Beauty

[JoyFilled Warrior]

Hi @Beauties        

I'm tired of buying bottles of Nail Polishes, that dont turn out to be the color they claim to display. (So many bottles of wrong colors!)

I'm considering Coloring my own Nail Polish, (in controlled conditions), using my chosen White, as a Starter.

Question:

Would the little bottles of "Baking/Icing Colors" work for coloring Nail Polishes?

 - - - OR - - -

Is there another product I can use,

   (esp in a controlled sort of way so that when I create THE right color, I can repeat the same color in future batches.)

/s/

"Mad Scientist of Nail Polish Colors"!.

[RollTide2008]

I don’t think this is going to work the way you think it will.

[We rescue cats]

I have made my own colors over the years but it was never scientific, it was more of a "I wish this was a bit lighter" and then added some white to the bottle. And though it worked for that bottle recreating it in the future would not have happened.  

Do you go to a nail technician now? If so I would chat with her about it, there are custom nail polishes available but they can be pricey. They will even match a dress or color for you.

[On It]

I would think mixing nail polishes of the same brand to achieve a desired color should work. They would have the same chemical composition. Mixing different types of products that are not nail polishes probably will not work.

[Mindy D]

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@JoyFilled Warrior wrote:

Hi @Beauties        

I'm tired of buying bottles of Nail Polishes, that dont turn out to be the color they claim to display. (So many bottles of wrong colors!)

I'm considering Coloring my own Nail Polish, (in controlled conditions), using my chosen White, as a Starter.

Question:

Would the little bottles of "Baking/Icing Colors" work for coloring Nail Polishes?

 - - - OR - - -

Is there another product I can use,

   (esp in a controlled sort of way so that when I create THE right color, I can repeat the same color in future batches.)

/s/

"Mad Scientist of Nail Polish Colors"!.

---

@JoyFilled Warrior No. Your bet best is to combine colors from within a brand and within a line. Try taking a toothpick and using it to pick up a drop of one color of polish and a drop of another and mixing with the toothpick on a paper plate. You can try more than two colors together. You can try other brands but they might not have the properties you like when applying. Don't start with white. You can mix white into a different color to get the shade you like. For example, a little white mixed into a purple polish will create a lavender shade. 

[Kachina624]

@JoyFilled Warrior    No, food coloring won't work as it's water based.  To do what you think you can do, you'd need the tools, equipment and supplies you only find in a lab.  You're going to waste a lot of time, money and effort.  Unless you're a cosmetic chemist, best to just keep looking for the perfect color or settle for one close to it.

[JoyFilled Warrior]

Y'all are brilliant!  

And with all yr varied explanations & reasons.

Now I have a much better idea of what will/wont work, & why!

I guess the closest I get to a "Lot Number" is one bottle, slowly adjusted for my preferred color, as suggested.  That'll be good enough.  I'll just adjust how much/little I spread out that bottle of "Lot Color."

THANK YOU!!!  For leading me this way, AND for explaning why.  Makes far more sense than I could possibly have mustered up!  

[juperier3]

@JoyFilled Warrior   What everyone else said. On top of that, trying to create a specific color, that can be repoduced and has a decent formula adds multiple layers of difficulty (and expense). 

I get that it can be difficult to select colors online. Different people perceive the same color differently. They have varying ability to distinguish between similar colors, different levels of vocabulary to describe individual colors, etc, etc, etc. Cameras pick up colors differently. Some colors are next to impossible to photograph accurately. Different screens display the same color differently, etc, etc, etc. And let's not forget that how a color appear is greatly influenced by the color(s) surrounding it. That's why there's been so much emphasis in selecting swatchers with varying skin tones the past few years.

I've gotten a whole lot better at "translating" what I see on my screen. But am I able to predict whether a polish I order will exactly match an outfit. Nope.  Do you have any beauty supply stores (that sell items like nail polish to unlicensed/non-professionals? If you can find a store that carries complete lines of such brands a China Glaze, Essie, OPI, Orly, Zoya, etc, you may be able to find a polish color that you like.

