The Glam Series - Nails

The Glam Series - Nails by janice-raab featuring Tweezerman

Tweezerman manicure tool / Beauty product / Purple nail polish / Essie nail polish / OPI nail polish, $19 / Nail polish / Zoya nail polish / Opi nail polish / Mini Orange Sanding Blocks / ORLY Won't Chip (18g), $19 / Beauty Secrets / zoya

I have been waiting for "Nail Week" ever since Jordon started The Glam Series linkup!  Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved painting my nails.  I remember always begging my mom to paint mine and then when I became coordinated to paint my own, my nails were rarely left naked.  There is something about nicely painted nails that really makes you feel put together!  I also usually prefer to just paint my own nails over getting them done in a salon (unless I am going on a vacation and don't want to worry about chips or re-painting...in that case I will get a gel manicure).  In economics class, I remember learning about "The Lipstick Theory" in which during hard times women will purchase more lipstick vs expensive clothing to make themselves feel better, but in my case, I would choose to buy nail polish! :)  Here is a breakdown of some of my favorite products:

{PREP}

I always start by shaping my nails with a file, and then sanding the surfaces with a sanding block to make sure all the "flakey" layers come off.  It really helps the polish stay on if you start with an even nail surface!  I have also realized the importance of a top/base coat.  I used to think they were worthless steps in the manicure process, but they both really make a world of difference!  I am currently using a CND brand base coat I bought at Ulta.  I think it works pretty well, but I also want to try the Orly Nail Bonder I saw them using at a nail salon the last time I got a manicure.  

{PAINT}

The best part!!  I probably have over 50 different nail polishes but I probably need to take some time and do a little cleanse to purge some old polishes that I haven't used in years.  I thought long and hard about which ones I wanted to feature here, so here are a few of favorites from my favorite brands (going from left to right in the picture above):

Zoya Dove - a soft grey that kind of reminds me of a cloudy day.  I like this because it is a really good neutral and leaves me feeling very fresh and clean.  I am actually wearing this polish as I type up this post!

Julep Sylvia - a muted purple, that is a fun pop of color without feeling like it's too much or immature.  I got this polish recently from a special promotion from the Julep site.  I ordered a nail polish holder bag and it included my choice of 4 nail polishes.  I tried to pick colors that I didn't already have so this one stuck out and I ended up liking it more than I thought I would!

OPI Glitzerland - a shiny gold.  I love this color!  I got it last Christmas time and have worn is so much!  It is a really great holiday shade and I use it a lot as an accent color if I am painting my ring finger a different color (which I do quite often and my boyfriend laughs at me).  It also looks great by itself on all 10 digits!  If I am feeling extra flashy, I will add on a coat of what I consider to be this polish's sibling, My Favorite Ornament.

Essie Turquoise and Caicos - a beachy turquoise/teal color. I have about 5 different turquoise/mint shades due to my Birchbox subscription (no idea why I always get this color!) but this is my favorite!   It is a great summer shade that makes me want to go on vacation!

OPI Cajun Shrimp - a bright coral.  This is probably my favorite nail polish shade ever!  If I am getting a pedicure I will pick this color up first almost every time without realizing it.  My sister is obsessed with it too!  I like the way polishes in the coral family look with my skin tone (over pinks/reds) so I naturally gravitate towards any polish in this category.  I also really love Kylie by Zoya but it looks like the discontinued it or maybe changed it's name because the Kylie they show now is a different color! :(

Zoya Janice - a deep red with fuchsia tones.  Ok, I must admit that the only reason I decided to order this polish was due to the fact it shared my name.  As a girl who rarely finds her name on anything, I was pumped to see there was a nail polish named after me!  I ended up really liking the color thankfully...I would be sad if the polish with my name was kinda blah!  It is a great fall/winter shade.  I also really like OPI Lincoln Park After Dark as a darker wine colored shade for the colder months.

Julep Raegan - a bright perfect pink.  I am not the hugest fan of pink, especially on my nails, but when I was choosing my polishes for the promotion I mentioned above, I was attempting to pick shades I didn't already have.  I didn't really have any pink polishes so I decided to give this one a try.  I ended up loving it!  I have never painted my nails a pink shade without feeling a little immature but this one felt just right!

I really like the consistency of all the above polish brands.  They all go on very smooth and really only require 1 coat which I feel like makes them chip less.  I have realized over the years that buying a nicer brand does make a difference and prefer to splurge a little bit over buying a cheap brand that will chip in a day.  It's hard work getting them all painted, so might as well have it last, right?  Plus a nice bottle of nail polish can last you years so I see it as an investment.

{PROTECT}

As I mentioned above in the Prep stage...I have realized the importance of a top/base coat.  I first tried an Orly top coat called Polished which I thought worked just ok, but after that one ran out I decided to try a different Orly brand top coat called "Won't Chip".  I figured that was a pretty bold statement so thought I would see if it lived up to it's name.  So far so good!  My nails are going on day 5 without any major chips, so I am a fan!

{REMOVE}

The saddest part!  But all good things must come to an end right?  I used to dread taking off my polish because I hated scrubbing at my nails.  I used to always use non-acetone type removers because I thought it was better for my nails.  A few years ago, I used a tutorial I found online to remove my gel manicure and it required 100% pure acetone.  Since I had the 100% pure acetone remover on hand I started using that to remove my regular polish and was amazed how easy it made it come off!  I just make sure to moisturize my nails and let them "breathe" for a little bit before putting polish back on them.  I haven't noticed any breakage or brittleness, so I don't know what I was scared of all these years!

What are your favorite nail products?  I am always a sucker for trying something new! Be sure to check out all the other posts on Jordon's blog - I can't wait to read them all!