Beauty

[Toppers]

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@Ms X wrote:

How do you paint your nails with bright colors and come up with a neat look with it just on the nail?  I've tried and failed at this.  Any tips?  I wanted to use a wine color for the winter, but I just can't put it on properly.  I get the "outside the lines" look and am not sure how to get the color smooth and shiny without streaking.  I only have clear and beige nail polishes because nothing else works.  I had Deborah Lippman's black cherry color and loved it, but it was streaky and I couldn't keep it just on my nails when I applied it.

I hate toenail polish in bright colors.  I don't usually do pedicures, but if I do it's with a beige or a beige/copper that looks natural.

I've never gone for a manicure or pedicure because I'm too cheap.  I can always think of something else to spend the money on.

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Hi @Ms X,

When I would wear polish, I would take a Q-Tip that had been dampened in a bit of polish remover, and go around each finger tip nail area very carefully, to remove any excess polish. This usually took care of any excess polish that went over the sides of the nail. 

[Ms X]

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@Toppers wrote:

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@Ms X wrote:

How do you paint your nails with bright colors and come up with a neat look with it just on the nail?  I've tried and failed at this.  Any tips?  I wanted to use a wine color for the winter, but I just can't put it on properly.  I get the "outside the lines" look and am not sure how to get the color smooth and shiny without streaking.  I only have clear and beige nail polishes because nothing else works.  I had Deborah Lippman's black cherry color and loved it, but it was streaky and I couldn't keep it just on my nails when I applied it.

I hate toenail polish in bright colors.  I don't usually do pedicures, but if I do it's with a beige or a beige/copper that looks natural.

I've never gone for a manicure or pedicure because I'm too cheap.  I can always think of something else to spend the money on.

---

Hi @Ms X,

When I would wear polish, I would take a Q-Tip that had been dampened in a bit of polish remover, and go around each finger tip nail area very carefully, to remove any excess polish. This usually took care of any excess polish that went over the sides of the nail. 

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Thank you, Toppers!  I tried that with Q-tips with a pointy end, but I ended up taking some off of the nail and it didn't really end up neat.  Maybe I just need to practice a lot and with practice comes perfect.  I think I'll give it another try.

[Toppers]

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@Ms X wrote:

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@Toppers wrote:

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@Ms X wrote:

How do you paint your nails with bright colors and come up with a neat look with it just on the nail?  I've tried and failed at this.  Any tips?  I wanted to use a wine color for the winter, but I just can't put it on properly.  I get the "outside the lines" look and am not sure how to get the color smooth and shiny without streaking.  I only have clear and beige nail polishes because nothing else works.  I had Deborah Lippman's black cherry color and loved it, but it was streaky and I couldn't keep it just on my nails when I applied it.

I hate toenail polish in bright colors.  I don't usually do pedicures, but if I do it's with a beige or a beige/copper that looks natural.

I've never gone for a manicure or pedicure because I'm too cheap.  I can always think of something else to spend the money on.

---

Hi @Ms X,

When I would wear polish, I would take a Q-Tip that had been dampened in a bit of polish remover, and go around each finger tip nail area very carefully, to remove any excess polish. This usually took care of any excess polish that went over the sides of the nail. 

---

Thank you, Toppers!  I tried that with Q-tips with a pointy end, but I ended up taking some off of the nail and it didn't really end up neat.  Maybe I just need to practice a lot and with practice comes perfect.  I think I'll give it another try.

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You're welcome, @Ms X. 

Yeah, I don't think that there's any real easy way to do it. I would just take my time and go slowly when I would do it. 

I would just get the Q-Tip damp enough to get some polish on it to where I could work with it, without trying to remove the polish on the nail at the same time. 

[IMissSuperPoke]

@ Ms X I read on a nail site to use an old eyeliner brush or a smudge skinny brush dipped in remover, too. That way you don't get cotton stuck to your nails & better control, too. Hope this helps.

[JustJazzmom]

@Ms X Sometimes that excess can be scraped off when you shower. That works for me besides the Q Tip dipped in remover.

[juperier]

@Ms X Yes, Take ;your time and practice, practice, practice...both applying and cleaning up. That definitely helps. 

I find even the pointed qtips too large for detail work. I tried using a stiff brow brush, but found that being exposed to acetone quickly destroyed the bristles. I ended up buying a nail cleanup brush. It cost more, but doesn't need replacement nearly as often. It's still on the large side for detailed cleanup, so I'm experimenting with some cheap nail art brushes for any tiny places that need cleanup. (you can get sets really cheap if you're willing to wait a few weeks while they ship from China/Hong Kong).

As to the polish itself

• try different brands, you may find that some brands are easier for you to apply due to the formulation and/or brush
• some colors and/or finishes just are more likely to be difficult, no matter what the brand
• some polishes have to be applied with the fewest strokes possible; go over the same area more that once or twice (particularly after the first coat) and you end up with a gloopy mess
• some polishes are really streaky on the first coat; things even out with the 2nd (or sometimes 3rd ) coat;
• some finishes are going to show at least some streaks, no matter how careful you are; my understanding is that applying the final coat with a sponge helps, but I've never tried it
• a thickish layer of top coat can minimize a lot of flaws

The more you experiment with different polishes, the more you learn to adjust your techniques so that you obtain the best possibe results.

I've never gone for a manicure or pedicure either. I always found way too many other ways to spend my money. I've almost never polished my toenails, and seldom wore polish on my fingernails until after I retired. Now I enjoy changing polish several times per week. I spend way more on polish than it would cost me to visit a salon. But I enjoy all the pretty polishes I've accumulated. 

[Nataliesgramma]

You sound like my daughter.....we were looking at nail polish and she picked out a pretty light blue that she said I should try. I wore it a few times but I still go back to my Fav colors....

I like pinky mauves....I even take my own color when I get a mani/pedi....LOL  

I always do my toes the same color as my fingernails....I know I am not too adventurous....

[AngelPuppy1]

I went through a period where I was wearing very bright and strange colors on my fingers and toes.  And I was trying different designs and methods.  But lately, I just want to be very low key and am sticking to basic colors.  I usually wear brighter colors in spring and summer.  I found a Rimmel quick dry color which I adore called Caramel Cupcake which I have been wearing all the time!  

[Tinkrbl44]

If you consistently get polish on your cuticles, you might have too much polish on the brush.  Wipe more off before you do the edges, then dip the brush back in to do the middle area.