My First OPI~ and a lot of help needed
Hi ๐
I think I already said that I am not into nail polishing in one of my videos, and I still am very dubious about how long this craze is going to last.
My nails are sad. And by sad, I mean really sad. My mom and I have really weak and brittle nails. I always watched my mom cut her nails really short (so she won’t hurt herself) since I was a kid, and I too have inherited that habit. My nails are so weak and like thin paper, if I grow them out they either bend backwards or rip off. So I would have to cut them short or peal them off (which freaks the hell out of my boyfriend LOL). So to me – it never made any sense to put so much effort into my nails if they had to be cut off so often and are not manageable.
But put away the sad story, I’ve been into red bean (or read bean paste) color for a while and couldn’t resist buying this OPI shade: which is “Barefoot in Barcelona” – which I think is the closest to a wearable red bean color
So here’s the swatch (no base or top coat :p).
I do have a question for you nail experts out there.
I am a total novice to the nail polishing world, I only have a filer and nail polish remover. What do I need and what do I have to know? I figured that I will need a base coat and top coat (which I will buy over the weekend), but what else? anything else I have to know? please help me :p
hkmichelley
my nails are really weak and brittle too so i totally get what your saying.i sometimes peel my nails too if they split. =P
You can always buy nail strengtheners, which often contain protein and other nutrients to help build stronger nails.
Keep an eye out for Sally Hansen ones because i've seen a few of nail care polishes from her brand. Not expensive either, and can be found in most drugstores.
Hope this helps!
Love all your videos btw, they're sooooo helpful! specially when you do the drawings, so cute! =)
Michelle x
Catalina
MIchelle~ I've actually tried one of Sally Hansen's nail strengtheners when I was in high school :p I can't remember if I liked it or not, but I will give sally another try and let you know ๐ since I am sure they upgraded a lot of things since the time I bought one
oh, and hehe – I should start doodling more :p
Leaa
Hey Catalina! I ain't really a nail expert so I can't help you with your question.. XD As far as I know you need a base, top and the actual nail polish.. and to get it off you need nail remover? XD That's all I know!
But if you are looking for stuff to create stronger nails I recommend Trind. I don't know if they are sold in NY, because I'm from Holland and I bought them here.. (but I do think they are an international brand..) It works very well! They are a bit expensive, but they are good ^^
Unknown
tht swatch photo isnt weird ๐ it's unique ๐ good luck to getting stronger nails. in my opinion, OPI nail polishes r easier to apply if u've a small surface of nail. bcomes harder if ur nail is too long. argh
dustbunny
try the nailtek foundation ii the ridge filling base coat… works great on my nails…
spicy kimchi
Try Seche Vite top coat! It works really well and I know lots of people love it since it's the fastest drying topcoat I've ever had as well. xsparkage on youtube has a lot of good nail vids when she was really into nail art before.
Here's her blog post:
xsparkage.com/?p=980
spicy kimchi
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GWOF
try OPI Nail Envy, the original green bottle. It worked for me! Makes your nails really strong. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! ๐
GWOF
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GWOF
try OPI Nail Envy, the original green bottle. It worked for me! Makes your nails really strong. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! ๐
Lulu
I have really thin and weak nails too, but ever since I started taking biotin as a supplement (vitamin B), it's gotten better, and it also helps your nails to grow faster. You could give it a try and see if it helps you as well ๐
I've never tried nail strengtheners before, maybe I could give those a try!
Keyreo
I use a brand called Depend, their nailpolish oil; it's an oilbased treatment polish that moisturisez the nail and helps it grow out stronger:) I would also recommend a cuticle remover & a nail buffer!
Unknown
I used to have weak nails but I've been taking GNC's Hair, Skin and Nails Formula for a few years now and it's helped at the very least for stronger nails and better hair. I've recommended it to friends with weak nails and all are swearing by the stuff now. It contains Biotin which is the stuff that strengthens the nails.
I've always been into nails so I own a lot of the various different things. I guess basically you would need a good base coat to protect your nails from discolouration from polish (Nailtek and Ecrinail have been my faves. I'm using one now which is supposed to be the high end version of Seche Vite…not working out too well). Top coat wise, I have used Seche Vite. It's tricky in the sense that you have to get a thick enough coat on and I had to have one bottle for dark colours and another bottle for light colours because it would pick up bits of whatever polish colour I was using and when I went to load up the brush with more top coat, it would end up back in the bottle…irritating. Lately I've been using Sally Hansen's Mega Shine top coat (in the silver bottle). It's EXACTLY the same as Seche Vite, just much cheaper. In fact, I've found that it doesn't chip quite as fast as Seche Vite and it stays shinier longer. Only irritating thing is the packaging. The silver coating flakes and sometimes gets into the polish but it only happens from time to time…the stuff's so much cheaper than Seche Vite.
I like to keep my cuticles healthy with Solar Oil or Burts Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. Nothing worse than seeing pretty nails with icky dry and peeling cuticles.
I love the colour you chose, Catalina. I love OPI, great formula and great brush. A lot of people hate the prowide brush…I love it because I'm a lazy git and a wide brush means I can coat my nails in a quick and smooth application. I thought I liked the Mac polishs…but OPI still wins. Better formula, better brush applicator. I'm not sure how much you pay for OPI in the States but here in Singapore, prices typically run SGD18 and up per bottle. Right now I'm channeling Moon Over Mumbai which looks grey in the bottle but is really more a soft milky cream to pale white which on the nails, looks lovely. I'm sticking to light colours now as my nails have turned yellow from months of polish.
