Feelin' Blue...

Hiya! So today I was in a blue mood, not sad-blue, the color blue. But once the polish was on, it was kind of blah, so I dressed it up. The base color is 2 coats of Wet n' Wild's " Blue Moon," with an iridescent coat of "Nubar 2010."Nubar 2010 changes from red and orange to yellow and green. It plays off of the dark base color very nicely. Finished off with a top coat of "Out The Door," fast drying clear coat. It's a high gloss, long wearing finish that won't yellow or "shrink" your polish. OTD saves time and adds some durability to your manicure. The first picture is taken after working all day- I think it holds up quite well.

Close up. I love the depth Nubar 2010 adds.

Taken inside under florescent lights.  Shows the colors change from red, yellow, orange to green.

Nail Prep...

Ok, so you have all of your colors organized and you're ready to go?.....not so fast-- if you don't prep your nails correctly then your paint and time are worthless. I prefer filing my finger nails rather than using a nail clipper because the clipping action can cause stress or minute fractures which will weaken them. I only cut them if they have grown a lot between manicures or if I severely broke one. When I do cut them, I usually make them a little longer so I can file and shape with better control. I have found that filing has lessened breaking and splitting a little. I usually use fine grain emery boards- I have tried the glass and metal types and I don't feel that my nails are as smooth as the emery boards. Just in case you're wondering, only push your cuticles back if they are wet, you're less likely to cause damage so right after a shower or soak them for a few minutes in warm water.. Use a cuticle remover and an orange stick to push them back. And above all else, moisturize, uncared for cuticles are prone to hangnails.

Some things to keep in mind:
* Make sure your nails are completely dry before filing- wet nails are weak nails.
*Avoid using metal nail files because they are way too rough/coarse.
* Apply minimum pressure and file in one direction.
* Clip only when necessary, start on one corner- never in the center. 
* M O I S T U R I Z E  often.

                   You have to find what works best for you.
After filing, I coat my nails with a base coat of either " Nutra Nail Green Tea" or "Nail Aid Ultra Fast Growth," before polishing.

Nail polish- all together and accounted for...

Organizing your nail polish....no easy feat if you have over 100  bottles. I recently bought a "HELMER" from Ikea. Greatest $40 I ever spent! The Helmer has 6 drawers, 11" wide, 16 3/4" deep, 27 1/8" tall. It can hold 400 to 600 bottles, depending on the sizes. I have each drawer dedicated to something different.

Helmer!

First drawer has "effect" nail polish. Crackles, magnetics, glitters and glow in the dark polishes.

Second drawer has reds, oranges, yellows and greens, as well as my top coat and base coat polishes.

Third drawer is home to just purple and blue polishes. I also keep a bottle of remover and a pair of pliers in this drawer. I use the pliers for bottles that have lids that don't want to open. : )

The fourth drawer has pink and metallic colors.

The fifth drawer holds all of my "franken" supplies, loose glitters and stamping supplies.

The last drawer contains various accoutrements, q-tips, tape, vaseline, pedicure tools and plastic bags for dry marbling.

Nail wheels. Nearly every color I own is "swatched" onto a nail that is labeled with the brand and color name. Having the colors cataloged makes it easier to see what I have to avoid dupes and it helps with coordinating colors.

Post #1....... you get the idea.....

  Well, this is the very first post on my new blog. I figured I'd give it a try and see what I can make of it. Basically, I will ramble on about my biggest obsession.... nail polish. Yes, I am addicted to buying, swatching and organizing my many little bottles of  "girliness," and of course I love coming up with new designs and techniques to use them.