the women next to me. I cringed when I saw her finished manicure. She was proud of her silver glitter nails and red (french manicure style) tips. Awful. Sinfully, awful.
What job was she interviewing for with those nails? I don't want to digress further with my profiling of this clearly lost woman. I did leave a stack of my cards at the salon. I can only hope she returned later, realizing her mistake and opting for one shade and one that doesn't scream, "hooker."
I chose OPI Road House Blues (see below pics) while at the salon. A color that I would describe as the darkest of blues. A color that I'm loving for 2013, even though it's been around for awhile. Most my choices are not new but if you don't have them as your color selections, consider adding them.
BLUES, PURPLES, GREY & BOLD
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The week before, my nails were OPI Russian Navy. Think Indigo.
If you're looking for another bold choice that won't cheapen your look, try Essie's Over the Edge. A color I would describe as gun metal grey. Essie's website describes the color as "metallic midnight silver."
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| OPI Russian Navy |
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| OPI Road House Blues |
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| Essie Over the Edge |
Zoya - Petra. A purple/grey. Beautifully smokey with a hint of mauve.
OPI - Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees. A blue/grey.
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| OPI Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees |
Deborah Lippmann - Hit Me With Your Best Shot
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| Deborah Lippmann Hit Me With Your Best Shot |
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| Deborah Lippmann Stormy Weather |
PINKS & NUDES.
You can't go wrong with a nice sheer pink, a subtle pink or a simplistic nude. Like nude lipsticks, there is a shade for everyone. I tend to paint my fingernails a sheer pink or nude more times out of the year than not but lately I've been going dark.
Pinks and nudes that I love and consider classics that will stay that way regardless of the trends of the year are:
Essie - Sugar Daddy is a favorite of mine. My go-to, if you will. My favorite sheer pink.
Essie - Mademoiselle
OPI - I think in Pink - tends to be more of a solid pink and not sheer if too many coats are applied.
OPI - Aphrodite's Pink Nightie
OPI - Sweet Heart
Deborah Lippmann - Naked. This is a favorite of mine.
OPI - Bubble Bath
Deborah Lippmann - Modern Love. A classic Mauve. Another of my go-to colors when I can't decide.
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| OPI Aphrodite's Pink Nightie |
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| Essie Ballet Slippers |
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| Essie Mademoiselle |
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| Essie Sugar Daddy |
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| Deborah Lippmann Naked |
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| OPI I Think In Pink |
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| OPI Don't Pretzel My Buttons |
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| OPI Sweet Heart |
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| OPI Bubble Bath |
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| Deborah Lippmann Modern Love |
REDS & BURGUNDY
Essie - Wicked
OPI - Malaga Wine
OPI - Got the Blues For Red
CND - Dark Ruby
OPI - Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ
Deborah Lippmann - Bitches Brew
Deborah Lippmann - Bitches Brew
Deborah Lippmann - Just Walk Away Renee
NAIL DON'TS.
*Stay away from nail trends. Those two toned nails are not trendy, they are trashy.
*Not a fan of the traditional french manicures. So you can imagine my disgust for the red tips.
*Glitter top coats or glitter nails are not acceptable on anyone over twenty.
*The trend where every nail is painted a color except one nail is painted something completely different is not attractive and makes you look cheap. Stick to one color for all your fingernails. You're not ten.
*Any nail art should go without saying is a tacky and trashy no-no. There are no exceptions to this rule. None.
NAIL CARE TIPS:
*Most nail colors are acceptable as long as you follow the "Nail Don'ts." What no one can pull off, unless you're at an 80's costume party, is neon.
*You can have the nicest polish on that is perfectly applied but if your surrounding skin is dry and your cuticles are dry and raggedy, then your manicure is well, in need of a redo.
*Apply cuticle cream or cuticle oil everyday. I prefer at night and in the mornings. Actually, keep some in your purse.
*Always use hand cream.
*Splurge on a quality top coat. Even if your nail color is a drug store brand, splurge on a top coat. The splurge would really only be a few dollars more. Best top and base coat buys: Seche Vite Top Coat, OPI Top Coat, Seche Base Coat, and Orly Bonder Base Coat.
*Use a base coat.
*Avoid those fast-drying nail polishes. I promise. I can always tell when someones nails are painted with the over-rated polish. They lack shine and the color turns dull very quickly.
*If your nails are very short and bitten, use a clear polish until you get them to an active length. Pay for a manicure. A professional will do a better job getting your bitten nails looking a little healthier and you might be more inclined to take care of them.
*With that said, don't grow your nails too long. There is long and then there is an unnatural length that is outdated.
There are so many more colors I adore.
I encourage you to visit the below websites to see all the great nail colors.