If your nails are weak, just keep them trimmed and cut straight across the top rather than round. Short nails which are squared off look as good as long talons (if not better and far more practical). I say try the supplement and keep a clear coat of polish on your nails at all times, even when you aren't using coloured polish. The coat/s of mail polish help to strengthen your natural nails I've found so they tend to grow out longer if that's what you want.
Mojo
erm… i don't do an awful lot with my nails apart from trimming and painting them etc. But i do know that they are made from keratin like you hair, i've also heard and read many times that improving your diet may help. More vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B and calcium to strengthen your nails. If you google vitamins and nail growth, there are hundreds of sites and if all that fails i guess you can ask a nail technician.
JeanieOBeanie
My nails are naturally brittle. I try to grow them out but they always break on the sides so I would have no choice but trim them. ๐ And my nails would be horrible when I take off my acrylics.
But I found a solution.
It is called Nailtiques. Bought from Trade Secret Salons. It is a nail protein. I got Formula 2 at first since i wanted my nails to be strong. it worked then turned my nails yellow because I would use it as a base coat and a top coat. I would also apply it every other day. But hey!! It really works!! Nails should be strong when your done with the first bottle so i geuss a month. Now I switched to Formula 1 just to maintain it.
chรจre sylvie
i'm lucky that my nails are pretty strong so that I can play with different colours on them. well, i guess you need some nail strengtheners, you should try Sally Hansen as they've many nail-related products out there. u may need some essence oil to protect your nails. Don't forget to get yourself a good nail polish remover. try those with vitamin E as this will help strengthening your nails~
Tina
I used to play around with nail polish a lot. After trying just about every brand out there, I only purchase OPI now. It goes on very smoothly, color choices are endless, and they last the longest (my number one reason for loving it). Even without a base and top coat, OPI lasts for about a week without major chippage. It's a little pricier than drugstore brands, but I think it's worth the stay power. A lot of other brands last like 3 days or less. The only drugstore brand I did like was Maybeline's 60 second color. It literally dries that fast so if you're still practicing applying the polish, I wouldn't get any fast drying formulas yet.
I don't think there's a major difference between base coats as long as it's not too thick and goes on smoothly. It's just to protect your nails from staining. I do suggest getting a fast drying top coat or quick dry drops because it cuts major drying time and the time you could potentially mess up your nails.
Hope this helps you! Love your videos and your blog!
Catalina
OMG! thank you all for such great details! I never knew your nails could get stained or discolored
I've looked into most of the stuff you guys suggested, I am actually thinking of making a collective post regarding this so these great tips don't get buried away!
Don't delete anything everybody >.<) I will make this as a helper post and all of you will be credited and linked so please don't delete anything~~ thank you all <3
chรจre sylvie
oh, btw, if you wanna know some tips on how to strengthen your nails, i guess u can visit a nail bar, have your nails polished there so that the experts will tell you what's good and bad for your nails. That's what I do.
mishi x
This is my favorite OPI color! I'm very into the "Red Bean" color as well. You could check out Rimmel's milk chocolate if you want, it's definitely in the same color family.
Ariel
This makes me sound like an old korean lady but… take your vitamins! It REALLY helps. It's life changing! I now maintain a weekly manicure with no problems. Email me if you would like to know exactly what cocktail of vitamins I'm taking. So much better than nail strengtheners… I always got annoyed by those because they peel off and look kind of messy after a day or two.
The best top coat is Poshe. It dries super quick and beats Seche Vite in my opinion. Rescue Beauty Lounge, OPI and the OPI for Sephora polishes have the best colors.
Unknown
I agree with Ariel. I take my supplements and it's helped more than anything I could coat my nails with. I'm using the same brand base coat as she does top coat. My technician says this is the high end subsidiary company of Seche Vite (shrug) but I've got stained nails so I'm wondering how protective it really is (didn't work for me). OPI formulas and colours I've found are the best. Once you get a pretty set of talons growing I'm sure you'll form the same kind of addiction to all things nails as many of us have.
Serena
You can also buy powder chemical/nail treatments to strengthen your nails. Dump water and mix with powder, then soak. Also… Drinking milk (calcium) may help more ๐
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Anonymous
Oh my I have the same problem! Darn those peeling sessions ><
sunshine
Heya.. Just saw this blog because my friend really likes the colour you have. I have some advice, I work in a nail salon as a receptionist so I know a bit (but not a whole lot). I'm going to echo some of the comments already stated.. like taking your vitamins, calcium, eating a balanced diet. Also, try using OPI Nail Envy as your base coat if your nails are weaker.
For colours, it goes base coat (or nail envy), two coats of colour polish, and then the top coat. Best advice for long lasting nail colour is to make sure the two colour coats dry sufficiently before you put on the top coat. If want to guarantee no bubbles make sure you don't cheap out on a good top coat.
Dark vs. Light nail polish colours:
Dark colours will stain your nails if you continually wear them (it might turn yellowish even). Your nails need to breath once in awhile, so have some times where you're not wearing any polish (or just wear nail envy alone). Light nail polish you can wear more than dark without worrying about negative effects.
If your nails are weak and thin I don't recommend buffing. Cuticle oil is also nice to have if you tend to have dry skin around your nails.
That's all I can think of at the moment… Good luck. Nails are quite fun to play around with once you get into it.
Unknown
A definitive solution to weak and brittle nails: Nailtiques Formula 2. I have tried lots of nail strengtheners out there, but none was as good as this formula. Before Nailtiques, I couldn't even comb my hair with my fingers for fear the strands would tear my nails apart. But now… I can style my hair without having my nails caught up in my hair. And I can actually grow long nails now!