I’ve taken to doing my nails myself, these days. I have no idea why. My idea of a perfect day used to revolve around a manicure and / or pedicure. But lately? I don’t want to take the time out of my day to go to the salon. Things have gotten so hectic, and every free moment that I have? It’s accounted for. So, I’m doing something I never thought I’d do… my own nails.
I’ve always been a fan of Essie, for color. My shade of choice was ‘Mademoiselle.’ It was perfect on my fingers. A beautiful and sheer shade of neutral pink. And for my toes? ‘Samoan Sand’ by OPI. And for general moisturization, I used Solar Oil religiously.
But recently, I tried a new line, a healthy line, called butter LONDON, and I am hooked.
Horse Power Nail Fertilizer, for strength. That’s been essential here, in Utah, where it’s so dry that every inch of my body is cracking. Melt Away Cuticle Eliminator, which does all of the work for you. Handbag Holiday for moisturization, to replace my Solar Oil. Nail Foundation Flawless Basecoat.
And for color, there’s ‘Yummy Mummy,’ a fantastic beige-y nude that looks gorgeous on your toes, when you have a slight tan (artificial, of course, courtesy of Dove Energy Glow…) And for my fingers, I’ve been using ‘Pink Ribbon,’ a classic and pale shade of pink.
This stuff? It’s good. Really good. The butter LONDON ‘tag’ is 3-free. (No formaldehyde, no toluene, and no DBP.) What it does contain is lacquer that holds up really well, and colors that are gorgeously chic and lovely. So lovely, in fact, that I’m going to take quite the leap of faith and try something that I’ve never done before: a bold, rich and deep shade of red on my toes… ‘La Moss.‘
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My nails sorely need my attention. I used to be SO good about taking care of them. My current favorite color is from Del Sol, and it’s a pale, ballerina pink inside and in the shade, and turns to a rosy pink color when I’m in the sun. The bf bought that and three other bottles of color changing polish for me on our one month anniversary date.
I’m so impressed! I could never do my own nails!
I actually gave up my regular manicure – same reasons – no time to get to the salon. but you’ve inspired me. i might just go invest in some new polish and try it out.
CO does a total number on my nails…You inspired me not to give up on them just yet!
I’ve been using Zoya for about a year now and really like it. If you like the Butter London, I think you’d really like Zoya. They hail it as the top green pick and a celeb favorite. I like the fact that it’s healthier for my girls and priced a touch better than other brands (almost 1/2 the price of all the others). I just bought the Paris shade recently from my salon (that looks just like shade you bought for your toes) and I love it. I’m not a bright red kinda girl but I love the reds with blue undertones- they’re a little better for my coloring. Anyhow, you should check it out. . . you might like it too. They have a lot of fun colors that my girls like, too (their candy collection is a favorite with them). Here’s the link if you want to check them out: http://www.zoya.com/google/Zoya_polish.html?gclid=CJ7D0LnD1JUCFQ4UiQod2QVcWw
I’ll have to look into your recommendations for moisturizers, I haven’t found much that helps my hands in the winter. Thanks for the tips ( :
Will have to keep those in mind, but have to say I’m a big fan of Jessica nail care (Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP Free, too.) I haven’t given up my mani/pedi habit yet (especially as it is hard to reach my toes these days), but who knows what it will be like with 2 kids! I try to use it as my me-time to have an escape, but not sure how I’m going to pull it off come October!