Glitter Got You Down?

Who doesn't love the sparkly luster of glitter nail polish? It's like jewelry for your nails. However removing the hardened lacquer is enough to keep many enthusiasts from indulging in some glittery goodness. Thankfully there is a trick to hassle-free removal:

-Rip two or three cotton balls (depending on the size) into 10 equal strips.
-Soak each strip in nail polish remover (or pure acetone - it will work faster).   
-Place one on each nail, pressing down so the cotton covers the whole nail.
-Wait two to three minutes and gently wipe the softened glitter polish away.
-Finish by rubbing a little cuticle oil on each nail as polish remover and acetone are very drying.

Lights...Camera...Mani!

 Jazz up a simple manicure with some striping tape and a glitter polish from the same color family. If you don't layer your glitter polish too thick it will actually be more chip resistant than regular polish.

 Here I added a little flair with a non-traditional glitter chevron French. Always remember to cap the free edge and use a high quality top coat that provides both durability and shine!

A Monster of a Manicure

With my favorite holiday coming up in a few weeks, I thought I'd revisit some nail art that I created for my Halloween costume last year. I was Ms. Freddy Krueger and created some pointed red and green striped nails to match Freddy's iconic sweater. The red was an old Sally Hansen color that I decided to finish off and I custom mixed the green to get the exact shade that I wanted.

Of course, there are another set of nails that Freddy Krueger is famous for - and I had those too!

Be creative, have fun! Try matching your manicure with your Halloween costume this year!

Bespoke Color

All of us have nearly used up bottles of nail polish lying around that will eventually dry out. Why not channel your creativity to combine two or three partial bottles of polish instead of letting them go to waste? You can create some amazing new colors!

Tips

·         Mix polishes that are within the same color family – the combinations tend to come out prettier that way. For example, try reds and pinks together. Or, darker blues and lighter blues.   

·         Add a few drops of your favorite polish thinner to the partial bottles before mixing them together. This will help to thin out the consistency, as older polishes tend to become thicker when exposed to the air.

·         When mixing the polishes, gently roll the bottle between your palms instead of shaking it (which will create air bubbles). 

·         Be sure to document the polishes you blend for your personal records so you can recreate the new colors if so desired.

·         If you're a Nail Tech, name your new color! Let your clients know that this is a “custom” color that will only be available for a limited time.