Manicure Tips

I've used many brands of polish, in many price ranges.  My favorites are OPI, Essie, and Deborah Lippmann, but I've also found some drugstore brands I like, such as L'Oreal and Milani.  Most will work as long as you follow these tips.

Store polish in a cool dark place, and just go through your stash and toss out any old and goopy polishes.  Don't try to save them with polish remover.  Just say goodbye and move on.

I'm not a professional by any means, but these are my personal tips that have worked for me.

1.  After removing polish, file nails in one direction only.  Do not file across, as this can give a rough edge to nail tips.
2.  Do NOT soak your nails right before or after a manicure.  You don't want added water here.
3.  (This is my #1 tip:)  Buff nails GENTLY and lightly to remove ridges and give a smooth surface.  Don't do it too much or you could thin the nail.  This step has made a HUGE difference in the staying power of my polish.
4.  Wipe nails with acetone polish remover to prevent residue like water, lotion, or natural oils and to remove any particles left from filing and buffing.
5.  Start with a sticky base coat.  
6.  Use thin coats of polish, and let it dry between coats.
7.  Be sure to cover the free edge of the nail with polish to "seal" the manicure.
8.  Give nails plenty of time to "cure," even if they seem dry.
9.  Use a top coat, and try to do it every day.
10. Use cuticle oil.

This might look like a lot of steps, but once you do it a few times, it really doesn't take long at all.  The best part is that your manicure can last much longer with very little chipping in between, so it's worth it.    Hope this helps your manicure look pretty longer!

DIY A Wardrobe of Sunglasses

Because I had all the supplies on hand, my only cost was the sunglasses, which I got from the dollar store.  So my cost for FOUR NEW SUNNIES was a mere $4.00!  Even if you have to get a few supplies, you're still going to spend very little on this project.  This is an easy and fun project, and it took me less than an hour to do them all.  And I feel very chic calling them "sunnies," by the way.  Try it.  It's good!

These are the only supplies I needed to make ALL of the styles:

Get ready for the easy-peasy instructions for each:

Two-tone nail polish sunnies:

You need:

Plain solid-color sunglasses

Painter's Tape

Paper (optional)

Nail polish in a color you like

1.  I rubbed the paper against the lenses, then cut it out to use as a cover to avoid getting paint on the lens.

2.  Place paper on lenses and use painter's tape to create a design.  I added a little angle at the outside edges for interest.

3.  Paint away.  You will most likely need at least two coats.  The first coat might have you afraid you won't get enough coverage, but don't worry about that.  Just let it dry a little, then give it another coat.

Let them dry fully, remove the tape, then enjoy!

* * *

Bling-tastic Style:

1.  All you need is a pair of sunglasses (mine have a tortoiseshell pattern), some strong adhesive like E-6000, and some rhinestones (mine are 5 mm).

2.  Use a toothpick to put tiny drops of glue on the sunglasses and place the rhinestones on there.  I found it much easier to put the glue on the glasses rather than on the stones, but you do whatever works for you.

3.  Add stones until you get a pattern you like.  Try to put an odd number on each side if you're doing a similar pattern to what I did.  It just seems to look more balanced that way.

Let it dry and then go be fabulous!

* * *

Pretty Patterns:

1.  You need:  Sunglasses, Mod Podge (I used the luster kind), scissors, sponge brush, and tissue paper

2.  Coat the earpieces with Mod Podge on both sides and the edges.  

3.  (Not shown, because I couldn't take pictures while I was doing it) - Just cut a rectangle longer and wider than the earpiece, and gently adhere it.  Smooth it out and cut off loose edges, then Mod Podge over the tissue paper.  Let dry completely, then kick back and look cool.

* * *

Subtle Glitz:

1.  What you need:  Sunglasses, Mod Podge, Painter's Tape, Glitter

2.  Tape off a pattern on the earpieces and Mod Podge.  (You can go pretty thick here.)

3.  Pour glitter onto a sheet of paper and dip the Mod Podged areas into the glitter (rather than sprinkling the glitter onto the glasses).

4.  That makes clean-up and application really easy.  Just pour the excess glitter back into its container when you're done.

Let them dry, remove the tape, then go be gorgeous!

I shared this post at Debbie Doo's