HANDS, NAILS, ETC.

I miss biting for the simple fact that I hate filing my nails, heh. I keep them long because I hate trying to file them. I should quit being a cheap ass and just get them professionally done on my lunch once a month and paint in between.

Lately, I've been having a stressful, busy time at work and taking the time at nights once in a while to paint my nails has been very soothing & centering. Put on some music, paint & decompress.

I do it while watching movies. I have a whole little work station with a glass salt cellar for the acetone and a bag for everything when I'm done. It's nice.

For years on and off I've been living in areas where lots of women have fabulous, amazing nail art jobs all the time and I've barely paid any attention, but now that I'm trying to free-hand things I appreciate them so much more, I'm a covert nail inspector on the train and in stores. I feel like kind of an ingrate for not seeing this art all around before.

yeah this thread has made me notice more ppl's nails too! I complimented a checker at Rite Aid last week for her incredible nails, she seemed quite pleased that I noticed :D

Yay masking tape! So much better than scotch tape, my taping technique still needs fine-tuning but it improved from start to finish so I think it's learnable.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Pyramidal.jpg

I cannot stop with the gold glitter apparently.

I wonder if painter's tape would be even better...

Looks good!

I TRIED TO BUY A ROLL OF PAINTER'S TAPE ON THURSDAY. Do you know how much it was? TEN DOLLARS. FOR ONE ROLL. When did that happen??!

WHOA. That's... dumb.

I think the register woman was offended that I didn't believe her and went back to the shelf to get a different roll in case it was an error. No error, somewhat to my embarrassment, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that's a shocking price.

Also I can't say it enough: Seche Vite is a miracle. It makes my nails so deeply shiny that it's hard to even photograph them.

wtf TEN dollars?

that's some bullshit

I'm finna go get my no chip soaked off at the salon yay and I am going to ask if they will do black nail polish with red glitter topcoat because for some reason that's all I can think about on my nails. (I have the gear to do it myself at home but since I have to go for polish removal why not, I ask you?)

Why not, indeed. Glitter glitter glitter glitter.

Bored now.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Daggers.jpg

RAD

my nails are short and unadorned and a bit scraggly because i am so into climbing right now. but i'm going to do them fast and simple right now bc it's party season! :)

WOW!!!!!!!!!!

The angles are really hard! And if the black part is off-center, the silver part will never line up either. So my technique could be better, but it's presentable, at least?

oh SHUT UP
you know that is a spectacular job!! so deco!

Yeah, but my goal is for it to be indistinguishable from a professional job. A regular manicure is around $15 in these parts, but an art one starts at $40 and goes to like $100 and up at a place that specializes. I'll never do the designs that are actually free-hand representational sketching, because I'm awful at that, but I should be able to get the geometric designs as well as anywhere once I work out how best to peel the tape off, how thick to make each color, how to find the center, what looks best, which polishes interact funny.

this is like when you told me that mod people are all sizing up each other's clothes -- totes not a world i live in! i think your nails look super duper great!

this is a cool idea - might test it out on the regular sharpie markers I have kicking around here.

http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/12/mani-monday-new-favorite/

I went a little nuts at Sephora but the set of 15 mini Nails Inc polishes was $22.50!!

And I got some Illamsqua polishes.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8213/8295625544_c469680a5c.jpg

Don't be mad, but one in orbit did my nails, and then I went to my (second) work xmas party with my nails did (and I managed to get my hair really big, and I wrote tall boots) and I felt pretty badass.

That's not a good pic - the base color is a really pretty dark denim blue and the glitter is silvery gold. Perfect for holiday parties.

whoa those are badass orbit nails
#jealous

That looks fab! Great work io!

I painted my nails red, I think I might turn them into presents tomorrow with the help of some silver polish "ribbons." Let's get festive!

someone do snowmen nails plz

ooh absolutely!

Want to see present and snowman nails!

carl, you got a great picture! I don't have a phone/camera that will focus at that close a range, mine are always fuzzy. Will do Lechera's later, woo.

No one has ever taken this amount of care with my hands/nails -- not ever! I have only had 2 professional manicures in my life, but in orbit's was the most caring by far. We did the base part and now I am getting the glitz added today after we go grocery shopping.

I am totally sold on this nail business btw. Going to learn how to trim my cuticles at least.

aw :)

yay!

look, even someone with little shovel-shaped nails can have super fierce dagger lacquer!! thanks L!!!!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8219/8300689824_1c41b6119a.jpg

pretty!

Aw you have nails like me

I took my favourite red polish to do at my parents' and it's gone gloppy and horrible >:(

My pleasure! I spy a cup of coffee on that table. Jealous tbh.

they looked so pretty, but now i have jacked up my nails to the point of no return -- i'm afraid it's endtimes for this mani

also this

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/188ym7db6vgmejpg/xlarge.jpg

wow Jay-Z and Beyonce nails!!!

Who will be the first ilxor to sport the penis manicure.

the phrasing of that is amusing me greatly

Hahaha LL I saved that exact picture from the gawker post <3

My relatives went deliciously nuts with the nail polish, I got about 10 full size bottles and another 20 minis? No little Jay-z/Beyonce faces though. :( I also got a motorized nail shaper/buffer which I tried the other day & seems amazing. And a little hand dryer that doesn't inspire much confidence but is fun all the same.

My mom surprise-got me 3 E Lauder nail polishes under the guise of buying make-up for herself. I love my China Glaze but I have to say, the amount and intensity of the pigments in these is stupendous. I might be a convert to insanely expensive nail polish brands soon.

Trying out my new colours. My application technique leaves something to be desired... also I think it's the Seche base coat that is making some of my polishes go on weirdly :(

http://i49.tinypic.com/2mos753.jpg

I like that purple.

I bought some Seche Vite topcoat at in orbit's recommendation and I like it a lot better than the Sally Hansen combo base and topcoat I was using. It's shiny, it evens out the boundaries between different polish colors (I did black nails with sparkly red tips for NYE. And today since I haven't gotten around to taking it off yet) and my nails still look good today.

I'm thinking about buying an Esse base coat that was highly rated on MUA. We'll see if Target has it.