In the mean time, consider branching out...wear a color you normally wouldn't for a few days. You may find additional favorites (I say a few days because sometimes it takes a day or two to be able to view something out of the norm objectively. Some of my favorites I didn't initially like.) Use regular polish (far easier to change). Invest in a good base coat and a good quick drying top coat; maybe also some quick dry drops or spray. Consider doing your manicure in a more traditional manor (without thinning the polish. If you want a sheer look, there are polishes for that.). If you like the color, you can always add an additional layer of top coat the 2nd or 3rd day. 

[JoyFilled Warrior]

@juperier3   YEAH!! 

THERE YOU ARE!!!  *hugs!!*  

And again, THANK YOU for all your GREAT ADVICE!  Sooo many great ideas on this thread here!  What would I do without y'all??

I'm about to get even a little complicated, cause not only do I want my variations of color (expressed at above)   (esp Aqua Family for Ocean Scenes, ** LOVE AQUA **   but I want sparkles too.   ** I LOVEEEE SPARKLES **  incl in my Nail Polishes heh.  So I guess I'll have to add them to my created colors too,, or layer them on.

     I'm looking at a   OPI "Snow Holding Back" sparkle polish to adjust a color, or, say to layer over a midnight sky color, with snowflake tattoo in Winter .... maybe  or Aqua/Teal waves in Summer.   Somehow, I'll work Sparkles in there  heh!

I'd again like to try 1-2 "Seasonal" Individual Nails on one, other, or both hands, depending on time.

  Spring/Summer now. 

Then Autumn (Leaves, Pumpkins). 

Then Winter.  (Snowflakes)   

With Tattoos/Stickers to maybe enhance the Seasonal nail colors. 

Sorta Like:

Hope you're doing okay, @juperier3 .  Are you??

Things have been cooking around here pretty darn busy!!  Soooo many changes, seems Im swept up into!

    I think this Nail *stuff* gives me an Artistic Expressional reprieve from "Real Life!"  & very welcomed by me!

*hugs*  @juperier3 

[juperier3]

@JoyFilled Warrior  I'm ok, just haven't posted anywhere in maybe a couple weeks. How time flies! Actually, it's more like I think I'll respond later after I've contemplated my answer a bit. Anyway, it's a "me" thing, nothing to do with ignoring you, or anyone else.

Have you actually done any "accent" nails? If so, how about sharing them with us!

You're only planning on going all out on one nail on one or both hands, right? With maybe a bit of sparkle on the others?

So maybe buy a half dozen or so cremes in colors that appeal to you (could be the same color family or a variety of colors. Then buy a clear polish with added holographic or other glitter (on the fine side so you can use it as the final "color" layer on all your nails). Flakie toppers are fun too...and they remove far easier than glitter does. Then add a jelly polish and a clear polish with larger glitter. That way you can create a "jelly sandwich" (or a "pond mani" if you decide to try stamping).

A palette and fine nail art brushes will allow you draw nail art. You can also use the palette to mix colors together (stay with the same brand and finish till you get the hang of what works). You might want to buy some swatch sticks/wheels so you can try out your designs first. There is literally no reason to "franken" a whole bottle when you're only going to paint one or two nails. Just keep track of how many drops of each product you're using so you can recreate again at a later date.

Hopefully, it goes without saying to anyone reading this, that the above does NOT apply to gel polishes. Regular polish has solvent that evaporate to dry it. Gel polish CURES, thus it's truly not safe to mess around with the formula. I know most of the comments are regarding nail damage, much of which is caused by the person applying or removing the product. In most cases, such damage will grow out within a few months. The truly concerning issue is development of any allergy. These allergies are permanent. They can result in a nail tech losing his/her career. But more importantly, they limit what medical/dental procedures one can have in the future,..things like joint replacements, dental work that involves materials that use a lamp to cure.