A Nail Polish Trick to Make it Last Longer

I love to paint my nails. This really makes me sound like a "girly girl" and I don't care. It's fun to sport different colors to coordinate with my outfits. I use nail polish as an accessory and have quite the collection going. 

The worst is when nail polish starts chipping off. I can't stand the way it looks and I've tried about every top coat on the market to prevent it from happening. I turned to Pinterest for some ideas and inspiration and I came across this fantastic idea. Take a bottle of vinegar and dip a cotton ball in it. Swipe it over the un-painted nail and allow it to dry. Apply the nail polish as you normally would. I still recommend a topcoat to ensure it's longevity. Let me know your results! 

A Handy Way to Hold Nail Polish

I love to paint my nails. I have quite the collection of nail polish and I love to frequently change up the color, pattern and texture (latest obsession: matte nails). I came across this awesome product on Wanelo (it's like Pinterest, but you can buy everything right from this site!).

It makes this painting my nails so much easier. This can also save me so much time and money because how many times have I spilled the nail polish and not only wasted the bottle but had to clean it up? This keeps the nail polish in an accessible place and within reach. I love that it can't spill!

If you're not a member of Wanelo, you should join. It's an amazing site, but I'm warning you--it's addicting!

How to Get the Awful Yellow Color off of Your Nails

I know this has happened to you because it unfortunately happens to me all of the time: you decide to paint your nails some fun and funky color (this even happens sometimes with bright colors like red and pink) and when it's time to take off the nail polish, you see that your natural nails are yellow. It looks disgusting and I am always so self-conscious about it.

To get rid of this, mix a few drops of fresh lemon juice with 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide (which can be found at any drugstore for cheap). Soak your nails in this solution and use a couple of cotton balls to scrub the nails gently until the nails are back to their original hue.

And remember for next time, apply two layers of a base coat before adding the color nail polish--it should save your nails in the future!

A Cheaper Way to Get Matte Nails

I love the look of matte nail polish. It's been trending for quite a while now and I have no doubt that it will continue to be a trend in the fashion world. This puts a unique spin on traditional nail polish for a look that's super chic.

Instead of buying that matte nail polish that is super expensive, make your own! All you need to do is paint your nails with a normal nail polish (that shines when dry). Once it's all the way dry (you can use a second coat if needed), add some corn starch to a bottle of clear nail polish and shake well. Once it's mixed well, coat the nails with this new mixture and allow time to dry. This is a great way to get that gorgeous matte look for a lot cheaper!

A Fun Nail Polish Tip

I love seeing all the amazing designs that people come up with to put on their nails and use as nail art. I am amazed at the creativity that people come up with! Being that I am not the most creative person and times and also have no hand-eye coordination, I had to find a way to get those cool designs on my nails without making a big mess or looking sloppy!

First, paint your nail the color or your choice! Make sure the nails are dry.

Find a shape design that you like on Google and scale it down on a Word Document. Then copy and paste the image so that you can use it more than one nail. Take a cotton ball and soak it really well with rubbing alcohol. Place the ink side down on the nail and squeeze the cotton ball so the alcohol drips onto the nail and saturates the paper. Hold the cotton ball firmly on the nail for ten seconds and slowly peel off the paper.

A Great Way to Display Nail Polish

I don't know about you all, but when I go to paint my nails, I can never make a decision. I always end up using a paper towel to "test" the colors out since everybody knows the color in the bottle always looks different than when it's on my nails.

I'm going to do this ASAP--I came across it on Pinterest and I'm super excited to try it out! I'm going to take out all of my nail polish and swipe a small patch on a space of paper. I have a booklet of blank paper that I'm not using that will work perfectly to fill up with nail polish swatches! This will make the decision a lot easier when it's time to paint my nails.

Try Out Ombre Nails

You've seen the ombre look everywhere I'm sure. I'm seeing it everywhere and I love it! "Ombre" is a fun trend that started in France and is making its way everywhere. I've been seeing so many people with ombre hair, either fading from dark to lighter, or light to darker. I've seen a variety of people rock some amazing colors--it's fun to really see how creative people can get with the color combinations. For more about ombre hair, see my previous post!
If you are wanting to try out the ombre look, but not ready to take the plunge by coloring your hair, try it out on your nails. It's super fun, and you can choose to go lighter to darker or darker to lighter. You can try this out with so many different color combinations. For Halloween, you could do an orange shade fading into black, or you could try a hot color this fall and use shades of purple and plum. Have fun with this and get creative! If you don't like it, you can always use a good nail polish remover to take it off and start fresh.

How to Marble Nails

Giving nails the "marble effect" is a hot trend in the beauty world. I found a great post on Pinterest (where else?!) and had to share! I tried it out and loved it. I have tried it now with so many different colors that people are started to ask me to do theirs for them!

First paint your nail all over with a light, shimmery color. I use an off-white, cream-colored, or light pink shade and do a base coat before putting it on. Put a GOOD amount of lotion around the nail on the finger. This will help the nail polish to stay on the nail! Fill a bowl with water and have two bottles of nail polish open and ready. Add a drop of the first nail polish to the middle of the water in the bowl. Then add the second color immediately after. Keep repeating the process until you get a nice design going in the water bowl. Use a toothpick, needle, or pin and swirl the polish around until the design looks like you want it to look on your nail.

Soak a q tip in nail polish remover and rub the excess off of your hand. Let it dry and do the other nails after!

Nude Nails Are In

I've been searching high and low lately for hair, nail, and make up trends for summer 2012. I've shared quite a few of the fashion trends for the upcoming season, but realized that I neglected to share whats in as far as things that you can't wear as clothes (ie: make up, hair, and nails!).

As you know, gold is a huge trend this summer. If you haven't checked out my recent post about gold eye make up colors, check it out now! Along with this, natural and nude nail colors are seriously trending. It goes with a carefree and natural summer look. The goal of it is to look well kept and groomed with no effort whatsoever. I would pair this look with some easy-to-do natural beach waves.

Essie is one of my personal favorite lines of nail color and they have a great selection of natural tones.

Accessorize!

If you're on a budget this Spring and Summer, or just looking to spice up some old outfits, accessorizing is the answer! You can make (and unfortunately, sometimes break) and outfit with accessories. You can make an old outfit look brand new by adding and changing different accessories.

I love loading up on fun and unique accessories and much as possible. I like to use necklaces, shoes, purses, sunglasses, bracelets, rings, nail polish, scarves, earrings, headbands, and hats to compliment my favorite outfits (of course not all at the same time...I would look like a clown!!!!). I like to save money when doing so, as I'm sure you all know by now.

One of my favorite stores to get accessories at is Target. They have a great selection and variety of both traditional and unique accessories. They also have a lot of sales. I also like to hit up Charlotte Russe. They have a huge supply of accessories when I go in there and always great deals (most of the time it's a 2-for deal).

Just remember, don't over do it and drown yourself in too many accessories...that is how you "break" and great outfit. Hint--brightly colored accessories are a great way to put some "Spring" into your wardrobe!