I think I've finally kicked my icky nail-biting habit, and my nails are just long enough for a proper manicure. I got fakes put on for my wedding and I've gotten a couple pedicures here and there, but otherwise I have no experience. Can you help me with some questions, please?
Do you usually bring in your own polish (so you can do touch-ups at home), or do you just use what the salon has on the shelf?
How do you know what color would look good on you? I have very pale skin (although my hands get red in the winter) and stubby fingers. IDK if a pale pink is going to wash me out, or if a dark color will look stupid on me, or what a good "neutral" would be for me. I'm browsing pics and I'm leaning toward greyish-purple colors.
WTF are "gel" nails? I'm Googling to find a good local salon and some people are saying they get gels done there.
I have this pic pinned because I like the color and the one glittery accent nail. So do I just show the stylist the picture? Would I need to choose a second glitter polish or is that just a clear glitter coat on top of the regular color? i-h2.pinimg.com/564x/83/8b/e0/838be06a84ef7aaf4d14dbf5b182c706.jpg?b=t
About how long do your manicures last?
I know the answers to most of these things are "Do what you want/it depends," but any advice would be appreciated!
Do you have a tendency to pick at your nails? I had gels once and I could literally pull off the polish in a sheet.
Beyond that I got nothing. I'm a biter and have never had a manicure because i just dont care. Haha. The gels were only because old boss wife used to work in a salon and she really wanted to do them.
I am very pale and almost always go with a pale pink. I don't think it washes me out and it seems to last longer. It won't show chips as much as a dark color. I always get regular manicures as my nails grow so fast that a no chip polish would look silly on me. My nails would be all grown out at the bottom. I always use their polish. With a good manicure and a pale color, I can typically get a week to 10 days out of my manicure. When I do them myself, it will last a week.
Post by goldengirlz on Feb 21, 2019 10:58:39 GMT -5
I usually go with the salon polish because it’s fun to try new colors but I see the value of being able to do touch-ups. So yeah, it depends on what you prefer.
My manicures typically last about a week and then I remove the polish myself because I hate having chipped nails. I usually go for a neutral color like a light gold or light pink because the early chips aren’t as visible.
I’ve never gotten gel polish but it seems like a pain because it has to professionally removed or you can ruin your nails. If you’re afraid you’re going to pick them, I would not advise getting gel.
(To be fair, I’m not a big manicure person and just do clear polish at home when I feel like I need something extra. I get them a few times a year for a special occasion or as something to do with a friend.)
Look into the powder dip. That lasted the longest for me! I had it removed because I had enough growth that it was bothering me. I am VERY HARD on my nails and that stuff was indestrictible.
Honestly I would never bother with a regular manicure with regular polish. My nails would chip immediately. I get gel nails regularly. Last time, I went 4 weeks in between before it started peeling. My place charges $33 for a gel manicure vs. $17 for a regular manicure. I would be lucky if I could make it a week with the regular. So definitely worth it to do gel. Key is finding a great place to do it so it lasts.
I also hear good things about the powder dip, but it does cost more (my place charges 40+).
I mostly do gel manicures and I once tried the dip. The dip felt more like acrylic (fake) nails to me and I am not sure I liked it. I like the gel because it can last me up to two weeks when I eventually get tired of both the length that it has grown out and the color, but mostly the length. I keep my nails pretty short, so any length is bothersome to me. It costs a bit more, but since it lasts so long and I go so infrequently, I do it as a "treat". I do take them off myself at home, it's annoying but it's the same process they use a the salon: rough up the nail with a file, soak a cotton ball in acetone, then wrap it around your nail with foil and wait. And wait some more, then it will come off.
As for color, I have no idea. I like dark colors but would love to find a nice neutral nude color since I always admire it on others.
I tried gel nails, and while I like them, they wreck my nails for 4-6 weeks after polish removal.
I recently tried Essie Gel Couture at home, and I get a good 7 days out of it, and could touch up myself. I was pleasantly surprised. You do two color coats, and a top coat. No base coat. They have a good range of colors.
I like gel polish because it lasts super long and I don't have to worry about it for two weeks or more. Regular polish on regular nails doesn't last long on me at all. I love the colors in the pic you posted - you can totally just show them the pic and have them do that. Those look like gel polish (a little thicker) to me.
I like gel for pedicures, but not manicures because I tend to pick at any chips or imperfections on my hands. I rarely do dark colors just because I can stand minor chipping for a few days longer with a lighter color that isn't obvious. I don't have a perfect light pink that I think looks good on me, but I do Essie Chinchilly a lot, especially in fall/winter. When I (infrequently) get manicures I try out different pinks to try to find a good one for me.
