Current Mani & Latest Haul

It's 11:59pm, so I won't get this up before Weds, but hey, I tried. When I started to get pictures off my camera, I noticed that I had a few tutorial sets that I haven't posted here yet. So I'll set those up to post for the next couple of weeks. For tonight - this week's manicure and my super-awesome haul from Nubar, plus a smaller one from Head 2 Toe Beauty. Because I am *constantly* running out of top coat...

Actually, I guess the haul pics first, because I used the new polishes for this week's manicure. So here it is:

Those two tall bottles in the back are Seche Vite base and top coat - 4oz each. You can order the professional kits that include the big bottle, a regular .5oz bottle and a handy pouring lid from Head 2 Toe Beauty, and if you go through top coat like I do, it's a much better deal than buying a normal bottle every few weeks.

I also got the two Misa polishes from there (the two square bottles), unfortunately you can't see the color well here. One is a dark bronze and the other a deep teal green - "Like it Like That" and "When U Say My Name", respectively. I forgot to set them out, but I got two of the China Glaze crack polishes as well - "Crushed Candy" (teal) and "Cracked Concrete" (gray). Finally I also got a couple bottles of China Glaze Matte Magic top coat - my go-to solution for making matte polish last (and matting other polish as well).

The two tiny bottles are a blue and blue glitter I picked up at Sally Beauty Supply the other day. And then there's my Nubar haul...

I went a little nuts with the duochromes, but I don't regret it one bit. The odd polishes out were Midnight Matte Finish, a dark charcoal matte you'll see below; and Nubar 2010, which I've been dying to get for ages. Duochromes above are: Purple Beach, Iris Dust, Reclaim, and Wildlife.  

Whew! I have an order with Zoya that should be here any day now...

So for this week's manicure, I did one coat of base coat (Seche), then two coats of Nubar Midnight Matte to start. I brushed on one coat of Nubar 2010, which is clear with foil flecks (should have taken a pic before I matted it down again).

Then I used the China Glaze Matte Magic to seal and matte down the whole thing again. My pictures don't do it justice at all - it looks like granite with little flecks of green/pink/gold running through it. I really love the way it turned out...a very distinctive look.

Obviously I need to brush up on my photography skills...and you'll note that I have a broken-off nail on each hand. *sigh*

So now that I have new polish, I was thinking maybe I should clean out my polish drawer...or at least organize it a little:

What, you don't keep your polish in the fridge? Weird. ;-)

Regardless, it's a mess. And a daunting one at that. Maybe another day...

My Manicure Routine

I've been meaning to do a post like this for awhile, just never found time to take the pictures. I love seeing where everyone does their nails and reading about different routines...so here's mine.

I do a manicure every Sunday night, and I'm generally quite picky about the nail polishes I'll use, because they have to last for 7 days with no chipping and minimal tip wear. OPI, China Glaze, Zoya, and Nubar are my main "go to" polish brands, though I do have some Essie, and just ordered some Misa to try.

First, I pick out polish color(s) from my two bins of nail polish that I keep in one of the veggie drawers in the fridge:Then I pick out my nail art items, and add them to my manicure tray. My nail art "stuff" is all in the top drawer of this dresser in the bathroom (the bottom drawer is for dirty laundry...mostly towels). There's a cutting board on top for slicing clay canes, and two sets of pedicure stones that I haven't used yet, but are supposed to be nice and warm between the toes when heated in warm water.
Next I remove my old polish. Most of my manicure steps are done in this chair, with that tray on my lap - comfy for TV watching!After the old polish is removed, time for a slathering of lotion, followed by a paraffin dip to the wrists:
Then after my hands are all nice and moisturized, I file my nails, and buff the tops lightly (to remove any excess oils from them). Sometimes I use my crystal file, others I use the electric file/buffer you see on the right:Then I polish, decorate and top coat, with half-time drops to help it dry.

Total time spent on my nails is about 2 - 1/2 hours per week. But it's totally worth it, of course.

What's your manicure routine? Do you have one?