Nail Details

I went through a phase a little bit ago where I was just obsessed with painting my nails. Every couple of days, I had to redo them. I’m not like that anymore, but I still love anything and everything about nails. Since I am a swimmer though, I have given up on the whole “no-chipping” concept, as the chlorine seems to rob them of all perfection. In this post, I’ll be giving you some insight on my favorite nail polish brands and colors, easy nail art, and how I try to achieve the salon worthy manicure/pedicure.

Colors and Brands

My two favorite brands of nail polish are definitely Essie and OPI. Stars have been seen wearing Essie at the Emmy Awards and Fashion Weeks. Essie nail polish lasts long and has easy application. The founder of Essie, Essie Weingarten, has created a stellar product. Next, OPI is known throughout the world for their nail care. They provide customers with high-quality formulas and all of their polishes have renowned names. OPI also gives back through advocation for women’s health, education, and anti-violence. 

Within each of these brands, I have my go-to colors. For Essie they are Mod Squad (electric pink) and In the Cab-ana (aqua). Both of these Essie colors are bold and preppy. For OPI they are Pink-ing of You (light pink), Step Right Up! (nude), and Suzi Sells Sushi by the Seashore (medium pink).Woah, that’s a lot of pink! These three colors are very subtle and pair well with any outfit. 

Essie's In the Cab-ana
Photo Courtesy: A Girls Guide to an Organized Life

Easy Nail Art

While some people splurge on all types of nail decals and tools, I have found that household items like bobby pins, chopsticks, and tape do the trick as well! You can do a simple flower by bending the bobby pin and dipping it in the color of your choice. Place five dots in a circular shape on the corner of your nail, and then add another dot in the middle with a different color. To make leaves, place a green dot just outside of one of your five white dots, and use a chopstick to draw out one of the corners for a triangular shape. If you are in a more geometric mood, you can use tape to create stripes of any size and direction. The possibilities are endless!

Salon Quality

For some reason, every time I do my nails, my left hand always turns out better since I am right handed. On my right hand, nail polish always gets all over my skin. Since I am obviously not a pro, I like to dip a cotton swab in nail polish remover and go around all the edges. Whenever I get my nails done, it seems like the color is smooth and not streaky. I have found that if you do two coats (maybe even three for lighter colors), you are able to get a more even application. And finally, don’t forget your top coat. A top coat not only provides protection to keep your nails from chipping, but it also gives them that extra salon shine. If you follow these tips, hopefully others will be asking you where you got your manicure/pedicure done!

As a fun fact, whenever you rip a kneeskin, you can put nail polish on the hole to keep water from entering the suit! Anyways, that is all that I have for you guys today! I hope that you enjoyed this post and check back soon!

XOXO

Siena