I bought this on a whim at Sephora this winter too, and was really impressed at how well it lasted:
I’ve only ever gotten regular manicures. The other types confuse me and I thought some types you need to go back to have removed which is just too much commitment for me. The regular ones only last about 10 days on me though.
I pick polish from what they offer there because I think it’s fun to try new colors, but you could certainly bring a color you have at home. Sometimes I will sample the color with a swipe on a few of my nails to see how it will come out.
If you want an accent nail, you’d probably have to pick that also from the samples they have but if you bring in the picture they can also help you find something that will work.
I’ve only ever gotten regular manicures. The other types confuse me and I thought some types you need to go back to have removed which is just too much commitment for me.
Yes, this is my concern as well ... I don't want to have to answer a ton of questions or specify "types" of manicures, if that makes sense? I don't know what I'm doing and I just want someone to take over the whole process and just give me nice-looking nails, lol.
I also don't have the time or budget to go back for regular nail appointments (I'm the same way with my hair). Ideally I'd like them to set me up with nice-looking nails and then I can maintain them at home, or just remove the polish myself when they get chipped and then go back when I have spare time/$ to get them done again.
I’ve only ever gotten regular manicures. The other types confuse me and I thought some types you need to go back to have removed which is just too much commitment for me.
Yes, this is my concern as well ... I don't want to have to answer a ton of questions or specify "types" of manicures, if that makes sense? I don't know what I'm doing and I just want someone to take over the whole process and just give me nice-looking nails, lol.
I also don't have the time or budget to go back for regular nail appointments (I'm the same way with my hair). Ideally I'd like them to set me up with nice-looking nails and then I can maintain them at home, or just remove the polish myself when they get chipped and then go back when I have spare time/$ to get them done again.
Then a regular polish manicure is your jam! Enjoy!!!
mbcdefg, you may also want to look into getting the manicure and just getting them buffed to a shine. I've done that a few times and liked that I got the benefits of the manicure but not having to deal with taking polish off or it chipping. Plus it's easy to do at home with a nail buffer block like this:
After getting a gel manicure, I will never go back to a regular manicure. The polish lasts 3x as long and looks prettier IMO. You also don’t have to wait for the polish to dry. I also bought some acetone and little foil cotton sheets on amazon and remove them at home. I don’t get them all the time but I get them done for special occasions.
OP - I like the color Mod About You if you want a lighter pink that doesn’t make you look washed out.
I'm a gel proponent. I know people say it wrecks their nails, but I have not found that to be the case for me. It may just be genetic. My nails have a tendency to peel - like a thin layer of nail peels away from another layer of nail, even when there's not polish on them. With regular polish, I get a lot of chips immediately because my nails peel off and form ridges. For whatever reason, when I am wearing gel polish, my nails don't peel.
I tend to pick at my nails, but only if there's something to pick at, like a chip or a peeling nail or polish coming lose. I get about 2.5 weeks out of gel nails before they get to a stage where the ends look a little loose and I want to pick. Regular manicures I get 2-3 days before I ruin them.
I love gel. A lot. Pre-kids, I invested in my own stuff and did them at home. Taking them off at home is easy enough - I didn’t hear it mentioned here, but coating the skin around your nails with Vaseline will help keep your skin from drying out. I am not a fan of having the salon take them off - they rush it and tend to scrape it off vs letting the acetone soak long enough for it to just slough off. That’s a big cause for the nail damage a lot of people complain about.
That being said.. it’s a process and takes forever. After the second kid, I stick to salon (non-gel) mani/pedis for the most part. I pulled it out and did my first pedi in almost two years last night. Bonus? Gel is self-leveling and really forgiving if you mess up.
Yes, this is my concern as well ... I don't want to have to answer a ton of questions or specify "types" of manicures, if that makes sense? I don't know what I'm doing and I just want someone to take over the whole process and just give me nice-looking nails, lol.
I also don't have the time or budget to go back for regular nail appointments (I'm the same way with my hair). Ideally I'd like them to set me up with nice-looking nails and then I can maintain them at home, or just remove the polish myself when they get chipped and then go back when I have spare time/$ to get them done again.
Then a regular polish manicure is your jam! Enjoy!!!
I agree! After getting a few manicures to help me figure out how to shape my nails and care for my cuticles, I invested in a good nail grooming set (clippers, file, etc), and a quality base and top coat. And by invested I mean I spent maybe $30 at Rite-Aid. It takes some practice and patience but it doesn't take long to do my own nails now, it looks just as good, and I actually find it relaxing. Using a good quality nail polish helps make it looks nicer and last longer (ie. not the $3 sale polish).