I should also note that I only mentioned nail brands I favor the most. I find the department store brands, for the most part, to be overrated and honestly, not that great. Deborah Lippmann is a department store brand and a splurge. I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't think worth it. Remember, you deserve the occasional treat. I wish Chanel was worth the price but it's simply not. Their make-up is but not their nail polish. So many great colors. The good news is OPI and Essie have most the colors that one would need. YSL and NARS have nail colors that are worth the price if you are willing to splurge. Personally, I don't see the point when others are equally as good and to some degree, better.
www.opi.com
www.essie.com
www.cnd.com
www.zoya.com
www.lippmanncollection.com
Now, tell me, what are your favorite nail colors? Just because you don't see them listed here doesn't mean they are not one of my favorites too.
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| Essie Wicked |
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| OPI Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ |
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| OPI Got the Blues For Red |
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| OPI Malaga Wine |
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| CND Dark Ruby |
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| Deborah Lippmann Bitches Brew |
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| Deborah Lippmann Just Walk Away Renee |
NAIL DON'TS.
*Stay away from nail trends. Those two toned nails are not trendy, they are trashy.
*Not a fan of the traditional french manicures. So you can imagine my disgust for the red tips.
*Glitter top coats or glitter nails are not acceptable on anyone over twenty.
*The trend where every nail is painted a color except one nail is painted something completely different is not attractive and makes you look cheap. Stick to one color for all your fingernails. You're not ten.
*Any nail art should go without saying is a tacky and trashy no-no. There are no exceptions to this rule. None.
NAIL CARE TIPS:
*Most nail colors are acceptable as long as you follow the "Nail Don'ts." What no one can pull off, unless you're at an 80's costume party, is neon.
*You can have the nicest polish on that is perfectly applied but if your surrounding skin is dry and your cuticles are dry and raggedy, then your manicure is well, in need of a redo.
*Apply cuticle cream or cuticle oil everyday. I prefer at night and in the mornings. Actually, keep some in your purse.
*Always use hand cream.
*Splurge on a quality top coat. Even if your nail color is a drug store brand, splurge on a top coat. The splurge would really only be a few dollars more. Best top and base coat buys: Seche Vite Top Coat, OPI Top Coat, Seche Base Coat, and Orly Bonder Base Coat.
*Use a base coat.
*Avoid those fast-drying nail polishes. I promise. I can always tell when someones nails are painted with the over-rated polish. They lack shine and the color turns dull very quickly.
*If your nails are very short and bitten, use a clear polish until you get them to an active length. Pay for a manicure. A professional will do a better job getting your bitten nails looking a little healthier and you might be more inclined to take care of them.
*With that said, don't grow your nails too long. There is long and then there is an unnatural length that is outdated.
There are so many more colors I adore.
I encourage you to visit the below websites to see all the great nail colors.
I should also note that I only mentioned nail brands I favor the most. I find the department store brands, for the most part, to be overrated and honestly, not that great. Deborah Lippmann is a department store brand and a splurge. I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't think worth it. Remember, you deserve the occasional treat. I wish Chanel was worth the price but it's simply not. Their make-up is but not their nail polish. So many great colors. The good news is OPI and Essie have most the colors that one would need. YSL and NARS have nail colors that are worth the price if you are willing to splurge. Personally, I don't see the point when others are equally as good and to some degree, better.
www.opi.com
www.essie.com
www.cnd.com
www.zoya.com
www.lippmanncollection.com
Now, tell me, what are your favorite nail colors? Just because you don't see them listed here doesn't mean they are not one of my favorites too.
So many colors, so little time...
I love Chanel Vamp and OPI I'm Not Really a Waitress. I've got Vamp on as we speak, but it's chipped from changing the water pump in my old dodge truck. What can I say- no reason to not be a lady, regardless of what you're doing.
ReplyDeleteNormally OPI comes out with some pretty dumb partnership concepts, BUT once in a blue moon they do a good one - and smartly with a coordinating gel and regular polish so I can do my fingers and toes (I don't bother with gel on my toes, what a waste!) - they came out with a line to promote Skyfall (the latest James Bond)...the color I liked was called Skyfall (catchy, eh?) - deep red. good stuff.
ReplyDeleteI saw Skyfall but haven't tried it yet. There are a few of the Bond colors I want to try. I agree, I wouldn't do the gel on my toes. I do like that OPI has a lot of their colors available for gel. It makes it so much easier.
DeleteI've done the whole nail thing. I have tried the fake nails, they just left me with no nails. That only lasted a few months. I coruldn't stand going to the nail salon and being judged by the lady doing my no nails. I am too active in the dirt to keep sport length nails plus they look weird on my "man like" hands. I keep my nails short, not nail biting short but short. I am obessive about keeping them clean, almost OCD obsseive. I have tried the clear polish that strengthens and makes them shinny but I usually peal off the nail polish. So I resort to occassionlly painting them a dark color like some of the ones you have listed above; my favorite color is blue, usually like a dark blue, midnight blue is my usually go to color for finger nail paint. Thanks Pretend Goddess for you know who and know what.
ReplyDelete