Or maybe you just want nails like a Texas prom queen, because they're long, they're bright, they're fierce, and they're back. And not a minute too soon, I say. I was so over sheer non-color that I practically did a backflip of joy the first time I saw a hot pink talon in Vogue. The only thing that might make me happier would be a TPQ worthy hairspray that actually keeps my hair from curling once I've laboriously straightened it.
Once we're all comfortable with nails that look like they belong in an 80's music video (or a sci-fi flick), we have to figure out how to actually get those nails without (shudder) slapping on some sort of fakies. The style has been androgynously short for such a long time that we all forgot about the hazards of long-nail fashion, which include splitting, chipping, peeling and flaking. Most of which are made dramatically worse by colored polish, which is MUCH more drying than boring sheer polish.
If your nails chip, crack, or flake, they're dry. The best defense is religious use of cuticle oil, and either sleeping with gloves on (see "Horror Paws"), or at least keeping them on long enough to ensure that the oil totally absorbs. Almost as important is the type of base coat you use, and how frequently you change your polish.
Use a protein base coat, one specifically for dry nails. I use Rejuvacote, and since I've started on it, my nails have been in amazing shape. Finish your mainicure with an anti-chip topcoat, and you can change your polish half as often. It won't hurt that Rejuvacote and similar protein treatments require multiple applications (yes, on top of color) in order to be effective, which keeps your polish shiny, and somehow flexible enough that it resists chips even better than the anti-chip topcoat alone.
Now rock on with your fabulous self and stay tuned for a step-by-step tutorial on how to DIY an ombre mani.
Once we're all comfortable with nails that look like they belong in an 80's music video (or a sci-fi flick), we have to figure out how to actually get those nails without (shudder) slapping on some sort of fakies. The style has been androgynously short for such a long time that we all forgot about the hazards of long-nail fashion, which include splitting, chipping, peeling and flaking. Most of which are made dramatically worse by colored polish, which is MUCH more drying than boring sheer polish.
If your nails chip, crack, or flake, they're dry. The best defense is religious use of cuticle oil, and either sleeping with gloves on (see "Horror Paws"), or at least keeping them on long enough to ensure that the oil totally absorbs. Almost as important is the type of base coat you use, and how frequently you change your polish.
Use a protein base coat, one specifically for dry nails. I use Rejuvacote, and since I've started on it, my nails have been in amazing shape. Finish your mainicure with an anti-chip topcoat, and you can change your polish half as often. It won't hurt that Rejuvacote and similar protein treatments require multiple applications (yes, on top of color) in order to be effective, which keeps your polish shiny, and somehow flexible enough that it resists chips even better than the anti-chip topcoat alone.
Now rock on with your fabulous self and stay tuned for a step-by-step tutorial on how to DIY an ombre mani.