Post by farmvillelover on Feb 22, 2019 12:41:07 GMT -5
I was a long time gel user but they really did kind of destroy my nails. So I went to doing them myself. The good part about lighter colors is it is not as obvious if you get a chip. I think dark/deep reds/burgundy colors look pretty on pale hands by the way, esp in winter.
I think the key to having a regular manicure last longer is: 1 - a good file first 2 - good base coat (I use OPI) then the polish 3 - a good top coat. I use Seche Vite and it's worked great.
Post by alleinesein on Feb 23, 2019 2:01:29 GMT -5
I do my own and they last 10+ days without chipping. I hate having them done in a salon because they take forever to dry since they slap the multiple layers of polish on so fast. Your nails need more than 10 minutes to dry completely so that they don't smudge.
Gel nails and gel polish are different things. Gel nails are similar to acrylics; they use a gel substance to build up and shape the nail (sometimes with the use of tips/fake nails to make them longer). They are a pain to remove and can damage your nails. Gel polish is polish that you can put on your natural nails or fake nails and it cures under a UV light. They claim that it doesn't damage your nails but it wrecks mine. It can also chip; my last gel manicure had one entire nail chip off (polish came off in one giant sheet).
If I do get a mani/pedi, I bring my own nail polish and top coat. I have 400+ bottles and I don't like most of the colors that the salons out here carry. I tend to prefer holos, thermals, and multi-chromes and most mainstream polishes do not offer those finishes.
Avoid nudes/pale pinks/flesh tones unless you really like the look of "mannequin hands". You can always swatch colors on your nails when you are at the salon to see what looks best.
alleinesein, how do you keep/use 400 bottles? Mine tend to not last more than a year or two.. if your manis last 10+ days, that's maybe 35-40 color usages per year? How do you keep them from drying out or getting gummy? I have no desire to house 400 bottles, but I'd love for the few I have to last longer.
I do my own and they last 10+ days without chipping. I hate having them done in a salon because they take forever to dry since they slap the multiple layers of polish on so fast. Your nails need more than 10 minutes to dry completely so that they don't smudge.
Gel nails and gel polish are different things. Gel nails are similar to acrylics; they use a gel substance to build up and shape the nail (sometimes with the use of tips/fake nails to make them longer). They are a pain to remove and can damage your nails. Gel polish is polish that you can put on your natural nails or fake nails and it cures under a UV light. They claim that it doesn't damage your nails but it wrecks mine. It can also chip; my last gel manicure had one entire nail chip off (polish came off in one giant sheet).
If I do get a mani/pedi, I bring my own nail polish and top coat. I have 400+ bottles and I don't like most of the colors that the salons out here carry. I tend to prefer holos, thermals, and multi-chromes and most mainstream polishes do not offer those finishes.
Avoid nudes/pale pinks/flesh tones unless you really like the look of "mannequin hands". You can always swatch colors on your nails when you are at the salon to see what looks best.
I’m looking for thermal, non-gel (regular) polish - can you recommend a brand? Thanks!
alleinesein , how do you keep/use 400 bottles? Mine tend to not last more than a year or two.. if your manis last 10+ days, that's maybe 35-40 color usages per year? How do you keep them from drying out or getting gummy? I have no desire to house 400 bottles, but I'd love for the few I have to last longer.
They are stored in a cool, dark place with minimal light exposure. I have one bottle that is 12 years old and still perfect. I've got polish thinner for any that get gummy but so far the only polish that gets thick/gummy on a regular basis is my quick dry top coats; it probably has to do with all of the air exposure that it gets. I've only had 3 polishes dry out so far and 1 was because I didn't close the bottle tightly, another was a glitter polish and the other was a bad formula; everyone I know who had the same polish had the same thing happen.
I’ve only ever gotten regular manicures. The other types confuse me and I thought some types you need to go back to have removed which is just too much commitment for me.
Yes, this is my concern as well ... I don't want to have to answer a ton of questions or specify "types" of manicures, if that makes sense? I don't know what I'm doing and I just want someone to take over the whole process and just give me nice-looking nails, lol.
I also don't have the time or budget to go back for regular nail appointments (I'm the same way with my hair). Ideally I'd like them to set me up with nice-looking nails and then I can maintain them at home, or just remove the polish myself when they get chipped and then go back when I have spare time/$ to get them done again.
I'm in a similar boat. This week I tried imPress press on nails...gel manicure look, $7.99 at CVS, and they come with an accent nail as well as spares/multiple sizes (30 nails). Super easy to put on for someone that can't even polish their own nails like me and I was skeptical but they look great.
The reviews I found for them say they don't damage your regular nails and can stay on at least a week. I just put them on last night personally: