I love doing my nails. It’s relaxing, and I always feel proud of myself afterward for saving a few dollars (so I can spend it on more makeup, obvs).
That being said, I usually don’t have a ton of time, so here are my essentials to get the job done as quickly and easily as possible.
Nail Clippers and File
Pretty obvious choice, but nothing ruins cute polish like ragged nails. I’ve bought more expensive nail files, but I always go back to these cheap ones that come like a dozen to a box. I like being able to stash these at work, in my purse and in my gym bag. I also use the nail file to clean up the polish around the edges of my nails.
Cuticle Remover
I felt like such a pro the day I incorporated Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover into my manicure routine! I never had the patience to soak my nails in water before pushing back my cuticles, so this product is perfect. I squeeze it around my cuticles, lightly, push them back with my fingers, and then rinse it off. It’s easy and really effective. Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover is available at Target for $5.
Base Coat
I’m always looking for the best base coat, and lately I’ve been reaching for Orly Bonder. I think it works well with different polishes, and I love that it dries quickly.
It’s an extra step, but my nails won’t last more than a day without base coat. Orly Bonder is available at Ulta for $10.
Nail Polish
I’m usually choosing between a neutral and a bold color, but I almost always end up going for the neutral. I’m really hard on my nails, so I like to pick something that won’t show the chips. When I sat down to do my nails the other day, I debated between Golden Sand and Cashmere, both by Mineral Fusion.
I ended up choosing the nude, of course! Golden Sand is a neutral tan with subtle silver shimmer. It’s a unique and really pretty shade. I like how it’s close enough to my skin tone to be subtle but doesn’t look muddy or boring.
Top Coat
I’ve tried a few different top coats, but I’m not committed to one right now. I’d been using Seche Vite for a while, but sometimes it makes the polish shrink, so I’ve been looking for something better.
This time I tried Mineral Fusion Gel Top Coat, and I love how it gave my nails that plump and shiny look that you can only seem to get from a gel manicure. This was the closest I’ve ever gotten to achieving that same look at home, which is amazing.
And despite the thickness of this top coat, my polish dries crazy fast. I was so shocked because I was fully expecting to wait a long time for my polish to dry, and my nails were completely dry in about 5 minutes. Mineral Fusion polishes are available now at Ulta for $8.
Do you do your nails at home? If so, what do you like to use? Let me know in the comments!
I recently realized the importance of having GOOD clippers and a GOOD nail file! 🙂
They’re the little things that make all the difference!
……. I have not done my nails in several months……
now i feel guilty.
LOL, don’t feel guilty! I’m sure you have a very good reason 😉
I haven’t done my nails in so long. Life has been too crazy. I’m a big clipper user though but I use a toe clipper for my fingers it usually allows me to make only one cut. I also find that the angle of most is great for shaping the nail. As long as they are sharp, I rarely need to file.
Hm, never tried toe clippers, but I can see how they make it quicker to cut the nails. And my nails are def the first thing to go when life gets busy!
I love Mineral Fusion Cashmere that’s in your photo. It’s one of my favorite shades, and I love the wider brush that it has.
The brush makes it way easier to get smooth application. I hate when brushes are super skinny because you have to go over the nail too many times!
I don’t have an Ulta nearby, so I’m not familiar with Mineral Fusion polishes. Need to check these out. Polish rarely lasts more than a day or two on my nails, so I don’t do my nails that often. I had pretty decent luck with the new Chanel gel top coat, it helped my last manicure last 4 days. Practically a record for me. My favorite quick dry top coat is Glisten & Glow HK Girl.
http://glistenandglow.bigcartel.com/product/hk-girl-fast-drying-super-shiny-top-coat
Oh, thanks for sharing the top coat! I’m definitely going to look into that. I’ve also heard really good things about the Chanel top coat (it better be good for the cost!). So now that’s 2 things I need to look into 🙂
I always do my own nails! I use Poshè now instead of Seche Vite since its 3-free. It doesn’t seem to have the shrinking issue.
Rachel, where do you find Poshe? I’ve been using Seche Vite exclusively but it dries/goops up so fast that I can’t use up more than half the bottle 🙁
I’ve been getting it on Amazon 🙂
Oh, glad to hear about Poshe! Jeez, the comments have me adding things to my amazon cart like crazy!
It smells better than Seche Vite, too 🙂
That Sally Hansen instant cuticle remover is my staple too! I can’t do my mani without it 😉
Totally, like what was I doing before? LOL
I do maintenance on my nails but get a professional to tidy them up often. I use a set from crabtree & evelyn and absolutely love it!
http://covetedbeauty.blogspot.ca/
Crabtree & Evelyn has some really lovely products. They always feel like such a treat 🙂
I’ve never heard of these polishes! I’ll have to check them out. I swear by Zoya. I can paint my nails and 5 days go by before I see a chip. I also love their fast dry drops!! You can literally paint your nails, put on the drops, and in like 10 minutes your nails are dry. It’s amazing stuff!
Oh, I NEED those fast dry drops. Do they still leave the nails shiny? I tried another brand’s drops and even though they helped my nails dry faster, they took away the shine!
Yep, mine stay shiny! Granted, I use Zoya’s top coat, which isn’t as shiny to begin with as say Seche Vite, but I’ve had no problems with the drops affecting the shine of the top coat!
I always enjoy the guest posts on the blog and this post from Ms Goss is no exception. I’m going now to pick up a couple Mineral Fusion polishes as I’d not heard of them. So thx for great post and introducing me to a new nail care brand!
Aw, thanks Kimberly! That’s really sweet. We have some big shoes to fill because Karen’s posts are bomb, so glad to know you’ve been enjoying everything. I’m going to be bold and speak for all of us interns and say we have LOVED posting here on MBB 🙂
Adia,
lovely nails and nice post! I am with you on the cheap nail files- I rely on those and Sally Hansen with Aloe Problem Cuticle Remover. My go to top coat is Out the Door, another cheap find but no shrinkage issues. It is a quick dry, high gloss finish.
Hi Lorraine! Out the Door sounds amazing – cheap and good?! Heading to amazon now 🙂
Glisten & Glow by HK Girl is a popular top coat in the indie nail world. They carry it at color4nails.com. I haven’t tried it yet, but it feels like everyone uses it!
I really like that nude polish. I think a nude is one of the hardest shades to find. I have a couple but I’m not totally enamored with them.
I use either Nailtiques Formula 2 Nail Protein as a base coat or Orly Ridgefiller.
I really like Deborah Lippmann’s Addicted to Speed top coat. I also really like her Gel Lab set, which makes my polish last a long time.
I also use CND Vinylux Weekly Top Coat, which is good but not as great as people say it is.
I’ve used Seche Vite but it’s a little too thick for me and it seems to age quickly.