I LEARNED SO MUCH.
Lacquer. Varnish. Nail Polish.
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| Varnish. Lacquer. Nail Polish. Fraction of @nicolejaclyn ‘s collection. |
My friend Nicole is a nail polish goddess. This babe has all of your higher-end drug store varnishes, like OPI & Essie, plus couture lines, like Butter London, and Indielines (!), like NinjaPolish, in a smattering of mattes & sparkles, in every hue of every single shade possible. Cue: I-am-overwhelmed-smile.
She taught me SO much. And, yes, there is much to learn about nail polish. Especially because you have to spend & spend wisely.
Know what products to buy. Which ones to try. Where to buy. And … which ones to rent??
Yes. You will end up shelling between $6.50 and $9 per pop on the “less” expensive, though equally as lavish, brands. Simply put, brands like OPI, in comparison to those associated with drug store make-up lines, have more lacquer. More lacquer means truer hue & lasting finish. Think about it this way. Spend on the most expensive hair product, and you might be $40 in the hole for a humidity-defying spray. Spend on a worth-it varnish, and $6.50-$9 is a manageable expenditure. An investment? Absolutely. Not only did you skip the salon but, let’s be honest, when was the last time you ever used 1 entire bottle of lacquer? (…Never.) Chances are, you buy a bottle, & you only buy it once.
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| OPI. Only bottle Nicole’s bought more than once. And it was because the previous bottle dried-up. |
So, what are you saving on? The manicure. Truly, $10-30 savings depending upon the salon & you have the polish for touch-ups & do-agains. Also, distributor. As much as I adore salons & secretly wish Icould live inside of one, Nicole highlyrecommends not buying in-salon or drug store. On average, both amount to between $2-3 extra. Beauty supply stores like Beauty Plus Salon, CosmoProf, or Ulta, and sometimes even larger grocery chains, like Wegmans, have the fairest prices. Shop around & shop wisely.
The true key to spending (wisely) on nail polish? Know What Products to Buy Basics:
Varnish: OPI, Essie, or your favorite mid-priced designer brand (i.e. Zoya, China Glaze)
Top Coat:Seche Vite (fast drying)
You need a sticky/bonding base & a fast drying top. Need.
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| You don’t need this many. But that would be awes. Possibly as awesome as this rug beneath Nicole’s varnishes. |
Keep in mind, couture lines do exist. Niche brands like Butter London or brand icons like Chanel & Dior run for much more than $7-9. While these shades glide-on like velvet over chocolate, they are super expensive. However, with emerging rent-&-try trends like Lacquerous, nail-onistas might grab the best of both Save v. Spend worlds.
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| Nicole’s Mini Series. (She knows them by name.) Minis are great way to delve into designer & color. |
Inevitably, the miser in all of us rears its head & wants to know if it is at all possible to save. Yes. Of course. For super trendy colors or hues for trendy nail art, go inexpensive. Wet ‘n’ Wild & Rimmel, while more prone to chipping, have tailored brushes for even coating. And, hey, buy 2 while you’re at it.
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| Go Team! Base, 2 – 3 Varnish, Top. From Left: Barbara, Nicole. Shannon. |
xo.