Nail Splits

Been busy as all get out lately.  I just love it when the weather warms up!

So I have a couple of things to say about this photo.  First being - See the damage I did to my cuticles by doing my nails when I was half asleep?  Yup I'm an idiot.  On the upside though they will heal.

Secondly notice the vertical split on each nail?  I have no idea how I managed that.  I'm using some glue over the splits for a bit of strength hoping that I can grow them out without any major breakage.  

The cuticle butchering was done the same evening I did my acetone experiment.  I'm definitely going back to regular use of my acetone/coconut mix.  I can't remember the last time my nails looked so dry.  Yuk!

The Big Box of Bling

As I was putting away my acrylic paints I pulled out my big box of bling for a photo.

Just a simple stacking 6.2 quart plastic container with a snap on lid.  At approximately 2.5 inches deep it is perfect for my larger bottles of glitter.

Sorry but I'm not dumping it out for photo purposes, there is too much in there.

Contents include;

Various shapes, sizes, colors of microglitter.

Micro beads and multiple colors.

Chipped shells (mother of pearl) in various colors.

Glequins in various shapes, sizes and colors.

Mylar confetti in various colors.

Pearls in various colors, shapes and sizes.

Rhinestones in various colors, shapes and sizes.

Gold metal findings of various designs (palm trees, playboy bunnies, etc).

A stray pack of striping tape.

Everyone of the carousels are filled with the pearls, rhinestones and microbeads.  There are several "pill minders" that also hold a little bit of everything.

As we all know, with some of these products a little goes a long way.  I've had some of this stuff for a long time and newer stuff was acquired because of a good sale or the results of an opportunistic buy.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!

My Mani Basket of Goodies

OK so we all have different ways of organizing and storing our supplies.  I thought I'd start a series on how I organize and store my supplies.

What better way to start than with my basic manicure supplies?

Behold my basket of awesomeness...

 

I picked this basket up at the local Goodwill store for $1.00.  I think its intended use is for silverware.  Pffffft I have a drawer for that!  What better way to repurpose this than for a mani basket I ask???

In this basket is everything that I might need for a standard manicure.  Polishes I pick as needed.  If I'm in need of a nail repair I've got a different little basket for that.  Actually several depending on the type of repair.  (Did I mention that I'm a nail junkie?????)

If you have any questions on what's in the basket, ask away.  

You see that wooden framed tray?  That is my workspace.  Usually I'm sitting on the couch when working on my nails.  Whether polishing, painting or cleaning my cuticles, my supplies are on this tray.  For one, if I have to get up I just have to set one thing on the coffee table.  No worries about anything damaging my furniture.  

When not being used for my nails it occasionally has one of my laptops on it, can be used for breakfast in bed (it does have folding legs underneath it) or whatever else a nice large tray comes in handy for.  

It's just my thing and my way of keeping things together.

Getting naked!

My naked nails or as they've been called before claws and talons. This picture is from a few months ago they have since been filed down a bit and any repairs have long since grown out.

Taking the bite out of pure acetone

Now that I've got the explanation of the family curse out of the way it is time for me to get busy with some content so here we go.

Blah, blah, blah you know the difference between non-acetone, acetone and pure acetone right?  If not Google it so I can spare others of the redundancy.  OK then what can I post about polish remover that isn't redundant?  I'm glad you asked!

For the most part I use pure acetone unless I have a repair in place.  I keep three separate dispensers.  One with non-acetone, one pure acetone and one pure acetone + (my own little concoction.)

I love, love, love how quickly pure acetone takes off the polish but hate the cold, drying and skin whitening effects it leaves behind when in its pure form.  Anyone else feel the same way?