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Live Love Polish “Tribeca” (Creme Ultramarine Blue) Live Love Polish “Absolute Zero” (Blue Chrome)

This blue polish absolutely floored me. It’s so intense, it literally glows on your nails. Probably one of my favorites.

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I was testing out this stamping technique from NailsByKatieDutra on YouTube using color gel and magnetic polish. It turned out really cool because the magnetic polish gave it an almost 3D look. Absolutely loved this.

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These are some new colors I picked up at TJ Maxx for only $3.99 each. I absolutely love this palette! Even though I only bought 4 colors, I threw in one neutral from my stash as an accent color. I really want to move on to another nail set, but I love this too much right now.

Also if you have trouble finding OPI at TJ Maxx, scour the checkout line. They often put a lot of smaller, impulse products in this area such as makeup and nail polish.

OPI Nail Lacquer Colors:

No Turning Back from Pink Street

No Room for the Blues

Never a Dulles Moment

We Seafood and Eat It

Essie Nail Lacquer in Sand Tropez

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I discovered Nails Plus, a nail supply store nearby that’s open to the public, which means DIYers like myself can reap the benefits of professional products at home. I met the owner, who is super helpful and supportive, and helped me pick out products when I told her I wanted to learn acrylic powder application. She didn’t try to pressure me into any expensive kits and only suggested products she believed in and offered other alternatives and suggestions. 

Here’s a little haul video I made with all the products I purchased. 

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A Plethora of Colors

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OPI Going My Way or Norway?

OPI Nail Lacquer in Going My Way or Norway?

The previous set barely lasted a full 24 hours before I had to cut them down for being too long. Here I attempted a tapered coffin shape. It was a little difficult because I had to contort my hand into different angles and shapes in order to file properly. 

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Madam Glam glitter gel polish in Organic Lavender Madam Glam cat eye gel polish in Amethyst

Attempted a round shape this time. It’s kinda like a weak almond shape though. Shaping is still something I am practicing right now. I don’t know if I can wear this length for a long time since I’m not used to it at all.

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I received my first Mani X Me box from Maniology last week so I’m excited to unbox some of these goodies! This month’s collection is Halloween-themed and is titled Pins & Needles. It comes with 2 stamping plates, 2 stamping polishes, a special gift, and a new ice cube stamper (first box only). 

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Late Summer

Madam Glam gel polish in Cashmere Grey, Kind Salmon, and Halo

I did a late summer color block design using colors from my latest VIP box from Madam Glam. 

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Nail Polish and Colorstreet Wrap Combo

OPI I Eat Mainly Lobster Nail Polish Colorstreet Nail Wrap in Chelsea Ya Later Sephora by OPI Havana Dreams Nail Polish (retired) Maniology Stamping Plate Tania Wish BM-XL217 Maniology Stamping Polish in Gold

One thing I remember about regular polish is sometimes it’s really hard to get a nice even coat, especially with pastel colors like Havana Dreams from Sephora by OPI. I realize that if I’m going to work on stamping techniques, I need to practice my basic nail polishing techniques, especially with difficult formulas like pastel. 

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Embracing My “Crazy Cat Lady” Side

Sephora by OPI nail lacquer in Seeing Pink Elephants OPI nail lacquer in I Eat Mainly Lobster Maniology x MRSWHITE8907 M0007 Stamping Plate (”Crazy Cat Lady” plate) Maniology Stamping Art Polish in Prancing Pink B255 Maniology Stamping Art Polish in Straight Up Black B171 Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat Maniology Smudge-Free Top Coat (still smudged no matter how long I let the art dry)

I rekindled my relationship with traditional nail lacquer this past weekend after a long affair with gel polish in recent years. Recently I bought a stamping kit and a few plates from Maniology so I dusted off my extensive collection of old nail polishes. I’m embarrassed to say that I own a lot of nail polishes that are 10 years or even older. Can nail polish ever really go bad? I mean obviously as long as the consistency remains the same, I would imagine that it would still be usable.

Such is the nail polish I used in my latest manicure above. I found a couple colors in my collection to create this cat-themed plate. In fact, one of the colors is from Sephora’s now defunct Sephora by OPI brand. It seems like with the right base and thin applications of 2 coats, and a great top coat, these old polishes still applied nicely.

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Nice and Nude

Modelones Poly Nail Gel in Pink 014

Trying out this poly gel. It came in a poly gel kit from Modelones but when I checked their site to see if this was available in their single tubes, I couldn’t find this specific one. They have another shade called Soft Spoken 004 which looks similar.

The consistency of this poly gel is like most other standard ones. However it does seem a little softer to where I feel like I need more slip solution to keep the brush from sticking to the product as I’m building the nail. It’s not too bad for kit price and even more reasonable for the $9.99 single tube on their website. 

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Madam Glam Soak-off Builder Gel in Light Beige Aqua Confetti Madam Glam Topcoat

IBD Gel Polish in Jupiter Blue Round Aqua Gems Madam Glam Top Coat

This is another one from the archives. I was still beginning to experiment with builder gel and overlays here. 

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Kokoist Platinum Bond Clear II Kokoist Excel Builder Gel Madam Glam Nacho Cheese Gel Madam Glam Top Coat